Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Name: Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ¾ cups (248g) all-purpose flour; 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; ¾ teaspoon salt; ½ cup (99g) granulated sugar; ½ cup (106g) packed brown sugar; 2 large eggs (at room temperature); ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled); 2 cups (283g) shredded zucchini; 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla; 1 ¼ cups (7.5oz, 213g) chocolate chips (divided); 2 tablespoons turbinado or raw sugar (for sprinkling on bread)

August 24, 2019 by Kelly 40 Comments

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread – elevating a summertime favorite to a whole new level! Super moist and tender, dotted with chocolate chips, and a crispy, crackly sugar-coated top.

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No mixer needed

This quick and easy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread is all mixed by hand. No mixer needed. It’s soft, moist, and never greasy.

Why bake with zucchini?

Zucchini adds tons of moisture without adding any flavor. It practically disappears during baking, adding moistness and tenderness to baked goods.

So what does Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread taste like?

Because zucchini adds no flavor, Zucchini Bread tastes like whatever other ingredients are in it. In this case, the star attraction is chocolate with hints of butter, vanilla, and brown sugar. Kind of like a chocolate chip cookie. A little cinnamon and nutmeg are added for a hint warm spices.

Tips for Baking with Zucchini

There’s no need to peel the zucchini. It adds nutrients and pretty green specks throughout the bread.

Use a grater with large holes to shred it down to baking size.

1 medium zucchini yields about 1 ½ cups lightly packed grated zucchini.

No need to salt, drain, or squeeze out the liquid. It adds extra moisture and flavor to baked goods.

If you are using a huge zucchini that’s extra watery, you can squeeze out a little liquid, but don’t wring it out completely or your bread will be dry.

If you are using an older, out of season zucchini from the supermarket, it may be dry. Just sprinkle it with a little water and let the excess drain in a colander.

Baking tips

I use the scoop and level method of measuring flour. For the most precise measurement, weigh the flour with a scale.

Make sure to mix your wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Avoid overmixing the batter, otherwise, it can lead to a tougher loaf of bread.

The Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. A thermometer inserted in the middle should reach 200° F.

If the top starts to darken before the loaf is done, tent a piece of foil on top.

Use a light colored baking pan so the loaf doesn’t brown too quickly.

This recipe is for a 9 by 5-inch baking pan. It makes one loaf.

How to make Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Whisking the dry ingredients separately will ensure everything is dispersed evenly. Mixing them evenly now prevents you having to overmix the batter when adding the flour.

Melt and cool your butter. This is a quick step that gives your zucchini bread a delicious, buttery, cake-like flavor.

Combine the wet ingredients. Whisk together the cooled melted butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until everything is fully combined. Then, stir in the shredded zucchini.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Make sure to mix the two together until just combined, overmixing the batter can lead to a dense, tough loaf of bread. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. I tip I learned when researching for my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is to spray only the bottom. This allows the bread to cling a little better to the sides so it rises higher.

Sprinkle the top with some turbinado or raw sugar. It gives a crispy, crackly top.

Bake the loaf in a 350°F oven for 50-60 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. It’s ok to have melted chocolate on it, just not batter. An instant read thermometer inserted into the center should reach 200° F.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges with a butter knife and remove from the pan to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Get creative with add-ins:

If you prefer Zucchini Bread without chocolate chips, you can leave them out and add in any of the following:

Chopped pecans or walnuts

Dried fruit such as raisins, dried cranberries

Fresh fruit such as a grated apple, grated carrot, crushed pineapple, mashed banana

Shredded coconut

How to store and keep Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

This bread will keep at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for several days.

If you would like to freeze it, wrap it in aluminum foil and place it in a ziplock freezer bag, pressing out as much air as possible.

You can also freeze individual slices. Wrap them in plastic individually. Heat in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds to warm before eating.