This satisfying double chocolate zucchini bread has all the flavor of a rich chocolate cake without a hint of zucchini taste! Rich, decadent, moist, and completely mouth-wateringly scrumptious while also being gluten-free, diary-free and refined sugar-free – therefore a pretty healthy dessert! Perfect for a breakfast treat with your coffee or those mid-afternoon sugar cravings as it truly satisfies your sweet tooth without breaking the calorie bank as a fully-loaded chocolate cake would.
Many of us are starting to see the first zucchini in our gardens. While we know how to roast, sauté, or noodle zucchini many don’t think to use it in baking. Why in baking? Well, zucchini adds moisture to cakes and bakes, waiting to release that moisture at just the right moment during baking. And in case you were worrying over whether or not your vegetable-hating kids and hubby might turn up their noses! Just don’t tell them – zucchini-packed baked goods taste nothing like zucchini so no one will ever know all while they are getting their extra serving of veggies and vitamins and minerals!
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread (Gluten Free)
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 12 slices
Calories 231 kcal
Ingredients:
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (200g – 7 oz)
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp instant coffee powder – you won’t taste it, it just amplifies the chocolate taste
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tbsp refined coconut oil melted
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups thinly shredded zucchini (about 6.5 oz – 180 g once shredded)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside. If using a non-stick pan, you can simply grease it.
- In a large bowl, add flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, coffee powder and chocolate chips. Mix well to combine.
- In another large bowl, add eggs, applesauce, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine. Add shredded zucchini and mix.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, do not overmix. The batter will be thick, it’s normal.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Shake the pan a bit to spread the batter evenly.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (a bit of melted chocolate is normal, but you shouldn’t see any trace of batter).
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes – ideally more. Remove the bread from the pan and slice it only when it’s completely cool.
Tips:
- This bread tastes even better the next day, after a night in the fridge.
- HOW TO STORE: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- HOW TO FREEZE: This bread freezes well. Once completely cooled down, cut into slices and wrap individual slices in plastic wrap. Then, just thaw the slices in the fridge overnight as needed.
- Add 1 cup chopped nuts and/or shredded coconut to add some crunch.
- Less Healthy Variation: you can also use all purpose/plain wheat flour instead of GF all-purpose.
- Less Healthy Variation: you can also use brown sugar instead of coconut sugar.
- Less Healthy Variation: you can also use melted butter instead of coconut oil.
Hope you and your family enjoy this Zucchini Bread as much as me and mine!
To Your Good Health! Eat Well! Live Well!
