Recipe - Chocolate Zucchini Bread
I haven't posted a lot of dessert recipes, not because we don't eat desert, but simply because I haven't made a lot of desserts lately. We usually resort to an ice cream bar or something like that, but with cooler weather arriving, I like to bake more often. So here is one of my favorites. It tastes even better the next day, so I tend to make them and wrap them up in plastic after they have cooled and wait to cut them the next day. This recipe freezes great also and makes a great gift, just be sure to include a copy of the recipe as your recipient will surely want to make it themselves.
Depending on how many chocolate chips you use, this recipe is about 220 calories per slice with about 7 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber. It's pretty healthy as far as desserts go and makes a nice presentation with a little powdered sugar sifted over each piece after slicing it.
Makes 1 Loaf, 12 servings per loaf
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons canola oil or coconut oil
- 2 large eggs or 1/2 cup egg beaters
- 1 cup applesauce, unsweetened
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips or 1/2 cup regular size chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the sugar, oil, eggs, and applesauce and set aside. Mix together both flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir with a spoon until it's well combined.
Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips.
Pour mixture into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow bread to cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes, then remove bread from pan and continue cooling on rack. Cut bread once completely cooled. Store leftovers in a Ziploc bag or plastic container with tight fitting lid for up to a week. Freezes well.
A 3x5 card version of this recipe can be found here.