Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread
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My healthy chocolate zucchini bread is moist, fluffy, and bursting with chocolate flavor. Made in the blender, each slice has around 100 calories. Even my picky family couldn’t believe this bread was made with zucchini- it tastes just like classic chocolate cake.
One of the best sneaky dessert pairings with zucchini is chocolate (yes, what a strange sentence). When done correctly, you can fold zucchini into any chocolate-based dessert, and no one will know (hello, zucchini brownies and zucchini chocolate cake).
My healthy chocolate zucchini bread has become a weekly staple in my house- it’s wholesome, simple to make, and tastes every bit as indulgent as traditional quick bread.
Loosely adapted from my healthy zucchini bread, I tested this chocolate version dozens of times in my own kitchen (sharing slices with my family and some very picky friends!) to ensure it delivers the perfect balance of flavor and texture while still packing in plenty of zucchini.
The secret to a moist, fluffy loaf is using overripe bananas for natural sweetness, the right amount of cocoa powder for depth, and squeezing just enough moisture from the zucchini so that it blends seamlessly into the batter. The result? A rich, chocolatey bread that’s sneakily nutritious and comes in at around 100 calories per slice.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this healthy chocolate zucchini bread
- Clean ingredients. No flour, no butter, and no oil are needed, but you’d never tell.
- Perfect texture and flavor. The bread is super moist and fluffy, with a gorgeous, tender crumb. The zucchini adds natural moisture while disappearing entirely into the batter (you can’t see a shred of green in my photos!), leaving behind nothing but rich chocolate flavor.
- Easy to make (and clean up). The batter comes together in one blender or food processor, which means minimal mess and a recipe you’ll actually want to make each week.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Absolutely fantastic, best ever! Applesauce works well instead of bananas, and rolled oats are fine, giving it a nice texture. Agave works well, also.” – Linda
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
- Oats. Quick-cooking oats that are broken down to a powder-like consistency. You can use rolled oats, but you’ll need to blend them well to ensure none remain whole (I tested both, and quick oats always gave the fluffiest texture).
- Cocoa powder. Unsweetened cocoa powder. For a deeper chocolate flavor, I prefer using Dutch-processed or dark cocoa (like Hershey’s Special Dark).
- Baking soda. Gives the bread some rise and fluffiness.
- Bananas. Mashed and overripe bananas. The riper the bananas, the sweeter the bread will be. Look for bananas with plenty of brown spots as they’ll add extra moisture, too.
- 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 shred the zucchini, then squeeze out excess moisture before adding it to the batter. I prefer using a box grater for consistent shreds that disappear into the bread. In my testing, leaving too much liquid in the zucchini made the loaf gummy in the center, so don’t skip this step: press the shreds gently with a paper towel or clean kitchen cloth until just damp.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk works. I’ve tested it with dairy milk too, and both gave the same results.
- Chocolate chips. Optional, but gives delicious pools of chocolate throughout.
How to make healthy chocolate zucchini bread
Step 1- Assemble. Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor.
Step 2- Blend until very smooth. Fold through the chocolate chips.
Step 3- Pour the batter into a greased and lined loaf pan.
Step 4- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool completely before removing it from the pan and slicing it.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t overbake. This bread continues to cook as it cools, so pull it out once a toothpick comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs are acceptable). In my testing, even five extra minutes in the oven made the loaf dry out. (One of the first things I learned in culinary school was to trust carryover cooking- baked goods continue to set as they cool.)
- Banana swap. Not a fan of bananas? Equal parts unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin puree both work- I’ve tried them, and applesauce makes the loaf slightly sweeter while pumpkin gives it a heartier texture.
- Make muffins instead. The batter bakes beautifully as muffins- just divide it between a greased 12-count muffin tin and bake for 18-20 minutes. If you want to skip the chocolate, try my healthy zucchini muffins.
- Gluten-free option. Use certified gluten-free quick oats. I tested with Bob’s Red Mill and got the same fluffy texture.
- Mix-ins. Customize it with fresh or frozen berries, chopped nuts (walnuts give the best crunch), or even white/milk chocolate chips for extra sweetness.
Storage instructions
Leftover zucchini bread will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, covered. Any longer, I recommend storing it in the refrigerator where it stays moist and fresh for up to 1 week.
To freeze: I like to slice the bread first, then place slices in a zip-lock bag or an airtight container. It keeps well in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Thawing and reheating: For best results, thaw slices overnight in the fridge, then warm them briefly in the microwave or toaster oven. This brings back the soft, just-baked texture and makes the chocolate chips gooey again.
Frequently asked questions
About 1/2 cup once shredded and squeezed. Sarah and Hazel both asked this in the comments. If your zucchini is smaller, use two small ones to get close to the same amount.
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Video
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 1/2 cup with moisture squeezed out
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line a loaf pan and set aside.
- Add the oats, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, banana, zucchini, maple syrup, eggs, and milk to a blender or food processor. Blend until no visible oat flakes or green zucchini streaks remain. The batter will be thinner than a typical quick bread batter, almost pourable like a thick smoothie. Fold through the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter into the lined pan. Add extra chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs are great).
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool completely before slicing. The bread will feel soft when warm Burt firms up as it cools.
Notes
- Zucchini: I tried this with all kinds of zucchini sizes, and medium (around 6 ounces) was ideal. Don’t worry if your zucchini is smaller or larger. As long as the moisture is removed, you’ll be fine.
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
- Leftovers: Store at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze slices for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
More healthy chocolate recipes
- Healthy cupcakes– Light, fluffy, and topped with a low-sugar frosting that tastes so decadent.
- Healthy chocolate muffins– The flourless version I make when I want something rich but genuinely wholesome.
- Healthy chocolate chip cookies– My most made cookie recipe, and the one my partner requests most.
- Healthy brownies– Fudgy, rich, and no one ever guesses they’re flourless.
- Healthy chocolate cake– I tested this cake endlessly- it’s oil-free, fat-free, and sugar-free, but you’d never tell.
could I reduce the maple syrup to 1/8 cup for this recipe?
Hi Felix- you could, but I’ll be honest- the bread will be quite bland and rely too much on the chocolate chips for sweetness. If you don’t mind that, then go for it. If not, I would recommend keeping it. The entire loaf is only using 1/4 cup so it’s very minimal to begin with/
I love this recipe. My favorite. ⚡️
Thanks so much, Luz- I’m glad you enjoy this healthy quickbread.
Instead of maple syrup, can I use a 1/4 of keto sugar instead?
I haven’t tried- you’d probably need to add some liquid to compensate
Awesome
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 🙂
I haven’t tried this but I just wondered if I can add nuts as well?
You sure can!
Absolutely fantastic, best ever! Applesauce works well instead of banana and rolled oats are fine, giving it a nice texture. Agave works well also.
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 🙂