Moist Chocolate Zucchini Bread (nut free)

If you just turned away from this recipe because it has the word moist in the title, we’re fighting. I know, I know, moist is kind of a gross word. But how many paleo bread recipes have you come across that are either goo in the middle or completely dry? Mine is moist and that is a key component to a delicious zucchini bread. If you don’t like the title, you can miss out on this recipe and live a lonely life filled with dry, fake bread. JOKES ON YOU.

I’ve been wanting to make a zucchini bread for a while because zucchini bread, in the chocolate form, is divine. It’s moist (yep, I said it again) and it’s cheap to make since zucchini is super in season here. Laura gave this chocolate bread an 8. A FREAKING 8. What in the sh*t is that?? She obviously has sh*tty tastebuds. Sorry Laura, it’s just the truth.

So this weekend I was suppose to compete in the Colorado Open at Front Range CrossFit, but sadly a little tiny shoulder injury has held me back. The last thing I wanted to do was make it worse. Anywho, I still went to the competition to cheer on my CrossFit Broadway athletes and all the other good looking athletes there. It’s one of my favorite weekends of the year, mostly because there are so many cool people to talk to. I get to spend an entire weekend with all people who love to do the same thing I love to do. And get to see the awesome girls I only compete with once a year.

But it was fun watching people over the weekend. Let’s be real, I mean people watching. As the events went on, most of the time I was scoping out the scene. I don’t know who I’m kidding. For some reason I have this belief that the CrossFitter of my dreams will be at one of these events. You would think that CrossFit events would be the breeding grounds for young CrossFit love. But that’s a negative. All that fills these events are neon colored shorts and shirts…and headbands…and shoes. We get it, you’re trying to be loud. And badass. I’m speaking from experience, neon doesn’t make you cool. I would know, I tried. It didn’t work. Nor did it get me a CrossFit hottie who is kind, and intelligent, and compassionate, and super into me.

Don’t worry, I ate my feelings with these little loafs.

Print

Moist Chocolate Zucchini Bread (nut free)

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 medium zucchini, shredded (equal to 1.5 cups shredded zucchini)
  • 2 eggs, whisked
  • 3/4 cup sunbutter (or nutbutter if you prefer)
  • 1/3 cup raw honey
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  2. So you first need to shred your zucchini. Use the shredding attachment on your food processor or take the long and boring route using a cheese grater. Whichever works.
  3. Once yours zucchini is shredded, you need to remove the excess liquid. And zucchinis have a lot of it. What I did was place a couple paper towels down on the counter, throw the zucchini on top, then place another paper towel on top of the zucchini then squeezed. The more you squeeze, the more liquid will come out. Genius.
  4. Use more paper towels as needed, but be sure to squeeze until the zucchini feels water-less.
  5. Place zucchini in a bowl with the rest of your ingredients. Use a large spoon to mix well until all the ingredients are combined and you have a deep chocolate color.
  6. Pour your ingredients into a loaf pan. IMPORTANT NOTE, I used 2 mini loaf pans that were about 5×3.
  7. Place in oven to bake for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when you poke it. Mine took almost 35 minutes to completely cook through.
  8. Let cool, cut and serve!

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Oh, Hi! I’m Juli.

I’m a food hoarder. And a really bad dancer. If you don’t know me well, you will probably not understand my humor. Therefore, I apologize ahead of time. Thanks for listening to my ramblings of my ever-changing life and trusting my kitchen mishaps. Your trust in me is appreciated.

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273 thoughts on “Moist Chocolate Zucchini Bread (nut free)”

  1. I was wondering if I could omit/sub the honey with a non-sweetener for the upcoming whole life challenge? Or maybe then it would be gross…?

      1. This is so damn good. I’ve made it so many times, I have the recipe memorized. It’s my favorite! Thank you for creating this one!

  2. God I hate the word moist. Moist, and the word sack. If you put moist and sack together in a sentence I might throw up. But boy this bread sounds delicious!

  3. OMG! That m-word makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up – aaaggghhh! Husband cannot understand it – glad someone else at least partially gets it –

    Chocolate + zucchini = love! Can’t wait to try this!

  4. Hell Yes!!! I had to give up nuts after I started having scary lip swelling allergic reactions to them. It has been much harder staying on tract without a paleo bread option. So thank you, thank you!

  5. Moist? I love moist! These pictures show the moistness of the bread!
    Can’t wait to grab some zucchini, this is gonna be fabulous in the morning with bacon and coffee!!
    CHEERS TO MOIST BREAD!

  6. I only forgive you for using the word moist because of the awesome recipe. I will make this and hoard it for myself!

  7. I love you’re site. I spotted this recipe and started to disregard it because it contains chocolate, and my daughter is allergic to chocolate and cocoa. I KNOW horrifying, isn’t it. Then, I read your write up and found myself laughing (as usual). I immediately recalled my one story where I was describing a fruit bread to someone at work, and used the word ‘moist’. Immediately, the ‘joker’ that I sat next to at the time popped his head up and said: “That word makes me feel uncomfortable.”. Well, we all burst out laughing. Thanks for the laugh. And, as a side note – I’m thinking of making this either without the cocoa completely OR using carob powder so that my daughter can eat it. I’m assuming that carob is Paleo acceptable because its been around about as long as the cocoa bean!

    1. YOUR — I thought that I corrected that error on my prior post. No — I really can spell and know the difference between YOUR and YOU’RE…… lol

    2. Did you ever make it without the cocoa? And did it still taste good? I would like to try that as well, but want to make sure I’m not wasting my time. Thanks!

  8. My mom used to make chocolate zucchini cake all the time when I was a kid. Obviously not paleo but her secret was melting chocolate chips on top for “icing.” It was super delish (and not choc full of icing sugar) plus when it hardens it makes a wonderful chocolate crust. Who doesn’t love that!

    I think I have to make this on the weekend as now I can’t stop thinking about it….

    1. I made this in a glass cake pan, and used your chocolate chip idea as frosting. I made a quick ganache with coconut milk and dk chocolate chips. AMAZING! It’s like having old school chocolate sheet cake that won’t make me feel like crap! Score!! (oh, and used up some zucchini that I was worried were going to go bad, before we could eat them)

  9. Ok I have a solution to your dating quandary: Dating Juli WOD challenge. A dating game where contestants complete WOD’s programed by the contestant to win a date. Through in questions too so you have some other compatibility components in there. Think it could be a Thursday night show with Jason Lee as the host. Think Mallrats with CrossFit challenges (might have aaged myself wiwth that move reference). If you pitch it and make millions, thow a cook book my way. Thanks for the recipe!

  10. Hi Juli,

    this looks amazing. I just started the Paleo lifestyle (have to keep telling my friends its not a diet its a lifestyle…clueless *^&%^&$&* people)…so I would wait a while before I start eating desserts:) Still weaning off…But I have tried some of your other recipes..to die for:) Just had the curried chicken for lunch…yum…and am so full!!!

    thanks again..

    Manasa

    PS: my coworker just passed by and was drooling over the pix…hahaha

  11. yay! this is awesome for those of us who have texture issues.. yanno.. the whole nuts in bread.. or ice cream thing? no?
    just me?
    eh well..
    I cant wait to make this . I have everything already at home! plus!

  12. Just found your site today, 2 weeks into my 30 with Robb Wolf’s book. LOVE YOUR SITE!! You crack me up! And I can’t wait to make the moist (seriously? people have problems with this word?) MOIST zucchini bread! Woot!!! Thanks Juli!!

    1. Coconut flour is WAAAAAY more absorbent than almond flour; therefore they don’t substitute 1:1. She really did mean 1.5 cups almond flour 🙂

  13. I can forgive you for using the word moist but I draw the line at saying neon does not make you cool.
    P.S. excellent name with perfect spelling, who needs an “e”?

  14. my hated words are ‘world’ and ‘reunion’ …they don’t roll out of my mouth right…i met someone that hated ‘moist’ with a passion, thought that was funny. to each their own i suppose.

    this looks so yummy

  15. I can’t wait to try this! I was the “queen of chocolate zucchini bread” pre-Paleo. It was, of course, a made-over “healthy” version (haha). I need to return to my zucchini bread roots with a Paleo twist!
    Have I mentioned how much your recipes ROCK?! Your sense of humor is like bacon frosting on a Paleo cupcake! 😉
    Thanks for all you do!

  16. Hi Juli, would the recipe still stand if i omitted the cocoa powder to make it just regular paleo zucchini bread?

  17. This looks awesome. I’m in Australia and have no idea what sunbutter is. You suggest nutbutter as a replacement — is that just like an almond butter? Just making sure it’s not some kind of American brand I can’t get there 🙂 Thanks!

  18. I have totally got to make this! I LOVE zucchini bread. Nummy goodness! Now to go to the store and get the goods that I don’t have.

  19. Just made these this afternoon. Used the mini-pans like you suggested and they turned out perfect! So yummy! This will be added to our regular rotation for sure! Thanks so much!

  20. Nut-Free, WooooHoooo !!!
    Thank You woman 🙂 This looks great. I’ll whip it up tomorrow for the kiddos. Wait, who the hell and I kidding, I’ll eat that sucker up myself.

  21. Sounds awesome. My sugar detox ends Sunday and this looks like breakfast. However, it is painfully clear to me that you forgot the chocolate chips 🙂

  22. Moist is also a word not used around here…my husband and I turn into beevis and butthead at the sound….yes we have inner 5th graders…..just made your carmelitas….loved loved loved them…even sans chocolate….coworkers drooled at my pm pre workout snack!….making this over the weekend
    🙂

  23. I saw the recipe today and made it tonight. For those that don’t like the word moist, don’t make this cake because it is all that and then some. Hot out of the oven I had two pieces and a big glass of almond milk….oh so good. I made it with almond butter because it’s what I had on hand. I think it turned out GREAT!!!

    1. OK, I don’t know what I did wrong….I substituted almond and macadamia butter (50/50) for the sunbutter since that’s what I had available, and made no other changes. The end result was vile! At first I thought maybe it’s because I didn’t use Sunbutter, but I see some other posters also used a substitute and still thought the bread tasted great. Bah!

  24. Omgosh, I’ve made this recipe twice today… once with almond butter, DELICIOUS btw..Then I got real adventerous and googled how to make home made sunbutter and made the 2nd batch with that..I have not only made the sunbutter, but ive also made coconut butter this week along with about three of your recipes.. The only thing i want to know is, why now at 35 am I learning all this good stuff?!? ugh im pretty sure it was bc some dude was holding me back and fussing about all the veggies before but still, I sure wish I had this knowledge a long time ago!! THANKS MUCH!

  25. geez that looks good. i was one of those people who planted a shit ton of zucchini and got these hard crunchy green logs. did not work out like i planned. even when i cooked them, they were hard! will never understand this.

  26. This is baking in the oven as I type! I only had a standard size loaf so I hope the middle won’t be too goey. I’ve been making your recipes for a little while now and I haven’t had too many letdowns (though there were a couple disasters). I’m still getting used to the idea of some of these “breads” not tasting anything like regular bread. I’ll give you an update once this cools 🙂

    1. HOLY BALLS, this is the best paleo bread I’ve ever tasted! It’s spring-ey and delicious, the texture just right! Next time I’ll throw some chopped nuts in and maybe a handful of dark chocolate chips, but I’m trying to keep my sugars low so I didn’t even add the full honey amount. I just Instagrammed a pic and tagged you 🙂
      @ladyfingers

  27. I just made this with a xylitol based honey substitute to make them sugar free and it was delicious. Also, used the leftover sun butter, mixed with almond milk, van extract, some cinnamon, and a bit of honey to make “icing” …. Naughty!

  28. AWESOME! Made my own sunbutter today and since the zucchini in my garden were all eaten up yesterday (waiting for more!) I used the whole FIGS (very thick skin) on my tree in place of zucchini and honey. Came out AMAZING!!

  29. Just made these – I also made them as muffins, since I didn’t have a loaf pan. I set the timer for 20 minutes but they were a little overcooked at 16 minutes, so I’ll probably check them next time at 12. However, they are fantastic. My husband ate two already.

    So far I’ve made the egg and sausage bites, granola, and maple banana ice cream. Everything has been great. I always end up spending time drooling over all the recipes on this site.

    A friend of mine knew we were coming over for dinner and grabbed a recipe off here for twice baked sweet potatoes with bacon. That paired with smoked gouda stuffed bison burgers was a real treat!

      1. I think that would be great! Probably 1/2 cup crushed walnuts. As for no cocoa, it wouldn’t be chocolatey without it. But still delicious~!

      2. Why not take a non-paleo recipe and get the spices from that if your going to omit chocolate and turn it into regular yummy zucchini bread

  30. Made this last night and it was AMAZING with my coffee this morning 🙂 I added crushed walnuts and dark chocolate chips on top…. ugh so so good, thank you for all your wonderful recipes!!! I posted a pic if you want to see on instagram…. NinjaLobster is my user name 😉 I tagged you in it as well

  31. OMG. Made this last night it freaking ROCKS. I doubled the recipe, still only used 1/3 cup of honey and it was good. We tried it with butter – amazing. Tried it with a little honey-butter drizzle – amazing. THANK YOU Juli for rocking my kitchen with your goodness. Can’t wait to try more.

  32. I just pulled this out of the oven…the house smells heavenly…and I couldn’t wait for it to cool. It is AWESOME!!!! Love all of your recipes!! You are keeping me going on this Paleo journey and my family is happy too. Thanks for all of the fantastic recipes!!!

  33. I just took THREE recipes of this out of the oven. Yes, three. I trust you THAT much! And I must say it does not disappoint. So Good! You have a gift my dear.

  34. I went out yesterday with zucchini on my list, intending to make this when I got home. Totally missed that item and came home without it. I had a few organic carrots in the fridge, so decided to use them and it turned out great! Thanks for yet another fantastic recipe! Oh, and I used coconut nectar in place of the honey.

  35. I just made this recipe. I used almond butter, and it turned out fantastic. Super moist and delicious!

  36. Any suggestions for baking this at altitude (above 7000′)? For my banana bread recipe I reduce the baking soda by 1/4tsp, but I don’t use baking powder. at all.

  37. OMG – am in the process of baking, made with almond flour instead of the coconut. Me and my kids are fighting over who licks the bowl…not sure I can wait for them to actually bake!

  38. I made these last week with Almond Butter, because I didn’t have Sunbutter yet. And I have to say that I liked them a lot more with the Almond butter. Maybe Sunbutter is healthier or something, but the Sunflower taste is way overpowering. I might try halving it next time.

    Otherwise, they are fantastic and moist, and do not disappoint. I eat one for breakfast, which usually tides me over til lunch.

    Everything I’ve tried on your blog thus far is amazing. I made the Vanilla Bean Carmelito last night, also and it was an awesome treat.

  39. I made this with some almond butter and it was GREAT. I was in love. I can’t wait to go home and eat more of it as a pre workout snack!

  40. Angelina Ballerina

    I totally made the crap out of this on Sunday night. It was freakin’ MOIST and delicious. I said moist. There’s now none left and I didn’t share (mostly because I’m a sad spinster who’s going to die alone smelling of pee with 50 stray cats) but to be honest, even if I did happen to have a hot crossfit boyfriend he would not have gotten a piece anyway. I am quite disgusted with myself. I should not be allowed to bake … EVER!!

  41. A great trick for removing all of the liquid from veggies is to wrap them in a kitchen towel and make a little “purse”, then twist the ends of the towel tightly around the veggies until all of the liquid is gone. I have some old green towels that I use just for this purpose, so if I’m squeezing, say, spinach, I don’t worry about staining the towels. I’m making this recipe for a bridal shower I’m going to tonight. Can’t wait to taste it!

  42. Made this last night also, very good. I did think the Sunbutter was a little over powering so I will use Almond butter next time, but this is a great great recipe. Wonderful texture and “MOIST”ure level:)

  43. I made this the other day and it was awesome! I substituted cashew butter for the sunbutter, and it turned out really well.

    Also, thank you for the almond free recipe. I’m highly allergic to almonds, so it makes it hard to find paleo bread and dessert options.

  44. Made this recipe last night exactly as written, cooked it in a 9X9 glass baking dish and it is DELICIOUS. Try it, people it is great – chocolatey, but not sweet – a great little satisfier of you have sweet cravings.

  45. This makes the house smell divine. It was hard not to eat the whole thing. I used almond butter. I think I may try a banana in it next time per suggestion above. Thank you Juli for everything you do. Hugs.

  46. here I go again modifying recipes, BUT can I use mixed shredded zucchini and yellow squash? I have some leftover from a yummy red pepper creamy pasta recipe you posted. Tomorrow we will find out!!

  47. OH my…how I have missed chocolate cake!!! This recipe gets FIVE STARS!!! It is super easy & worth the 2nd mortgage on my house in order to be able to afford the ingredients….hey…times are hard in Bama! I used paper towels on a baking sheet both below & on top of the zucchini. It takes forever to squeeze all the liquid out. I gave up & threw it in. This recipe makes a small batch. There were about 6 of us that knocked it out pretty quickly, but we are pigs!

  48. Just made it. Added a tiny little single-serve tube of Starbucks instant coffee for intense chocolate flavor, used maple syrup instead of honey (had more of it), used almond butter. Baked in 8×8 pan for 20 mins. Very, very good. Shocking resemblance to real cake!

  49. I just made this bread but made it with almond butter instead and it was amazing! i might end up eating the whole thing.

  50. Wow, I just popped this in the oven and was licking the bowl like my life depended on it! I’m scared to take it out, that I’m going to shove the entire loaf in my pie-hole.

    I think I’d make this just for the batter alone.

  51. Yum! Thanks so much! I love food! I made this tonight…it is actually pretty filling. I think I will eat some for breakfast too. I’m avoiding eggs right now, so I used chia seeds and water instead (1 Tbsp. ground chia seeds+3 Tbsp. water=1 egg). I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes…so many look awesome!!!

  52. I have made this recipe 2 times so far. This time I made it in a mini-muffin pan to fit in the kid’s lunches. It took about 18 minutes at 375 and made about 24 mini-muffins. I also added mini-chocolate chips.

  53. I just made this, and it is delicious! I burned my mouth eating it because it was so good that I couldn’t wait. Mine only made one pan, but that is probably a good thing (for my waistline, not my taste buds).

  54. To squeeze the zucchini, I used fine mesh bags that are sold for as something called “jelly canning bag”. I use those to strain everything. Got ’em from amazon.

  55. update: success as 8 cupcakes! 350 for 20 minutes. I also used 1 cup of almond butter. a little dense like cake. so goooood

  56. Tried this recipe tonight. It was amazing!!!! Thank you so much for posting this. I will definitely keep this recipe when I’m feeling the urge for baked Paleo goodies!

  57. This was great and even my picky 4 yr old twin boys devoured it. Of course I had to tell them the shredded zucchini was shredded apples or they would have run fast from it, lol. Thx!

  58. This post truly made me laugh out loud. “Don’t worry, I ate my feelings with these little loaves”. Can’t tell you how happy I am that you’ve shared a Paleo version of one of my favorite fall treats. I love to eat feelings.Thanks for this recipe – i’ll be checking back often to see what else you’re up to 😉

  59. Made this yesterday and it was wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing! Making a few more today to share with my CrossFit coaches! This recipe will not disappoint. I made it with the sunbutter (great alternative for my son with a nut allergy), today I will try almond butter.

  60. So I JUST MADE THIS. I didn’t even wait for it to cool before I took a slice to taste. BECAUSE I’M A BOSS. It is slammin’ good. I am pleased. Plus there was a nice chocolaty aroma that fill my kitchen and… my heart. Thank you JB, Thank you.

  61. I made this today and it was by far more delicious than I thought they would be. The only substitution I made was I used flax eggs in place of regular. Yum!

  62. I tried three of your baking recipes today, and this was the clear winner. It will be made and shared many times over. Delicious!

  63. A-Fucking-Mazing! I made this tonight and it was better than any other Chocolate Zucchini cake I have ever had… guess cause I knew it is healthy. I used a spring form pan, and used almond flour instead or coconut since I didn’t have any. Yumm!!! Laura is dead wrong.. I give this recipe a 10!

  64. I honestly can’t believe how good this bread is – WOW!! I could eat this alllll day. Great recipe, thank you – you made me a happier person 🙂

  65. fabulous recipe. I made them as muffins using peanut butter instead of sunbutter and added chocolate chips and chopped nuts to them. bake in muffin tins lined with “If you care” papers. they won’t stick. bake about 20 – 25 minutes. I used to make a chocolate zucchini cake before I was gf and this is a great substitute. Plus I like not using any grains. thanks for the recipe

  66. Having made sugary fatty chocolate zucchini bread in my past (delicious of course)…I was in dire need of a cleaner substitute and something that would satisfy my sweet tooth. I recently found your website and hit the jackpot! I did make this tonight and it was just as good. Should have added some dark choco chips to the mix, but nonetheless, it was still tasty, lighter, and yes, moist 🙂

  67. Searching the Net for yes, MOIST recipes, for baking contest this weekend. Having Sjogren’s and Systemic Sclerosis, it is a NECESSITY to have my bread MOIST (when I eat it which is rarely) Making some on Thurs & Fri!

  68. Had daughters birthday cake to make and since she is a paleoian I thought I would try this little gem. Well I was totally amazed on how good it was. Used almond butter and did in muffin pans. Made a dozen. When served I topped with whipped coconut milk (added vanilla and maple syrup) So decadent…I was amazed. will try other paleo palatable recipes. thanks for your great blog. love your honesty… SO REFRESHING!

  69. Just made this yesterday… Delicious, like whoa. I think it tastes better after its had time to cool…. I am annoyed I only brought 1 slice to work with me.

  70. Christine Overholt

    Made these as mini muffins, and they ARE SO BOMB. Ka-freaking-powie. I put them in for 15 minutes at 375, still moist as hell.

  71. Made this last night Juli! Sundays are my paleo cooking days! Used almond butter and it is amazing! I am going to make it Saturday for my hubby’s open house for his cross fit gym! Thanks for all the amazing recipes! I keep coming back for more!

  72. Ooh la la, this is gooooood beyond words.

    I used almond butter and, just like tonight’s batch of your f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s apple spiced zucchini muffins, threw the whole lot into the food processor for a smooth batter.

    What can I say, chocolate bliss.

  73. I have made this recipe a handful of times now. It is by far the best Paleo “dessert” I have come across. Tonight I doubled the recipe, because it always disappears so fast, and baked in a glass casserole dish for 35 minutes. Sooooo good! Adding choc chips to the mixture next time!!

  74. Wow!! I’m so glad I found this site. I’ve been Paleo for 3 months now and feel like I have found my new “home.” I can’t get over how well I eat. AND still lose weight doing it! I followed the recipe as written in the little loaf pans. The only change I made was to use Almond Butter, as the Sunbutter I found had sugar in it. I was worried this might be necessary to preserve the “sweetness,” however it was just fine as it was. I have a new favorite treat!! 🙂

  75. YUM!!!! I have made this recipe 3 times now. Soooooooooo delicious! I typically make muffins because they’re easier to pack to work. I’m almost 9 mo pg so tonight I made a double batch and I’m going to freeze half. Then we can either pack a few to the hospital or munch on them in the early days with our little one. My house smells chocolatey and fabulous!

  76. 21DSD: I omitted the honey and replaced it with a mixture of 3Tbs creamed coconut and 3Tbs coconut milk (CANNED). It makes a smidgen more than 1/3 cup but its about the consistency of honey, which was my goal. I halved the salt and doubled the vanilla. I baked in silicon muffin liners at 350 for 14 minutes. It made 10. Now Miss Juli, I hope you are ok with people jacking with your recipe 🙂 but when you’re off sugar, you have to distract yourself somehow!! It was not sweet of course, but it was tasty and made a great addition to my morning coffee.

  77. Been doing the paleo diet for a few weeks and had yet to find a decent dessert. My husband and I love this bread! So delicious and moist! Can’t wait to have it with my coffee tomorrow morning! Thanks Juli! Your blog is the reason I finally took the paleo leap!

  78. MAKE THESE! <3 They are absolutely delicious! I highly suggest making a trip to the store and getting Sunbutter… my life has now changed : P That stuff is the BOMB! Also I didn't have any bread pans so I made these into muffins. Baked at 350 and it made 8 muffins using 1/4 cup to scoop them into the tin pan. Thank you Julie!!!

  79. DAMN this is good! I can’t believe I haven’t made this sooner. I added chocolate chips (glutton, hello) and ate a piece warm with butter. SO good, thank you!!

  80. I made these in my muffin tin on Tuesday during the “blizzard” here in Denver and it made 9 beautiful cupcakes. I added some Ghirardelli bittersweet baking chips. OMG is right! I am going make them again this weekend and ice them for my gym’s “The Whole Life Challenge is Over” party on Saturday night. I have an amazing icing recipe that uses honey, coconut oil, vanilla, cocoa powder and greek yogurt. Nobody will know these are Paleo (expect for the yogurt, I know). Thanks for all your amazing recipes. Your site has been my go-to place for great dinner and treat recipes over the last 8 weeks and will continue to be for years to come!

  81. We don’t have zucchini at the market, so I did this with two medium beets. My almond butter was a little dry, so I added two tablespoons of coconut oil. Indeed, it turned out well! Nice and moist—I always laugh when people react so viscerally to that word.

  82. I just made a delicious carrot cake using the same base recipe. I switched out carrot for zucchini, omitted the cocoa, and added an extra tsp of cinnamon and also some nutmeg. And raisins. It was delicious. I am excited to see what other twists I can make on this recipe for variety. I don’t follow a paleo diet but I do try to cook sugar and grain free so your dessert recipes are awesome. Keep them up!

  83. SCORE!!!!!! Finally a paleo food my 7 year old will eat! He devoured 3 for breakfast! Huge victory at my house! Delicious!

  84. SO Good!! I added 2 mashed bananas and only used 1/2 cup of almond butter AND added some shredded coconut! Came out fantastic and both my boys ate it for breakfast which makes it even more awesome!

  85. Has anyone tried to make a low fat version by omitting the nut butter? say subbing in applesauce in it’s place or using PB2 peanut powder?

  86. awesome recipe made it after putting the kids to bed.. better still my 3 yr old just woke up from a bad dream and i promised her chocolate cake for breakfast without worrying about her teeth falling out, she probably thought she was dreaming again i put the whole batter in a glass rectangle pyrex dish and it baked in 40 minutes and is like a sheet cake. fab.

  87. There are about 1 million responses to this recipe! These are really moist and succulent (another disgusting word). I made muffins and I don’t know why but my kids love making this stuff but never eat it! Even with all the chocolate and “peanut” butter. lol I thought they were great and would probably be even better with a tablespoon of coffee to really bring out the chocolate flavor.

  88. Thanks so much for this recipe! I made it this evening. I had to taste test–quality control, you know. And it’s very good. I always add a bit more cocoa to any recipe (admitted and unabashed chocoholic), and I didn’t need to add much extra here. My daughters will love them. Next time, I’m adding chocolate chips.

  89. Made this bread yesterday. I was so excited that I decided to make two versions, one as listed and one more traditional spice flavored. It was my first time baking with coconut flour. I was not a fan of the results – it was moist, but the texture was awful, not bread like at all. I will be throwing all four loaves away: (

  90. I have made this recipe many, many times and it’s been amazing!

    But, lately, this bread and the banana bread from Civ. Caveman has been turning out awful! It is so wet on the inside. I have kept everything the same but I never measure how many chocolate chips I put in.

    Do you have any idea what could be making these recipes disastrous only once in a while? :/ I’m desperate.

    1. The only thing I can think of is how wet the zucchini is or how ripe your bananas are. I used zucchinis today that were very dry even before I squeezed them. If the zucchini is really wet or bananas really ripe, maybe try adding an extra level table spoon of coconut flour. And pay extra attention to the texture of the batter.

  91. I just made these today. Thank you for creating paleo baked goods that totally rock and not suck! You have changed my life…

  92. It’s raining today and I just got a huge zucchini from my Dad’s garden, so I decided to bake. I don’t own a mini loaf pan, so I baked this in lined muffin tins for about 25 minutes. They are delicious! Thanks so much for sharing the Paleo love!!

  93. This recipe is wonderful! Good flavor…love the combo of cinnamon and chocolate. Have to admit this is the first time I bought almond butter. Not a fan of the taste by itself…don’t know…I love my PB but I know it’s a no-no. But in this recipe it’s wonderful…Thanks, Juli, for a fun way to use zucchini!

  94. This was AMAZING!!! I used almond butter and it turned out perfectly. My husband walked into the kitchen and asked what smelled so good.
    Me: Chocolate zucchini bread. It’s paleo.
    Him: Oh. So it’s weird bread. (skeptically tastes a piece…) Really? It’s paleo??

    And I’m now making a second loaf because the first seems to have disappeared. Thanks for the yummy recipe!!!

  95. LOVE this recipe! Made a loaf last weekend to take to a gathering and it disappeared. I’m making it again for this weekend. It’s great either for a treat or as a little breakfast, since it’s not too sweet. Used sunbutter last time, will try almond butter this time. Thanks Juli!

  96. This recipe turned out great, except the cinnamon. It makes it taste like spice cake with chocolate. And because I thought the cinnamon was weird, except if it was Mgoing to be Mexican Chocolate Zucchini Bread, I used one-third Les than the recipe calls fot.

    It was delicious, the texture was excellent, and I’m going to be making it again, without the cinnamon.

  97. I’m not Paleo, but this sounds really yummy! I’m a chocoholic, and have about 4 zucchini in the fridge that need to be used. However, I don’t have coconut flour or almond four. Would it work to use oat flour or whole wheat flour?

  98. I have made a bunch of your recipes in the last couple of weeks, and this one was (and all the rest were) awesome. I used almond butter bc I didn’t have sunbutter, I really couldn’t believe how good it turned out: chocolatey, moist (cringe), and a really nice texture

  99. I have made this several times and it is always amazing!!! This last time, I added walnuts and dark chocolate chips (Ghirardelli) for that added POW… just to be rebellious. And when it’s that time and your craving that extra chocolate, this does the trick. Let’s face it, when are we not OK with extra chocolate?? Your website is always my go to place when I’m in my tiny kitchen trying to be a culinary genius! Thank you for helping me trick my kid into thinking I’m more awesome than I really am! 🙂

  100. Hi!

    Huge fan of this bread, and this website. This bread has become a staple in my house! So I am trying to cut down on the calories in the bread and was wondering if the almond butter could be substituted with something else, like maybe apple sauce? If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share : )

  101. TO DIE FOR! Loved them so much! We did a taste test of this recipe and another paleo zuc bread recipe and this one won hands down. 🙂

    My daughter was curious if we could make a version of this without chocolate too. If I take the 1/4 cup of cocoa powder out, do I need to add more of the dry ingredients?

    Do you think it would be good with a little nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla w/o the chocolate?

  102. Hi Juli!

    So I have to same problem as you do with nuts & stomach issues. Do you make your own sunbutter?? If you do, I would love to know what your recipe is! And if not, what brand do you use?

    Thanks in advance for the help!
    Can’t wait to try this bread 🙂

  103. You’ve heard it dozens of times but I’m going to say it again, OMG!!!! This recipe is so good. I do not have a problem with nuts so I used 1/2 cashew/macadamia butter and half almond butter. I seriously think I could make it a “cupcake” for birthday celebrations.

  104. Hi there,

    Can the courgettes be juiced in a juicer with the juice drunk and the dry matter incorporated into the bread? Or how much courgette juice would be better in the bread aswell?

    Can the 1/4 cup cocoa powder be substitued with 1/4 cup carob powder?

    Can the 1tsp cinnamon be substituted with ginger?

    Thanks

  105. I understand now why this recipe got so many comments…YUM!! Best paleo baked good I’ve ever had, and not too sweet. I planned to share this with family visiting this wkd but there won’t be much left 🙂 Thanks for making a healthy version of one of my fave recipes! (Note: dark choco chips make it extra awesome. No surprise there–they make EVERYTHING extra awesome.)
    I’m hooked on your site!

  106. Whoops, I don’t know if anyone will find my post, since this recipe is so popular.
    Are there any Australian readers who could tell me if I can use nuttelex (a sunflower seed based margarine) in place of sun butter? We’re nut free, so can’t use almond butter etc.
    I also have tahini, but, well, sometimes it’s too much of a good thing.
    Thanks, it sounds perfect for my kids.

  107. This recipe is fantastic!! No guilt feelings eating this – it has veggies in it!! Have made it twice, and no one had any clue that it contains a vegetable. Even my nephew who RARELY lets anything green through his lips had a couple pieces.

    Thanks for all your recipes. I have made so many to rave reviews from my family. 🙂

  108. I just made this recipe and it turned out really well. First ever baked good by this guy and it taste great! I used almond butter but forgot the cinnamon and salt. I can only imagine what it would taste like with a little more care.

  109. OMG! Thank you, this was delicious!! I try to stay away from sugars, so experimented a bit and sub’d the honey with a shredded carrot and half a mashed avocado. I added raspberries on the top before serving for a sweeter taste.

    Your version probably tasted a lot better though! 🙂

    Really love your page!

  110. I made this and it was to-die for. Especially after it had been in the fridge for 24 hours. To make it even more heavenly, I blended a can of coconut milk with stevia and vanilla, let it cool and thicken and drizzled it all over a big slice. Happiness.

  111. Hi Julie,

    I love, love, love this recipe! So moist and wonderful that even my kids loved it. I have been cooking for the past two weeks with only recipes from your site and I have to say EVERYTHING I have made has been phenomenal! Thank you for sharing your recipes.

    Melanie

  112. Just made this recipe and (horror!) I substituted Nutella for Sunbutter. Let me just say…it was …so good.

    Insulin spike commence!

  113. I’ve been making these for my son for breakfast as muffins & he loves them. He has no idea there’s veggies inside which I love. Thanks for the recipe.

  114. I have frozen this a lot and it works very well. Just let it thaw before you eat it. Still very moist. I make mine into muffins.

  115. just tried this this morning, its amazing! super moist. none of your recipes have failed me so far!

  116. Made this today and it was pretty good! I would recommend baking for 35 minutes for a large loaf pan too. I baked mine 45 min thinking it would need more time but it got a little dry. Nothing that some ice cream or kefir can’t fix 🙂

  117. I had such high hopes for this recipe but my tweaks to make it low sugar sadly did not work 🙁 I used homemade date syrup instead of honey (which is half water so much less sweet), and used cacao powder instead of cocoa powder. It still tastes alright but not as sweet as I’d like! Next time will add a banana or just stick to the original recipe 🙂 So sad this didn’t work for me!

  118. All I can say is WOW. This recipe is ridiculously forgiving, and I know this because I didn’t have/use measuring spoons!! I also didn’t have enough sun butter, so I subbed half tahini. For those who thought the sun butter taste was too strong, half tahini produces an amazing flavor! I would add that it tastes 10X better the next day–almost fudge-like and not too sweet. I used a full-sized glass loaf pan generously greased with butter. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.

  119. Mixing up this recipe I was a little skeptical on how it would turn out… the batter is basically chocolate goop with zucchini in it.. but it bakes wonderfully and is totally delicious!

  120. I went through the effort of making homemade sun butter and totally forgot to add it to the recipe and they still turned out awesome, probably just a little smaller than they should be. Need to make another batch when I have another zucchini ready to pick. Thanks for the recipe!!!

  121. When I tried this awesome recipe this morning, my salad spinner was sitting out from last night’s dinner. That gave me the idea to try it to get the moisture out of my zucchini — it worked GREAT!

    This recipe makes 10 DELICIOUS muffins.