Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Have an abundance of zucchini? You could hardly create more delicious results than this chocolatey snack.

Ingredients:

2 cups spooned and leveled whole wheat flour

⅔ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder  (Not Dutch process)

½ to 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate baking chips

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

½  tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp salt

4 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 ½ lb zucchini, shredded (6 medium, 4 cups)

For an eggless version:

Replace the 4 eggs with 4 Tbsp ground flax seeds mixed with ¾ cup (12 Tbsp) water.

Equipment:

Loaf pan
Baking liners, optional
Bowls
Measuring cups and spoons
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Box grater or food processor
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Pot holders, dish cloths

Ingredients:

2 cups spooned and leveled whole wheat flour

⅔ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder  (Not Dutch process)

½ to 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate baking chips

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

½  tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp salt

4 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 ½ lb zucchini, shredded (6 medium, 4 cups)

For an eggless version:

Replace the 4 eggs with 4 Tbsp ground flax seeds mixed with ¾ cup (12 Tbsp) water.

Equipment:

Loaf pan
Baking liners, optional
Bowls
Measuring cups and spoons
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Box grater or food processor
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Pot holders, dish cloths

Directions:

  1. Gather all the ingredients and equipment.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease the pans with butter and dust them with flour, or line them with paper liners.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar. Add the oil, whisking until fully combined, about 1 more minute. Add in the  zucchini and mix with a spatula until everything is well combined.
  5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently fold together with a rubber spatula until the mixture just  blends and no flour remains.  Be careful, you don’t want to over mix the batter.
  6. Fill the pans three-quarters of the way full with batter. Bake until firm and a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs, about 40-50 minutes.
  7. Carefully remove the pans from the oven. Set them on a rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Then, take the loaves out of the pans and let them cool completely.