The Best Double Chocolate Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread Recipe
When it comes to gluten-free baking, the words “chocolate” and “zucchini” may not seem like natural companions. But trust me, this Double Chocolate Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread is the delightful surprise your taste buds didn’t know they needed. Whether you’re gluten-free by choice or necessity, this recipe will become a staple in your kitchen. It’s rich, moist, and so chocolatey that even the most devoted gluten-lover will ask for seconds. And the best part? It’s packed with zucchini, so you can feel a little virtuous while indulging in chocolatey bliss.
Jump to RecipeWhat to Make When You Have Too Much Zucchini
I saw it lurking under a giant leaf a few days earlier. I knew it was a big one, but how big, I really had no idea. I made plans to take care of it later in the afternoon. But I forgot (for three more days). By the time I remembered it was there, it was already a foot long–thick and shaped like a club. It was time to make zucchini bread, and not just any bread, but gluten-free, double chocolate zucchini bread.
There is not much to do with a zucchini that big, but turn it into a delicious baked good. Since I recently conquered plain, gluten-free zucchini bread, I wanted to try something richer…more like dessert. Basically I wanted to conceal that whopper of a squash in chocolate…with more chocolate. And then I’d call it breakfast. Don’t judge.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread
This gluten-free chocolate zucchini bread is a texture lover’s dream. The zucchini keeps the loaf incredibly moist, while the double dose of chocolate—both cocoa powder and chocolate chips—ensures every bite is rich and decadent. The flavor? Imagine the best chocolate cake you’ve ever had, with a hint of freshness from the zucchini that makes it feel a bit lighter and not overly sweet. It’s a slice of heaven that happens to be gluten-free.
How to Make Double Chocolate Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- 2 extra-large eggs
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already contains it)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder (optional but adds depth to the chocolate flavor)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s)
- 1⅓ cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
- ⅓ cup almond flour (or coconut flour)
- 2 cups zucchini (unpeeled and grated)
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×4 inch loaf pan with gluten-free cooking spray or vegetable oil. This ensures your loaf doesn’t stick and comes out perfectly.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the eggs, honey, vegetable oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the salt, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, gluten-free flour blend, and almond flour to the wet mixture. Beat until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
- Prepare the Zucchini: Lightly squeeze the grated zucchini with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This step is crucial to avoid a soggy loaf. Once squeezed, fluff the zucchini with a fork to break up any clumps.
- Combine & Fold: Gently fold the zucchini into the batter until evenly distributed. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks, ensuring they’re well mixed throughout the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly. Bake for 55-60 minutes if using a dark pan, or slightly longer if using a glass pan. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf; it should come out clean (unless you hit a gooey chocolate chip!).
- Cool & Enjoy: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Waiting is the hardest part, but it’s worth it to let the flavors fully develop!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can I use a different flour blend? A: Yes, you can experiment with different gluten-free flour blends, but make sure it contains xanthan gum or add it separately for the best texture.
Q: How do I store this gluten-free zucchini bread? A: Store your zucchini bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Q: Can I make this recipe dairy-free? A: Absolutely! Use dairy-free chocolate chips and swap the oil for a neutral dairy-free alternative like melted coconut oil.
Q: What’s the best way to grate zucchini? A: Use a box grater for a fine shred. No need to peel the zucchini—just wash it well and grate away.
Q: Can I add nuts or other mix-ins? A: Feel free to stir in chopped walnuts, pecans, or even dried fruit for added texture and flavor.
Final Thoughts
This Double Chocolate Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread is a chocolate lover’s dream come true. Moist, rich, and studded with chocolate chips, it’s the kind of recipe that makes you wonder why you ever made chocolate bread any other way. Whether you’re sneaking in veggies or just craving a chocolate fix, this loaf is your answer. Give it a try, and you might just find yourself baking it on repeat! My kids each gobbled down two slices before my son noticed an errant green fleck on his plate.
Wait! Is this zucchini bread?? (He HATES zucchini).
Gotcha!
My daughter, on the other hand, knew exactly what she was getting into and also loved every bite.
Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Equipment
- 9×4 inch loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 eggs (extra large)
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already contains it)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder (optional but delicious)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
- 1⅓ cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
- ⅓ cup almond flour (or coconut flour)
- 2 cups zucchini (unpeeled and grated)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (or chunks)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×4 inch loaf pan with gluten-free cooking spray or vegetable oil.
- Put eggs, honey, oil, brown sugar and vanilla extract into a large bowl and mix until combined. Add the salt, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, gluten-free flour blend, and almond flour and beat until smooth.
- Gently squeeze the zucchini in paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. Fluff zucchini with a fork, then fold into the batter. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks until evenly combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes if you’re using a dark pan, and a bit longer for a glass pan. Check loaf by inserting a toothpick into the center, it should come out clean (unless you hit a melted chocolate chip).
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling completely (if you can wait that long).
You are an angel, this is exactly what I was looking for! Thankyou!
Would leaving out the cocoa powder make a difference, measurement wise? This looks delish!
Yes. If you want regular zucchini bread, I’d suggest checking out my plain recipe. Of course you can still add the chocolate chips. https://www.agirldefloured.com/2013/08/06/gluten-free-zucchini-bread/
Thank you Alison! This recipe is perfection- I love to bake and am gluten-free, I am always looking for things that other members in my family will enjoy without complaining that it tastes gluten free~ 🙂 I used this recipe today and it was a big hit! I made the recipe into muffins & baked them for about 25 minutes- I also used coconut oil, because it was the only veggie oil I had on hand, and added pecans, yum yum~ lots of happy bellys around here. Thanks again!
Fabulous! I love the idea of making muffins. 🙂
Oh my goodness!!! This is amazing and should be enjoyed by all chocolate lovers at least once. My kids love it too. I substituted the veg oil for equal parts coconut oil and chose to use coconut flour instead of almond so the kids can take it to school (nut free zone of course). Thank you for sharing this recipe…I will add it to my GF collection of favorites for sure 🙂
I too have zucchini coming out my ears. I’ve made this recipe twice now (doubling it the second time so that I could freeze the bread) and it is amazing! I’ve been feeding it to all my non-gluten free friends as well. 🙂
I always love it when my non-gluten free peeps like my goodies. Thanks for the feedback, Jess! 🙂
This recipe is perfect! I am an avid baker and have had many failed attempts trying new gluten free recipes. I doubled your recipe just to try to use up some extra zucchini and a gf flour blend I wasn’t too fond of thats been sitting in my pantry for months now. I made them Mexican chocolate by adding about a tablespoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of cayenne to mask the taste of garbanzo bean flour. The texture is unreal for gluten free; the taste is phenomenal. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I love how you added spices. I do that sometimes too when I bake with chocolate. It’s fun to mix it up a little. 🙂
Hello,
At no point did it say to add the oil but I figured it out. However, after trying to “beat until smooth” the “batter” was one hard ball of batter so there was no way I could “pour” it into the pan. I measured everything exactly as the recipe called for. What did I miss?
Hi Lori, the oil is mixed together with the wet ingredients as directed in step 2. What type of flour blend did you use? That can affect the moisture level in both the batter and the finished loaf.
Love your website! I made the double chocolate zucchini bread today in my breadmaker and it turned out great. I wasnt sure how well this would work in the breadmaker as I had not seen any posts by others about this, but rest assured it works well and requires little effort 🙂 I added all the listed ingredietns according to the manafacutrer’s suggested order and set the bread maker on the quick breads settting. I also stirrred it twice with a spatula while it was mixing the batter. For my all purpose flour blend I used “cup 4 cup” gluten free flour for the first time ever and my husband and I both agree it worked well. Can’t wait to make this again!!
Are you aware of any high-altitude modifications to this recipe? We’re at 5,700 feet. Thanks!
I’m not…I’ve never baked at high altitude before. Sorry.
This was great! Thanks so much. I will keep checking back for more gf recipes!
Hey, since my husband is GF, I decided to try and find a good GF zucchini bread recipe and thought this one sounded pretty good. I made it exactly as given and can say that we are delighted with this rich, moist, chocolatey bread. I tried it the night I made it (last night) and it was good, but it was even better the next day. It is already half gone. Guess I’ll have to make another one!
Thanks so much for this yummy recipe! One of my sons is gf and allergic to peanuts so we try to stay away from all nuts. What could I use instead of the almond flour and/or coconut flour? I swear I have all the other types of gf flours, LOL!
Just use additional gf flour blend. 🙂
This is the second recipe of yours that I have tried (also did the pumpkin choc chip muffins, which I am in love with) and once again the result was absolutely amazing.
I’ve tried so many gluten free recipes with mediocre results, from now on, all my GF baked good recipes are going to come from your blog 🙂