Do you have a green thumb?

I definitely don’t, not for house plants anyway, I tend to kill most plants within a week. Nevertheless, last year we put in a raised vegetable garden at the side of our house and we had some success. It was a lot of fun growing our own food and a great learning experience for the boys so I was eager to plant again this spring.

This year we decided to try out some zucchini and boy did we grow some nice big ones! We harvested 3 biggies late this summer and another in late September, there’s even still a baby in there trying to grow. 

Haha, this picture makes me laugh every time, I guess sharks like zucchini too! Chomp!

So now what to do with all this zucchini!? I shredded it up, separated it into 1, 2 and 3 cup bags and put most of it in the freezer to enjoy throughout the year, but I was really excited to try out some new recipes with our home grown veggie! We have a bit of a chocolate addiction over here, so I went for a nice chocolately zucchini loaf, but secretly made it using healthier ingredients like yogurt and coconut oil. 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 large eggs

¼ cup coconut oil 

¼ cup plain or vanilla yogurt 

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cups shredded zucchini

Optional: Extra chocolate chips for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with coconut oil or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.

Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate small bowl whisk together eggs, oil, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, taking care not to over-stir.

Add the shredded zucchini  and fold into the mixture until well-blended. If using thawed zucchini that was frozen, be sure to drain the zucchini and pat with a paper towel so zucchini is still moist but not dripping.

Pour the mixture into the greased loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips on top of the batter.

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.

Yield: 1 Loaf (12 slices)

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Print

Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup plain or vanilla yogurt
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini
• Optional: Extra chocolate chips for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan with coconut oil or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.
3. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl.
4. In a separate small bowl whisk together eggs, oil, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, taking care not to over-stir.
6. Add the shredded zucchini and fold into the mixture until well-blended. If using thawed zucchini that was frozen, be sure to drain the zucchini and pat with a paper towel so zucchini is still moist but not dripping.
7. Pour the mixture into the greased loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips on top of the batter.
8. 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.
9. Remove the pan from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. When it is cool enough to handle, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 214Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 151mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 2gSugar: 17gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation and origin of ingredients used.

The Chocolate Zucchini Bread was a big hit with the family. We made a double batch and sent the second loaf to the boys’ grandparents but you could easily freeze a second loaf if you wanted to double up as well. The bread is best served warm with a side of nice cold milk, but it’s also nut free and perfect for tucking into school lunches.

If you love chocolate and zucchini you’ll also want to check out these Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins or   Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins