This easy recipe makes a loaf of moist and delicious Chocolate Zucchini Bread that has layers of chocolate flavor, from the melty chocolate chips, pudding mix and cocoa!
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It's so easy to pop a little shredded zucchini in your favorite quick bread recipes, like my Pineapple Zucchini Bread or my Lemon Zucchini Bread. Any extra zucchini from your garden is perfect to make Parmesan Zucchini Chips with too!
Why You Should Make this Chocolate Chip Zucchini bread
This zucchini bread is a moist quick bread recipe that is just what you need for a summertime snack or healthier dessert option. It's a great way to use any excess fresh zucchini from your garden. Nobody will even know this bread loaf has zucchini in it. Zucchini doesn't have a flavor, it's just full of water so it makes the loaf extra moist and tender.
Simple Ingredients
- Zucchini: I don't peel mine, but I do grate it.
- Cocoa powder: I like to use special dark cocoa but regular will also work.
- Pudding mix: Make sure you get instant pudding and not the cook n serve version.
- Vegetable oil: I prefer to use oil in my quick breads like my Banana Bread.
- Baking chips: I use Semi-sweet chocolate chips but milk chocolate or dark chocolate will also be delicious!
- You'll also need all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla extract!
How to make zucchini bread
- Step 1: Grate zucchini and set aside.
- Step 2: Add flour, cocoa powder, chocolate pudding mix, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together.
- Step 3: In a separate bowl, mix sugar and eggs together using a whisk. Next, whisk in the oil, milk, and vanilla.
- Step 4: Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture in the dry ingredients and whisk to stir.
- Step 5: Add zucchini and chocolate chips to the batter and fold them in carefully.
- Step 6: Transfer the best chocolate chip zucchini bread batter to your parchment paper lined loaf pan and add additional chocolate chips to the top before baking in the preheated oven.
Recipe Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container or wrap the loaf with plastic and store at room temp for up to 4 days.
- Make a double batch next time you have extra summer zucchini, and enjoy one loaf now and freeze the other loaf for a later time.
- Let your loaf cool in the loaf pan for about 15 minutes before so it's easier to handle and easier to remove from the pan to let it finish cooling on a wire rack to room temperature.
- If you're using a glass pan to make this in it may brown faster and cook faster than when using a metal pan, so you'll need to start checking the bread once it's baked for 40 minutes and add more time as needed.
- You know your zucchini chocolate chip bread is finished baking when you can insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf and it comes out clean.
Recipe Faq's
Some recipes recommend you drain or strain any extra moisture from the zucchini before baking. While wringing out your zucchini to remove excess water could be necessary if you have a very large, extra watery zucchini, I use the extra moisture to help ensure a good loaf.
You can use a food processor with a shredding attachment. Or, you could grab a cheese grater or box grater and shred it that way. Whatever you have on hand will work.
No need to peel zucchini first since it melts right into the bread batter. Plus, the skin has even more nutrients.
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Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cups grated zucchini don’t peel it
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1 pkg chocolate instant pudding 3.9 oz
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips Plus extra for the top
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick spray. Or place a piece of parchment paper into the pan.
- Shred your zucchini and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, chocolate pudding, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs then add in the oil, milk, and vanilla.
- Mix the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips just until combined pour into loaf pan. Sprinkle some additional chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.
The first thing that comes to mind is a calibration issue with your oven. I use an oven thermometer that hangs in my oven to double check the temp at all times. That way you know what the actual temp is in your oven and what you have the dial set to many times they are off. But feel free to email me and we can chat and try to trouble shoot 🙂
I have a question... this is delicious but both times I've made it - in a 9x5 metal pan, temperature spot on - it takes about 2 hours to cook. What is happening?
Yay Wendy!
It’s such a yummy bread! I have made it several times, my family just loves it!
I would start checking it after about 40 minutes, it's done when a toothpick comes out clean. It will bake faster and possiblly look darker when baked in a glass pan.
Should I bake it any differently if using a glass loaf pan?
A 3.9 box os instant chocolate pudding is what is needed. She meant the pudding already made in containers.
Confused, the recipe says instant chocolate pudding but in a reply to someone you said the kind that needs to be cooked. Please which is it, because this recipe looks delightful.
Thank you
Yes, it requires the kind you have to cook. I either use Jell-O brand or my grocery store generic brand. Hope this helps Barbara, and I hope you love this zucchini bread 🙂
I am looking forward to trying this recipe, however, I have one question. My market did not have a 2.9 oz. package of chocolate pudding. Is there a particular brand that carries that size? Also, is it instant or the type that needs to be cooked. Thank you for your reply.