This double chocolate bread is so rich and decadent that you’ll never know that it’s vegan or filled with zucchini! This is one bread that is definitely kid-approved.
A few weekends ago, our friends invited us to their pool to spend the afternoon. I wanted to bake something for them, but her youngest son has some food allergies. In the past, I’ve made this super fabulous vegan chocolate cake and vegan deep dish chocolate chip pie (both were received really well). Since we were going to the pool, it would be hot outside, and I couldn’t risk bringing anything that would melt.
I still had a few zucchini in the refrigerator from our CSA and thought it would be fun to bake a zucchini bread. This particular recipe used no oil, eggs or butter so it was perfect. Addie watched carefully as I baked it and got jealous that I didn’t make her a loaf either.
Our friend sent me a note the next day and said that the zucchini bread was wonderful and that she was looking forward to snacking on it throughout the day. Addie asked me again if I could bake her a loaf too since she likes chocolate zucchini bread and muffins. Of course I agreed and this time I asked her to help me bake it.
She tried a few nibbles of it for breakfast one morning (after she scarfed down some double chocolate zucchini muffins) and said it was good. She asked me to save the rest of the bread slice for later since she was full for the moment. I enjoyed the bread too and liked that it was soft yet chewy and almost cake-like. Addie thought I was lying when I told her there was zucchini in this bread and kept saying, “There’s no zucchini in here, Mommy! Just chocolate!”
Honestly, this bread got eaten so quickly at our house that I might need to buy more zucchini soon!
Vegan double chocolate banana zucchini bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour can substitute all-purpose if needed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large banana mashed
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups zucchini grated (I used 1 large zucchini)
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks of choice vegan or semi-sweet
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a standard 9"x5" loaf pan and set aside (I used a silicone loaf pan and did not grease it).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the sugar, banana, applesauce and vanilla. Stir in the zucchini, mixing well.
- Transfer the zucchini mixture into the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Fold everything together with as few strokes as possible. When most of the dry streaks are gone, fold in the chocolate chips. Mix until everything just comes together - do not over mix. Your batter will be thick.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake in your preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with some melted chocolate).
- Allow the bread to cool before serving.