Rich Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Here is my favorite chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe, with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, a hint of espresso, and plenty of chocolate chips mixed into a moist, tender loaf.

This zucchini bread is the perfect way to use up all that extra zucchini from the garden. The chocolate chips make it feel like dessert, but I have no problem calling it breakfast and serving thick slices with butter and coffee. My kids have no idea there are vegetables hiding in there!

What Kind of Zucchini Should I Use?

Any zucchini you have on hand will work great for this bread, whether it’s from your garden or the grocery store. Medium-sized zucchini tend to be the best choice since they’re not too watery and have fewer seeds than the really large ones. You don’t need to peel the zucchini – just give it a good wash and shred it with a box grater or food processor. After shredding, gently squeeze out some of the excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, but don’t go crazy with it since you still want some moisture to keep your bread nice and tender.

Options for Substitutions

This recipe is pretty forgiving, so here are some swaps you can make if you need to:

• All-purpose flour: You can use whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour to add more fiber, but keep at least half as all-purpose or your bread might turn out dense. White whole wheat flour works especially well for this swap.
• Brown sugar: Regular granulated sugar works fine if that’s what you have. You’ll lose a bit of the molasses flavor, but the bread will still taste great. You can also use coconut sugar for a less refined option.
• Unsalted butter: Vegetable oil or melted coconut oil can replace the butter in equal amounts. If using salted butter, just reduce the kosher salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
• Zucchini: Yellow squash works just as well as zucchini. Make sure to squeeze out excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel before adding it to the batter, regardless of which you use.
• Chocolate chips: Feel free to use dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate, or even chopped chocolate bars. You can also swap half the chocolate for chopped walnuts or pecans if you want some crunch.
• Spices: If you’re missing nutmeg or ginger, you can use 2 teaspoons of cinnamon total and skip the others. The bread will still have plenty of warm spice flavor.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making zucchini bread is not squeezing out the excess moisture from your shredded zucchini, which can leave you with a dense, wet loaf that never fully bakes through – use a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to wring out as much liquid as possible before adding it to your batter.

Another common error is overmixing the batter once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, as this develops too much gluten and creates a tough, chewy texture instead of a tender crumb – mix just until the flour disappears.

Don’t pull your bread out too early even if the top looks done, since quick breads need that full baking time to set properly in the center, so use a toothpick or skewer to check that it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Finally, resist the urge to slice into your bread right away, as letting it cool completely helps it firm up and makes slicing much cleaner without the bread falling apart.

What to Serve With Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread?

This bread is perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack with a hot cup of coffee or cold glass of milk. I love slicing it thick and spreading a little butter on top while it’s still warm, which makes the chocolate chips get even more melty and delicious. It’s also great toasted the next day and served with cream cheese or a smear of Nutella for an extra treat. If you’re serving it for brunch, pair it with some fresh fruit and yogurt to balance out the sweetness.

Storage Instructions

Store: This bread stays moist for days thanks to all that zucchini. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want it to last longer, store it in the fridge for up to a week.

Freeze: Chocolate chip zucchini bread freezes really well, which is great when your garden is overflowing with zucchini! Wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then in foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. I like to slice it first so I can grab just what I need for breakfast or a snack.

Thaw: Let frozen slices sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or thaw the whole loaf overnight on the counter. If you’re impatient like me, you can warm individual slices in the microwave for 20-30 seconds for that fresh-baked feel.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2500-2700
• Protein: 30-36 g
• Fat: 115-125 g
• Carbohydrates: 340-360 g

Ingredients

For the batter:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cups shredded zucchini (squeezed dry)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the topping:

• 1 tbsp turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Step 1: Prepare Pan and Mix Dry Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder

Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan (or similar size) with butter or cooking spray.

While the oven heats, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl.

The espresso powder won’t make the bread taste like coffee—it deepens the chocolate flavor and adds complexity to the spice profile.

Set this dry mixture aside.

Step 2: Build the Wet Ingredient Base

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and room-temperature eggs until well combined and slightly pale, about 1-2 minutes.

Pour in the melted butter and Greek yogurt, whisking until fully incorporated.

The Greek yogurt adds moisture and a subtle tang that keeps the bread tender.

Stir in the vanilla extract, then gently fold in the squeezed-dry zucchini until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Step 3: Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures

• dry ingredient mixture from Step 1
• wet ingredient mixture from Step 2
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pour the wet ingredient mixture from Step 2 into the bowl with the dry ingredient mixture from Step 1.

Gently fold everything together using a spatula until just combined—stop as soon as you don’t see streaks of flour.

I like to fold rather than stir at this stage because overmixing develops gluten and can make the bread tough and dense instead of tender and moist.

Once nearly combined, fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.

Step 4: Prepare for Baking

• batter from Step 3
• 1 tbsp turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan, spreading it into an even layer.

Sprinkle the turbinado sugar across the top, then scatter the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the surface.

The coarse turbinado sugar creates a subtle crunch and attractive texture on top, while the chocolate chips add little pockets of melted chocolate throughout.

Step 5: Bake and Cool

Bake for 50 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached (not completely clean, as the chocolate chips will leave residue).

The bread is done when the top is golden brown and springs back slightly when lightly pressed.

Remove from the oven and let the bread sit in the pan for 10 minutes—this resting period allows the structure to set so it won’t fall apart when you turn it out.

Turn the bread out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Rich Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Delicious Rich Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 2600

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the batter

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cups shredded zucchini (squeezed dry)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the topping

• 1 tbsp turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan (or similar size) with butter or cooking spray. While the oven heats, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl. The espresso powder won't make the bread taste like coffee—it deepens the chocolate flavor and adds complexity to the spice profile. Set this dry mixture aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and room-temperature eggs until well combined and slightly pale, about 1-2 minutes. Pour in the melted butter and Greek yogurt, whisking until fully incorporated. The Greek yogurt adds moisture and a subtle tang that keeps the bread tender. Stir in the vanilla extract, then gently fold in the squeezed-dry zucchini until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
3. Pour the wet ingredient mixture from Step 2 into the bowl with the dry ingredient mixture from Step 1. Gently fold everything together using a spatula until just combined—stop as soon as you don't see streaks of flour. I like to fold rather than stir at this stage because overmixing develops gluten and can make the bread tough and dense instead of tender and moist. Once nearly combined, fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
4. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar across the top, then scatter the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the surface. The coarse turbinado sugar creates a subtle crunch and attractive texture on top, while the chocolate chips add little pockets of melted chocolate throughout.
5. Bake for 50 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached (not completely clean, as the chocolate chips will leave residue). The bread is done when the top is golden brown and springs back slightly when lightly pressed. Remove from the oven and let the bread sit in the pan for 10 minutes—this resting period allows the structure to set so it won't fall apart when you turn it out. Turn the bread out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.