Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread (Moist, Not Gummy)

Double chocolate zucchini bread is a dessert loaf that happens to hold a vegetable. Cocoa goes into the batter and chips go into the batter and on top, so two kinds of chocolate cover the green. The crumb stays wet without being raw, as long as the shredded zucchini is squeezed dry first. One loaf makes 12 slices and takes 75 minutes, most of which is baking and cooling. It calls for 2 medium zucchini, and supermarket zucchini does the job as well as garden ones, which makes it easy to bake in October or any other month. Frozen shredded zucchini also works if you thaw it and squeeze it the same way.

Why this works

• Cocoa absorbs liquid slowly, so the batter needs a measured amount of water, not a flood.
• Squeezed shreds plus buttermilk give the batter exactly that amount.
• Oil keeps the crumb soft, and brown sugar adds a little moisture on top of the granulated sugar.
• Chips in the batter and on the crust bring melted chocolate to every slice.
• Cooling in the pan, then on a rack, lets the crumb set before you cut.

What to know about the ingredients

Use unsweetened cocoa powder, not hot cocoa mix. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of it, and any lumps should be broken against the side of the bowl when you whisk the dry mix.

Buttermilk gives the batter a gentle tang and works with the baking soda. If you do not have it, use a substitute you trust and keep the amount at 1/4 cup, because the batter is balanced for it. Semisweet chocolate chips are the standard here, and 130 g (3/4 cup) is used in total, split between the batter and the top.

Squeeze the zucchini in a clean kitchen towel, not a paper towel, because a towel can take hard pressure. You want 240 g (2 cups) of shreds after squeezing. Use fine or medium shreds so they disappear into the crumb. Wrap, twist and keep squeezing until the towel stops dripping, even if your hands tire first. This single step decides whether the middle bakes up tender or stays wet.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

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Two kinds of chocolate hide the green completely, and the crumb stays wet without being raw.

Prep20 min

Cook55 min

Total1 hr 15 min

Serves12

Scale1x2x3x

Ingredients

• zucchini, shredded and squeezed dry — 2 cups (2 medium) (240 g)
• all-purpose flour — 1½ cups (180 g)
• unsweetened cocoa powder — ½ cup (50 g)
• granulated sugar — 1 cup (200 g)
• brown sugar, packed — ¼ cup (55 g)
• vegetable oil — ½ cup (120 ml)
• eggs — 2 large (100 g)
• buttermilk — ¼ cup (60 ml)
• semisweet chocolate chips — ¾ cup (130 g)
• vanilla extract — 2 teaspoons (10 ml)
• baking soda — 1 teaspoon (5 g)
• salt — ½ teaspoon (3 g)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease a 9 by 5 inch (23 by 13 cm) loaf pan and line the long sides with parchment.
2. Shred the zucchini, wrap it in a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze hard over the sink until the towel stops dripping. These are the shreds, 240 g (2 cups) after squeezing. Skipping this step is how a chocolate loaf turns into pudding in the middle.
3. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, breaking up any cocoa lumps against the side. This is the dry mix.
4. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, both sugars, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla for 1 minute, until glossy and even in color.
5. Stir the shreds into the wet bowl. Add the dry mix and fold 15 strokes, until no dry cocoa shows. Fold in 100 g (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) of the chocolate chips.
6. Scrape into the pan and scatter the last 30 g (2 tablespoons) of chips over the top.
7. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, until the top springs back when pressed and a pick pushed into the center comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter. Chocolate hides doneness, so trust the pick, not the color.
8. Cool in the pan 20 minutes, then lift out onto a rack and cool 1 hour before slicing.

Nutrition per serving

323Calories

4 gProtein

43 gCarbs

15 gFat

Estimated per serving from standard nutrition reference values; will vary with brands and substitutions.

Tips for getting it right

1. Line the long sides of the 9 by 5 inch (23 by 13 cm) pan with parchment so the loaf lifts out cleanly.
2. Whisk the dry mix well before it meets the wet bowl, so the cocoa spreads evenly and no pockets of dry powder survive. Then whisk the eggs, both sugars, oil, buttermilk and vanilla for 1 minute, until glossy and even in color.
3. Stir the shreds into the wet bowl first, then add the dry mix.
4. Fold only 15 strokes, until no dry cocoa shows. More mixing makes a tougher loaf.
5. Fold in 100 g (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) of the chips, then scatter the last 30 g (2 tablespoons) on top.
6. Bake 50 to 55 minutes and test with a pick in the center. Moist crumbs are right, and wet batter means more time.
7. Cool in the pan 20 minutes, lift out onto a rack, and wait 1 hour before slicing.

How to store, freeze and make ahead

The loaf keeps 3 days at room temperature, 1 week in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. Slice it before freezing if you want single servings. Warm a frozen slice 20 seconds in the microwave and the chips melt again. Because the crumb is moist, keep it covered once it has cooled all the way.

What to serve with it

Serve it at room temperature after dinner, when the chips have softened but the slice still holds its shape. A glass of cold milk is the whole point. A slice also pairs with coffee, and you can set it next to a cut of Classic Zucchini Bread on a dessert plate for guests who like to compare.

Slice the loaf with a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, since the chips are soft and the crumb is tender.

Variations

• Swap the chips on top for chopped chocolate, using the same weight.
• Want squares instead of slices? Make Fudgy Zucchini Brownies, which use the same squeeze-dry method.
• Warm a slice briefly so the chips soften, then serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• For a smaller treat, try Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies instead of a full loaf.

Read the guide to Zucchini Recipes and Small-Batch Preserving for more recipes that use zucchini through the year.