secretly healthy honey dark chocolate zucchini bread
I wonder who decided zucchini was an appropriate component of a sweet bread. Whomever it was, you have my applause. I hope I too can receive your best claps with this Secretly Healthy Honey Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread.
This dude is my first zucchini bread of VE and it is a doozy of a good one. Simple, scented with cinnamon and allspice, laced with dark chocolate chips because I could not justify leaving out chocolate in such a beautiful loaf. The crumb is tender, the rise is perfect, the honey offers a sweet bite but not overly so. Sounds here like I’m lauding a child, except this one is made of flour and grows via baking powder/soda and not puberty. Nor does it scream at you if you make an error.
Alright, let’s just all have zucchini bread instead of children. Capeesh?
Shredding zucchini might seem annoying (it is), but it is one of the easier shreds available. I know many recipes call to squeeze the living shit out of the grated byproduct, but I had good success firmly blotting the mound a couple times. The loaf was not too moist nor did it mess with the texture of the baked product.
Applesauce provides another moisture component, along with a touch of fat in the form of melted coconut oil. Applesauce to me is the best substitute for butter or oil in most cake or sweet bread recipes, and here it proves worthy of its salt. Blend it up with the reduced amount of oil, honey (your sweetener), a couple eggs, and vanilla.
In another bowl hangs the dry ingredients. I used a blend of all purpose and whole wheat flour since most baked goods come out a bit funky with a full measurement of whole grains, and 3/4 cup was just enough to offer a hearty flavor without the full throttle grainy taste. Baking powder and baking soda for poof, salt to enhance, and cinnamon and allspice for warming, comforting flavor.
Mix the wet and dry, then fold in the chocolate chips and zucchini. Relatively even distribution is the goal, but avoid overmixing so to not create a stiff, stubborn batter. Spray a loaf pan with oil or butter, pour in all of the raw bread goodness, and bake for a 50-60 minutes. The smell is godlike. You’ll want to reincarnate as this bread to make people just as happy in your next life.
This zucchini bread is perfect warm or at room temperature. Slather it with some butter if you wish, or a drizzle more of honey, or just eat it on its own with coffee. A lovely springtime snack that doesn’t sit heavy in the stomach or fill you up overmuch if you just need a little something-something to tide you over until dinner. Or pack it up in a lunchbox for a worktime nibble. Or a midnight hunger queller. Or whenever.
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’ve made!
Need another sweet bread idea? Try out this Cardamom Sugar Swirled Cider Pumpkin Bread!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 or 8 x 4 inch bread pan.
- Finely grate the zucchini. Gently squeeze any excess water with a clean tea towel or paper towel. I did not go overboard with draining the shreds – a good blot seemed to do well for the texture of the bread.
- With a hand or stand mixer, beat coconut oil, apple sauce, honey, vanilla, and eggs until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whip until just combined. Fold in grated zucchini and dark chocolate chips until fairly evenly distributed.
- Pour batter into prepared bread pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then flip onto a wire cooling rack to cool an additional 15-20 minutes. If needed, run a bread knife around the edge of the pan to loosen any stuck parts. Serve warm with butter and extra honey, as desired.
