Chocolate Banana Zucchini Bread

This Chocolate Banana Zucchini Bread recipe is the perfect way to use up all of that summer zucchini! It’s a rich double chocolate bread, made with both cocoa powder and chocolate chips, and comes together in one bowl for a quick and easy treat!

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Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Banana Zucchini Bread

If you’ve got a ton of zucchini in your garden or picked up some while grocery shopping lately then please set some aside to make this double chocolate banana zucchini bread. Every year, during the late summer, I start incorporating more zucchini into my recipes like these banana zucchini oatmeal cups or this green chicken enchilada casserole. It’s such an easy veggie to add to things!

This bread combines vibrant summer zucchini with that bunch of extra ripe bananas I know you have sitting on the counter with cocoa powder and plenty of chocolate chips. The end result is a soft, tender, moist, extra chocolatey zucchini bread that I know you’re going to love.

More Reader Favorite Zucchini Recipes

• Cheesy Green Chicken Enchiladas
• Red Curry Chicken Soup
• Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Muffins
• One Bowl Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread

Recipe Ingredients

Melted Butter: unsalted butter adds moisture and flavor to the bread. If you need this recipe to be dairy-free I’ve included a substitution below. 

Mashed Banana: You’ll need 3-4 large ripe bananas for this recipe. 

Dark Brown Sugar: this adds the perfect touch of sweetness to the bread. 

Greek Yogurt: this is my secret to keeping the bread moist and tender. I prefer to use whole milk yogurt, but low-fat will also work. 

Eggs: you’ll need two large eggs to bind everything together. 

Vanilla Extract: a must-have in any good zucchini bread recipe! 

Flour: all-purpose flour forms the base of this recipe. 

Cocoa Powder: to add that rich deep chocolate flavor we want.

Zucchini: we fold freshly shredded zucchini into the batter right before baking. You’ll need 1 heaping cup or 1-2 medium to large zucchinis. 

Dark Chocolate Chips: last but not least, dark chocolate chips really drive home that chocolate flavor and become nice and melty in the bread.

Ingredient Swaps 

• Butter – Need to keep this recipe dairy-free? swap the butter for vegan butter or melted coconut oil.
• Yogurt – Keeping with the dairy-free theme, if needed, you can swap the yogurt with your favorite plain plant-based yogurt. 
• Flour – Need this recipe to be gluten-free? Swap the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour instead. I only use this one and the bread comes out perfectly every single time.
• Brown Sugar – If you prefer you can swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar.
• Mix-Ins – If you prefer, you can leave out the dark chocolate chips altogether, swap them for milk chocolate, or add in some chopped nuts like walnuts, almonds, or pecans in addition to the chocolate chips. 

Preparing Zucchini for Zucchini Bread

Zucchini holds a lot of water. So,  you want to make sure to remove any excess liquid before adding it to the recipe. If you do not squeeze out the excess water you’ll end up with a soggy zucchini bread which no one wants!

My favorite way to release that excess moisture from the zucchini is to grate the zucchini and place it in a tea towel or clean paper towels. Then, wrap it up, and wring it out until all the extra moisture has been drained. 

How to Make

Step One: In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter, mashed banana, dark brown sugar, Greek yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined. 

Step Two: Next, add the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the bowl. Stir until well combined. 

Step Three: Fold the grated zucchini and chocolate chips into the batter. 

Step Four: Transfer the batter to a greased 9×5 loaf pan, and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. 

Step Five: Bake the zucchini banana bread at 350 degrees For 55 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Step Six: Let the bread cool in the loaf ban. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely, and slice! 

Tips and Tricks for the Best Bread

• Use overripe bananas for the best results. Overripe bananas are the sweetest, easiest to mash, and the best to use for baking. Let your bananas ripen on the counter until they have plenty of brown spots on them before using. To speed up the process, place them in a paper bag! If your bananas aren’t ripe you’ll end up with a less sweet bread.
• I have found that the easiest way to mash bananas is with a potato masher!
• I like to turn the bread halfway through cooking to ensure that it cooks evenly.
• You can insert a wooden skewer into the center of the bread to check on its doneness. Once it comes out clean the bread should be done.
• To ensure that your bread does not stick, grease the loaf pan well with cooking spray or neutral oil. Or, line the pan with parchment paper. This will make it very easy to remove the bread from the loaf once it has cooled! 

How to Store 

Once cooled, you can store the zucchini bread on the counter, tightly wrapped, for 3 to 4 days. If you need it to stay fresh for a bit longer, transfer it to an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. I like to bring the bread to room temperature before eating.

Can I Freeze This Recipe? 

Yes! Here are my top tips to freeze leftover bread and keep it fresh: 

1. Slice the bread before freezing unless you know you are going to serve and eat the entire loaf at one time.
2. To freeze the banana zucchini bread, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and place the wrapped bread in a freezer-safe storage bag. It will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat, remove a slice of bread, or the entire loaf, from the freezer, and let it thaw on the countertop.
3. If you would like, you can reheat a slice of banana bread in the oven at 350 degrees, wrapped in foil, for a few minutes until warmed through.

Can I Turn This Recipe Into Muffins? 

Yes! Transfer the banana bread batter to a lined muffin pan, filling each cavity three-fourths of the way full. Next, bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Allow them to cool in the pan, and enjoy! 

More Delicious Banana Bread Recipes

• Brown Butter Banana Bread
• One Bowl Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Bread (Gluten-Free)
• Double Chocolate Banana Bread
• Carrot Cake Banana Bread
• Peanut Butter Banana Bread
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Banana Bread

I hope you give this Chocolate Banana Zucchini Bread recipe a try! It’s rich, chocolatey, and easy to make! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.

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