Indulge in the rich harmony of moist zucchini and velvety chocolate with our Decadent Zucchini Chocolate Loaf. This heavenly treat combines the wholesome goodness of fresh garden zucchinis with the deep, satisfying flavor of premium cocoa, creating a moist and irresistible loaf that’s perfect for any occasion.
I love chocolate and zucchini. My husband loves chocolate, but zucchini, not so much! But he loves this decadent chocolate zucchini loaf. Briming with dark unsweetened cocoa powder plus rich semi sweet chocolate chips that bring out the best chocolate flavor, the zucchini adds a moistness that makes this loaf rich and fudgy. You’ll never know there’s healthy zucchini in this loaf! Pass me another slice please!
The batter consistency is thick and fudgy. And the best thing-it can be mixed up in one bowl! It’s so easy to prepare. Pour it into a prepared loaf pan that’s lined with parchment paper with the ends hanging over the long edge to make lifting it out very easy.
INGREDIENTS
- Eggs at room temperature
- Dark brown sugar, but you can use light brown sugar if that’s what you have in your pantry
- Buttermilk, at room temperature
- Melt your butter and let it sit for a few minutes to cool down
- Mexican Vanilla is so tasty in this recipe
- Coarsely grate the zucchini, no need to drain it, that adds moisture to this loaf
- I used all-purpose flour, but you could use almond or oat flour
- Use a quality Dutched Processed cocoa powder What’s the difference in ‘dutched processed’ and ‘natural’ cocoa powder?
- Semi sweet chocolate chips
- Turbinado (Raw Sugar) to sprinkle over the top before you bake it
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes then use the parchment paper to lift the loaf out of the pan and cool on a rack for about 2 hours before slicing.
The loaf will keep on the counter, loosely covered, for 4 to 5 days and the flavors become richer each day!
Decadent Chocolate Zucchini Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 cup Dark brown sugar packed
- ½ cup Buttermilk
- ¼ cup Butter melted
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 cups Zucchini Coarsely grated, about 1 large or 2 small zucchinis
- 1¾ cups All Purpose Flour
- ⅔ cup Unsweetened Dutched Processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 cup Semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon Turbinado Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325℉. Grease liberally a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with soft butter and line it with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over the long sides to create a sling
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla extract and salt until smooth and glossy. Add the grated zucchini and mix with a spatula until well incorporated
- Using a fine-mesh strainer, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon directly into the bowl and stir with the spatula just until combined and no pockets of unincorporated flour remain. Do not overmix. Add all but 1 tablespoon of the chocolate chips to the batter and stir until evenly distributed
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with the turbinado sugar and reserved chocolate chips, pressing them in slightly so they stick
- Bake until the loaf puffs slightly and a skewer or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached. You will have smudges of melted chocolate chips on your skewer! Bake for 75 to 80 minutes
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Using the parchment paper, lift the loaf out of the pan, remove the parchment and let cool completely on a rack before slicing, about 2 hours
