Double Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Oh my gosh, this bread is something else. Ok, to be honest it's more similar to a cake but calling this Double Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread instead of Double Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake sounds a teensy bit healthier. Because the zucchini basically negates all of the sugar and chocolate, right? Right.

This bread is pretty darn delicious, and I love the additional layer of flavor that you get from adding zucchini. The grated zucchini adds a nice texture too, and every time I've made this I've been rewarded with soft, chewy, chocolatey bread that I can't get enough of. Honestly the word bread here is kind of lie - this *technically* cake would be so yummy with a scoop of ice cream served on top of it. Yass!

So the idea for this bread started like this: I am such a huge, huge fan of traditional zucchini bread, and there is this local health food store near me called Rainbow Acres that serves the best zucchini bread, ever. It is so moist and not too sweet, just the perfect balance between earthy zucchini with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. It's seriously wow, and if anyone in the Los Angeles area has yet to go to Rainbow Acres you have to go just for their zucchini bread - it's seriously that yum! Similarly, one of the reasons why this bread is so good is because it has simple ingredients.

No craziness going on here, plus it's easy to make and you takes about an hour and a half from start to finish. And don't forget to give this bread a healthy sprinkling of extra chocolate chips on the top before baking - they will melt just slightly and provide a nice gooeyness at the end.Enjoy! Perhaps check out a few of my other bread recipes while you're here:

CLICK HERE for my Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c all-purpose flour

• 1/2 c Dutch cocoa powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 1/4 c unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

• 1/4 c canola oil

• 3/4 c packed light brown sugar

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 c packed shredded zucchini

• 1 c semisweet chocolate chips, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, add the eggs, melted butter, oil, vanilla extract, and brown sugar. Stir until smooth.

4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, don’t overmix. Stir in the shredded zucchini until just combined. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the top of the bread. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean.

6. Remove from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

Adapted From: Two Peas In Their Pod