With such deep chocolate flavor and a chewy, moist tender crumb, this Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread takes the cake. Possibly a brownie in disguise, this decadent, chocolate-forward delight is destined to become a new classic in your kitchen.
Nutritious enough to eat for breakfast (maybe:), but so deliciously chocolatey that it definitely passes for dessert.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This is a perfect late-summer recipe, when gardens are overflowing with zucchini. But it’s so good, you can justify it anytime.
- You can mix this bread easily by hand, or use a stand mixer. Both ways produce delicious, fudgy zucchini bread.
This Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread makes great mini-loaves or muffins, too. For mini-loaves or muffins, adjust the cook time to 18-24 minutes.
No Squeezing the Zucchini
For this recipe, you don’t need to squeeze out the excess moisture from the zucchini after you grate it. The liquid helps hydrate the starches in the GF flour during the rest and will help your bread stay moist, even days later. It also gives you a little insurance in case you over bake the bread or muffins.
Why Add Zucchini to Bread Recipes?
Good question. I have my reasons (enhanced nutrition, improved texture, and increased moisture in GF baking). But as I worked on this recipe, I grew curious how Zucchini Bread became such a staple in American baking.
People have been adding vegetables to breads and puddings since the Middle Ages. The natural sugars add sweetness, especially when sugar is scarce. More often, people used root vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.), which are higher in sugar.
As for the rise of Zucchini Bread, in the US, Victory Gardens during WWII often produced a surplus of squash in late summer, so thrifty bakers utilized them in all sorts of baked goods. By 1973, James Beard cemented Zucchini Bread in American baking when he published a recipe in his cookbook.
My Recipe Inspiration
I grew up on Zucchini Bread and Banana Bread, and they regularly appear in our house for breakfast or afternoon snack. This chocolate version was inspired by my daughter’s love of Trader Joes GF Chocolate Muffins.
Variations
- Lots of people like adding cinnamon to Zucchini Bread, but I dont’ care for it in this chocolate version.
- Adding 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt adds a nice, tanginess to the bread and gives it a creamier texture. If you add either, you can reduce the butter to 5 Tablespoons.
- Adding chopped pecans, walnuts, pistachios, coconut, or dried cherries can change the whole flavor of this recipe. Add whatever your family likes!
- You can also add a mashed, ripe banana to this loaf for extra moisture if you’d like to cut down on the butter in the recipe. Reduce the butter to 5 Tablespoons.
Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Total Time: 0 hours
Description
Rich, fudgy Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread will satisfy your chocolate cravings! Bakes beautifully into muffins or loaves and just might make zucchini your favorite vegetable.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
1/2 cup brown sugar, not packed (dark or light)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (if using salted butter, reduce to 1 tsp)
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup GF flour (I used Measure for Measure)
1/2 cup finely ground almond flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Wet Ingredients
2 cups grated zucchini, about 1 large or two small zucchini
2 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Additions
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, sugars, melted butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
2. Add the grated zucchini and combine.
3. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl (GF flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder). Save the chocolate chips and optional nuts for step #7.
4. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.
5. Allow the batter to rest for 2o minutes to give the GF flours time to hydrate and eliminate grittiness. Do not skip this step.
6. Meanwhile, for bread, line a loaf pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For muffins, line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.
7. After 20 minutes, stir in the chocolate chips (and optional ingredients) and scrape the batter into the prepared pan with a spatula. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips, if desired.
8. For bread, bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, then check for doneness by inserting a toothpick. The toothpick may not come out perfectly clean, but the loaf will feel firm and set. For muffins, bake for 20-24 minutes. For mini-loaves, bake 25-30 minutes.
10. Allow the bread to cool thoroughly before slicing. For the cleanest slices, chill the bread before slicing, then allow to come to room temperature before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
Yields 1 9×5 loaf or 12-15 muffins.
You can substitute oil (canola, grapeseed, vegetable) for the butter if desired.
- Prep Time: 30 mins (including rest)
- Cook Time: 20-50 mins
