When I first made this bread I wasn’t expecting it to wow me, but I was wrong and it has become a popular snack in my house. A rich moist chocolate bread with a tender crumb. If you have never made a zucchini bread and are concerned with tasting a vegetable in your desert, don’t worry, you can’t even tell that it’s in there. In this bread you have chocolate from the cocoa powder and the chocolate chips and sweetness from maple syrup, yum. This can easily be a gluten-free snack by using a gluten-free flour. Enjoy!
2 C. grated zucchini
1-1/2 C. all-purpose four (or flour of choice)
1/2 C. almond meal
1/3 C. cocoa powder (try to find cacao powder)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. maple syrup
2 eggs
2/3 C. melted coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 C chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×5 loaf pan. Place grated zucchini in a colander, allow to sit for 5 minutes and squeeze excess water out. In a small saucepan on medium heat or by microwave, melt coconut oil and maple syrup together until combined. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together until combined, pour into the maple syrup mixture and vanilla and stir well. Add this mixture to the drained zucchini and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add both flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, and chocolate chips and stir. Combine this flour mixture with the wet mixture and zucchini, stir until well combined.
Pour mixture into greased loaf pan and smooth out top. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before taking out to rest on a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container or wrap with foil and freeze for later To thaw, simply put in the fridge or set out on the counter top.
Serves: 10-12
