This Yogurt Chocolate Zucchini Bread is so moist and rich that I could even call them zucchini brownies in a loaf shape. Do you hear me zucchini haters? This bread will make you love zucchini! I’m pretty sure that you will be making this bread quite often and regret those years when you used to refuse eating zucchini. Video included in the post!
You should try this recipe before zucchini season ends. I know you can still find zucchini in winter, but they are not good enough and you will probably end up with a less moist or even a dry bread. Also, I don’t think winter zucchini has even the half of the vitamins summer zucchini does.
Why We Like It
The best thing about this bread for chocolate lovers is that it’s almost guilt-free because it is made with yogurt, which helps the moistness and a little olive oil. I used plain yogurt in this recipe and I didn’t have to add much olive oil, which is another great thing about this chocolate zucchini bread. Homemade Greek yogurt would work fine too, but the amount might need to be increased a little.
What's more, it contains LOTS of shredded zucchini. It is the secret ingredient which makes the bread wonderfully moist. You end up with a super yummy chocolate bread packed with zucchini, which doesn't taste in the bread at all. Can you imagine that?
How to prepare zucchini
As you can see in the video below, we don't need to peel the zucchinis. Just use them with their skin on, they cook through in the oven. What's more, those tiny green pieces make a nice texture inside the bread when it is sliced.
Use a big hole cheese grater to grate the zucchinis. If you use a small one, you will end up with a pile of watery zucchini and it will effect the baking of your bread even if you squeeze it.
Grate the zucchinis on a piece of paper towel and then squeeze lightly in your hands. Don't try to remove all the juice. The zucchini shreds should still be moist so that the bread is perfectly moist when baked. Watch the video below to see how I do this step.
If you love your chocolate bread very chocolaty, then use chocolate chips in this bread just like I did. You can never have enough chocolate, right? Don’t forget to top your bread with extra chocolate chips before baking! It will have a sublime tempting look with chocolate chips.
These ingredients make two loaves of chocolate zucchini bread and my humble suggestion is that you should take one of the loaves to your neighbour because believe me the tempting smell of this bread will even reach next door. Another suggestion could be giving one of them to a friend who hates zucchini and don’t tell him the secret ingredient until he finishes the loaf!
Tips
After receiving several questions, I think it would be better to make some points more clear.
- Some readers had doubts about the amount of flour. They think it should be more. Well, my cup size is 250ml and the amount of flour in this recipe is definitely enough. If you add more, your bread will not be that moist.
- I sometimes bake it in one loaf pan and 6 muffin liners instead of using two loaf pans. The size of my loaf pan is 20x10x6cm (8x4x2 ½ inches).
- Some readers had trouble with the amount of grated zucchini. Could that be because they measure the zucchini before squeezing? You should grate and squeeze and then measure it to 3 cups. Don't try to squeeze all the juice though, just squeeze it in your hands in batches.
Hope these help you to have a great result from my recipe.
Are you following a vegan diet? Here is my alternative that is as yummy as this bread: Vegan Zucchini Bread
Need a gluten-free version? Check the following recipe out! You might just need to add a little cocoa powder more chocolate flavor.
Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread from Making Thyme for Health
More Chocolate Recipes
As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!
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📖 Recipe
Yogurt Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Very moist chocolate bread loaded with zucchini. Noone can tell there is zucchini inside.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
- ½ cup yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 and ½ cups flour
- 1 and ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups grated and squeezed zucchini
- 1 cup chocolate chips, plus ¼ cup for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease 2 loaf pans (8 x4 inches) and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar. Add in olive oil, yogurt and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Add in cocoa and mix with a spatula.
- Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and sift into the egg wet mixture. Stir until smooth, but don’t overdo it.
- Add in grated zucchini and stir just until it is coated with the batter.
- Put 1 cup chocolate chips into a medium bowl. Sprinkle a little flour over them, stir and fold in the batter. Don’t overmix it.
- Share the batter into the pans. Top each with extra chocolate chips and bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out slightly moist and with tiny pieces around.
- Let it cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
My cup size is 250ml and the amount of flour in this recipe is definitely enough. If you add more, your bread will not be that moist.
The size of my loaf pan is 20x10x6cm (8x4x2 ½ inches). I sometimes bake it in one loaf pan and 6 muffin liners instead of using two loaf pans.
You should grate and squeeze zucchinis and before measuring it to 3 cups. Don't try to squeeze all the juice though. Just squeezing it with hands in batches is enough.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 207
- Sugar: 20.9 g
- Sodium: 49.6 mg
- Fat: 10.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.8 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 24.4 mg
Keywords: zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini bread
Mika says
I made 2 loaves, perfect for us !! Family and friends left with the remaining( not much left 😉 ) since I didn’t want us to eat the rest ! No problem for the cooking issues and I will be making some more and this time will freeze it ! Great recipe !
★★★★★
Jo says
Love the idea of this to get rid of a few courgettes but had same problem as a previous baker, it just would not set! Nearly 2 hours?! The bits that have set Taste amazing though
★★
Anjela says
Nice moist loaf. Turned out beautifully
Zerrin says
Glad you loved it Anjela! One of our summer favorites.
Millie says
I just died this recipe and I think the bake time must be screwed up. I baked my two loaf pans for an hour and a half and they were still not cooked. I thought for sure an extra thirty minutes would have been enough, but nope. They all fell, even though my knife came out clean in all of them, they still fell and now will be going into the garbage. Thanks for sharing your terrible recipe. Oh...and I did try a little of the cooked outside, the taste was terrible too. Too bitter from the cocoa and not sweet enough.
★
Carol says
very good. I did 2 pans but could have used one. It also only took 50 minutes to bake but that was probably because my loaves were thin.
★★★★★
Zerrin says
Thanks Carol! I guess the depth of our pans are different. As for the baking time, you know ovens might be different and it's a matter of some experience when it comes to baking. Thanks for sharing your experience, it might help others too.
Sarah Russo says
Added some dried Montmorency tart cherries. YUM!
★★★★★
B says
Really disappointing. I made this just as instructed, I have a thermometer in my oven so I know the temp was correct, my baking powder is fine, and the loaves did not rise and were burned on the outside and completely raw in the middle after an hour and 10 minutes of cooking, even after I turned up the temp towards the end. I have to throw them away. Probably ought to take this recipe down or alter it, considering how many people have had trouble. It's a real pain to dirty dishes and spend time only to have to throw food in the garbage. Really disappointed.
★
Sydney says
I was skeptical after mixing up the ingedients and it seemed the zucchini outweighed the batter. I figured it would be a mess. However, it came out delicious! Didn't rise very high but I did change ingredients. Coconut palm sugar, coconut oil, raw cacoa powder, and Fage Greek yogurt were my substitutions. I will make this again for sure since I have a pile of zucchini! Next time I will add nuts, oatmeal, and applesauce.
Yum!
Zerrin says
Hi Sydney,
I'm so happy to hear that you loved it. Thanks for sharing what changes you made! There might be other readers out there planning to use those ingredients for this recipe and now they have an idea. Thanks again!
Kelsey says
Hi! I read thru all these comments and had a couple thoughts. In the us 1 cup is actualy 200 mL. If ur using a 250 mL cup to measure the flour, thats actually 1 1/4 cup. This means u are probably adding an additional 1/4 and two tablespoons flour than people in the usa.
Also, homemade yogurt probably works best as store yogurt, even organic real yogurt is a little different. Id like to try this recipe but wanted to ask about the flour to get a more exact measurement. Weight is best but most ppl dont have a kitchen scale.
Also I saw a commentor say that if u use dutch process cocoa, the baking powder will not activate. Actually its baking soda that doesnt work well with dutch cocoa sometimes because it needs acid to activate, and dutch cocoa has been alkalized. So the type of cocoa shouldnt matter too much.
Melissa Sturwold says
1 cup = 8oz = 250ml. I have never seen a cup referred to as 200ml.
Laura says
I read the reviews while the loaves were in the oven and I was so worried that they wouldn't turn out. But, they were great and everyone loved them. I will say they weren't the tallest loaves around but they sure we're yummy.
Zerrin says
Thank you Laura for sharing your opinion here! Happy to hear that you loved it!