Paleo Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

grain-free chocolate zucchini bread sliced on a cooling rack

5 from 2 votes

Paleo Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Light, slightly sweet and packed with two kinds of chocolate, this healthy zucchini bread will become your new favorite treat! It's also gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free and refined sugar-free.

Prep Time20

Cook Time55

Total Time1 15

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 170kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini
2 large eggs, room temperature
⅓ cup honey
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups superfine blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup chocolate chips, chopped baking chips or chopped chocolate, plus more for the top if desired

Instructions

First, heat the oven to 350°.
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper along the long sides and spray the short sides with cooking spray. Set aside.
Trim off the ends of the zucchini. Lay down a layer of cheesecloth or a thin, clean kitchen towel over the cutting board. Using the big holes on a box grater, shred the zucchini.
Gather up the cheesecloth or towel and twist the top so you have the zucchini bundled up into a sack.
Over a sink, twist and squeeze the sack of zucchini for all your worth. You want to get as much water out of it as possible. When you think you're done, give it a few more squeezes and twists. Measure 1½ cups of shredded zucchini and set aside. Save any extra for another use.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, honey, apple cider vinegar and vanilla.
Add the almond flour, cocoa powder and baking soda and use a spatula to stir until completely blended. The batter will be thick.
Fold in the shredded zucchini and the 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, chopped baking chips or chopped chocolate.
Scrape the mixture into your prepared loaf pan and dot the top with more chocolate chips, if desired. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (make sure not to stab a chocolate chip).
Set on a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Notes

Make ahead and storage

The bread can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature (lay a paper towel over the bread to absorb moisture before putting on the lid) or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

The bread can also be frozen: wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then put in a freezer-safe container or baggie. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

If you've already sliced the bread, place a small piece or parchment paper (about the same size as a slice of the bread) between each slice, wrap up the bread as one whole loaf in plastic wrap, and proceed as above.

Substitutions and variations

You can use chocolate chips (I like the dairy-free ones from Enjoy Life!) or chocolate baking chips (such as these Paleo-friendly ones from Guittard). You could also try a Paleo-friendly chocolate bar such as Hu, roughly chopped.
You can use lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar
I haven't tried this with maple syrup instead of honey but I think that would work
I also haven't tried this with raw cacao powder instead of unsweetened cocoa powder but I think that would work

Nutrition