Easy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipes

Learn how to make a variety of easy chocolate chip zucchini bread recipes by adjusting a few of the simple ingredients. If you are wondering what to do with extra zucchini, even zucchini from the freezer, you’re in the right place. Got loads of zucchini? I have a plan. Read on for the delicious chocolate chip zucchini bread recipes!

The Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipes Backstory

I looked in my big freezer in the garage the other day, and was shocked to see all of the zipped plastic bags of shredded zucchini still piled on the top shelf. Oh no! I had forgotten I had so many bags of shredded zucchini. During the summer, I had tried to be so diligent. I responsibly shredded the zucchini in my food processor for future use so that nothing went to waste. I even wrote a blog post about using extra zucchini, as well as a recipe for fried zucchini with dipping sauces. I’d better follow through with the rest of the Zucchini Master Plan by making easy zucchini bread.

 

The Rest of the Zucchini Master Plan

The Zucchini Master Plan involves using as much zucchini as possible while expending minimal effort. The best way to do that, I’ve discovered, is to make easy zucchini bread. The tough part, shredding the zucchini, had already been accomplished back in the summer with the food processor. I just needed to take a gallon-sized bag of zucchini shreds out of the freezer, thaw, drain,  then add to other ingredients. (For another fabulous way to use shredded zucchini, see the easy cheesy zucchini fritters recipe.)

The zucchini recipe I use is based on a recipe I found in The Oregonian’s Food Day section years ago. I tweaked it by adding chocolate chips and I also changed the name. It was originally just called Zucchini Bread III. Of all of the zucchini bread options, I chose to use this one because it calls for more zucchini than other recipes I’ve seen. Very important! I have now renamed it Easy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread. It’s more popular with my family if I place the emphasis on the chocolate chips rather than the zucchini.

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Chocolate Chips Make Everything Better

I got the idea for using chocolate chips in this recipe from my Aunt/Cousin Barbara. If you wonder why she is called my Aunt/Cousin, please read my post about untangling the branches of the family tree. Anyway, Aunt/Cousin Barbara puts chocolate chips in banana bread. Genius! I just took it one step further and added chocolate chips to zucchini bread instead of the nuts the original recipe called for. What an amazing difference! My kids would not touch regular zucchini bread, but with the magical addition of chocolate chips, suddenly the bread was transformed into something they looked forward to eating. Easy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread was born.

Equipment Needed for the Basic Easy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Although I used frozen zucchini shreds, you may need to grate some zucchini. You can always use a regular cheese grater, but that takes a long time. My favorite way to shred zucchini, large quantities of cheese (or anything else I need more than a cup of) is to use my Cuisinart food processor. When I was first given it as a gift, I was intimidated by it. There are some sharp components for slicing and chopping. There are also quite a few safety features built-in, so I overcame my initial nervousness, and now it’s one of my favorite kitchen tools.

 

An important part of making chocolate chip zucchini bread, no matter which recipe you choose, is draining the zucchini. The best way to drain it is by using paper towels and a colander. This one is nice because it is footed, so you can just leave it in the sink to drain while you assemble the other ingredients.

You will also need at least two bread pans. I have both metal baking pans and glass. The metal pans are the ones my dad and grandmother always used, so I’m partial to ones like these.

 

I also recommend using a stand mixer, because sometimes the chocolate chip zucchini bread batter can get a little stiff. Mine was handed down to me by my sweet mother-in-law, and I think of her every time I use it. Although you won’t be able to find my retro gold-colored model unless you are at a second-hand store, you can get a similar one. Mine has a bowl-lift lever like this one.

Ingredients for Easy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread:

3 cups grated zucchini

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions for Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans. Shred 3 cups of zucchini. Place freshly grated or frozen zucchini shreds in a colander in the sink, wrapped in several layers of paper towels. Press out the moisture in the zucchini and set aside.

Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add oil and brown sugar; beat well. Stir in vanilla and zucchini.

Combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add to zucchini mixture and beat well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared pans and bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe Variations

Just as in the recipe for easy dark chocolate chip raspberry banana bread, there are many ways you can change up this chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe. Here are some other chocolate chip zucchini bread recipes you might want to try. They are just as easy to make as the basic chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe with a few small ingredient variations. Have a look!

Double Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

In addition to the chocolate chips, you can also add cocoa powder to the batter for a double chocolate experience. Just add one half cup cocoa powder to the batter when mixing. Be sure to coat the pans extra well with your nonstick coating of choice before baking. Chocolate is delicious, but it can be quite sticky.

White Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

If you are a fan of white chocolate, substitute white chocolate chips for the semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe. The smooth vanilla flavor will add a whole new taste experience. You could even bake one loaf with white chocolate chips and one with semi-sweet to see which you like best.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Nut Bread

Add one half cup to one cup of chopped walnuts to your chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe. The satisfying crunch and texture will add extra flavor as well. I’m not a huge fan of nuts in bread, but for some, the nuts make the recipe better.

Orange Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

For a citrus twist, add two tablespoons of grated orange zest to your chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe. That’s the zest from about two oranges. The combination of orange and chocolate flavors is a winner, as in these orange chocolate chip scones.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Adapting this easy chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe to make it gluten-free is simple. Just substitute an all-purpose gluten-free flour for the regular flour in the recipe. I like to use King Arthur brand, but if you can find that you can use another brand such as Cup 4.

Toppings for Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

To make your chocolate chip zucchini bread extra special, you can spread something delicious on a slice. Butter is always an excellent choice. You could also spread on some orange rhubarb jam, raspberry blueberry jam, or blueberry lime jam. There are many tasty options.

Frequently Asked Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Questions

Do you peel zucchini before shredding for bread? Good news! You do not need to peel zucchini before shredding. The zucchini is absorbed into the bread as it bakes. Peeling would just take extra time, and it really does not make any difference in the flavor or texture of the bread.

Why is my zucchini bread wet in the middle? Zucchini shreds contain quite a bit of liquid. Some moisture in your chocolate chip zucchini bread is a good thing, but too much liquid can make your zucchini bread too wet. To avoid wetness in the middle of your zucchini bread, be sure to follow the step about using paper towels and a colander to squeeze excess moisture from the shredded zucchini.

Should you squeeze water out of zucchini for bread? It really is up to you. As stated in the paragraph above, a little bit of moisture in chocolate chip zucchini bread can be a good thing. Too much liquid can result in zucchini bread that is wet in the middle. Squeezing water out of your shredded zucchini is optional, but if you are using frozen zucchini shreds, you might be surprised by the amount of liquid you can squeeze out. You could always compromise by squeezing some of the water out. You could try it both ways and see which you prefer.

What About You?

My maternal grandmother used to sprinkle chocolate chips over our vanilla ice cream in our cones to make the ice cream seem special. I can still picture the huge plastic bucket of vanilla ice cream sitting on the counter of the kitchen in their house in Vancouver, B.C. Somehow, I grew out of the habit of putting chocolate chips on my ice cream cones. Maybe I should take up the habit again.

What do you like to top with chocolate chips? What do you like to mix chocolate chips with? Is there anything in your life that you have improved with the addition of chocolate chips? I’d enjoy reading your thoughts and ideas.

More Food Inspiration

It’s always nice to have a plan when it comes to parties and meals. If you’re looking for a way to get more organized with your meal or party-planning efforts, I’ve got something for you. Free, editable meal planners! The templates can be used over and over, as often as you need them. You can make as many duplicates as you like, and you’ll be able to save old meal plans for future reference. I hope it simplifies things for you.

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If you would like even more recipe ideas, consider following my Easy Recipes board on Pinterest. Have a fabulous day, and have a good time making these recipes chocolate chip zuccchini bread.

 

 

 

Lisa Mitchell is a wife, mom, and school librarian who likes to create and share recipes, often using fresh ingredients from her family’s small Pacific Northwest farm. To get more easy recipes, click on over to the Food page.

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