Chocolate Coconut Zucchini Bread plated with coffee cups

There are over 6,500 languages spoken on this great planet of ours, did you know that? Okay, so maybe you did. Of those languages, there’s one that is universally spoken across the globe. Do you know which one I’m talking about? And no smarty, it’s not English, that’s too easy.

It’s the universal language of chocolate!

Zucchini Bread In Loaf Pan

Chocolate for Halloween, all wrapped in orange wrappers, chocolate for Valentines day in heart shaped metal containers, chocolate for Easter in the form of a large, solid, bunny, and wonderful little tins of cookies all dipped in chocolate for Christmas.

Chocolate makes everything better, even oatmeal.

Ingredients ready to use: Cocoa powder, eggs, brown sugar, cut up zucchini, chocolate chips, coconut flakes and salt

I was the kid that ate chocolate for breakfast. I’m not talking about Cocoa Krispies, chocolate muffins, or that hazel-nutty, Nutella goodness (don’t get me wrong, I ate those too) but I mean real, actual, hunk of chocolate. It was my treat for eating that egg or oatmeal that my mom wanted me to eat. It was a condition. If I had to eat what you make me eat then I get to eat something I want, afterwards. It’s all about compromise, right?

So lets compromise, let’s put zucchini in our chocolate bread. Then everybody is happy!

close up of Shredded Zucchini in a measuring jar on a wooden board

By now, I’m sure some of you have declared me as insane and the other half of you are nodding along because you think this is a fantastic idea. Trust me on this though, it turns out amazing. It’s half cake, half bread, half brain genius. No one can tell that the zucchini is even there, not even my chocoholic, husband – chocolate coconut zucchini bread passed the ultimate test!

Chocolate Coconut Zucchini Bread Sliced on Cooling Rack

Yield: 8 slices

Chocolate Coconut Zucchini Bread

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Chocolate Coconut Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder (such as, Hershey's)
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini (about 1 1/2 zucchini squashes)
  • 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate)

Instructions

  1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 8 1/2 inch x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan or line with a strip of parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and set aside for later use.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugars, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Add the apple sauce and stir a few times until smooth. Add the dry ingredient mix in two batches, stirring in between to make sure all ingredients mix together properly.
  4. Stir in the zucchini, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips until they are incorporated well into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  5. Bake the bread for 65 to 75 minutes, (insert a toothpick or cake tester into the center of the cake to test if it comes out clean) If you see a light smear of chocolate, wipe and reinsert cake tester into a different spot, it could just be a smear of melted chocolate chips.
  6. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. cool completely before slicing. Store well wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!