Description
A moist, gluten-free vegan chocolate zucchini bread made with almond flour. This simple one-bowl recipe uses grated zucchini for natural moisture and rich dark chocolate chips for flavor, resulting in a tender, cake-like texture without eggs or dairy.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (200g) finely ground blanched almond flour
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed recommended)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large or 2 medium zucchini, grated and excess moisture squeezed out (approx. 1.5 cups packed)
- ⅓ cup (80ml) neutral oil (avocado or light olive oil)
- ¼ cup (60ml) maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170g) dairy-free dark chocolate chips
- Optional: ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with oil or line with parchment paper.
- Wash, trim, and grate the zucchini using the small holes of a box grater. Squeeze the grated zucchini tightly to remove excess water and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the squeezed zucchini and chocolate chips (and nuts if using) until evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes. If the top browns too quickly after 45 minutes, tent loosely with aluminum foil. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Ensure you squeeze the excess moisture from the zucchini to prevent a soggy bread. Use fine almond flour, not almond meal, for a tender texture. Do not overmix the batter. The bread keeps well at room temperature for 2-3 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 12
- Fat: 16
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 6
Keywords: vegan, gluten-free, zucchini bread, chocolate, almond flour, dairy-free, healthy baking, nut-free alternative