Perfect Chocolate Zucchini Bread

There are a million (literally) recipes out there for this but I’m telling you this is the perfect chocolate zucchini bread recipe.

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The Story

My Aunt Cindy very kindly gave both me and my sister cookbooks full of family and friend recipes as wedding gifts. My sister and I were married just two months apart, and many of the recipes in the books are hand written. I can’t imagine how long it must have taken her to transcribe all of them.

The inner cover of the cookbook says,

No one cooks alone even at your most solitary. A cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past. Hope you enjoy some of these old family recipes. Yours, Aunt Cindy

Many of the recipes come from family and say things like “Grandma Delvo” (my mom’s grandma), “Grandma Betty” (my mom’s mom), or have names of people I’ve heard about in stories over the years.

This particular recipe isn’t attributed to anyone, but it does say “Throw your zucchini bread recipe away. This is, with out a doubt, the best there is.”

After eating about a half a loaf by myself, I’d have to agree. This is the perfect chocolate zucchini bread.

What Zucchini Works Best for Bread

The great thing about making zucchini bread is that you use up some of that extra zucchini that is slowly but surely taking over every spare inch of your refrigerator.

When harvesting for straight eating, smaller zucchinis, no bigger than about three inches in diameter are best.

As to making zucchini bread, you can use up some of those larger ones that somehow grew four inches over night.

I would not recommend using those baseball bat sized ones. They tend to have big ol’ seeds in them that aren’t good for bread either. Toss those to your chickens or pigs.

Ingredients for Perfect Zucchini Bread

• 2 Tbsp of Butter
• 6 Tbsp Cocoa
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 Cup Oil (I used olive)
• 2 Cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Cups Flour
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 Cup Chocolate Chips

Supplies for Making Zucchini Bread

• Grater
• 2 Large Mixing Bowls
• 2 Bread pans or 3-4 mini loaf pans (depending on how miniature they are)
• Rubber Spatula
• Whisk
• Small Stock Pot
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons

How to Make Perfect Zucchini Bread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Begin by melting two tablespoons of butter in the small saucepan. Add the cocoa and blend until smooth. This will just take a moment and results in a round little ball of cocoa and butter.

Combine the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla with a whisk.

Grate two cups of zucchini. This will take 1-3 depending on how large they are. No need to peel them.

Stir the cocoa butter into the wet ingredients. Then stir the zucchini into the wet ingredients mixture.

Combine cinnamon, flour, baking soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring them in with the rubber spatula.

Toss the chocolate chips with a few tablespoons of flour. I don’t know why, but this keps them from sinking. Or so I’m told anyway. All I know is it works.

Mix the chocolate chips into the batter along with nuts if that’s your thing.

Grease two regular size loaf pans or 2-3 mini loaf pans with butter.

Fill the pans about 3/4 full.

Bake in the oven for 60 minutes if in a full loaf pan, or about 45 if they are mini loaf pans.

Test the loaves, no matter the size pans, with a tooth pick or fork. When it comes out clean the loaes are ready.

Let the loaves cool for 5-10 minutes in their pans, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool.

How should I store Zucchini Bread?

Since zucchini bread has a lot of moisture, it will keep best if stored in the refrigerator. Allow it to cool completely, place it in an airtight container or ziploc bag and it should last a week.

If you aren’t going to eat up both loaves right away, wrap one securely in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to six months.

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