Chocolate Zucchini Bread Loaf

I brought this Chocolate Zucchini Bread to a neighborhood potluck last summer. Some recipes call this chocolate loaf cake with zucchini. I call it luscious and tempting.

As the host sliced the moist chocolate bread loaf I baked, the chocolaty aroma floated through the table. Everyone ‘ooh’d’ and ‘ahh’d’ at the sight. I disclosed to the guests that I baked this chocolate bread with zucchini. Nobody believed me. That’s how good this chocolate bread was.

As we relish the last few weeks of summer’s bounty here on the east coast, I am baking this chocolate bread with zucchini again. To the unfamiliar, zucchini is a type of summer squash. If you see it in the markets, it has an elongated shape like a cucumber. Its colors range from yellow to dark green. Once peeled and sliced, the inside texture is firm like that of a squash.

The zucchini has a rich nutritional profile and offers excellent health benefits. This type of vegetable grows in the USA but has origins that trace back to Italy. Though considered a type of squash that grows in America, my father who was a farmer was able to successfully grow this vegetable in our warm, tropical backyard in the Philippines when I was a child. I remember this well because I was in elementary school back then. The word “zucchini” when mentioned around the dining table was so new to me I had to look up its definition in my old Webster dictionary.

It is best if you use zucchini that is fresh and newly harvested. This is why I prefer to use those from the local farmers’ markets. The grated, wet zucchini tendrils add a rich, moistness to the chocolate loaf. I’d like to think it also enhances the chocolate aroma … the one that lures your senses to follow the trail of the scent to the dessert or brunch table.

If you’re a chocoholic like me and feel guilty about not spending enough time with vegetables, this is a good way to rekindle that relationship. Who knew garden fresh zucchini could make a chocolate loaf this unforgettable?

Print Recipe

Chocolate Zucchini Bread Loaf

Summer is about to end here on the east coast so I took a few zucchinis and transformed them to Chocolate Zucchini Bread Loaf. For those who want to hold on to the warmth and the lazy days, a good way to do it is to enjoy and preserve summer vegetables. In my case, I used the immense amount of zucchini I had to bake a couple of chocolate loaves. The addition of grated zucchini to the chocolate bread enhanced the luscious chocolaty aroma and gave the loaf a moist, rich texture. This was inspired by a recipe from my good friend Liren Baker of Kitchen Confidante. When sliced, this loaf serves 4 to 6 for desserts, snacks or sides.

Course: Brunch, Dessert, Merienda, Snack

Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Chocolate Zucchini Bread Loaf

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 777kcal

Equipment

• Loaf pan, 9-inch length

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated zucchini from about two medium-sized zucchinis
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 whole large eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare a loaf pan, about 9-inches by lining it with parchment paper and greasing it. Put this aside.
• Using a medium-sized bowl, combine the grated zucchini, brown and granulated sugars, eggs, oil and vanilla. Mix well.
• Separately, whisk the dry ingredients together : the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
• Add the zucchini mixture to the dry ingredients. Blend well either by hand or using a stand mixer.
• Stir by hand the chocolate chips into the batter. Pour the batter into the loaf pan.
• Bake 45 to 50 minutes at 350 F. Test for doneness by piercing the tip of a sharp, thin knife in the center. If knife comes clean, chocolate loaf is done. Allow the chocolate loaf to cool on the counter for a few minutes. Then invert on a wire rack to cool completely.
• To serve, slice the chocolate loaf and serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 777kcal | Carbohydrates: 110g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 442mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 68g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 5.9mg

Notes on Nutrition: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.

Did you like this recipe? I have more classic recipes inspired by my late mother’s cooking in my popular cookbook: My Mother’s Philippine Recipes. If you’re learning how to cook Filipino food or a fan of Philippine cuisine, buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.

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