This easy chocolate zucchini bread is amazingly simple to make and uses several healthy substitutions. Plus it’s so incredibly delicious and a great way to satisfy your chocolate cravings and still live a clean eating lifestyle.
I forget how ridiculously easy this zucchini bread is to make.
Like SO easy.
Usually, when I think about making bread, I first think of the calories.
Then, I think about the mess it will make on the counter.
Then, I think about the kneading and the waiting to rise.
At that point, I move on to making something easier.
Like buying donuts. Lol – I kid.
BUT. Once I finally get it through my thick [read: lazy] skull, I remember how amazingly simple this healthy zucchini bread is to make. And, it’s not even messy, either. I mean – you just need one mixing bowl and a grater to prepare it.
Within about an hour, you have this GORGEOUS chocolate zucchini bread that is not only absolutely delicious but also healthy. Score!
Does life get better than this?
Nope. No, sir. Nuh uh.
To make this zucchini bread recipe healthier, other than the obvious zucchini addition, I significantly reduce the need for oil by using applesauce. The texture and flavor of the chocolate zucchini bread are hardly affected by this change and you remove all sorts of unnecessary fat. I also use coconut oil instead of your typical vegetable oil and butter. Oh, this chocolate zucchini bread is a low sugar zucchini bread because I replace sugar with coconut sugar.
Told you life does not get better than this.
This zucchini bread with chocolate chips (yes, chocolate chips are involved! Can I get a hooray?) is so tasty and offers a great way to get your chocolate fix and not hate yourself for it.
Bonus – the kids love it, too. My kids even loved it once I told them it had zucchini in it!
HOW TO MAKE ZUCCHINI BREAD
You know I’m a fan of simple recipes with delicious results. And this easy chocolate zucchini bread is no exception. Trust me, it’s super easy to learn how to make zucchini bread.
Here are the steps for how to make zucchini bread:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil.
- Mix the ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
- Transfer the mixture to the loaf pan.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven.
- Let the healthy chocolate zucchini bread cool for 10 minutes.
So easy and simple.
HOW TO SHRED ZUCCHINI FOR CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD
How to grate zucchini for bread - this is a common question I get so here’s my answer: You basically have 2 options: You can shred zucchini for bread with (1) a food processor or (2) a kitchen grater.
How to shred zucchini for bread with a food processor:
- Wash zucchini
- Trim the ends of the zucchini
- Chop the zucchini into small squares
- Place the shredding disk on the food processor. You can use the regular blade if you don’t have a shredding blade
- Toss the zucchini in the food processor or insert the zucchini through the shredding attachment
- Pulse for approximately 30 seconds or until the zucchini shreds are small enough
How to grate zucchini for bread with a kitchen grater:
- Wash zucchini.
- Trim the ends of the zucchini.
- Grate the zucchini on the kitchen grater horizontally to get small zucchini shreds.
Personally, I just use my kitchen grater since it's easier and pretty quick, but the choice is yours.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF ZUCCHINI
This chocolate bread is healthier than usual because it has zucchini in it and because I replaced the unhealthier ingredients with healthy alternatives. Are you curious to learn more about the health benefits of zucchini?
Super!
Zucchini…
- contains 0 fat
- is high in water
- is high in fiber
- is high in vitamins, including vitamin B6, vitamin C, and vitamin K
- is high in minerals – potassium and manganese, especially
- contains antioxidants
- contains anti-inflammatory nutrients
Now, let’s translate these facts into health benefits of zucchini:
- zucchini boosts energy
- zucchini is great for weight loss
- zucchini improves digestion
- zucchini slows down aging
- zucchini lowers blood sugar levels
- zucchini promotes heart health
- zucchini improves eye health
- zucchini prevents inflammation
The health benefits of zucchini are quite impressive, don’t you think?
Now you have more reasons to try this chocolate and zucchini bread recipe.
SUBSTITUTE FOR VEGETABLE OIL
What can I substitute for vegetable oil? This is another question I receive frequently so I bet you might be thinking the same thing!
For this healthy zucchini bread, I replace vegetable oil with much less coconut oil and unsweetened applesauce.
Coconut oil is generally better, nutritionally-speaking, than most other oils — especially butter — and it has a rich, sweet flavor that perfectly complements this yummy chocolate zucchini bread. Plus, it works great for greasing the pan and holds up well in the oven.
Applesauce is a great substitute for oil (and even eggs) in baked goods. It’s a great trick to make zucchini bread healthier, but it works for other baked goods such as muffins, cake, and brownies. Make sure your applesauce is unsweetened so you don't add any unnecessary sugars.
HOW TO BAKE ZUCCHINI BREAD
Learning how to make zucchini bread is easy. And so is learning how to bake zucchini bread.
If you don’t have a lot of baking experience, here are some useful tips for making perfect zucchini bread:
- Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil.
- Pour the healthy chocolate zucchini bread mixture into the greased loaf pan and spread evenly.
- Place the loaf in the oven
- Bake for 50-65 minutes
To check if the chocolate zucchini bread is ready, insert a toothpick or knife in the center of the loaf.
- If the toothpick comes out clean, the zucchini bread is ready.
- If not, bake for a few more minutes, and then check again.
HOW TO STORE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD
If you don’t plan to eat this healthy chocolate zucchini bread immediately after you removed it from the oven, you can store it in 3 different ways.
You’ll need a lot of self-control to not eat it immediately though. You have been warned, ok? Ok. Now, if you insist, let me tell you how to store zucchini bread.
You can store the chocolate zucchini bread:
- At room temperature, wrapped in foil or plastic wrap for 1 or 2 days. The wrapping will prevent the zucchini bread from drying out.
- In the fridge. Freshly baked chocolate zucchini bread will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. Wrap the bread in foil or place it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out.
- In the freezer. Wrap the chocolate zucchini bread in foil or plastic wrap or place it in a Ziploc bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
3 MORE HEALTHY ZUCCHINI RECIPES
This healthy zucchini chocolate bread is a sweet and delicious way to enjoy zucchinis. But savory zucchini dishes are just as amazing. And I have 3 healthy zucchini recipes for you. I’m sure you’ll like these just as much as you like the zucchini bread.
TURKEY AND QUINOA STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS
These Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats are healthy, super easy to make, and extra tasty.
The Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats make a healthy weeknight dinner. Plus they reheat well so they are also the perfect make-ahead dinner during busy weeks. Get the recipe.
PARMESAN BAKED SQUASH AND ZUCCHINI SPEARS
If you’re looking for a simple and delicious snack option or a healthy dinner side, try these Parmesan Baked Squash And Zucchini Spears.
Zucchini snacks are kinda my thing. I love them because they are easy to make and they are healthy. But, if you don’t want to stuff your face with them, you can always pair them with a simple meat and serve them for dinner. Get the recipe.
HOW TO MAKE ZUCCHINI NOODLES
Learning How to Make Zucchini Noodles will allow you to enjoy all your favorite pasta dishes guilt-free.
Zucchini noodles or zoodles replace traditional pasta pretty well, they are easy to make, and ready in less than 10 minutes. Get the recipe.
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Equipment
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoon melted and cooled coconut oil, plus more for greasing loaf pan
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini (about 2 medium zucchinis)
- ½ cup dark chocolate morsels
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 9x5 loaf pan with coconut oil and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut sugar, 2 tbsp. coconut oil, eggs, applesauce and vanilla extract. Whisk together until well-blended.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and stir to combine, taking care not to over-stir.
- Add the shredded zucchini and chocolate chips and fold into the mixture until well-blended.
- Pour the mixture into the greased loaf pan and spread evenly.
- Place in the oven and bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean from the center of the loaf.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let rest in for 10 minutes. If desired, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Nutrition
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links for the kitchen item(s) I use 🙂
Kayla
This cake is awesome! Tastes delicious. You wouldn't be able to tell how healthy it is lol. Hubby loved it!
Tara
Can I substitute this flour 1 to 1 for GF baking flour?
Karen C
Love the flavor of this bread. I didn't have any applesauce so I used 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt and 1/2 cup Coconut oil. My question is, you call for 2 Tbsp of Coconut oil, is that solid or do you melt it? I had problems with the coconut oil staying solid and not wanting to blend in to the ingredients. Anyone have suggestions?
Mon
I melt the coconut oil and I also warm up my apple sauce a bit. That helps keep the coconut oil stay melted and blend!
Lacey Baier
Great substitution ideas! I use melted, cooled coconut oil 🙂
Abbey
Thank you for this recipe! It was easy to make and tasted pretty good 🙂
Lacey Baier
So glad you found the recipe easy to make!
Dyane
Do you know how long and what temperature, if I make them in a cupcake pan?
Lacey Baier
Great question - these would make tasty muffins! They'll probably only need to bake for about 20-30 minutes in a muffin tin, but I do not know the exact amount, unfortunately.
Rebecca T
I was looking for a recipe for healthy zucchini bread and ran across your Utube video and knew I had to try it. It is delicious! I used the coconut oil but only had white sugar on hand and it turned out great. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Lyse Bruneau
HI there, I have made yout healthy chocolate zucchini bread and I am curious about the nutrition facts. It is so delicious and I have lost 30 lbs. recently. This could very well be my nest go to bread for a quick chocolate fix.
Regards, Lyse
Theresa
Is there any way we can use oat flour? Like raw oats blended into a flour material. That is how I do my healthy pancakes, instead of using actual flour.
carol f
I don't see what the nutrition info is for this recipe. How many calories? Can you please tell me what it is? (Healthy Chocolate Zucchini bread)
Rebecca T
If you log on My Fitness Pal, you can enter all the ingredients and it will give you all the nutritional information.
Jenn
So darn good! My entire family enjoyed this!
Kim
Hi Lacey,
I really liked this recipe! My boys love it too! I had to use bananas because I realized mid-way through I was out of applesauce. Thanks so much for sharing!
Jake
I just made this and I love it!! Super delicious! Is there any way you can try making a banana cream pie recipe? I've been trying to find a healthy recipe for this treat and haven't been able to find a good one. Please!!!
jen
We made this in a 4 mini loaf pan and loved it! cooked 30 mins. Used regular whole wheat flour, and turbinado for coconut sugar because that's what we had! kids and moms enjoyed it!
Nithya
Hi,
I love your recipe and planning to try it out. Just a small doubt- in your video it says all purpose flour whereas in your blog it says whole wheat flour. If I am planning to use all purpose flour does the same quantity still hold true? Also can I replace granulated sugar with coconut sugar?
Thanks in advance
Lacey Baier
Sorry about the confusion - the video was recorded and cannot be updated unfortunately. The two flours can be used with equal portions so no need to change quantities - just depends on whether you'd like to use AP flour or a healthier, unrefined flour, like whole wheat pastry flour, whole what flour, spelt flour, etc. Yes, you can easily switch out regular sugar for coconut sugar int his recipe as well 🙂
Juliane
Dear Lacey,
this is amazing! I used bananas instead of applesauce, which were so ripe that I reduced the sugar and it was still sweet enough and oh so tasty. What a (healthy) treat! Thank you!
Lacey Baier
Yay! That's a great idea and the perfect way to use up ripe bananas! 🙂
Catie T
I made this bread and it turned out really well! Perfect for a dark chocolate lover like me. To change the flavor profile a little bit, I made my cocoa powder tablespoons heaping and omitted the cinnamon. I then added 1/3 cup of shredded coconut and it tasted somewhat like German chocolate cake! Thanks for the recipe.
Lacey Baier
YUM - great ideas for changing it up - thanks for sharing 🙂
Benjamin Weingarten
Hello Lacey! I liked this recipe. It looks very tasty and delicious. I want to try this recipe at home. I love healthy chocolate zucchini bread. I also liked the combination of bread and chocolate is great. I will try it very soon. Thanks for sharing great and healthy recipe.
Lacey Baier
Hi Benjamin! Yay - I'm so excited you're gonna try the recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do! 🙂
GD
Love this zucchini bread recipe! And that it's much healthier that what's out there! I added 2 things I love, ghirardelli dark chocolate chips and roasted pumpkin seeds. Definitely a keeper Thank you!
Lacey Baier
Oh my goodness - those additions sound AMAZING! Thanks for the idea 🙂 So glad you enjoy the bread!
Lindsay
How long do you think I'd need to bake this in an 8x8 pan?
Lacey Baier
Hmm..very good question. Since you'll have a shallower bread with the 8x8, I'd recommend baking at a higher temperature for less time. So, try baking at 375 and start checking for doneness around 35-40 minutes instead. Good luck!
Anna
Other than the zucchini and the coconut oil, there is nothing healthy about this bread. You are using a large amount of highly processed sugar and flour as well as vanilla extract (if you want to be healthy, use real vanilla) and eggs (which I am guessing are not organic) Please don't sell this idea as "healthy" just because it has zucchini and coconut oil.
Lacey Baier
Hi Anna, I understand your comment on whether or not this bread is healthy and I agree there are certain ways to make this bread even healthier, but the recipe substitutions I include in this recipe are much healthier than if they were not included. You can certainly replace the processed sugar with coconut sugar and the all-purpose flour with buckwheat flour if you're interested in cleaner options (I will add a note with these substitutions which is something I do on all my new posts, but this post is older and hadn't been updated). However, this recipe - as written - I believe is still a healthier bread than many others out there. I also use unsweetened applesauce to avoid additional sugar and oils. And I do happen to use organic eggs, but people are free to use whatever eggs they prefer and can afford. "Healthy" food exists on a spectrum and this was one of my first attempts at replacing certain ingredients in an attempt to be healthier (and it has been very well received and is delicious lol).
Liz
Wow Anna - so just scroll on by! A rude comment calling out Lacey was not necessary. The internet has become a place to attack people because you can be anonymous.
Lacey Baier
Thanks, Liz - I truly appreciate your support 🙂
Nicki
I was glad to see Liz's comment also. I am very concerned, and disheartened, by the constant barrage of negative comments from anonymous strangers. We are all doing the best we can.
I made this recipe omitting the chips and doubling the cocoa. With a small amount of fruit jam (and a cup of coffee), it made a perfect afternoon snack.
Thank you for your efforts,
Lacey Baier
Thanks, Nicki - I appreciate your comment very much 🙂
Jen
Ya I totally agree with Liz! I was super excited to find this bread; chocolate bread is never fully healthy. If you want to eat healthy, then go eat a carrot!
Dana
To Anna ~ Coconut sugar is NOT a "highly" processed sugar. It is not unhealthy. Do the research. Coconut sugar actually has many health benefits. It is NOT toxic to the human body the way processed white sugar is. It is completely different in the most important ways, which is it does NOT feed cancer cells in the way highly processed white sugar does and it does NOT cause chemical reactions in the brain (exactly like heroin)—keeping you craving more sugary foods/drinks like highly processed white sugar does. Again, if you're going to leave negative comments, you should first know what you're talking about.
Dana
... and regarding coconut oil. There is a bit of a misconception about coconut oil. Just because it's an "oil" doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. Quite the contrary. Coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils (if not THE healthiest) one can ingest. One can go to http://coconutresearchcenter.org to find everything there is to know about coconut oil. The website is affliated with Dr. Bruce Fife who has written multiple books on the subject (which you can find there as well). The info on the home page alone gives you a great idea of the many health benefits of coconut oil. 🙂
Lacey Baier
Thanks Dana for sharing this info with everyone xoxo
Julie Perona
I use swerve sugar replacement the is healthy and if recipe says a 1/2 cup of sugar than you can substitute 1/2 cup of swerve.
Wendy Jo McCroskey
OOPS - I also varied each batch by using deifferent flavored extracts: coconut and orange.
Lacey Baier
Oh, very cool! Which was your favorite?
Wendy Jo McCroskey
This is the best and healthiest zucchini bread recipe I've found. I doubled this with no problems and then went on to make 3 more double batches. I used small loaf pans and large muffins and these freeze wonderfully. Thanks for creating a delicious treat, snack and breakfast?
Lacey Baier
AWESOME! That's great to know about doubling the recipe, Wendy - thank you! And freezing. And muffins 🙂
Sarah
Good recipe, although next time I will not add cinnamon. It overpowered chocolate. So many muffin recipes call for cinnamon that they all taste the same after a while. Want to see what this tastes like without it.
Lacey Baier
haha - I'm kind of a cinnamon freak so I always add it. I'd love to know what you think without it if/when you try it 🙂
BMAC
I tried this recipe and think it is actually enough for two loaf pans. I ended up with one gigantic loaf. Next time, I would divide it and bake for a shorter time. I made it with fresh apples that I had just pureed with a vitamix, so it was a little undersweet (cooked applesauce is much sweeter) but still fantastic. It is incredibly moist and delicious. It would be easy to make this vegan by blending flaxseed and water to replace the eggs.
Lacey Baier
Thanks for the feedback - I'm surprised it made so much for you, though. Thanks for sharing how to make it vegan, too!
Karin B
My granny has an awesome zucchini bread recipe but not once have I ever considered making it chocolate. Genius! Love the addition of the coconut oil too. Did you melt it or use it as is?
Lacey Baier
I melted it to make it mix a little easier 🙂 Always gotta have chocolate 😉
Valeria
What could be used instead of sugar? Thats the only thing that struck as particularly UN-healthy.
Could coconut sugar be user instead?
Lacey Baier
Yes, you can sub coconut sugar, though I have not tried it with this bread. Here is a page with a lot of useful help on how to sub coconut sugar for white sugar http://burntapple.com/2013/02/26/how-to-bake-with-coconut-sugar/ 🙂
Sarah
Made this recipe today and it was de-licious!! My kids were huddling around the table like volchures; they couldn't get enough! I did make a mistake and used only 1 tbsp of coconut oil but it still came out amazing. Thanks for the great recipe :).
Lacey Baier
Yay! So glad you all enjoyed it 🙂 It's a big kid fave in our house, too 🙂
Carol Heard
I'm diabetic are theses recipes low in carbs?
Lacey Baier
Hi Carol, well it;s still bread which has carbs, but I substitute a lot of the flour with zucchini.
Susan
This is amazing! Any idea of the nutritional information breakdown?
Lacey Baier
Thanks, Susan. Sorry, I haven't yet calculated that.
lisa
I would like to make this but need the nutritional ( caloric) information
Please publish
Thank you
Peta
This looks great! Do you think this freezes well? Would be great to have this on hand for the next days lunch/snack!
Lacey Baier
That's a great question. Unfortunately, I've never tried freezing it. But, most quick breads (like this one) do freeze well. Please let us know if you try!
Nikki @ The Road to Less Cake
This looks divine. Anything that has chocolate and healthy in the same sentence is a winner for me!
Lacey Baier
lol, I totally agree, Nikki! Thanks for the comment 🙂
diane
Thanks for the great recipe!
Lacey Baier
You're very welcome, Diane! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Pam
Another fab recipe Lacey! I love your blog so much and your writing style. I visit all the time..you're my comfort blog!!! Thanks for all the great tips and video's.
Nothing better than having my tea , listening to my jazz and reading all your posts.
Thanks!
Pam 🙂
Lacey Baier
This comment makes me so very, very happy, Pam 🙂 I appreciate your feedback and love that this is your comfort blog. <3
Joy
This looks like a good use for the rest of the zucchini from my son's garden. Always looking for ways to incorporate coconut oil in our diet!
Lacey Baier
Awesome -- this is the PERFECT use for those zucchinis 🙂
Katherine
can't wait to try this... love that you use coconut oil. thanks for the recipe!
Lacey Baier
Yay for coconut oil! ;). I hope you enjoy the bread!