You will fall in love with this healthy chocolate zucchini bread recipe. Super easy to make, it is naturally sweetened with applesauce and it has a rich and irresistible moist texture. The answer to all your chocolate cravings without the guilt!
If you ever baked a zucchini bread in your life, then you probably know by now that 1/ it doesn’t taste vegetables at all, 2/ it’s moist and tender in texture, and super delicious, and 3/ it’s a great way to increase your veggie intake. So really, what’s not to love about it? A few years ago, I shared my chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe with you (that I highly recommend you try – SO good!) and today I’m back with another version.
This double chocolate zucchini bread is on the healthy side. It is loaded with zucchini, very lightly sweetened (and could be made entirely sugar-free) and butter-free. Yet, it has a rich, moist and fudgy texture that makes it absolutely irresistible. If you’re planning on cutting sugar from your diet as much as possible, this chocolate dessert might be the one you need!
Ingredients for healthy chocolate zucchini bread
- Shred zucchini. Yep, you have veggies in your cake, and I promise you won’t even taste it. A great way to make your little ones eat their greens without they even notice it!
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. Do not use dutch process unsweetened cocoa powder, as you need the acid in natural unsweetened cocoa powder to help activate the baking soda.
- All-purpose flour. Or use half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. I do not recommend 100% whole wheat flour however, to avoid a dense texture.
- Greek yogurt. Note that regular plain yogurt works too. In any case, look for full-fat for best results.
- Eggs. I use 2 large eggs. For egg replacement, see my note about a vegan version of the recipe.
- Vegetable oil. Sunflower or canola oil work wonder, but you could also use coconut oil if you don’t mind the coconut flavor in the final result of your zucchini bread.
- Unsweetened applesauce. Make sure you use unsweetened applesauce if you do mind the sugar.
- Sugar. I complete unsweetened applesauce with a little bit of sugar to help the zucchini bread to hold its shape beautifully when slicing. That being said, it is also possible to sweeten the entire recipe with applesauce exclusively. If so, replace the quantity of sugar with the exact same one of applesauce, which will bring to a total of 100g of unsweetened applesauce for this recipe.
- Chocolate chips. Large or mini chocolate chips can be used indifferently. Because you want to keep this zucchini bread healthy, consider using dark chocolate chips rather than semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips. You can also use half chocolate chips half walnuts, or replace chocolate chips with the same quantity of walnuts. Do not skip them altogether or it will impact the final result of the recipe.
Is this zucchini bread healthy?
Absolutely! At least for a dessert. Because this healthy chocolate zucchini bread is packed with shred zucchini, it’s a naturally fiber rich dessert. Also, there is no butter in this recipe, and the moist texture comes mostly from the Greek yogurt and vegetable oil. Now when it comes to sugar, note that this chocolate zucchini bread is just very lightly sweetened with a mix of unsweetened applesauce and sugar. The result? A delicious chocolaty treat that keeps your blood sugar level low!
Frequently asked questions:
- How to shred zucchini? Make sure you use a large hole cheese grater, and lightly squeeze in paper towel to drain the excess of water. This ensures your zucchini bread will be moist just as needed.
- Can I make it vegan? The answer is yes! To make it vegan, you will need to replace the eggs with two flaxseed eggs. To do so, mix 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 6 Tablespoons water, and let sit for 5 minutes until mixture thickens and becomes slightly gooey. You will also need to replace yogurt with the same quantity of coconut cream (the upper/solid part of a can of coconut milk).
- Can I make muffins out of it? Absolutely! This healthy chocolate zucchini bread is a very forgiving recipe that yields either an entire loaf or individual muffins. Just proceed the exact same way for the recipe, then fill out muffin tins up 3/4, and bake for about 25 minutes, or until muffins are cooked through.
- How to store zucchini bread? My recommendation is to let the chocolate zucchini bread cool completely first, then cut in thick slices and freeze them in a ziploc bag for up to 2-3 months. To thaw chocolate zucchini bread slices, place for 10-15 seconds in the microwave.
- What’s the best way to eat it? This is a tricky question because it depends on your personal tastes. But if you were to ask me, the very best way to eat healthy chocolate zucchini bread is cold, with a glass of milk. To do so, you will need to store it in the refrigerator. This is also why it tastes even better the following day!
More zucchini recipes to discover:
- Super Moist Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Healthy Vegan Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Brown Butter Zucchini Carrot Cake
- Salmon and Zucchini Ricotta Pie
- Almond Zucchini and Blue Cheese Tart
- Savory Zucchini Bread with Goat Cheese
- Zucchini Goat Cheese Casserole with Crumble Topping
My favorite recipes in a loaf pan:
- Best Ever Buttermilk Banana Bread
- Double Chocolate Banana Bread
- Best Ever Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
- Easy Chocolate Marble Yogurt Cake
- Chocolate Chip Almond Yogurt Cake
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Cakes and pies
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
You will fall in love with this healthy chocolate zucchini bread recipe. Super easy to make, it is naturally sweetened with applesauce and it has a rich and irresistible moist texture. The answer to all your chocolate cravings without the guilt!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (130g) dark chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup (60 ml) canola or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (60g) plain Greek yogurt, full-fat
- ¼ cup (50g) unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (225g) shredded zucchini
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Shred the zucchini using a large hole cheese grater. Lightly squeeze the zucchini with paper towels to drain the excess of water.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Whisk in the wet ingredients into the dry ones, and stir until combined.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in the zucchini until evenly spread throughout. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, scraping down the sides.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until an toothpick inserted in its center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan. When it is cool enough to handle the pan, tip zucchini bread out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
Lucie Martin
Very good – deep chocolate taste wihtout being too sweet. I actually liked it better cooled the next day. Ours was a bit dry but I will try baking for a little less time next time.
Delphine Fortin
I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you Lucie!