chocolate chunk rye zucchini bread
Any other rye bread lovers here?
When I lived alone some time ago, I went through a phase of buying every brand of pumpernickel bread I could find in search of the finest I could get without selling a pound of flesh for it. Truth be told, I don’t even remember which I settled on – I think Pepperidge Farm’s German Dark Wheat was my most common buy. Shit, I don’t even know if that’s technically pumpernickel.
Either way, I was truly obsessed with pumpernickel, and even now whenever I visit a bagel shop I’m more likely than not to order a pumpernickel bagel.
Pumpernickel, of course, is based off rye, a unique grain with a slightly sour flavor often amplified with caraway seeds. Baked into this Chocolate Chunk Rye Zucchini Bread, it lends a hearty, nutty backdrop much like the buckwheat flour in my Chocolate Chunk Buckwheat Banana Bread. The fiber content in rye is good for digestion (though no, I don’t recommend downing a whole loaf, the fiber might do something less savory in that case) and paired with grated zucchini, coconut oil, and honey in this recipe, the bread is overall a much more wholesome variation of a classic favorite.
Rye Me
One bowl, one whisk, one bread pan…probably more than one measuring cup, but that’s okay…Zucchini bread whips together real quick.
The lengthiest part of this whole shebang is grating zucchini. The veggie shreds up pretty quickly once it hits the blades of a box grater, so enlist your handheld pal and get shredding. After those beautiful green knobs are reduced to thin pieces, wring the bunch out with lots of paper towels or a clean tea towel. You don’t have to be insane about squeezing the zucchini dry as the Sahara, just try to get as much moisture out as you can.
Grab a big bowl and whisk together melted coconut oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the zucchini, then add your dry ingredients and whip up until just combined. Fold in lots of chocolate.
Transfer the batter to a greased bread pan and bake for a good long while, think 55-60 minutes. “Quick bread” is a bit of a misnomer, I suppose.
The resulting loaf is tender and gooey in all the right nooks with melted chocolate. My favorite way to enjoy any quick bread is with a cup of coffee and a bit of butter when the mood strikes me. A pal to share it with doesn’t hurt either.
And really, the loaf layout makes the treat a snap since you needn’t worry about layering or frostings or any of that fancy pantsy shit that sometimes just doesn’t fit the occasion. Much as I adore a good layer cake, there’s a time and a place for them (actually, like right now, I just downed a massive slice of a cake that’s coming soon to an FMG near you) and then a time and a place for simpler loaves. All you have to decide is which occasion it is in the present.
Have you ever had a random food obsession? I spoke of my pumpernickel phase at the start, but others I’ve undergone: big cereal parfaits in the afternoons – during Chicago training, since I had to force feed myself to ensure I ate enough – putting absolutely everything imaginable on avocado toast, banana ice cream, and the apple/pretzel/peanut butter snack combination.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
chocolate chunk rye zucchini bread
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup rye flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with oil or butter.
- Slice the ends of the zucchini and grate into a bowl with a box grated. You should get about 1 1/2 cups of grated zucchini. Wring out as much moisture as possible with paper towels or a tea towel you don't give a shit about because congratulations, it will be green.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk in the zucchini. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a skewer or knife inserted in the center emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then run a knife around the edges of the pan and flip the loaf onto a wire rack. Cool 15-20 minutes longer. Serve warm (recommend) with a smear of butter and a cup of coffee.
