Welcome to Ambitious Kitchen’s annual ZUCCHINI WEEK! Yes, every single day this week I’m going to be posting a new zucchini recipe and frankly, I’m thrilled about it. I know you still have zucchini lurking in your garden, or perhaps it’s on sale at the store, either way you’ll need a ton of it! First up is this healthy chocolate zucchini bread that just so happens to be gluten free, vegan and nut free. No, you’re not dreaming. Just waking up to heaven.
Even after 5 years of blogging, I’m still finding new ways to put zucchini in baked goods. Call me the zucchini wizard. With a chocolate lightning bolt on my forehead and a spatula as my wand.
I have to admit that this recipe was a complete experiment that just so happened to turn into one of the most delicious zucchini breads I’ve ever made.
I came up with the idea of an allergy friendly zucchini bread while eating avocado toast, sipping on my morning cup of joe and scrolling through this past year’s AK reader survey; I happened to notice that a few of you requested more nut free recipes.
Obviously something needed to be done about that.
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Healthy chocolate zucchini bread ingredients
This delicious, gluten free chocolate zucchini bread recipe is moist, dense, and loaded with chocolate. I love it for so many more reasons too — including the fact that it’s mixed up in one bowl, vegan, and packed with nutritious ingredients. Come on, by now you all know how I like to do things up on Ambitious Kitchen — makin’ healthy things look unbelievably tasty since 2011 (because they are, duh). Here’s what you’ll need:
- Oat flour: The base of this bread is made from gluten free oat flour. You are more than welcome to make your own. Simply blend up oats until they reach a fine consistency. More details below!
- Sunflower butter: This is a great alternative for those who are allergic to nuts. It keeps the bread nice and moist thanks to healthy fats, but also adds fiber & protein! This is the brand I used. If you’re not allergic to nuts, then feel free to use any natural nut butter your heart desires.
- Pure maple syrup: I sweetened this chocolate zucchini bread with 100% pure maple syrup. You could also use coconut palm syrup. If you’re not vegan, honey would also work well. (Please note that the frosting does contain organic powdered sugar.)
- Apple cider vinegar: There is a hint of apple cider vinegar in the bread to help it rise and react to the baking soda. Don’t you forget it!
- Milk of choice: You’ve got lots of options when it comes to milk. You can use oat milk, hemp or flax milk! If you’re not allergic to nuts or dairy, then you can use either almond/coconut milk or regular milk.
- Chocolate chips: I often use the Enjoy Life brand when baking vegan or allergy-friendly baked goods. They are nut free!
- Cocoa powder: a high quality, unsweetened cocoa powder makes this healthy chocolate zucchini bread extra rich tasting.
- Chocolate frosting: there are a few options when it comes to this silky chocolate frosting. If you’re dairy free feel free to use a dairy free cream cheese, or my homemade paleo chocolate frosting made with coconut cream. Honestly, the frosting is one of my favorite parts of this bread because of how fluffy and spreadable it is — don’t skip!
Remember these tips when baking with zucchini
- Use the small side of your grater so that you get perfect shreds of zucchini. No one will be able to tell there’s a veggie in the bread! Honestly, a simple cheese grater will also work well.
- Squeeze out your zucchini shreds as much as possible using a cheesecloth, clean dish towel or paper towel to get all of the excess liquid out. This is VERY important so that the bread has the right texture.
- Shred zucchini first, measure it out then squeeze off excess moisture.
- Feel free to shred a bunch of zucchini and freeze it for later! Follow my tips and tricks here.
How to make homemade oat flour
You can easily make your own oat flour by simply placing gluten free rolled oats into a blender and blending or pulsing until they’re smooth and resemble flour. This is a super easy & affordable option. Check out my tutorial with all of my best tips & tricks. Be sure to measure out 1 cup of your oat flour after making it! It’s also important to make sure your oat flour is VERY fine.
How to make healthy chocolate zucchini bread
- Prep your pan. Preheat your oven and line an 8×4 inch baking pan with parchment paper. I also recommend spraying it with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the flax egg. You’ll then mix together the flaxseed meal and water and let the flax egg thicken up in the fridge.
- Mix the wet ingredients. After shredding & squeezing out your zucchini, mix it with the rest of the wet ingredients until they’re well combined.
- Add the dry. You’ll then mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they’re well combined, then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Bake & cool. Add your batter to the loaf pan and bake it up! Once a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean the bread is done. Let it cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
- Frost it up. While the bread is cooling, beat together all of the ingredients for the frosting until it’s nice and smooth. Spread it over the top of the cooled bread, top with extra chocolate chips, slice and enjoy!
Want to make cupcakes?
You can! Simply divide the batter into a prepared muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Customize this healthy chocolate zucchini bread
The great part about this easy chocolate zucchini bread recipe is that it can be customized based on most food allergies and preferences.
- If you aren’t vegan or allergic to eggs, feel free to use a regular egg in the recipe instead of a flax egg.
- If you aren’t allergic to nuts, feel free to sub any nut butter for the sunflower butter.
- If you aren’t allergic to nuts or dairy, feel free to use any milk you’d like such as almond milk or even regular milk.
- Try topping with my homemade paleo chocolate frosting that’s also dairy free!
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: if you don’t plan on adding the frosting (which you should, by the way) then this allergy friendly chocolate zucchini bread should be kept well-covered in foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days, then I recommend transferring to the fridge or freezer. If you DO add the frosting, this healthy double chocolate zucchini bread should be stored in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- To freeze: I’d recommend freezing it without the frosting. Simply wrap in plastic, then tightly in foil and finally place in a reusable bag or freezer friendly bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature once you are ready to eat and feel free to add the frosting once it has thawed. You can also feel free to freeze individual slices for a quick on the go treat.
More zucchini recipes you’ll love
- Healthy Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Spiced Zucchini Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- One Pan Enchilada Zucchini Turkey Meatballs and Rice
- The Best Zucchini Brownies You’ll Ever Eat
- Zucchini Mac and Cheese
Get all of my zucchini recipes here!
If you make this healthy double chocolate zucchini bread recipe, be sure to leave a comment below and rate the recipe! You can also snap and picture and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen. xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Healthy Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread (nut free, vegan & gluten free!)
Ingredients
- 1 flax egg* (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water)
- 1 cup shredded zucchini (from about 1 medium zucchini)
- 1/2 cup sunflower butter*
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or coconut palm syrup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup dairy & nut free milk alternative such as flax, oat, or hemp milk
- 1 cup gluten free oat flour*
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips, dairy free if desired
- For the chocolate frosting:
- 4 oz plain cream cheese, dairy free if desired
- 1/4 cup organic powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8x4 inch baking pan with parchment paper and/or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the flax egg by mixing 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons of water in a small glass or bowl. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes so that it thickens up.
- Next squeeze your shredded zucchini of excess moisture with a paper towel or cheesecloth then place shredded zucchini in a large bowl. Mix in the flax egg, sunflower butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar and milk until well combined.
- Next add in the oat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; mix until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth top. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
- Cool pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then remove bread from pan, place on wire rack and allow it cool completely.
- Once bread has cooled, you can make the frosting by beating together the cream cheese, cocoa powder, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Spread over the top of the bread. Top with a tablespoon of extra chocolate chips and cut into 12 slices. Bread should be kept in the fridge once frosted. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Hi,
How can I increase the sweetness for this cake? I skipped the frosting, and would like to make it more sweet?
How many tbsp honey can I increase without compromising the texture of cake?
More chocolate chips in the bread itself? 🙂 in all seriousness, you could increase the sweetener by a few tablespoons.
I made the recipe with egg, almond milk and I used almond butter. It was fabulous. Many were shocked it was gluten free. I have yet to make a single recipe that wasn’t a hit – thank you.
Amazing! So happy to hear that you’re finding recipes here that you love 🙂
Ah total fail. The bread just came out in crumbles, had barely any form to it and slightly dry and bland. Bummer for using some expensive ingredients 🙁
So strange! Did you follow the recipe exactly with the correct measurements? I’d love to help troubleshoot where it went wrong!
I haven’t actually tried the bread just yet, I have only tried the batter. It is currently baking in the oven but so far the batter tastes excellent. Very chocolatey! I don’t think I will be making the icing (trying to cut down on sugar) but I am very excited for hiding vegetables in dessert! Thank you!!
I hope this recipe turned out amazing for you!
Hello,
I don’t consume nuts/seeds, would I be able to sub avocado oil or butter for the sunflower butter?
Thank you
Hi – I haven’t tried subbing the nut/seed butter in this recipe, but I think it’ll change the texture and end result of the bread.
This is delicious! Are the calories in the Nutrition section with our without the frosting?
It is with the frosting! Glad you’re loving this recipe ❤️
This bread is basically a brownie and is absolutely delicious! I used almond milk and subbed almond butter because I don’t have a nut allergy and it turned out incredible! Make them!!!
Another exceptional recipe! No changes made, this was a hit with my family. Thank you for such wonderful recipes!
Thanks so much, Doris! SO glad you and the fam loved it 🙂
Omg Monique. You killed it again! So delicious! I used almond butter and it was divine. I didn’t do the frosting and it was still amazing! Thank you!
Thank you!! SO happy it came out amazing 🙂
Délicieux !!!
Comme à l’habitude – exellente recette. Santé, simple et délicieux. Monique d’Ambitious Kitchen est définitivement LA personne de reference pour tout mes “snacks” !
So delicious!! I’ve never made zucchini bread before and this was so dang good!! I left out the cocoa powder(added a bit more oat flour) and used an egg in place of the flax egg and it came out perfect!! So moist and perfectly sweet! 10/10 would recommend! Ty for this recipe!
Ahh I’m so glad it was amazing even with those changes! Thanks so much, Victoria 🙂
Okay so I gotta admit, I wasn’t so sure about seeing this chocolate zucchini bread. I was all like, “Zucchini? In chocolate bread? Excuse me?” But then I had a few friends tell me how much they loooove chocolate zucchini bread. Still a little skeptical, I decided to try this recipe. I used peanut butter instead of sunflower butter and since I’m not vegan I used a regular egg. And HOLY COW it was delicious! My toothpick came out clean at about 45 minutes and it was a little dry, which was sad cuz i was hoping for rich, moist bread but aside that – I’m addicted! Sooo good! I think next time I’ll bake for less but I’m DEFINITELY making again! Thanks, Monique!!!
Delish! Made these into muffins and used peanut butter and peanut butter chips AND chocolate chips. Super moist!
SUCH a great idea to use both chips–sounds yummy!!
Stored this bread in the fridge and it was a delicious fudge-y treat! I used almond butter and it turned out wonderfully.
Awesome!! So happy you loved it, Kristen 🙂
This bread is amazing — like chocolate cake and stayed moist in the fridge all week. I used a real egg, cashew butter, and vanilla almond milk. Thank you
So happy to hear that all worked out well and that you loved it!!
Delicious!!! I substituted one egg for the flax egg and used natural peanut butter instead of sun butter. My friends didn’t even know that they were sneakily enjoying zucchini! This recipe was perfect for 12 cupcakes instead of a loaf!
Awesome!! Great idea to make muffins 🙂 So happy that you guys enjoyed it!
Would leave 10 stars if I could!!! I made these for my best friend and her husband for their belated July birthdays. I turned the loaf into cupcakes and the recipe made exactly 12 cupcakes. That chocolate cream cheese frosting is tangy, creamy, and decadent. Another killer recipe!!.
Thanks so much for the review, Caitlyn!!
OMGGGGGGG! This is amazing!!! As per your recipe notes, I used a real egg and peanut butter instead of the flax egg and sunflower butter. The texture, the taste, the FROSTING!!!!!! I am a happy woman!!
The best !
Everything about this is amazing. Comes out perfect!
Made this into cupcakes and doubled the frosting recipe! I added organic peanut butter to the frosting- absolutely delicious!
Such a good idea!! Sounds amazing. So happy you loved it!
This bread was so rich, fudgey and delicious!!!! It wasn’t super sweet, which I actually prefer. Definitely gonna be making this again!!
Yay!! So happy to hear you loved this one, Libby 🙂
Made this yesterday and so delicious. It’s definitely more a cake than a bread! Haha my children sure thought so anyway. They had no idea zucchini was in it ;). I subbed whole wheat pastry flour for oat flour and I used coconut milk. I also over-shredded the zucchini to the point it was a slush. But it all turned out great in the end. Very forgiving recipe! Thanks!
Oh yay I’m so happy that you and the kiddos loved it!! Glad that those subs and the super shredded zucchini worked well!
AMAZING! This recipe is so decadent, So so good. I used tahini as the ‘nut butter’ because it’s what I had and it turned out so yummy. I didn’t bother with the icing,
That’s such a great idea, and I LOVE tahini! Glad that you enjoyed it 🙂
This is insanely good!
Glad you love it!!
You really weren’t lying about this tasting like chocolate cake! It’s so yummy! We don’t have any allergies in our house so we used a regular egg and peanut butter. I also ran out of oat flour, so I used half almond flour. It still turned out perfectly. It might have had a bit more of a spongy cake texture bc of that substitution but either way it was great! Thanks for another amazing GF recipe!
Perfect! Glad you loved this one!
Hi! If I want to use whole wheat pastry flour for this recipe instead of oat flour, how much of the wheat flour do I use?
Hi! I wouldn’t recommend swapping flours in this recipe as the texture will be much different. Try this recipe instead!
Love this healthy but equally delicious recipe. We make it in the muffin form as easier for my daughter to get. Thanks for this amazing recipe 🙂 keep up the amazing work x x x
Love that idea! Glad you both enjoy it 🙂
Great gluten free recipe for chocolate lovers!!!
Absolutely!!
This recipe is my most recent obsession! I’ve made it as a quick bread and also in muffin form recently – both are winners! I’m 25 weeks pregnant, and it satisfies my (insatiable) sweet tooth and chocolate cravings, while also sneaking in some veggies. I also typically substitute the cup of oat flour for a mix of oat, almond and GF flours, since I don’t really like the texture of baked goods made entirely of oat flour. This recipe is not too sweet, so flavorful and has just the right amount of chocolate. Thanks again for another winner, Monique!
I know this recipe was originally posted years ago, but I came across it yesterday in my search for a vegan chocolate zucchini bread I could feel good about, and OH MY GOODNESS am I so glad I found this one! I’ve tried so many sweet bread recipes and they’ve always turnEd out slightly gummy, no matter what I did. Not only does this bread taste amazing, but the texture is incredible!—light and fluffy yet moist. And to top it all off, I felt great about all the ingredients used. This recipe is definitely a keeper—in fact, I may make another loaf as soon as this one is done! 🙂
Side note: I didn’t even end up making the icing for it, and it’s still just as tasty and sweet as I hoped!
Amazing! So happy you found this one 🙂 the perfect snack or even breakfast!
My baby nephew is allergic to eggs and I wanted to learn to make things without eggs that he could partake in a little dessert! I thought I had flax seeds but discovered I only had chia, which ended up being a perfect substitute (1 tbsp chia seed, 3 tbsp water). This was yet another brilliant zucchini recipe and came out tasting like a brownie! Honestly, if my family hadn’t known I added zucchini, they would have never known. I ended up making a ganache for the frosting because I didn’t have cream cheese and it worked out just fine. Absolutely huge fan of your recipes and all the zucchini baked goods! Thank you for developing allergy friendly recipes, hoping to bake more for my little man as he is able to try more foods.
Amazing! I’m so happy you found this one. Such a great snack or treat!
Hi! When you use zucchini in your recipes, do you measure it before or after you squeeze out the water? Also, do you have weighted measurements for this recipe?
Hi! I measure it after I squeeze out the water. Unfortunately I don’t have weighted measurements, so I’d suggest using an online conversion calculator.
Delicious recipe! I have two preschoolers, one of whom is OBSESSED with anything chocolate. He specifically requested “chocolate zucchini bread’ – I don’t have a go-to recipe that. Never fail, a quick google search led me to your trusted website and this beautiful treat. We’re not dairy free – so made a few modifications to use what we have in the house. Used 2% milk in the batter and regular cream cheese in the frosting. I baked it up in muffin tins for an easy cupcake treat (took 20 minutes to bake 12 perfectly domed beauties). I can’t wait to see their reaction when they get home from school today!
Amazing! I hope they loved it!!
Easy to follow instructions. Readily available ingredients and the BEST zucchini bread ever!
Five of us ate the whole loaf!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
My family has already requested another loaf.
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
Super tasty!
One of my favs! 🙂
Love this! And my very picky boys love it, too. I do make substitutions. I use two real eggs. I only gently squeeze the zucchini. I add 1/4 cup of homemade applesauce. Sometimes I’ll throw in some shredded carrot as well. And it only takes 28 minutes to bake. I’ve enjoyed with and without the frosting.
I’m glad those swaps work out well! Such a treat snack or treat 🙂
I made these as per the recipe, using eggs in lieu of flax and muffins instead of a loaf.
They were perfect; moist but not chewy, the right amount of sweet and so fluffy! I highly recommend this recipe and it will definitely be in my regular rotation.
I’m glad that worked out well! 🙂
Hi I love your blog!! Always make your food.. question.. for the cream cheese frosting I don’t have powder sugar what else can I use and how much of it?
I’m so glad! You could simply leave off the frosting and add extra chocolate chips on top of the batter. Or you could just pour a little melted chocolate on the top of the loaf.
This Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread is AMAZING!!! I love it! I don’t bother with the icing as it’s delicious without. I didn’t make any swaps — just followed the recipe exactly. Next time around I think I will try almond butter though because I don’t have a problem with nuts and I usually have that on hand. Go make this yummy goodness and enjoy!
So happy you love this one! Let me know how you like it with almond butter, too 🙂
This was really FABULOUS! Everyone loved it! I did sub the sunflower butter for nut butter since none of us are allergic and I only had peanut butter on hand. It came out extremely moist and is almost Like cake … I definitely will make this again! Thanks!!
So happy everyone loved this! It’s just like cake – YUM.
Hi there
Can I substit the oat flour for another gluten free flour? some Coeliac sufferers like my 8 yr old daughter cannot eat oats but I would love to give this recipe a try as I have just converted to a plant based diet.
Thanks so much
Lisa-Marie xx
Hi! Sure! Try an all purpose GF flour.