This incredibly moist chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe balances cozy cinnamon spice with gooey pockets of melted chocolate in every single bite. It's ridiculously easy to whip together and guaranteed to become an instant favorite for both the kids and adults at your kitchen table!
Jump to:
- 🍞Super Moist Summer Quick Bread
- 🥒The Perfect Recipe For Your Summer Zucchini Harvest
- 😍3 Reasons Why You'll Love This Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe
- 🥘Basic Pantry Ingredients Needed
- 🔪How To Make Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
- 🌿Healthy Ingredient Substitutions
- 📖Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe Variations
- 🍽Basic Equipment Needed
- 🍶Storing Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
- 💭Top Tip For This Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe
- ❓Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread FAQ
- 🥄More Quick Bread Recipes
- 🥒More Zucchini Recipes
- 📋Recipe With Step-By-Step Instructions
- 💬 Comments
🍞Super Moist Summer Quick Bread
I love simple quick bread recipes--especially ones that sneak in some vitamins without being boring, like my tasty Carrot Bread, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, and White Chocolate Cranberry Bread. In the summer months, when the zucchini harvest peaks, it's without question that this deliciously simple, incredibly moist chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe will make an appearance quite often at the kitchen table.
🥒The Perfect Recipe For Your Summer Zucchini Harvest
There's a ridiculous amount of zucchini in this quick bread, not only for added nutrition, but also to use up that garden harvest in a very tasty way 😉. You can't taste it, but it sure does add a pop of color as well as a tremendous amount of moistness that just can't be beat.
Then there's the melted, gooey chocolate chips and cozy warm spice from the cinnamon and nutmeg. So, so good and definitely a tasty enhancement to this already very flavorful, yummy zucchini quick bread!
😍3 Reasons Why You'll Love This Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe
- Easy zucchini prep- This bread only requires you to shred the zucchini. There's no blotting or salting to remove any of the moisture. There's also no peeling to remove the skin, because in this moist bread recipe, we want it all!
- Super nutritious- Okay, yes there are chocolate chips in the bread, but there's also a ton of vitamins from the zucchini, especially potassium, Vitamin A and folate. We're going to focus on that.
- Stores well- You can freeze this bread and it will keep well that way for months. But honestly, it's so superbly delicious, the four of us devour one loaf over two days!
🥘Basic Pantry Ingredients Needed
- firm, fresh zucchini- one large or 2 medium is typically all you'll need
- flour- I use all-purpose, but you can also use wheat or gluten-free
- sugar- this recipe uses white sugar, not brown
- baking soda, baking powder, & salt- leavening agents to help the bread rise and to bring out the flavor
- cinnamon & nutmeg- warm spices that enhance the zucchini & chocolate
- vegetable oil- much like in cake recipes, this gives the bread a richer taste
- pure vanilla extract- for added flavor; avoid imitation
- room temperature eggs- help to bind all the ingredients and provide additional moisture
- sour cream- prevents the bread from getting dry while baking
- semi-sweet chocolate chips- you may choose to use milk or dark chocolate chips for a slightly different (but equally enjoyable) chocolaty flavor
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪How To Make Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
- Step 1: Combine all the dry ingredients together; mix thoroughly.
- Step 2: Whisk the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Then add the shredded zucchini.
- Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients bowl; stir until just combined, then add the chocolate chips.
- Step 4: Bake in a metal loaf pan for roughly one hour.
Hint: Metal loaf pans are best for baking breads, and I highly recommend this Nordic Ware pan (affiliate link). For easy removal, line the pan with parchment paper before adding the bread batter. You'll use the parchment paper "handles" to lift the baked loaf out of the pan after it has cooled.
🌿Healthy Ingredient Substitutions
- Sour Cream ➔ Greek Yogurt or Applesauce - Swap the ¼ cup of sour cream for equal parts plain Greek yogurt or unsweetened applesauce. Both options cut down on calories and fat while ensuring the bread stays incredibly soft and moist.
- White Sugar ➔ Coconut Sugar - If you want to use an unrefined sugar, swap out the white granulated sugar for exactly one cup of coconut sugar. It has a lower glycemic index and adds a beautiful, subtle caramel flavor that pairs perfectly with the cinnamon and nutmeg.
- All-Purpose Flour ➔ White Whole Wheat Flour - To sneak some extra fiber into this bread without ruining the texture, swap half of the all-purpose flour (roughly ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons) for white whole wheat flour. It keeps the bread light and fluffy while giving it a nutritional boost!
If you're looking for a healthy spread for your zucchini bread, try this thick and naturally sweet Rhubarb Chia Jam.
📖Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe Variations
- Deluxe- add ½ cup chopped walnuts and ½ cup raisins; optional to omit chocolate chips or reduce to ½ cup (toss these additions with a little bit of flour to prevent them from sinking while baking)
- Tropical- instead of sour cream, add ½ cup of well drained crushed pineapple; you can also add ½ cup shredded coconut to the batter
Still have extra shredded zucchini? Make Zucchini Slaw!
🍽Basic Equipment Needed
- box grater
- one medium and one large mixing bowl
- measuring cups & spoons
- two whisks
- sturdy mixing spoon
- 9x5 metal loaf pan, lined with parchment paper
- long cake tester
- wire rack
🍶Storing Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Wrap chocolate chip zucchini bread in plastic wrap and store on your counter for up to 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
The bread can also be frozen for up to 3 months in proper freezer packaging. Simply defrost overnight in the fridge when ready to enjoy.
💭Top Tip For This Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe
This is a very dense batter that yields a very tall loaf. You want to make sure the bread bakes all the way through before removing it from the oven. Use a long cake tester and insert it in the center of the loaf to test for doneness. It will have some moist crumbs on it, but there shouldn't be any gooiness from the batter.
You may need to bake this bread for close to 70 minutes before it's done. Applying a tented sheet of foil halfway through baking helps to prevent the top crust from over-browning.
❓Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread FAQ
Toss them with a little bit of flour before adding them to the batter. Some bakers also suggest using mini chocolate chips, which are lighter. I personally like using regular sized chips for more gooey chocolate surprises in my bread.
That happens when it's overbaked. See the Top tip above.
You certainly can, especially if you don't want to see green flecks in your bread. I never remove the skin though because it's thin and has virtually no flavor, plus that's where you find most of the nutrients.
This usually happens from overmixing the batter! Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet bowl, make sure to stir just until they are combined. Over-stirring activates the gluten in the flour, leading to a heavy, rubbery loaf.
A standard box grater works wonderfully and is easy to clean. If you're working through a massive summer harvest, running the squash through a 7-cup Cuisinart processor (affiliate link) with the shredding disc attached makes the prep work incredibly fast and effortless!
Yes! Freezing shredded zucchini is a great way to bake this bread year-round. While this recipe doesn't require draining fresh zucchini, frozen zucchini releases a pool of extra water as it thaws. Make sure to thaw it completely and gently squeeze out that excess liquid so it doesn't make your batter soupy.
🥄More Quick Bread Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread recipe? Try these:
🥒More Zucchini Recipes
📋Recipe With Step-By-Step Instructions
Super Moist Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe
Equipment
- medium mixing bowl
- large mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 2 whisks
- sturdy mixing spoon
- 9x5 metal loaf pan (lined with parchment paper)
- wire rack
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Ingredients
- 2 cups freshly grated zucchini about 1 large or 2 medium
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour spoon into measuring cup
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grate zucchini; set aside. Do not blot or drain.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg). Mix thoroughly.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oil, sour cream, room temperature eggs, and vanilla. Mix well, then add the zucchini.
- Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl. Stir until just combined.
- Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
- Line loaf pan with parchment paper, then add bread batter to the pan.
- Bake for 55-70 minutes, or until cake tester no longer shows wet batter (moist crumbs are okay). Cover top of loaf halfway though baking time with a tented piece of foil so it doesn't overbrown.
- Remove from heat. Allow loaf to set in pan for 1 hour; then, using the parchment paper, lift out of pan. You may slice at this time, or choose to let the loaf set further on a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional information is provided by a third party service and is intended for guidance purposes only. KitchenReadyBetty.com makes no claims to its accuracy.
Nellie T. says
This zucchini bread is so good and so moist. The whole family loved it!
Kitchen Ready Betty says
It's a great way to sneak in some extra vitamins too!
Barbara says
This adds an extra sweet taste to the yummy zucchini bread.
Kitchen Ready Betty says
Yes! The chocolate chips make it extra special and sweet.