Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my chocolate zucchini bread dry? ›

The zucchini is essential for adding moisture, so pack your cups full! Skimping on it will yield a drier final loaf. No need to press or squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini. We want all of it to go into the bread!

But unless your zucchini is excessively juicy, squeezing the squash could be removing some of the moisture you really do want in the bread. It's up to you, though. Squeeze for lighter, drier bread. Leave it as is for denser, moister bread.

Don't peel the zucchini – Yes, it's tempting to remove the zucchini's skin, but there is no need to do that. Zucchini melts into the bread, so peeling is just an unnecessary step. Do grate the zucchini – I don't know about you, but when it comes to zucchini in bread, I want it there – but I don't want to see it.

Too much fat (butter, oil, or shortening) or too much leavening (baking soda or baking powder) will cause the bread to be crumbly.

You need 2 cups of grated zucchini for the recipe, so you will need about 3 small zucchini, 2 medium zucchini, or 1 large zucchini.

Salt causes zucchini rounds to release excess water. This important extra step helps the zucchini to sauté rather than stew in its own juices.

A simple box grater does a much better job at preserving the integrity of your zucchini. This is less of an issue for quick breads, where the zucchini essentially "melts" as it bakes. But for fritters, crusts or tortillas (where texture is important), stick to a box grater.

Place a box grater or cheese grater on a plate or cutting board. Shred the zucchini on the large holes. Step three: Remove excess liquid. If you're freezing zucchini, or plan to use it in a recipe that requires you to remove some of its liquid, put a double layer of cheesecloth or a thin kitchen towel on your counter.

Use the fine side of your grater for smaller shredded zucchini. (as you can see in the pictures) If you use the larger side, the coarser pieces will have a slightly more noticeable flavor and texture in a finished cake or bread recipe.

You do not need to peel zucchini for zucchini bread.

You can use a box grater or food processor to shred the zucchini. Using a box grater, place grater on firm surface such a cutting board. Hold the box grater firmly in one hand and the zucchini firmly in the other hand.

What happens if you put too much baking powder in zucchini bread? ›

Using too much baking soda or baking powder can really mess up a recipe, causing it to rise uncontrollably and taste terrible.

If your zucchini is large, you should remove the seeds. By the time the zucchini has large and well formed seeds, it is tougher and the seeds are tough to eat and often taste bitter. They will not be pleasant in the zucchini bread, so it's recommended that you scoop them out before adding the flesh to the bread.

Allow your bread to cool completely before slicing or storing. Slicing into hot bread releases steam, which is moisture from your bread. Doing so dries out your bread prematurely. Storing hot bread releases steam into the container and can make your bread doughy and sticky on top.

Dehydrated zucchini can be stored for upwards of a year and used wherever you would use fresh zucchini. All they need is a few minutes in boiling water and they will plump right back out. If you're going to be steaming rice or boiling pasta, just add them in at the start.

As the zucchini cooks in the batter, it releases its water into the surrounding batter, keeping the cake moist.