Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chips

One of my favorite one-bowl summer recipes is chocolate chip zucchini bread. It’s a quick bread that rivals pumpkin bread in the fall and cranberry bread at the holidays. The loaf stays moist, the cinnamon goes really well with chocolate, and no one ever complains when it shows up two days in a row. 

Garden zucchini makes it seasonal, but grocery store zucchini keeps it around the rest of the year. Try sneaking it into your rotation the next time you’re out of bananas but still want something sweet and easy, or just want your family to eat more veggies!

Pro Tips

Our zucchini bread recipe calls for 4 cups of grated zucchini. It’s going to take about 2 large zucchini or three small zucchini. I’m talking about grocery store sizes. I have seen some large backyard garden zucchini that could feed a family of 6, you might only need half of one that size.

Grating the zucchini

• There is really no need to peel the zucchini. In fact, the skin will provide some much needed stability while you are grating.
• Grating zucchini works the best when you use an actual grater. If you have the grater insert for your food processor, go ahead and use that. Mine has been missing forever.  Do not pulse these in a food processor or blender or you will get just way too much liquid.

You can add up to 1 cup of chopped nuts to this recipe without any problems. I don’t like nuts in my zucchini bread so I leave them out.

You can use whatever kind of chips you like, dark, semi-sweet, milk, white and even cinnamon chips. I prefer milk chocolate chips in most of my baking. You can leave them out completely, but why?

This is a super thick batter, you didn’t do anything wrong and there is no need to add more liquid.

Pan Sizes

This recipe fills two standard 9×5 loaf pans and bakes for about 60 to 75 minutes. If you’re using something different, here’s how it works out:

• 8×4 pans → Makes 2 loaves, bake 45 to 55 minutes. This size will dome higher than mine did.
  
• Mini loaf pans (about 5 ¾ x 3) → Makes 3 loaves, bake 30 to 40 minutes.
  
• Mini-mini loaf pans (the kind with 9 slots per pan, about 2 ½ x 1 ½ each) → Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Two pans will use up a full batch.
  • Try not to fill these more than 3/4 of the way through. You may not fill every hole.
    

Always check with a toothpick in the center, since chocolate chips can make the middle look underdone.

Do not use silicone bread pans; their sides bulge and you will have more batter on the floor of the oven than you will the pan, they also do not bake evenly, the edges turn out dark and hard, while the middle is a puddle. Ask me how I know??

Storage Tips

Keep zucchini bread tightly wrapped or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The chocolate chips keep the inside soft, so it won’t dry out too fast.

For longer storage, refrigerate for up to a week. Just bring slices to room temperature or warm them slightly before serving.

This bread freezes beautifully. Wrap the whole loaf (or individual slices) in plastic wrap, then foil, and store in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature.

More Loaf Pan Recipes You’ll Want to Save

• Lemon Loaf
• Pumpkin Bread
• Cranberry Bread
• Strawberry Pound Cake
• Cheddar Quick Bread – a savory option that tastes like Cheddar Bay biscuits

This recipe was written and tested by a human.

Editor: Oliver Baysinger