This chocolate zucchini bread is moist and fluffy and bursting with chocolate flavor, you won’t believe it is flourless! No flour and no dairy are needed, it’s made in just one blender! 100 calories per serving.
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread
When it comes to healthy desserts, my favorite recipes to make are chocolate zucchini cake, Snickers bars, and this healthy chocolate zucchini bread.
I love it when zucchini comes into season because it is one of my favorite vegetables. Unlike more conventional ways, I actually prefer adding zucchini in my desserts. Shredded zucchini actually adds extra moisture to baked goods, but you never actually taste it. It also adds a hefty does of fiber and vitamins, transforming even the most decedant of treats into something healthy.
Ironically, one of the best dessert pairings with zucchini is chocolate. For anyone skeptical of any visible zucchini in a dessert, add some form of chocolate to it and you’ll be sweet. One of my favorite ways to combine the the two is in a loaf of chocolate zucchini bread.
I’ve been meaning to share a healthy chocolate zucchini bread recipe for quite some time. It’s the secretly healthy dessert I love to share with my friends who think it’s naughty…but it isn’t! It’s made using healthy and wholesome ingredients and takes minutes to prepare!
No refined sugar and no flour are needed, but you’d never tell. The texture is super moist and fluffy, with a gorgeous tender crumb. It’s pleasantly sweet with a lovely chocolate flavor, you won’t even tell there is any zucchini in it!
One of my friends comes round for coffee regularly and I surprised her with a loaf of this bread and she could NOT believe it was healthy- She thought it had to be full of sugar!
How do you make chocolate zucchini bread
The Ingredients
- Oats– Quick cooking oats that will be broken down to a powder-like consistency. You can use rolled oats, but you will need to blend them very well, to ensure none of them remain whole.
- Cocoa powder– Unsweetened cocoa powder. Use dark cocoa powder if you’d like a richer chocolate flavor.
- Baking soda– Gives the bread some rise and fluffiness.
- Bananas– Mashed and overripe bananas.
- Maple syrup– Gives sweetness to the bread. You can also use honey or agave nectar.
- Eggs– Room temperature eggs.
- Vanilla extract– Gives a subtle vanilla flavor.
- Zucchini– Finely shredded zucchini with the moisture squeezed out.
- Milk of choice– I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk of choice can be used.
- Chocolate chips– Optional, but gives delicious pools of chocolate throughout.
The Instructions
Start by adding all your ingredients into a high speed blender or food processor and blend until very smooth. Fold through the chocolate chips. Next, pour the batter into a greased and lined loaf pan.
Now, place the loaf pan into a preheated oven and bake at 180C/350F for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely, before removing from the pan and slicing it up.
Can I replace the banana with something else?
The banana adds both sweetness, moisture, and stability to the bread. If you prefer not to use banana, you can use unsweetened applesauce, however, your bread will be extra moist.
Tips to make the healthy chocolate chip zucchini bread
- Do not overbake the bread as it continues to cook as it is cooling down.
- For a lower carb bread, replace the banana with mashed banana.
- If you’d like this bread to be gluten free, use certified gluten free quick cooking oats.
Storing and freezing zucchini bread
- To store: If you intend to enjoy the zucchini bread within 3 days, it can be stored at room temperature, covered. To keep it longer, store it in the refrigerator, covered. It will keep well for at least 1 week.
- To freeze: Place slices of the zucchini bread in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More healthy recipes to try
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cups banana approximately 3 large bananas
- 1 medium zucchini moisture squeezed out
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup milk of choice
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line a loaf pan and set aside.
- Add all your ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, into a high speed blender or food processor. Blend well, until a very smooth batter remains. Fold through the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter into the lined pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let cool completely, before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
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This looks delicious! Just a question: your suggestion for lower carb was to use mashed bananas instead of bananas. What does that mean? Thanks!
Mashed pumpkin 🙂
Absolutely fantastic, best ever! Applesauce works well instead of banana and rolled oats are fine, giving it a nice texture. Agave works well also.
I haven’t tried this but I just wondered if I can add nuts as well?
You sure can!
Hello! I have a package of 4 small zucchinis that I need to use up. Would you suggest using 2 small ones or do you have a weight or meaurement that I should use to equate to your one medium zucchini? This looks delicious!
Thank you!
I was wondering a similar thin mine is either shredded in the freezer already or 20 growing in the garden. How many cups would a medium zucchini produce?
About 1/2 cup 🙂
Awesome