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Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Chocolate zucchini bread that bakes into a moist, deeply chocolatey loaf with a fudgy crumb and scattered chocolate chips in every slice. Grated zucchini is squeezed dry to keep the texture tender without watering down the cocoa flavor.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Zucchini and chocolate
  • 1.5 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 loaf pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep the pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Stop once the oven is fully heated and ready for batter.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl until evenly combined. The mixture should look like a uniform cocoa powder.
Mix the wet ingredients
  1. Beat granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract until smooth. Look for a glossy, well-mixed batter with no streaks.
Add zucchini
  1. Stir the grated squeezed zucchini into the wet mixture. Stop when the zucchini is evenly distributed through the batter.
Combine and fold in chocolate chips
  1. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined, then fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips. Mix only to remove dry flour so the loaf stays tender and fudgy.
Bake
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared 9x5 loaf pan and bake for 55–65 minutes at 350°F. Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, and the top looks set.
Cool and serve
  1. Cool the loaf for 15 minutes before slicing. Slice when it releases cleanly from the pan edges, and dust with powdered sugar if desired for a finishing cue.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated zucchini very dry to prevent a wet center and help achieve that fudgy, deeply chocolatey crumb. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; freeze slices in an airtight bag for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a dairy-light option, use Greek yogurt or sour cream interchangeably as written, or swap for a plain lactose-free yogurt; texture stays similar when zucchini is squeezed dry.