Rich and fudgy, this easy Chocolate Zucchini Bread is the perfect cross between a chocolate pound cake, brownies, and a classic loaf of zucchini bread! It's moist and tender thanks to sour cream in the batter, and studded with miniature chocolate chips for even more decadent flavor. Serve a couple of slices of double chocolate zucchini bread for breakfast or brunch with a cup of coffee, for an afternoon snack with a glass of milk, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delicious dessert.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Sour Cream and Chocolate Chips
I can't think of a better way to enjoy fresh summer vegetables than tucked inside a loaf of rich chocolate cake! This chocolate zucchini bread is moist, fudgy, and dense -- thanks to the oil, sour cream, and shredded zucchini inside. Mix in chocolate chips or chopped nuts for added flavor and texture, and enjoy a slice at any time of day. You'll love how easy this bread comes together with just a whisk...no electric mixer required!
Can you make zucchini bread into muffins?
Yes! This chocolate zucchini bread recipe makes great muffins, too! Divide the batter between 12 muffin cups (rather than a loaf pan), and bake at 350° F for just 18-20 minutes. Sometimes muffins are easier to deal with than a big loaf of bread. You don't need a cutting board for slicing, you can easily freeze any extras, and they cook so much faster.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you'll need for a loaf of easy chocolate zucchini bread. As always, specific measurements and complete step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Granulated sugar: for just the right amount of sweetness.
- Sour cream: an acidic ingredient that helps tenderize the gluten in the flour, giving the bread a softer texture and more body. The sour cream also interacts with the baking powder to help the loaf rise. Use full-fat sour cream for a moist, rich bread.
- Vegetable oil: keeps the bread moist. You can substitute with an equal amount of melted butter.
- Milk: to thin the batter just slightly. Use whole milk or 2% milk for the best flavor and texture.
- Eggs: for structure.
- Vanilla extract: for extra flavor.
- All-purpose flour: the base of the bread.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: gives the bread its rich, chocolatey flavor. I use Hershey's unsweetened cocoa, but any similar variety will work.
- Baking powder and baking soda: the leavening agents that help the bread rise high.
- Kosher salt: enhances the other flavors in the bread.
- Zucchini: coarsely shredded, the zucchini adds nice moisture to the loaf. Kids will also be happy to know that you can't actually taste it in the finished product!
- Optional mix-ins and toppings: chopped nuts or miniature chocolate chips
Do you have to dry zucchini before making bread?
No, you do not need to squeeze the zucchini dry before adding it to the batter. Instead, I just pat the zucchini gently on a towel after shredding. You still want the vegetables to be a little damp, because the zucchini adds nice moisture to the bread.
Do you remove seeds from zucchini for bread?
No, as long as you're not using a giant zucchini, you do not need to cut out the seeds before shredding. The seeds are small and tender, so they just mix right in with the rest of the grated zucchini.
How to Make Moist Chocolate Zucchini Bread from Scratch
There are a few keys to keeping this bread nice and moist: the oil, the full-fat sour cream, and the zucchini itself! The end result is a loaf of bread with a tender crumb, a firm crust, and no soggy, gummy center. It's just pure chocolate bliss!
- Whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then stir to combine.
- Fold in the zucchini and any other optional mix-ins.
- Transfer the batter to a loaf pan.
- Sprinkle with miniature chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake in a 350° F oven for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted deep in the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Cool completely before slicing and serving.
How to Serve Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
This easy double chocolate zucchini bread is a perfect treat at any time of day! Serve it with coffee or tea in the morning for breakfast or brunch, with a cold glass of milk for an afternoon snack, or with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for dessert. While it's delicious on its own, the chocolate bread is also tasty when topped with butter, cream cheese, or peanut butter!
Storage
Allow the bread to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe Variations
- Stir one cup of optional mix-in's into the batter, such as chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, or chocolate chips.
- Top the bread with miniature chocolate chips before baking, or sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Dust the top of the bread with powdered sugar once it's cool.
- Substitute melted butter for the vegetable oil. I find that oil keeps the bread a little bit more moist, but butter adds nice flavor. Both are fine!
- The sour cream adds moisture and richness to the batter, and creates a tender crumb. The acid in the sour cream also reacts with the baking soda to help the bread rise high. If you prefer, you can substitute with plain Greek yogurt -- just make sure that you're using a full-fat yogurt for best results.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe
- Properly measure the flour. Spoon flour into the cups and lightly level with the straight edge of a knife. Packing the measuring cups too tightly and using too much flour will result in a dry loaf of bread.
- Make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature so that they blend together smoothly without the need for over-mixing.
- Use full-fat sour cream for a rich, moist, and tender loaf of bread.
- Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Too much stirring activates too much gluten and results in a dry, tough, or dense loaf of zucchini bread.
- This is a thick, rich batter that rises very high, so I recommend a deep 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch or a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan to prevent overflow.
- To keep the zucchini bread from getting soggy or becoming gummy in the center, it's important to bake the loaf all of the way through. If it's wet inside, it's likely under-baked. You'll know that the loaf is done when a long toothpick inserted into the very center of the loaf comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Be careful not to over-bake the bread or it will become dry. I find that 55-60 minutes is best, so start checking it early. My loaves are usually perfect by the 57- or 58-minute mark.
More Zucchini Recipes to Try
If you have a zucchini overload this summer, here are a few more delicious ways to enjoy the fresh veggies:
- Classic Morning Glory Farm Zucchini Bread
- One-Bowl Zucchini Muffins
- Zucchini Gratin with Corn and Bacon
- Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Casserole
- Zucchini Fritters
- Greek Yogurt Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Zucchini Pie
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup whole or 2% milk, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup shredded zucchini, patted dry slightly on a towel (but not squeezed)
- Optional mix-ins or toppings: 1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or miniature chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a deep 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch or a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, sour cream, oil and milk. Whisk in eggs and vanilla.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to the sugar mixture; stir just until combined (do not over-mix). Fold in zucchini and optional nuts or chocolate chips.
- Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle top with miniature chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake for about 55 minutes - 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, unmold from the pan, and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Properly measure the flour. Spoon flour into the cups and lightly level with the straight edge of a knife. Packing the measuring cups too tightly and using too much flour will result in a dry loaf of bread.
- Make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature so that they blend together smoothly without the need for over-mixing.
- Use full-fat sour cream for a rich, moist, and tender loaf of bread.
- Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Too much stirring activates too much gluten and results in a dry, tough, or dense loaf of zucchini bread.
- This is a thick, rich batter that rises very high, so I recommend a deep 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch or a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan to prevent overflow.
- To keep the zucchini bread from getting soggy or becoming gummy in the center, it's important to bake the loaf all of the way through. If it's wet inside, it's likely under-baked. You'll know that the loaf is done when a long toothpick inserted into the very center of the loaf comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Be careful not to over-bake the bread or it will become dry. I find that 55-60 minutes is best, so start checking it early. My loaves are usually perfect by the 57- or 58-minute mark.
Lori
Made this Chocolate Zucchini bread just this week and my son and husband loved it!! Followed your directions on "room temperature" and it turned out perfect! I really like your "notes" section for each recipe because it provides us tips on how to improve the recipe. Thanks for a tasty and healthy zucchini bread!
Blair
Thank you, Lori! I appreciate your kind note, and I'm so glad that the recipe was a hit with your family. 🙂