Any time my friend @Olivia.Adriance and I step foot in a kitchen together, it’s basically guaranteed we’re going to come up with something fun and delish.
This time, it’s Double Chocolate Zucchini Blender Bread. And oh my gosh… I’d say “trust me” when I tell you it tastes better than it looks (somehow!), but this is one you have to try for yourself. There’s no way you’ll be disappointed.
If you loved our Double Chocolate Zucchini Blender Muffins, there’s no way you won’t be equally as obsessed with this one. We’d never steer you wrong!
HIDDEN VEGGIE CHOCOLATE BREAD
This fudgy loaf of hidden veggie chocolate bread is the perfect way to use up any leftover summer zucchini.
Or, just an excuse to head to the nearest farmer’s market to stock up on what will quickly become your new favorite baking ingredient.
Our Double Chocolate Zucchini Blender Bread is gluten-free, dairy-free, and naturally sweetened with honey, making it the perfect healthier sweet treat. It’s honestly the best way to eat your veggies, if you ask me.
VEGGIES ARE BAKING INGREDIENTS, TOO
I love zucchinis because they’re not only easy to incorporate into any meal, but are packed with nutrients. They’re rich in antioxidants (making them great for skin health), high in carotenoids (aka vitamin A), and also provide fiber for healthy digestion and gut microbiome.
Blend that sneaky green veg together with cacao powder, creamy peanut butter, cinnamon, flour, applesauce (we snuck a fruit in this one too!), honey and a couple other key baking ingredients – and prepare to be weak.
It’s so decadently delicious. Not to mention it also proves, once again, that zucchinis 100% belong in baked goods.
THE MOST NUTRITIOUSLY DELICIOUS DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BLENDER BREAD
If me raving about this Double Chocolate Zucchini Blender Bread hasn’t already convinced you this is the must-bake, sweet treat you need this week, I don’t even know what else to say…
Except that I haven’t mentioned yet how insanely easy this is to whip up – in under an hour!
All it takes is a blender (or food processor) to mix all your ingredients together, and a loaf pan to bake it in. Oh, and some patience when you inevitably have to let it cool before indulging 😊
So don’t let the whole “baking” thing have you thinking you’ll be slaving away in the kitchen for hours, measuring tons of ingredients, and leaving you with a sink full of dishes after.
Because honestly, all you’ll be left with is a satisfied sweet tooth and a happy gut, knowing you just treated yourself to something nutritiously delicious. Hope you make and enjoy this one as much as we did!
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:
- Zucchini
- Gluten-free Flour Blend (we used @bobsredmill Paleo Flour)
- Pasture-raised eggs
- Cacao powder
- Creamy peanut butter
- Applesauce
- Honey (or sub maple syrup)
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Dairy-free chocolate chunks
HOW TO MAKE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BLENDER BREAD
Preheat oven to 350 and prepare your loaf pan by spraying with avocado oil, or lining with parchment paper.
Add your zucchini to a blender and blend until minced.
Add the remaining ingredients to the blender, minus the chocolate chunks, and blend until just combined.
Stir in your chocolate chunks, then add the batter to your prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool before slicing into the loaf. Enjoy!
RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS & QUESTIONS
The creamy peanut butter topping might just be my favorite part of this recipe, but you could use almond butter instead if you’d like. For any nut allergies, try making with sunflower seed butter or tahini (note: we haven’t tested those).
Regular flour works instead of the gluten-free/paleo flour we used, and almond flour is another great substitute. Mashed banana may work instead of applesauce, but I haven’t personally tested. Let me know how it goes though if you try any subs listed here or on your own!
I prefer cacao powder, but cocoa powder is another swap you could make. Cocoa powder tends to be more processed, so just make sure to read your labels, especially if any dairy sensitivities. For the sweetener, maple syrup or honey both work.
Lastly, feel free to use whichever chocolate chips you prefer. Sometimes, I’ll just roughly chop a chocolate bar which is equally delicious. And a quick note on the kitchen gadgets – a food processor is definitely an option instead of a blender.
DO I NEED TO PEEL ZUCCHINI WHEN BAKING?
Happy to report that there’s no need to peel zucchini in this Double Chocolate Zucchini Blender Bread recipe, or really in any baking recipe. Since it melts right into whatever you’re baking, it’s an unnecessary step.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CACAO AND COCOA?
Cocoa and cacao are very similar, and can easily be confused! The main difference is that cocoa is processed at a much higher temperature (and often packaged cocoa powder/products contain added sugar and dairy), and cacao is the raw, unprocessed version of cocoa. They both have a chocolatey taste, but cacao has a more earthy flavor, similar to a super-rich dark chocolate. Cocoa is generally sweeter and less bitter than cacao.
I prefer to stick to cacao since it’s the raw version and provides more nutritional benefits, and get more into the health benefits of cacao in my blog post here.
MORE ZUCCHINI RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE:
Healthy Fried Zucchini Blossoms
The Best Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread
Protein-Packed Beef & Zucchini Lasagna
Herby Greek Chicken Skewers With Tzatziki
Double Chocolate Zucchini Blender Muffins
Click here to watch the reel I made of this recipe 🙂
Double Chocolate Zucchini Blender Bread
Equipment
- blender or food processor
- loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups zucchini, chopped (no need to peel)
- 1 cup gluten-free flour blend, we used @bobsredmill Paleo Flour
- 2 pasture-raised eggs
- 1/3 cup cacao powder
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup honey, or sub maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and prepare your loaf pan by spraying with avocado oil, or lining with parchment paper.
- Add your zucchini to a blender and blend until minced.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the blender, minus the chocolate chunks, and blend until just combined.
- Stir in your chocolate chunks, then add the batter to your prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool before slicing into the loaf. Enjoy!