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Grab a slice of this warm, healthy zucchini bread and energize your afternoon in a delightful. If I can’t grab a slice fresh from the oven then I enjoy reheating it in the toaster oven to enjoy. This is just as fun and easy to make as some gluten-free banana muffins or gluten-free fudgy brownies and just as yummy!
My chocolate zucchini bread recipe is a fun snack for the family to make together.
It doesn’t get much better than some warm, healthy zucchini bread with gooey chocolate chips. This recipe makes a great compliment to a good cup of healthy coffee or as an afternoon snack.
Zucchini bread is part of the quick bread. It originated in America in the late 18th century. We still enjoy it today, with a few slight ingredient twists.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
Zucchini is an inexpensive vegetable that is shockingly tasty in bread. While there are several healthy zucchini recipes that are savory, let’s try this sweet version.
I set out to create bread with some extras and swaps that make it hearty and filling while keeping it satisfyingly sweet and yummy. Here’s what I’m putting in my bread pan:
- Shredded zucchini: The queen of this recipe is the zucchini. Rich in vitamins A and C as well as manganese and potassium, it is an inexpensive veggie that is mild in flavor and quite lovely in bread!
- Applesauce: This is often used in baked goods instead of oil. I still add in a little bit of coconut oil, yet this makes up the rest of the “oil.”
- Maple syrup + coconut sugar: These are my top choices when baking for adding natural sweetener without using refined sugar.
- Unsweetened almond milk: Dairy-free milk is an easy addition to this recipe and you honestly can’t tell that there is no dairy!
- Flax eggs: This unique superfood ingredient is actually really simple to make and acts as both a vegan-friendly ingredient swap in many baking recipes as well as a fiber boost.
- Coconut oil: My oil of choice for baking (and life!) as it adds a slightly sweet depth of flavor to this zucchini bread recipe.
- White whole wheat flour + almond flour: Use this combo to add additional fiber, protein and a denser, hearty result. I like my bread to have some weight to it and these two ingredients help me achieve that.
- Vanilla extract + spices + sea salt: I chose vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt to spice this bread. They pair well with the nuttiness from the flaxseed, coconut sugar and maple syrup.
- Baking soda + powder: These both help the bread rise. Since I’m using flours that are dense, these help add some lightness to the finished product.
- Chocolate chips: Who doesn’t love to add a bit of chocolate to their snacks? I use semi-sweet chocolate chunks or dark chocolate, depending on what’s on hand.
- Raw walnuts: These add a nice finish to this recipe as well as fuel for the brain.
Simple Ingredient Swaps
I make baked goods that fit my preference and ease of enjoyment. My body doesn’t like dairy so I swap it out when possible. You can easily use more traditional ingredients in your bread.
- Flours: Instead of adding in nut flour, feel free to use all-white whole wheat flour. You can also swap the flour out for your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Oils: The coconut oil can be swapped out for avocado or olive oil.
- Spices: If cinnamon or nutmeg isn’t your jam, swap those out for your preferred spices.
- Maple Syrup: Can swap with honey or raw cane sugar.
- Flax egg: Swap with regular eggs.
- Walnuts: Swap with pecans or omit completely.
Do what works for you and if you modify this recipe then tell me how yours turned out!
Bread add-ins
One reason I love zucchini bread is that you can make it differently every time, depending on what you like or have on hand. I always treat the healthy zucchini bread recipe as my base, then add fun toppings as I go.
For this recipe, I chose the family favorite of walnuts and chocolate chips.
Try dried fruit and fun spices, such as cardamom, or pumpkin spice. The possibilities are almost endless with this easy recipe. Almost any nut can be swapped in for the walnuts, or a great seed like hemp hearts that still hold a nutty flavor.
How to Make Healthy Zucchini Bread
I grew up eating zucchini bread that my mom would make. It made the entire house smell wonderful and we’d devour it in a day. This recipe is very similar to that one. We took it a step further and added chocolate.
It turns from a basic quick bread into a decadent dessert, while still using clean, healthy ingredients.
Quick breads like this chocolate zucchini bread recipe are a great snack idea as they really are quick. All the ingredients for this bread can be combined in the same bowl, which makes for less mess. You can also change up the ingredients to fit what you have on hand, and it’ll still taste great!
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8×4 loaf pan with parchment paper. Make sure the parchment goes above the sides of the pan so you can easily lift the bread out after baking.
Step 2: Make flax eggs. Stir 2 tbsp of flax seeds in 5 tbsp of water and set aside for 5 minutes. They will turn into a thick mixture that can be added when eggs are normally added to a recipe.
Step 3: Take the shredded zucchini and place it in the middle of a clean tea towel, paper towel or cheesecloth. Wrap up the zucchini and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Set aside.
Step 4: In a large bowl combine the wet ingredients: coconut oil, flax eggs, vanilla extract, applesauce, maple syrup and milk. Mix well.
Step 5: Add remaining dry ingredients except zucchini and chocolate chips to the bowl. Mix until the batter has an even consistency.
Step 6: Add drained zucchini and chocolate chips and fold into batter. Use a large wooden spoon or spatula to gently combine so that you don’t over-mix.
Step 7: Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with extra chocolate chips and walnuts if desired.
Sep 8: Bake for 45 minutes or until bread is golden on top. Give the bread 20 minutes to cool in the pan before removing it to slice.
Wrap in plastic wrap to store and keep the moisture in. If you want to freeze, wrap in plastic wrap then place in a freezer-safe silicone bag once completely cool. This will freeze for up to 6 months.
Note: I use a box grater to grate my zucchini and it seems to go fairly quickly.
FAQs
My recipe uses a mixture of whole wheat flour and almond flour, which are both less refined and a bit more fiber dense than refined white flour. I also omit refined sugar in favor of coconut sugar and maple syrup for a more natural sweetness with some healthy benefits.
No need! Honestly, there is no need to peel zucchini for this recipe, and it just adds an extra, messy step to do so. Just leave it on and enjoy the extra nutrients the skin has to offer, without any downside. Some vegetable peels are a tough texture, yet not zucchini!
My recipe has only 11 grams of sugar per serving. Instead of using refined sugar, I use a combination of coconut sugar and maple syrup for a richer, slightly nutty sweetness that highlights the warmth of this bread.
More Sweet Bread Recipes
Snacks make or break my healthy habits. If I’ve got good, nutritious and delicious options on hand, then I know I’ll win the day where good food choices are concerned. I’m always creating new bread options for myself and this awesome community.
Keep reading for some great recipes I think you’ll love just as much as this zucchini bread recipe:
- Almond Butter + Jam Muffins: A snack or quick breakfast that is tasty and filling.
- Pumpkin Pancakes: A lovely recipe for Saturday morning.
- Vegan Blueberry Muffins: Gorgeously flavored muffins that will be gone in an instant!
- Vegan Waffles: A family favorite to make and freeze for quick breakfasts during the school year.
- Gluten-Free Banana Muffins: Fluffy muffins that taste like the banana bread of your childhood.
What are some of your go-to snacks? I’d love to hear about them! Drop a comment so that you can share what fun recipes get you through the day.
Healthy Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup zucchini grated
- ¾ cup applesauce unsweetened
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup almond milk unsweetened
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed ground
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil, unrefined
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon ground
- ¼ tsp nutmeg ground
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt, unrefined
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup raw walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a 8×4 loaf pan with parchment paper or grease it with a little extra oil.
- Make Flax eggs: Stir 2 Tbs flaxseeds in 5 Tbs water, and let set for 5 minutes.
- Take the grated zucchini and place it in the middle of a clean dish towel or large paper towel. Wrap the zucchini in the towel and squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine coconut oil, flax eggs, vanilla extract, applesauce, maple syrup, and milk. Mix.
- Add remaining ingredients except zucchini and chocolate chips to the bowl. Mix well until batter has an even consistency.
- Add drained zucchini and chocolate chips to the batter. Fold them in.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and top with extra chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until bread is golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean. Allow bread to cool in pan for 20 minutes before slicing and enjoying.
Equipment
- oven
- bread pan
- tea towel
Notes
- Use all-white whole wheat flour if you don’t have almond flour on hand. You can also use the gluten-free all-purpose flour of your choice.
- Swap almond milk for the dairy-free milk of your choice.
- Omit the walnuts to make this bread nut-free or swap with hemp hearts or pecans for a different flavor.
- Feel free to use regular eggs in place of flax eggs.
Made these in muffin form to freeze for easy breakfasts/snacks for my toddler. SO good and moist!
Hi Erin! Such a great idea to make this recipe as muffins, writing that down to try for myself!
Baked this last night for my guests today and they all commented on how nice it was. Will definitely save this recipe and make it again. Thank you! 🙂
This is delicious. Thanks for the recipe!!
Isn’t it nice when good-for-you veggies can be so yummy?! Thanks for baking and sharing, Denette!
Just made this with some very ripe zucchini I had and it was delicious! Do you think there’s a difference between peeling the zucchini beforehand?
I made this recipe but I may have added too much zucchini ( two whole zucchini’s grated). As a result, it came out undercooked in the middle. I tried to cook it longer but it did not seem to rectify the gooey centre. That’s the advantage of plant-based food! You can still eat it even if it’s undercooked!! I will try adding the correct amount next time. Definitely a keeper!!
So glad you gave it a bake, Jennifer! Next time, yes def use just 1 cup of grated zucchini and be sure to squeeze out all of the excess moisture, since zucchini holds a lot of water.
Zucchini is becoming a staple vegetable in my house, thanks for a new way to use it! I love that this bread has a veggie in it that gives it moisture, but really doesn’t alter the bread ‘flavor’ much. So good!
The chocolate chips were def my favorite part— haha! I made sure to squeeze out the zucchini because I heard how it can be very liquidy and mess everything up. I also used less oil since I’m trying to watch that it was really good. I love all the natural sweeteners in this instead of refined sugar. I actually felt like my treat was a healthy snack!
Chocolate chips for the win! I’m glad you have it a shot and had success Dani.
Oh my!! I just harvested the last of the season zucchini from my garden this afternoon! Guess what I’ll be baking?!! Yay. Thanks for posting.
You’re welcome, Kavli! Zucchini bread from home-grown zucchinis is always the best!!
Also try aquafaba instead of flax seeds.
Great tip, thanks Keeley! 🙂
Instead of chocolate add dates!
That sounds like a great swap!