Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread

A fail-proof, dark chocolate zucchini bread full of hidden zucchini, a dark dense chocolatey cake, and topped with a luscious fudgy layer of melted chocolate. Egg-free, vegan, dairy-free, refined-sugar free and option for gluten-free. If we are going to eat dessert, it might as well be nutritious!

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Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread (Vegan, Healthier)

This chocolate zucchini bread recipe is simple. I love it and so many followers leave comments on my social media about it probably because it’s so simple. Sometimes bread recipes can get so complicated, calling for multiple flours, or odd-out ingredients. But this recipe doesn’t – it is pretty fail-proof with either an all-purpose flour or even a tried-and-true gluten-free all purpose.

I left out the eggs and used a flaxseed egg, apple sauce, and activated milk but you can use a single egg for a more fluffy cake if want. This texture is more pound-cake-like.

I think you’ll love the taste, rich with chocolatey goodness in every bite, hidden vegetables included.

The Best Ingredients For Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread

The usual suspects, including zucchini and chocolate. But also all purpose flour, baking soda and powder. A flax egg with a bit less water because the zucchini comes with so much. And apple sauce, unsweetened.

he nutrition here is strong, what with flaxseed, fresh zucchini, and mood-boosting, magnesium-strong chocolate, we practically have a multi-vitamin loaf here! Specifically the loaf is high in protein, fiber and fairly low in sugar and fats.

Best Chocolate For A Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread

For this dramatic black color, you need black cocoa. But this cocoa is a luxury, so no worries if you don’t have it onhand. You probably have all the other ingredients to make this bread today! If you want to buy it, look for King Arthur’s brand of black cocoa, pure gold!

Substitutions for Chocolate Zucchini Bread

For many people, oil-free is a plus, but if you want this cake a bit denser, feel free to add up to 2 tablespoons of your favorite oil, I recommend olive oil or avocado oil.

And feel free to use either all purpose flour or the gluten-free brand I recommend below. I have this bread both ways successfully.

And I topped my loaves with melted dark chocolate, but you can use your favorite frosting recipe!

Tips to Make Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Be sure to squeeze out the shredded zucchini, even a little in a dish cloth or paper towel to remove some moisture.

Make this flaxegg with only 2 tablespoons of water, not the traditional 3 to again keep down the moisture.

I find the inside texture works out best when I use a pan greased and dusted but you can line the pan with parchment paper, I just have never baked it that way.

Can This Chocolate Zucchini Bread Be Made As Muffins?

Sure, just baked them in muffin tins at 25-30 minutes. I have never made it as a cake, I’m not sure how it would turn out.

I use a similar sweeter batter to make chocolate zucchini cupcake, try my recipe with birthday frosting for those here.

Are you on Pinterest? Perhaps save the recipe using this image..

If you like this recipe, you might also like a few of my other super easy healthy chocolate recipes…
Crunch Bars
2-ingredient Fudge
Chocolate Covered Chickpeas

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Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread (oil-free, dairy-free)

A fail-proof, dark chocolate zucchini bread full of hidden zucchini, a dark dense chocolatey cake, and topped with a luscious fudgy layer of melted chocolate. Egg-free, vegan, dairy-free, refined-sugar free and option for gluten-free. If we are going to eat dessert, it might as well be nutritious!

5 from 16 votes

Print Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free

Keyword: chocolate zucchini bread, egg free, oil free, zucchini bread

Does it keep?: freezer-friendly

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 249kcal

Author: Dee Dine

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup zucchini (should be organic as zucchini tends to absorb pesticides; shredded, and uncooked)
• 1 flax egg
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup nut butter (I used almond butter)
• ½ cup plant milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 tsp lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Dry Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa, but be sure it is pure cocoa)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (I have also baked this successfully using Bob's Red Mill's all-purpose gluten-free flour)
• 2 tbsp black cocoa (optional, for dark dramatic color)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

Topping

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (for topping, melted in microwave at 60 seconds, poured on cooled baked loaf)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep

• Make flax egg by stirring 1 tbsp of ground flax seed  into 2 tbsp of water and set aside for 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 F.
  Spray an 8-inch by 4-inch loaf pan with organic canola spray, and dust with cacao powder
• Shred the zucchini, wrap it in a cloth and squeeze out extra water. I get varying amounts depending on the zucchini's age, etc. I also blend up my shredded zucchini into a watery pulp using my Blendtec. This is not necessary, but at the time I wanted to fully hide all green specs from suspicious family members, haha.
• Add the lemon juice to the milk and set aside for 5 minutes. This is to activate the milk to help the cake rise. Use apple cider vinegar if you don't have lemon juice. Lime juice won't work, just FYI.

Make the Batter

• In the medium bowl, stir up the WET ingredients, EXCEPT for the shredded zucchini.
• In the larger mixing bowl, wisk together the dry ingredients.
• Pour the contents of the medium bowl (wet) into the larger bowl (dry) and blend together with a hand-blender or whisk or spoon. Don't over stir or the mixture will not bake properly.
• Fold in the pureed/chopped zucchini. Hand stir into the batter, again very little stirring. Pour the batter into the loaf pan.
• Tap on counter to remove air bubbles - this batter seems to hold air bubbles easily, maybe it's my mixer.

About the chocolate top

• Some people either add into the batter or sprinkle on top chocolate chips. I don't recommend that with this recipe as it creates pockets of wetness that are unappealing IMO. Instead, I melted a half of a cup of chocolate chips on top once cake is baked.

Bake

• Bake for 40 - 50 minutes to possibly 60 minutes, but start checking at 35 minutes. Bake until a test comes out clean. To avoid the top browning too fast, cut a rectangle of parchment paper and put it on the top of the cake at about 35 minutes.

  Let cool 30 minutes before attempting to remove the loaf from the pan. I remove it by slipping a knife in the edges, and prying upwards and eventually tipping it over and tapping.

Frost the top

• As I said, I frosted mine with melted chocolate chips, but you can use your own frosting, or don't frost, it is so moist and dense, it can be eaten without it for more nutritional value.

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 186mg | Potassium: 429mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 4mg

Dee Dine

Dee Dine is founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a plant based recipe blog, and author of the recent cookbook, Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients . On this blog you’ll find incredibly easy recipes with hidden veggies for anyone wanting to eat healthier, regardless of diet. Dee has graduate degrees in sciences and  journalism. More about Dee Dine here.