Grain Free Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This Grain Free Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread is sweet, moist and dairy-free. It tastes super decadent, like a rich chocolate cake. You would never know it contains a hidden vegetable!

Zucchini bread is a great alternative to banana bread. If you don’t like the taste of bananas, or can’t eat them, give this recipe a try. Similar to the role of bananas in banana bread, the zucchini in this recipe gives the bread a beautiful moist texture.

Since zucchini isn’t sweet, I use pure maple syrup as the sweetener in this recipe. You could use another liquid sweetener like honey or rice malt syrup if you prefer. Just keep in mind that rice malt syrup is less sweet than maple syrup, so substituting rice malt syrup will make the bread less sweet.

Being grain-free, I use almond meal and eggs in this recipe to hold everything together. I find that blanched almond meal, also known as almond flour, gives the best texture. But whole almond meal should also work.

I love to make this zucchini bread when I feel like chocolate cake. It tastes sweet and chocolatey enough to satisfy the craving, but it’s made with more real food ingredients and less processed ingredients.

Granted, the recipe does include chocolate chips. Maple syrup is also technically processed. But my general philosophy when it comes to nutrition is to focus on eating nutrient-dense foods, while not becoming too obsessive or restrictive. I also want my sweets to taste good!

Baking zucchini bread recipes

When baking with zucchini, it’s important to follow the recipe carefully for best results. This is because zucchini contains a lot of moisture. Some recipes will have you grate the zucchini and then squeeze out as much moisture as possible before adding it to the mixture. Other recipes will allow you to add the grated zucchini without squeezing because the other ingredients soak up the excess moisture.

It really depends on how the recipe has been developed. If a recipe calls for squeezing and you skip this step, you may end up with soggy zucchini bread! When squeezing is required, I use a simple method that makes it as easy as possible:

1. Lay out a few sheets of absorbent kitchen paper towel, then grate the zucchini across the sheets. You want the zucchini to form a thin layer across the sheets.
2. Place another few sheets on top, then press down so the towel absorbs the excess moisture.
3. Scoop up the squeezed, grated zucchini and measure it out to use in the recipe.

You can also squeeze grated zucchini by hand, or leave it to drain in a colander. But hand squeezing can be messy, and leaving the zucchini to drain takes time.

As with all baking recipes, I highly recommend that you measure out your zucchini and other ingredients in grams on a food scale. This is because cup measures differ around the world. The way you pack your ingredients into the cup can also make a huge difference to the end result. You don’t want an overly soggy or dry zucchini bread.

Ingredients for Grain Free Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Zucchini: Since we’re making zucchini bread. It gives a moist texture and you won’t taste it. See above for how I squeeze out the excess moisture before adding it to the recipe.

Cashew butter: I like to use cashew butter here because it has a creamy, neutral flavour. You could use almond butter or another nut butter if you prefer.

Maple syrup: To sweeten the zucchini bread. You could use honey or rice malt syrup if you prefer. Just remember that rice malt syrup is less sweet than maple syrup, so using rice malt syrup will make the bread less sweet.

Coconut oil: To keep the zucchini bread dairy free. It also adds a subtle sweetness. You could use melted butter if you prefer.

Free-range eggs: To bind everything together. I haven’t tested the recipe with an egg substitute, but would love to hear if you try that out.

Blanched almond meal: Also known as almond flour, blanched almond meal is made from almonds that have had the skins removed. I find that it gives the best texture, but you could use whole almond meal if that’s all you have.

Raw cacao powder: For the first chocolate element. You can use cocoa powder if you prefer.

Baking powder: To give the zucchini bread a lighter texture.

Fine sea salt: To enhance the flavours. I highly recommend that you do not skip it!

Dark chocolate chips: For the second chocolate element. Dark chocolate chips sometimes contain dairy (milk solids), so if you’re strictly dairy free, check the ingredients.

More healthy bread recipes

This Pumpkin Bread is gluten-free, dairy-free and comes with an amazing maple glaze.

For a twist on banana bread, this Sweet Potato Bread is gluten-free, vegan, super moist and studded with chunks of dark chocolate.

I made this Grain Free Banana Bread back in 2015. It’s a lower sugar alternative to regular banana bread.

You can find all of my loaf and bread recipes on the Bread Recipes page.

Grain Free Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe