This easy almond flour chocolate zucchini bread recipe is tender, moist, and insanely chocolaty. You will never know it is made with a vegetable!
Why you’ll love this chocolate zucchini bread
This super moist and rich double chocolate zucchini bread tastes like dessert but is secretly healthy.
It makes the perfect breakfast paired with coconut butter or coconut yogurt, snack, or healthier dessert.
The zucchini bread is easy to make. It is made in just one bowl, you don’t need a mixer and can have it in the oven in no time, plus, it is a perfect way to use up summer zucchini.
To recap, this chocolate zucchini bread is:
- Paleo
- Free of refined sugar
- Grain-free
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Easy to make
- Can be enjoyed for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!
Chocolate zucchini bread ingredients + substitutions
What you’ll need:
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 small medium zucchini peeled if desired and finely shredded (1 and 3/4 -2 cups gently packed, water squeezed out between paper towels)*
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
*Since zucchini contains tons of water, you’ll need to squeeze out as much as possible before mixing it into the batter. Grate the zucchini using a grater or the food processor attachment, allow to sit in a paper-towel lined bowl while you prepare the batter. Right before you add it in, squeeze the excess water out of it, then measure to make sure you have the right amount.
Substitutions
Almond flour: The best almond flour substitutes for this recipe are oat flour (store-bought or homemade) or coconut flour. You can use a 1:1 ratio for oat flour. Note that oat flour is lighter and has a more mild flavor than almond flour. If using coconut flour, start with 1/2 cup and adjust as needed.
Coconut oil: Any neutral-tasting oil will do. For baking, especially with chocolate, I like using avocado oil. It makes bread recipes super moist but you can’t taste it!
Coconut sugar: If you don’t have coconut sugar, I recommend using brown sugar or brown sugar AND a touch of maple syrup. This will result in that chewy, tender texture that we’re going for.
How to make chocolate zucchini bread (step-by-step instructions)
- Preheat your oven to 350 F and line a medium loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and a pinch of salt, set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, coconut sugar, eggs and vanilla until well combined and smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet until just moistened, fold in the shredded zucchini, then the chocolate chips.
- Transfer batter to the parchment lined loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then gently remove the loaf by holding both sides of the parchment paper and continue to cool completely to room temperature on the wire rack before slicing.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipes and Tips:
- Coconut Flour Banana Bread
- Coconut Flour Pumpkin Bread
- Fried Zucchini Chips (Grain Free)
- How To Make Zucchini Noodles
- Almond Flour Zucchini Muffins (Keto, GF)
Related articles:
PrintChocolate Zucchini Bread (Paleo Friendly)
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2–3 small medium zucchini peeled if desired and finely shredded (1 and 3/4 –2 cups gently packed, water squeezed out between paper towels)
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F and line a medium loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, coconut sugar, eggs and vanilla until well combined and smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet until just moistened, fold in the shredded zucchini, then the chocolate chips.
- Transfer batter to the parchment lined loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then gently remove the loaf by holding both sides of the parchment paper and continue to cool completely to room temperature on the wire rack before slicing.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This article was originally written on October 4, 2019 and has recently been updated.
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I don’t have almond flour but would love to make it with coconut flour. Would I substitute 3/4 cup coconut flour?
Hi June, sorry for the late response, but yes, I think that would be the correct substitution ratio!
can I make this recipe with coconut flour only? I can`t have almond flour.
Hi Anna, I haven’t made this with coconut flour, but I believe you can. You’ll need much less coconut flour than almond flour – start with around 1/2 cup or so and add more if needed.
yummy recipe
Can I use butter?
Hi Carol! Yes, you can use butter if you want.
What is the nutritional breakdown? I’d love to try this recipe!
Can this be made with Cassava flour instead?
I tried this recipe, and as it cooled, the middle sank. The tooth pick near the middle was clean, my ingredients were room temperature, and I squeezed the grated zucchini. Can you tell me what I might have done wrong? I am discouraged. TIA.
So sorry, Chris! This could be due to a number of reasons. If underbaking wasn’t an issue, it could be the type of pan you’re using (use metal instead of glass loaf pan), old baking soda, or oven temperature. If this happens a lot with other recipes, you might find an oven thermometer to be useful. It helps ensure your oven holds the right temperature.
I think this site has wonderful ideas but too many pop up ads to deal with.
Easy recipe. Couldn’t find the salt measurement so I googled another Chocolate Zucchini Bread and used what they used which was 1/2 tsp. I also cut the coconut sugar in half. Great cake. I have Graves disease and rice flour doesn’t work for me either, it bothers my stomach so when I found this website I was thrilled. Thank you.
Thank you, Lisa. So glad to hear that!
This was delicious! I’m definitely making it again!
Agree with other comments that the salt needs to be added to the ingredient list. I added a large lunch and it was fine.
This is a favorite now!
Thanks Heidi 🙂 Added the salt measurement to the list.
This bread is exquisite.I added pieces of almond.It is soft and very tasty.I used carob instead of chocolate. Thank you for this recipe.
did you have carob chips I have the paste and am wondering about just grating it in. Or even grating real unsweetened chocolate as it can be had in abundance here – large chunks!
Hi Karen!! I have carob powder and I used it instead of cocoa powder. I think you can grate the paste. Please comment your results if you try it. Thank you.
had to try it and it is fantastic! not your usual zucchini bread, much better 🙂
altered the recipe a bit by adding hempseeds and baked it in a deep pie dish, but definitely will make this again!!!!
Love hempseeds! Thank you 🙂
Does anyone going that this needs to be cooked at least 50 -60 minutes?
Yes, this recipe needed 60 minutes in my oven.
Hi. This bread is sooooo delicious. It was moist and chocolaty and really easy to make. My friend who is gluten-intolerant had to restrain herself from thirds and her children loved it, of course getting in some veggies as well. She is now happy to use coconut sugar.
Just one comment though. The instructions mentioned salt but there is none listed in the ingredients. I just put a pinch in it.
This is one recipe which will be made again and again and again.
Thank you Coconut Mama.
Yes, a pinch is all you need! Thanks so much for your comment 🙂
Sounds yummy. I didn’t see how much salt to add though. 🙂
Around 1/4 teaspoon 🙂
How much salt? It is mentioned in the instructions but not listed in the ingredients.
Added! 1/4 teaspoon
How much salt? I am literally making this now and see that you mention salt in the instructions but it’s not listed in the ingredient list.
Hi Michele! You just need a pinch of salt – 1/4-1/2 teaspoon.
I can’t wait to try it! I’d like a coconut flour recipie, too!
This bread recipe sounds yummy.
Hello! Just curious the #carbs in this recipe 🙂 Thanks!
Can’t wait to make this, although will try substituting flax eggs for the real eggs because of allergies