I haven’t always liked zucchini. As a kid, it ranked low in vegetables I would eat. But after discovering new ways to prepare zucchini, I began to love it. If you’ve ever planted zucchini in a garden, you may have discovered that they are prolific! There seems to be no end to this summer squash, so what to do with it?
It’s lovely grilled, in salads, spiralized into noodles, marinated, made into zucchini lasagne, or dehydrated into chips, but there’s another way to use zucchini that even the most skeptical will be happy to eat: shredding and baking it into things. Things like double chocolate zucchini bread. But the twist here, like all of my recipes, is that it’s gluten and dairy free. This version is also nut free so it’s safe to share… if you’re the sharing type.
There’s a secret to perfect zucchini bread that I have to share with you though:
DRAIN IT!!!!
Here’s how: once you’ve shredded the zucchini, put it in a colander lined with a clean kitchen towel. While making the batter, let it sit and begin to drain. Then give it a good squeeze. You’ll be surprised by how much liquid will come out. If you don’t pre-drain the zucchini, it will make your zucchini bread too moist which alters the texture and it ends up spending too much time in the oven and you end up with gummy insides and burnt outsides…. yuck.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you want a moist, rich and delicious not-too-sweet chocolate bread that satisfies any palate, and is great any time of day, give this a go! And don’t forget to share with friends and let us know if you tried it.
Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread
A delicious gluten and dairy free chocolate zucchini bread that is gluten, nut and dairy free.
Course: Breads
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Total Time: 1 hr 5 min
Yield: 1 Loaf
Serves:
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 1⁄4 cup maple syrup
- 1⁄3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 1⁄2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
- 1⁄4 tsp sea salt
- 1⁄2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1⁄4 cup melted coconut oil (or sub another neutral oil)
- 1⁄4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any other milk)
- 1 cup grated zucchini (squeezed dry and lightly packed in measuring cup)
- 3⁄4 cup gluten-free flour blend
- 2⁄3 cup gluten-free oat flour (finely ground rolled oats)
- 1⁄3 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips (plus more for topping // I like Enjoy Life brand)
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- I used my KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment for this but you could use a bowl and a whisk/ spoon combo just as easily.
- In the bowl of stand mixer, add eggs, maple syrup, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, and cocoa powder, and mix on low until incorporated.
- Next add the melted coconut oil and almond milk and mix to combine. Add grated zucchini (that's been squeezed of excess moisture) and stir to combine.
- Add gluten-free flour and oat flour, and mix until just combined. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk. But it should be thick and scoopable.
- Stir in chocolate chips. Then transfer batter to the loaf pan and top with a few more chocolate chips.
- Bake 45 minutes - 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges feel semi-firm to the touch. If you have a thermometer, it should read about 210F when done.
- Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then carefully lift onto a cooling rack using the parchment paper. Texture is best when cooled completely.
- The loaf keeps well covered at room temperature for 3-4 days and then out in the fridge if there are any leftovers after that. It can be kept in the freezer for up to 1 month.
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