Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Bread
187 Comments
Updated Jul 14, 2022
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Paleo chocolate zucchini bread is moist, scrumptious and has a rich dark chocolate aroma. But don’t be fooled, because this healthy treat still has some hidden zucchini inside. You’re gonna love it!
Zucchini season is ending soon and what better way to use up your last bit of zucchini than to bake it into a sweet quick bread. This chocolate zucchini bread is paleo, gluten-free and grain-free, using my favorite triumvirate of flours (almond flour, tapioca flour and coconut flour) for the perfect texture.
And if you’re wondering why all three flours are necessary, just read through the comments on my reader favorite paleo chocolate cake recipe.
This paleo chocolate zucchini bread uses my reader favorite paleo zucchini bread recipe as the base. It’s just got a chocolate twist. I’ve added some cacao powder and chocolate chips to the mix to transform it into what almost tastes like an ultra-decadent chocolate cake.
How to Make Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Bread
The instructions are list below, but if you’re more visually inclined, I’ve got a quick step-by-step video on my paleo zucchini bread recipe. Go take a peek at that!
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl (almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, cacao powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt) and stir together.
- Whisk the wet ingredients (eggs, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup) in a separate bowl.
- Grate the zucchini and remove excess water by squeezing it in a nut milk bag or with a kitchen towel. Then add the zucchini to the wet ingredients bowl and stir to combine.
- Make the batter by pouring the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until it is well mixed. Then stir the chocolate chips into the batter. Once it’s all mixed together, pour the batter into a greased 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan and sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top.
- Bake the zucchini bread for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. The top should also start to break apart a little.
- Let the it cool by placing the pan on a wire rack until it is cool to touch.
More Delicious Zucchini Recipes
Still have leftover zucchini? Give these zucchini recipes a try – I think you’ll love them.
- Baked Zucchini Fries
- Zucchini Pasta with Lemon Garlic Shrimp
- Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Easy Sautéed Zucchini
- Zucchini and Prosciutto Egg Muffins
Oh, and when you slice the bread make sure to enjoy a piece (or two) with a cup of my homemade cashew milk or almond milk. It’s the perfect combo!
Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Description
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Wet Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cups grated zucchini
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir until combined.
- In a separate bowl add the eggs, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup and whisk together.
- Squeeze the grated zucchini in a nut milk bag or kitchen towel to remove the excess water. Then add the grated zucchini to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until the batter is well mixed.
- Then add in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips and mix into the batter. Pour the batter into a greased 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan and sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top.
- Bake the zucchini bread for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Lisa's Tips
- This is the nut milk bag I use to squeeze the zucchini and I love it. It's great for homemade almond milk as well.
- For the best gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo-friendly chocolate chips, grab yourself some of these.
- If you're overflowing in zucchini you can make several loaves of this bread and freeze it! I recommend slicing before you freeze so you can thaw individual slices and enjoy.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Is there anything I can use in place of the tapioca flour? I’m allergic to it.
You can use arrowroot flour or a gluten-free flour blend.
Oh my!!! This zucchini bread is to die for. It’s soft, moist, chocolaty, just enough sweetness to satisfy your sweet cravings. Last but not least, it is healthy too! It’s an all in one goodness, you won’t be disappointed if you decide to make it I guarantee you. Thank you Lisa, for this amazing recipe!
Happy to hear you’re loving this chocolate zucchini bread! It really is the best of all worlds :)
yummy sums it up. big hit with everyone.
Glad everyone enjoyed this zucchini bread Grace!
vau- such a crowd pleaser, thank you for this amazing recepie ♡ I baked it in a round cake tin, added some sour cherry jam and avocado chocolate mouse on top and turned it into a birthday cake, everyone loved it!
Yay! Glad everyone loved this zucchini bread.
Is it possible to leave out the maple syrup- I’m trying to be sugar free?
Unfortunately no, as it will alter the liquid ratio.
Easy and delicious. Thank you! I added some chocolate chips on top for style points ;) and a scoop of vegan chocolate protein powder for extra oomph.
This is an amazing recipe, and the cake turned out perfectly and absolutely delicious! I will be making this for many years to come… thank you so much for posting it!! 😋😋
Hi! What can I use in place of coconut flour?? Also have you ever made this with Greek yogurt? Or canned sweet potatoes?? Just curious 🤨
Thanks
First this was easy to follow. Second it’s beyond delicious. However, although it’s very moist, i can’t seem to pick it up without it falling apart? It’s consistency is more crumbly than solid. I followed the recipe and substituted arrowroot for tapioca. Is that the problem? Any other suggestions? Thank you
Soooo delicious!!
Every person i gave a slice to said it was amazing! They all couldn’t believe it was zucchini bread! Lol
I didn’t have applesauce so i substituted for same measurements of smashed banana and it came out so lovely!
A keeper recipe!
Happy to hear this turned out great with smashed banana instead Maia!
Would it work to make mini loaves with this recipe?
I made this today and it is absolutely delicious!!’
Glad you loved this chocolate zucchini bread Tracie!
Have you tried using any type of egg substitute in this recipe? My daughter can’t eat eggs. Flax egg, or Bobs Red Mill egg replacer?
Thanks !!
Unfortunately I haven’t tried this with an egg replace yet. But if you do, please let me know how it goes!
Hi, I tried with chia eggs and it turned out okay but didn’t rise properly so maybe put 2 chia eggs and add half of a mashed banana … eventhough the texture was more fudgy/brownieish then bready/cakey the taste was wonderful and everyone loved it
Hi Lisa. Thank you for the name of the flour. I really do love your recipes and I made this but unfortunately mine turned out a bit dry. Not at all moist like the comments below. I would like to try it again so any idea what I did wrong? Or maybe it was my oven. Also do you grease the baking tin before you out the mixture in?
Hi Pauline – As all oven cook differently, odds are it was just your oven. Next time, try reducing the cook time a little. Best of luck!
Hi Lisa I really like your recipes. I would like to make the zucchini bread so can you recommend a tapioca flour please. Thanks
Thanks! I use Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour.
I knew when I first saw this recipe that I would make it. It was even better than I imagined. Thanks for all your great recipes, Lisa.
Happy to hear you loved this chocolate zucchini bread Alan!
Oh good gracious I just made this zucchini bread a few days ago and it was DELICIOUS!! Just uber moist, decadent but not overly sweet. My questions are how long can you keep it on the counter for and is it best to keep leftovers in the fridge or freezer? Thanks and I love your recipes!!
This can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Hi Lisa,
I am Eva and I love your recipes. I regularly pick one or two for myself and I enjoy all all of them.
I would like to make this chocolate zucchini bread in a less “healthy” version. Could you please let me know how many cups of unbleached white flour should I use?
Thank you for your great job on this site and thank you for your answer.
Eva from Toronto
Hi Eva- Unfortunately I haven’t tried this with unbleached white flour. In that case, you might want to look up a regular chocolate zucchini bread recipe for more accurate measurements :)
I made this yesterday for the 3rd time. So moist and delicious! There’s only one problem……I can’t stop eating it!
This zucchini bread is definitely addictive! Glad you enjoyed it :)
I just came back to this recipe to make again – knowing I made it last summer when I had an abundance of zucchini’s and it had turned out so well. Yet again, you recipes never disappoint! I just made it last night (with lots of chocolate chips) and am enjoying now with a cup of coffee! I can’t help but think it would also be delicious as dessert with warm chocolate drizzled on top….
Happy to hear your chocolate zucchini bread turned out perfectly!
can I use regular flour instead of the almond, tapioca and coconut flour?
Hi Pat – If you’re using AP flour, it will be best to search for a regular chocolate zucchini bread recipe :)
Hi Lisa,
Are there any substitutes for coconut and tapioca flour? I have plenty of almond flour but never use the other two. If not, no worries.
Great timing on this post! I have an abundance of zucchini from my garden right now!
Thank you :)
Hi Lori – You can use either arrowroot flour or a gluten free flour blend for the tapioca flour!
Hi. I love all of your recipes. Unfortunately, I have suspected for awhile that I am sensitive to almonds and it was confirmed by an allergist that yes I am indeed allergic to almonds and hazelnuts. Is there a substitute for almond flour in this recipe?
Unfortunately I haven’t tried this without almond flour yet. But I hope to do some more testing with nut-free options in the future :)
Could I sub the applesauce with something else? Or maybe leave it out? I didn’t usually like how it tastes in baked goods.
You can try subbing it with mashed banana.
Can I substitute arrowroot flour for the tapioca?
Yes, it should be okay!
The texture of this bread is spot on. I made muffins instead of bread and my entire family is enjoying them. I’ll be making more with our garden zucchini to freeze for later!
Glad you enjoyed this recipe in muffin form Danielle!
I made these as muffins and they were the BEST paleo muffins I’ve ever had! Usually paleo muffins end up being extremely flat with a weird texture, but these formed the perfect muffins top and had such a fluffy texture (which is so hard to achieve without regular flour!). I can’t wait to alter this recipe to make all sorts of paleo muffins and quickbreads!
Happy to hear these muffins turned out perfectly!
Delicious I decided to make the chocolate zucchini bread however I only put chocolate chips and half the batter because I am staying away from chocolate but everybody else loved it :-) I also used one of the reusable bags to strain the zucchini that I use for shopping vegetables and fruit at the market worked out perfect
Happy to hear this zucchini bread turned out perfectly Tamara!
Wow, made this for Easter, and everyone raved about it! I was a little skeptical before putting it in the oven, as the batter was much thicker than other quick-breads I’ve made in the past, but it turned out beautifully. Really moist and dense and satisfying without being overly rich or overly sweet.
Wonderful! The batter for this one is a bit thicker, but it bakes into a beautifully moist bread :)
This is one of the best gluten free chocolate bread recipes I’ve tried! I used canned pumpkin instead of zucchini and it takes awesome!
Glad this turned out perfectly with canned pumpkin!
I’m looking to make this for my family and as my daughter is vegan, I’m going to use egg substitute. Most likely flax. Have you ever made it this way? How did it torn out?
Hi Carol- I haven’t tried this with an egg substitute yet! But if you do, please let me know how it turns out :)
I really wanted to love this zucchini bread but sadly mine came out quite dry! It had that sort of almond-floury stick to your mouth taste and texture to it. I’m not quite sure why, I didn’t do any substitutions :/ I might give it another go since I have a lot of zucchini leftover but do a shorter bake this time. I checked it at 50 minutes and the toothpick came out clean but maybe I should have pulled it earlier. Oh well. I will update based on how the next try turns out.
Hi Kate – keep in mind that all oven cook slightly differently, so yours may have overcooked. Hopefully your next batch comes out better!
Wow better than brownies and no one noticed the secret ingredient and that it was gluten free…😜
This one’s definitely a sneaky one with added veggies!
We made it today and it was really suprise. My daugters (9&13) were very suspiciois because od zuccini. But they couldnt stop eating iz when it was done. Thanks you <3
So glad you enjoyed this recipe Ana! :)
Hello, is the nutrition info for the entire loaf or 1 serving? These are amazingly delicious.
Yes! The nutrition info will always be per serving :)
This recipe looks fabulous, but I am wondering if you can make the recipes without the chocolate chips? Would I need to add more maple syrup? or will that change the moisture balance?
Hi Brenda! I also have a paleo zucchini bread recipe on the site you can make that’s without chocolate :)
Hello, I would love to try this recipe. Sadly, my children are severely allergic to nuts and seeds. We can have gluten though! Could I substitute the paleo flours you have used for regular/plain flour? or could you suggest something else please? Thank you. Paula
Hi Paula – unfortunately, this recipe is tested with the flours listed and gluten-free flours don’t sub easily with regular plain flour (you’d have to change all the other ratios). I’d recommend searching for another recipe online that uses regular flour.
Hi Lisa! It looks delicious! I will try it! Just one question: do you also have the recipe of the apple sauce to share? I’ve never done ir before. Thanks a lot!
Hi Patricia- I actually don’t have a recipe for apple sauce itself as I normally use a store-bought version. But I’ll keep in mind to make a homemade recipe for it :)
Hey there is no where that specifically stares how to store or what the breads shelf life is!
Hi Jessica! This will store well in the fridge for up 4 days. But you can also freeze it! Just make sure to slice it in pieces before freezing so it makes it easier to grab and go :)
Hi Lisa!
I recently made this bread and shared with family and friends. What a hit!! They ALL came back for more. Good thing I made extra. I reduced the chocolate chips by 1/4 cup in the batter and it was perfectly sweet! No one suspected it was gluten free.
Thank you!
Hi Susan- So happy to hear everyone enjoyed this zucchini bread :)
The instructions didn’t specify, so I mistakenly used way too much zucchini. While my loaves were baking I found a comment below from 2019 stating that it’s 1.5c pre-squeezed, not post-squeezed, zucchini. (This should be clarified in the instructions). After I minute of panick, I checked the loaves (30 min in) and they were done. The taste was perfect, and it was still so moist! I didn’t have a regular loaf pan so I split the batter between 2 smaller and more shallow loaf pans. There’s a very minute texture that might be noticeable if you’re used to AP flour breads, but it’s not off putting at all. My husband and I are not GF and have never had paleo bread before, but this recipe is a keeper and my new go-to when my garden is pumping out more zukes than I can keep up with.
Hi Cherie- Thanks for taking note of that and I will be sure to include that information in the post! But I’m glad this still came out perfectly moist :)