Double Chocolate Oatmeal Zucchini Bread tastes identical to chocolate cake and you’d never guess it is made with wholesome ingredients. Whole grain oats get blended into a flour to make this healthier dairy-free refined sugar-free quick bread. Can you believe there are two cups of shredded zucchini in this loaf??
This might as well be called Chocolate Cake Bread.
Chocolate Cake With Hidden Vegetables…Bread.
But let’s not invalidate the fact that there is a whopping 2 cups of zucchini in this loaf.
So, salad. We’ll call it salad.
Sounds great!
In all seriousness, my husband and I found the texture and overall vibe of this double chocolate chip zucchini bread to be identical to chocolate cake.
It’s very fluffy, nice and moist, perfectly sweet and you’d never guess there is no all-purpose flour, butter, or refined sugar involved.
Whole oats get blended up in a blender to make the flour for this healthier zucchini recipe, and we use pure maple syrup for the majority of the sweetener.
I modeled the recipe off of my Healthy Oatmeal Zucchini Banana Bread. I omitted the mashed bananas and replaced them with pure maple syrup and avocado oil.
Of course, we toss in cocoa powder and chocolate chips for that fudgy effect. The end result is an ultra moist, super chocolatey baked good with moist crumbs and all the hooks to keep you addicted.
You could also compare the recipe to The Best Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread, just with the added chocolate and oats instead of flour.
For a grain-free zucchini bread recipe, make my Paleo Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread, or my Almond Flour Zucchini Bread.
For those of you who grow a home garden and are overrun with zucchini, this chocolate zucchini loaf is the perfect placement!
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients to make this fudgy double chocolate zucchini bread.
Ingredients for Double Chocolate Oatmeal Zucchini Bread:
Fresh Zucchini: The reason we’re all here is using zucchini as our justification for eating cake. I jest, but in fact this chocolate loaf contains two cups of grated zucchini.
There’s no need to drain excess moisture from the zucchini, as I have built the excess water into the recipe.
The fact that there is so much moisture in zucchini actually adds to the deliciousness of this simple quick bread recipe.
Rolled Oats: We blend whole oats up in a blender to create the flour for this double chocolate zucchini oatmeal bread.
In this sense, there is no need for all-purpose flour and we’re getting a decent source of fiber and whole grains.
I use gluten-free sprouted oats in all of my oatmeal recipes.
Cocoa Powder: Part one of the double chocolate bliss is unsweetened cocoa powder. I use raw cacao powder because I find it nice and creamy and less bitter than regular cocoa powder but you can use any brand you love.
Large Eggs: A couple whole eggs make this bread so nice and fluffy! I haven’t tested the recipe using an egg replacer like flax eggs but my suspicion is it would turn out very dense (which would be fine by me) and not rise very much.
Pure Maple Syrup: I use pure maple syrup to sweeten the bread and also use less added sweetener than a typical zucchini bread.
Avocado Oil: The fat portion of the recipe. The avocado oil is responsible for the tender crumb of the zucchini cake, as it brings moisture and also richness to the recipe. You can replace it with melted butter, melted coconut oil, or olive oil.
Vanilla Extract: A little pure vanilla extract brings warm flavor to the zucchini loaf. Feel free to skip it if you don’t have any on hand.
Sea Salt and Baking Soda: Salt enhances the chocolate flavors and the sweetness of the bread, giving it that round, robust flavor. Baking soda helps bring rise to the bread and also helps keep the loaf held together once sliced.
Chocolate Chips: While the chocolate chips are optional, they create a glorious rich fudgy effect, giving you the sense that you’re eating a decadent slice of chocolate cake.
Use semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or sugar-free chocolate chips. You can omit them to keep the bread lower in sugar and calories.
Optional Additions:
- Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon if you love warm cinnamon flavor
- Stir in ⅔ cup of chopped raw walnuts or pecans if you love nutty bread.
- For sweeter bread, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar.
- You can use sugar-free chocolate chips, paleo chocolate chips, or dark chocolate chips to lower the sugar content to your liking.
- Whip up a chocolate ganache, chocolate frosting, or even a cream cheese frosting to make the most decadent chocolate bread.
Now that we’ve covered the healthy ingredients for this delicious chocolate zucchini bread, let’s make it!
How to Make Double Chocolate Oatmeal Zucchini Bread:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
Transfer the whole oats to a high-powered blender and blend on high speed for 30 seconds, or until a flour forms.
Add the cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt (the rest of the dry ingredients) to the blender and blend until combined.
Grate the zucchini using a box grater or the grater attachment on your food processor.
Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl, then mix in the avocado oil and pure maple syrup. Stir in the shredded zucchini until all of the wet ingredients are well-combined.
Transfer the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well until combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Pour the chocolate zucchini bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with extra chocolate chips if desired.
Cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil and leave the foil tinted so the bread has room to grow.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 55 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the bread tests clean.
Quick breads are fully cooked once they have reached an internal temperature of 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
To make sure the bread is baked through, you can insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the bread and wait until the numbers stop moving to get an accurate read.
This is the best way to ensure your loaf of his chocolate zucchini bread turns out perfectly, as baking time can vary depending on elevation and the temperature of the batter going into the oven.
Remove the bread from the oven and let the loaf cool to room temperature before slicing and serving. It will be tempting to slice the bread while it is still warm, but do note that the slices will crumble easily if the bread is still warm when you slice it.
I like to enjoy the bread warm (I zap it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so). Because I will use any excuse to add butter, I also love this chocolate zucchini cake with melted butter on it.
You can also use mini loaf pans or a 9-inch square cake pan to bake this double chocolate zucchini bread recipe.
Use a muffin tray to make double chocolate zucchini muffins and bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 350.
How to Store Zucchini Bread:
Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap and store it on the counter for up to 2 days. If you live in a humid area, store the bread in the refrigerator. After two days, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container or zip lock bag and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Leftovers can also be frozen in freezer bags for up to 3 months.
If you come into some huge zucchini this zucchini season, bake up a loaf or twelve of this moist chocolate zucchini bread. The way I see it, this is the most appropriate position for giant zucchinis.
And that’s it! Your excuse to eat cake for breakfast, snack, or dessert! I hope you enjoy this loaf of chocolatey goodness as much as we do!
If you love baking quick bread recipes, also try out these reader favorites.
More Quick Bread Recipes:
- The Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread
- Oatmeal Blueberry Banana Bread
- Chocolate Oatmeal Banana Bread
- Paleo Morning Glory Quick Bread
- Grain-Free Hummingbird Bread
Zucchini Chocolate Cake Bread Forever!
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups grated zucchini about 2 medium-sized zucchini
- ½ cup avocado oil
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract optional
- 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Transfer the whole oats to a high-powered blender and blend on high speed for 30 seconds, or until a flour forms.
- Add the cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt (the rest of the dry ingredients) to the blender and blend until combined.
- Grate the zucchini using a box grater or the grater attachment on your food processor.
- Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl, then mix in the avocado oil, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Stir in the shredded zucchini until all of the wet ingredients are well-combined.
- Transfer the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the chocolate zucchini bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with extra chocolate chips if desired.
- Cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil and leave the foil tinted so the bread has room to grow.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 55 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the bread tests clean.
- Quick breads are fully cooked once they have reached an internal temperature of 190 degrees Fahrenheit. To make sure the bread is baked through, you can insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the bread and wait until the numbers stop moving to get an accurate read. This is the best way to ensure your loaf of his chocolate zucchini bread turns out perfectly, as baking time can vary depending on elevation and the temperature of the batter going into the oven.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let the loaf cool to room temperature before slicing and serving. It will be tempting to slice the bread while it is still warm, but do note that the slices will crumble easily if the bread is still warm when you slice it.
Notes
Nutrition
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Turned out well after you let it sit a bit — but tasted a bit dry and burnt at first for odd reason, so I may bake at a lower temp next time for longer or bake in a cake pan instead.
Q — since you modeled after another recipe and replaced mashed banana with avocado oil and maple syrup, could this recipe still work by shifting back to the banana despite not being a fat nor as sweet as maple syrup? Thanks!
Thanks so much for swinging back around the share your experience! I’ve found quick bread recipes taste best many hours (up to several days) after they are baked, so it doesn’t surprise me that the bread improved over time.
While you could go back to the original recipe and use mashed banana, the bread won’t taste nearly as sweet with the addition of cocoa powder. One of the primary reasons I skipped the banana and added oil is cocoa powder adds a little bitter flavor and makes baked goods taste savory in the absence of a decent amount of sugar. If your taste buds are accustomed to less sugar, I say go for it! I always support baking the less sugar. But if you like a sweet treat, I would recommend still adding pure maple syrup or brown sugar in addition to the banana so that the bread tastes sweet enough to enjoy. Let me know if you try it! xoxo
I was so excited to find a gluten-free loaf recipe using oats! And it was absolutely delicious! I made two; one to eat right away and one to put in the freezer- which we have since also eaten, and it was just as good thawed out as it was fresh. I made according to the recipe, using the melted butter option instead of avocado oil. The entire family could not get enough of this bread! I will be making it again and again.
Great success! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoy the recipe, Sharon! We couldn’t get enough of it and it disappeared in a FLASH in my house, lol. I appreciate you sharing that you used the butter option so that others know it turns out just as well. Many thanks for the sweet note! xo
This is a really lovely recipe! Not too sweet, with a nice, moist crumb.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoy the zucchini bread recipe! We couldn’t get enough of it 😉 Thanks so much for swinging back around to provide your feedback!
Hello,
How many grams or cups for already made oat flour?
Thanks so much!
Hi there! Start with 1 3/4 cups of oat flour and if the batter seems very thin, you can add 1/4 cup more. Hope you enjoy! xo