Incredibly moist and tender gluten free zucchini bread, made with tons of summer’s pushiest vegetable. This is your new favorite zucchini recipe!
When the zucchini plants start to flower, you know you’ve got to get your recipes ready if you have any hope at all of staying ahead of things. Or at least not falling miserably behind.
Like night follows day, it’s just the way things are. At least baking with zucchini is truly a pleasure (so much moisture!), and this chocolate chip gluten free zucchini bread is a time-honored favorite. It just so happens to be dairy-free, too. This recipe is so special, in fact, that it’s the basis of our Kickstarter campaign for a brand new video series.
Do you have a vegetable-hating child (or adult?) in your home? I have one. It would be a total drag, but her saving grace is that she’s now old enough that she wishes she liked vegetables.
She’s accepted that vegetables will be a part of every meal, and understands why. So when I can, I try to give her vegetables hiding in a healthy homemade popsicle or, say, baked into this lightly sweet, moist and tender zucchini bread. It’s the least I can do.
I originally posted this recipe back in 2012 (oh the humanity of those photos!), back when I used to add some mashed banana to my gluten free zucchini bread. I’ve started replacing the banana with more zucchini.
I also now puree the zucchini along with the eggs and oil in the recipe. The result is even more moist and delicious. Zucchini, you really are a wonder.
As a vegetable-lover myself, I don’t detect the actual taste of zucchini in this quick bread. Ditto for my 13-year-old vegetable-hater. How do you do it, zucchini??
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup (4 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips (use dairy free chips to keep the recipe dairy free, if necessary)
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar
2 1/8 cups (215 g) grated zucchini
2 eggs (100 g, weighed out of shell) at room temperature
1/4 cup (56 g) neutral oil (like grapeseed, canola or vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan and set it aside.
In a large bowl, place flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon, and whisk to combine well. Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl, add about 1 teaspoon of the dry ingredients to the chips and toss to combine. Set the chips aside. To the flour mixture, add the granulated sugar and light brown sugar, and whisk to combine (working out any lumps in the brown sugar). Add 1 1/4 cups (125 g) of the grated zucchini to the dry ingredients, and mix gently to combine. Set aside the dry ingredients.
Place the remaining 7/8 cup (88 g) of grated zucchini, the eggs, oil and vanilla in a blender, and pulse until well-blended and beginning to emulsify. Create a well in the center of the bowl of dry ingredients, and add the wet ingredient mixture. The batter will be very wet. Add about 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips and reserved dry ingredients to the batter and mix until the chips are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and smooth the top with a wet spatula. Scatter the remaining chocolate chips on top and press down lightly to adhere.
Place the loaf pan in the center of the preheated oven. Bake, rotating once, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of each loaf comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (about 50 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes in the loaf pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Originally published here on the blog in 2012. Recipe tweaked to increase eggs slightly and replace mashed banana with pureed zucchini, blended with eggs and oil.
where do I find xanthum gum?? or can I substitute real sugar instead? I’m new to the gluten-free world. I’ve had Lupus for years and just recently found out I need to be gluten free.
Marlena Feuz Amalfitano
July 12, 2015 at 12:08 PM
I made this yesterday – it’s wonderful. If you use minis chocolate chips, you don’t have to dust them. Yumm yum, yummmmmmmmmmmm
AvaMaria Maria
June 21, 2015 at 9:31 PM
I just put this in the oven but I’m worried. After adding the first portion of zucchini it was doughy, no longer dry ingredients. Then when I added the egg mixture it became watery. I measured exact so now I just wait.
AvaMaria Maria
June 22, 2015 at 10:09 PM
aaahh just like i thought…did not come out the same :(
AvaMaria, It sounds like you made some substitutions, and perhaps didn’t bake by weight. Another likely culprit is the flour blend you used. Please follow the link to my all purpose gluten free flours page. Not all blends are created equal!
Deb
June 16, 2015 at 11:42 AM
Thank you Nicole. I’m struggling with the diagnosis. I ended in ICU before they figured out what was wrong. I am a ER nurse and we are fixers. That I can’t fix myself is frustrating. But I’m pulling up my bootstraps and taking control where I can. My past with gluten free products was well…YUCK. But I have picked out several of your recipes to try. My family is on board and will to even go gluten free with me. I am lucky and blessed and sometimes need to be reminded. That you go to so much trouble and work to bring these recipes …I can’t say enough. I am a Texan and remember my grandmother saying that no one should ever leave your house hungry. Not family, friend or even enemy for that is a true shame on you. I hope to still never have that shame. Only now they might not get what they think lol. Again thank you for your work. Food is blessing and should be enjoyed!
Deb
June 15, 2015 at 2:11 AM
Newly diagnosed with celiac and lupus. Made this tonight and it was great! Family even enjoyed and didn’t know it was gluten free. I am so glad for this site. Makes me feel like this new food lifestyle might not be so bad.
I’m so glad you found me, and that you already made this recipe and that it gave you some hope of normalcy. That’s what we’re all about here—bringing back what’s familiar, so you don’t have to miss a beat. :)
[…] bloggers, Nicole Hunn of Gluten-Free on a Shoestring, recently revamped and shared her recipe here. It’s actually on my to-do list for tomorrow, but I can confidently recommend it without […]
Good question, Donia! You know, I’m not 100% sure. I think it might even be 3 or 4!! Too too many, for sure. :)
Michelle
June 10, 2015 at 10:22 AM
I have a bunch of zucchini in the fridge, so I think I will try this today. I like that you eliminated the banana. I like my banana bread and zucchini bread as separate (but equally delicious) entities. Thanks!
Me too, Michelle. It seemed like the right thing to do. :)
Jennifer S.
June 10, 2015 at 10:18 AM
yum!
Gabrielle Su
July 31, 2012 at 1:20 AM
Made this tonight, and it was AMAZING!!! I don’t have a scale, so I used 1 cup of chocolate chips. Not sure how that compares to what I was *supposed* to have used, but for the previous poster who wanted it more “chocolately”, I thought it was a pretty strong chocolate flavor! YUM!!! Sent some home with our babysitter so I wouldn’t eat a whole loaf!! Other loaf is going with us to a playgroup tomorrow ;)
Very generous of you, Gabrielle, all that sharing! Good thing the recipe makes 2. :) xoxo Nicole
Kristy B.
July 30, 2012 at 9:50 PM
Hi again! Made this as soon as I saw you posted it:) Everyone loved it, big time. I make everything gluten free for me, and then just share with my whole extended family. Sure haven’t had any complaints about your recipes yet. Can’t wait for more from the new book.
Ah, finally, a way to get my daughter to eat something green – throw some chocolate chips in there, brilliant! Will try soon, maybe after hitting the farmer’s market this week. Personally, I’d like to be Zuked since I live in a Brooklyn apartment and have no place to garden. Any extra zucchinis are welcome my way!
Don’t tempt people, Dana! People like me. No community garden down there in Brooklyn? I don’t even think zucchini has much nutritional value, to be honest. It’s all water! I guess I could in fact look that one up, especially since my kids ask me about that all the time allthetime. xoxo Nicole
I bet this would taste amazing with a smear of cream cheese on top! Definitely bookmarking this recipe to use in the near future. I love the addition of the chocolate chips instead of the more traditional walnuts! More chocolate= more better :)
Of course, Dana. That definitely qualifies as a “high-quality all-purpose gluten-free flour.” xoxo Nicole
Jane
July 30, 2012 at 4:24 PM
Hi Nicole – All I can say is “YUM!!!” can’t wait to try this. Only problem is that my one daughter hates banana. Can I substitute more Zucchini … or maybe some applesauce for the banana? Or something else perhaps? Could I also take the same recipe and use pumpkin instead of the zucchini?
Thanks so much for all you do. Can’t wait to get your cookbook.
I would suggest trying it with 1 whole cup of oil, rather than 1/2 cup, if you’re looking to eliminate the banana, Jane. Not applesauce, which has a much, much higher water content. But I have to say that you don’t actually taste the banana in the finished product, if that matters. xoxo Nicole
Jeri
July 30, 2012 at 4:06 PM
Perfect timing! This was the first year planting a little garden. I planted zucchini and was successful. Successful because I have nothing to compare it to. My plants are done producing but I have several zukes sitting on the counter. I make this tomorrow when I can get to the store for extra large eggs. I don’t feel like doing the math for regular.
It sounds like your zucchini plants have a lot of dignity, Jeri. They did their work, and then bowed out gracefully. I have never had that experience with zucchini! xoxo Nicole
Emily Gish
July 30, 2012 at 2:24 PM
Hi Nicole,
I absolutely love zucchini bread and will definitely have to give this a try! I don’t like nuts in bread and I doubt my kiddos would like it either. And I’m not real sure I would like the chocolate chips, although I think they would. Anyway can I do without the nuts or chips? Do I need to add more of something else? Thanks so much!
I added Nicole’s recipe into the calculator and got the following results: Nutrition Facts Serving Size 133 g
Amount Per Serving Calories 405 Calories from Fat 129 Total Fat 14.3g Saturated Fat 3.2g Trans Fat 0.0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 379mg Total Carbohydrates 66.0g Dietary Fiber 4.3g Sugars 37.3g Protein 5.0g
Janet
July 30, 2012 at 1:08 PM
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! I will try this later this week. (gotta wait until I hit the farmer’s market- our zucchini didn’t cooperate this year) GFBoy is over the moon excited about this.
Hi, Angelyn, Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that – just adding cocoa. I have a separate recipe for chocolate zucchini bread that I promise to post soon! xoxo Nicole
Nicole, I notice your recipes call for extra large eggs. I have regular large eggs that are laid by my friend’s chicken. Would 3 of those work the same.. or would I have to add more eggs? This has always confused me a bit.
Hi, Beth, That’s a good question. It gets asked quite often, actually. I would put it in the FAQs but I have a sneaking suspicion no one reads those anyway. ;) Extra-large eggs, on average, weigh 2.25 ounces broken (about 63 g) each. Large eggs, on average, weigh 2 ounces broken (about 56 g) each. So I would just go by weight, as beaten. What great good fortune to have a friend with a laying hen! Nicole
Glad to see this post! My parents have chickens and I’m continually sent home with eggs which I honestly don’t use very often. My brother has chickens too as well as ducks which lay larger eggs. So knowing that you can go by weight is VERY helpful! =)
What an embarrassment of relatives with chickens, Angie! I wish I either had relatives with chickens, too. Use those fresh eggs! Nothing store-bought can hold a candle to them. xoxo Nicole
Linda
July 30, 2012 at 12:19 PM
Nicole, I love your recipes, but–horrors of horrors!–I need to lose 30lbs so I am dieting. Yes, dieting. UGH! I am not a dieter. Until I turned 50 I could always get it under control by stepping up my exercise but not anymore. I don’t want to abandon trying out your recipes, but I notice you don’t include nutritional info in your online recipes (Calories, Fat, Carbs, Protein, Fiber and Sodium are a dieter’s basics to be tracked). Do you have any solutions to figuring out this info for your recipes or must I just take a break for awhile. I love zucchini bread. I’d really like to make it to take to work and save one slice for myself as a treat!
Hi, Linda, I don’t include nutritional information in any of my recipes (which I think you’ll find is the case with almost all food bloggers and cookbook authors unless that information is directly relevant to the content of the site or book), but it is easy to plug in the recipe to this site and do the calculation yourself. This particular recipe is quite low in fat, since it only has 1/4 cup of oil per loaf, so you might find that an occasional slice fits in with your diet. Best of luck! xoxo Nicole
candace
July 30, 2012 at 12:16 PM
I have a green thumb too and love zucchini and yes, it grows like weeds. I even found a recent post that showed how to split the stem to get two zucchinis off one flower.
So, as I use us my zucchini and make all kinds of gf treats and leave them at work, I found this…since I have young kids, we are going to do this…kinda on the lines of being “Booed” at Halloween..this is being Zuked!
Oh my gosh, Candace, that is so funny. I have heard of people giving unsolicited “gifts” of zucchini in the summer months in some communities, but dressing them up first really makes the practice all but irresistible. Love it! I must admit that I hate being “boo-ed” around Halloween because of the whole gluten-free issue, among many other reasons. But this – this is priceless. Why would anyone want to double their zucchini output, though?! xoxo Nicole
Rochelle
July 30, 2012 at 11:04 AM
I like raisins in my zucchini bread, would you still suggest 8 oz of raisins so the bread will stay moist?
HELLO! I’m Nicole! I make gluten-free food enjoyable & affordable. If they can make it with gluten, we can make it without. That’s a promise!
Comments are closed.
where do I find xanthum gum?? or can I substitute real sugar instead? I’m new to the gluten-free world. I’ve had Lupus for years and just recently found out I need to be gluten free.
I made this yesterday – it’s wonderful. If you use minis chocolate chips, you don’t have to dust them. Yumm yum, yummmmmmmmmmmm
I just put this in the oven but I’m worried. After adding the first portion of zucchini it was doughy, no longer dry ingredients. Then when I added the egg mixture it became watery. I measured exact so now I just wait.
aaahh just like i thought…did not come out the same :(
AvaMaria, It sounds like you made some substitutions, and perhaps didn’t bake by weight. Another likely culprit is the flour blend you used. Please follow the link to my all purpose gluten free flours page. Not all blends are created equal!
Thank you Nicole. I’m struggling with the diagnosis. I ended in ICU before they figured out what was wrong. I am a ER nurse and we are fixers. That I can’t fix myself is frustrating. But I’m pulling up my bootstraps and taking control where I can. My past with gluten free products was well…YUCK. But I have picked out several of your recipes to try. My family is on board and will to even go gluten free with me. I am lucky and blessed and sometimes need to be reminded. That you go to so much trouble and work to bring these recipes …I can’t say enough. I am a Texan and remember my grandmother saying that no one should ever leave your house hungry. Not family, friend or even enemy for that is a true shame on you. I hope to still never have that shame. Only now they might not get what they think lol. Again thank you for your work. Food is blessing and should be enjoyed!
Newly diagnosed with celiac and lupus. Made this tonight and it was great! Family even enjoyed and didn’t know it was gluten free. I am so glad for this site. Makes me feel like this new food lifestyle might not be so bad.
I’m so glad you found me, and that you already made this recipe and that it gave you some hope of normalcy. That’s what we’re all about here—bringing back what’s familiar, so you don’t have to miss a beat. :)
[…] bloggers, Nicole Hunn of Gluten-Free on a Shoestring, recently revamped and shared her recipe here. It’s actually on my to-do list for tomorrow, but I can confidently recommend it without […]
[…] Chocolate chip zucchini bread. […]
How many plants did Brian H. plant this year?
Good question, Donia! You know, I’m not 100% sure. I think it might even be 3 or 4!! Too too many, for sure. :)
I have a bunch of zucchini in the fridge, so I think I will try this today. I like that you eliminated the banana. I like my banana bread and zucchini bread as separate (but equally delicious) entities. Thanks!
Me too, Michelle. It seemed like the right thing to do. :)
yum!
Made this tonight, and it was AMAZING!!! I don’t have a scale, so I used 1 cup of chocolate chips. Not sure how that compares to what I was *supposed* to have used, but for the previous poster who wanted it more “chocolately”, I thought it was a pretty strong chocolate flavor! YUM!!! Sent some home with our babysitter so I wouldn’t eat a whole loaf!! Other loaf is going with us to a playgroup tomorrow ;)
Very generous of you, Gabrielle, all that sharing! Good thing the recipe makes 2. :)
xoxo Nicole
Hi again! Made this as soon as I saw you posted it:) Everyone loved it, big time. I make everything gluten free for me, and then just share with my whole extended family. Sure haven’t had any complaints about your recipes yet. Can’t wait for more from the new book.
Thanks, Kristy, for letting me know how it turned out. So glad!
xoxo Nicole
Ah, finally, a way to get my daughter to eat something green – throw some chocolate chips in there, brilliant! Will try soon, maybe after hitting the farmer’s market this week. Personally, I’d like to be Zuked since I live in a Brooklyn apartment and have no place to garden. Any extra zucchinis are welcome my way!
Don’t tempt people, Dana! People like me. No community garden down there in Brooklyn? I don’t even think zucchini has much nutritional value, to be honest. It’s all water! I guess I could in fact look that one up, especially since my kids ask me about that all the time allthetime.
xoxo Nicole
I bet this would taste amazing with a smear of cream cheese on top! Definitely bookmarking this recipe to use in the near future. I love the addition of the chocolate chips instead of the more traditional walnuts! More chocolate= more better :)
Oh, yes, Kowa. Everything is good with a schmear! And more chocolate is more better, no doubt.
xoxo Nicole
So, could I use your mock Better Batter flour mixture here? Or would you suggest another GF flour mix here?
Can’t wait to make this!!
Of course, Dana. That definitely qualifies as a “high-quality all-purpose gluten-free flour.”
xoxo Nicole
Hi Nicole – All I can say is “YUM!!!” can’t wait to try this. Only problem is that my one daughter hates banana. Can I substitute more Zucchini … or maybe some applesauce for the banana? Or something else perhaps? Could I also take the same recipe and use pumpkin instead of the zucchini?
Thanks so much for all you do. Can’t wait to get your cookbook.
I would suggest trying it with 1 whole cup of oil, rather than 1/2 cup, if you’re looking to eliminate the banana, Jane. Not applesauce, which has a much, much higher water content. But I have to say that you don’t actually taste the banana in the finished product, if that matters.
xoxo Nicole
Perfect timing! This was the first year planting a little garden. I planted zucchini and was successful. Successful because I have nothing to compare it to. My plants are done producing but I have several zukes sitting on the counter. I make this tomorrow when I can get to the store for extra large eggs. I don’t feel like doing the math for regular.
It sounds like your zucchini plants have a lot of dignity, Jeri. They did their work, and then bowed out gracefully. I have never had that experience with zucchini!
xoxo Nicole
Hi Nicole,
I absolutely love zucchini bread and will definitely have to give this a try! I don’t like nuts in bread and I doubt my kiddos would like it either. And I’m not real sure I would like the chocolate chips, although I think they would. Anyway can I do without the nuts or chips? Do I need to add more of something else? Thanks so much!
Emily
You’ll need something, Emily, that is relatively dry and in small pieces, like nuts or chips.
Nicole
Hi Nicole,
This looks yummmmmmy! And for the previous poster, Linda, I have found this site really helpful when looking up nutritional info on recipes: http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
I added Nicole’s recipe into the calculator and got the following results:
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 133 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 405
Calories from Fat 129
Total Fat 14.3g
Saturated Fat 3.2g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 379mg
Total Carbohydrates 66.0g
Dietary Fiber 4.3g
Sugars 37.3g
Protein 5.0g
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! I will try this later this week. (gotta wait until I hit the farmer’s market- our zucchini didn’t cooperate this year) GFBoy is over the moon excited about this.
You bet, Janet. Nice to hear from you. :)
xoxo Nicole
Hi! If I wanted to make it more chocolatey, how much cocoa can I add?
Hi, Angelyn,
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that – just adding cocoa. I have a separate recipe for chocolate zucchini bread that I promise to post soon!
xoxo Nicole
Nicole, I notice your recipes call for extra large eggs. I have regular large eggs that are laid by my friend’s chicken. Would 3 of those work the same.. or would I have to add more eggs? This has always confused me a bit.
Hi, Beth,
That’s a good question. It gets asked quite often, actually. I would put it in the FAQs but I have a sneaking suspicion no one reads those anyway. ;) Extra-large eggs, on average, weigh 2.25 ounces broken (about 63 g) each. Large eggs, on average, weigh 2 ounces broken (about 56 g) each. So I would just go by weight, as beaten. What great good fortune to have a friend with a laying hen!
Nicole
Glad to see this post! My parents have chickens and I’m continually sent home with eggs which I honestly don’t use very often. My brother has chickens too as well as ducks which lay larger eggs. So knowing that you can go by weight is VERY helpful! =)
What an embarrassment of relatives with chickens, Angie! I wish I either had relatives with chickens, too. Use those fresh eggs! Nothing store-bought can hold a candle to them.
xoxo Nicole
Nicole,
I love your recipes, but–horrors of horrors!–I need to lose 30lbs so I am dieting. Yes, dieting. UGH! I am not a dieter. Until I turned 50 I could always get it under control by stepping up my exercise but not anymore. I don’t want to abandon trying out your recipes, but I notice you don’t include nutritional info in your online recipes (Calories, Fat, Carbs, Protein, Fiber and Sodium are a dieter’s basics to be tracked). Do you have any solutions to figuring out this info for your recipes or must I just take a break for awhile. I love zucchini bread. I’d really like to make it to take to work and save one slice for myself as a treat!
Hi, Linda,
I don’t include nutritional information in any of my recipes (which I think you’ll find is the case with almost all food bloggers and cookbook authors unless that information is directly relevant to the content of the site or book), but it is easy to plug in the recipe to this site and do the calculation yourself. This particular recipe is quite low in fat, since it only has 1/4 cup of oil per loaf, so you might find that an occasional slice fits in with your diet. Best of luck!
xoxo Nicole
I have a green thumb too and love zucchini and yes, it grows like weeds. I even found a recent post that showed how to split the stem to get two zucchinis off one flower.
So, as I use us my zucchini and make all kinds of gf treats and leave them at work, I found this…since I have young kids, we are going to do this…kinda on the lines of being “Booed” at Halloween..this is being Zuked!
http://familyfun.go.com/summer/summer-parties/youve-been-zuked-906468/
Thanks for the recipe, another one I will try with my growing population!
Oh my gosh, Candace, that is so funny. I have heard of people giving unsolicited “gifts” of zucchini in the summer months in some communities, but dressing them up first really makes the practice all but irresistible. Love it! I must admit that I hate being “boo-ed” around Halloween because of the whole gluten-free issue, among many other reasons. But this – this is priceless. Why would anyone want to double their zucchini output, though?!
xoxo Nicole
I like raisins in my zucchini bread, would you still suggest 8 oz of raisins so the bread will stay moist?
Hi, Rochelle,
I would suggest 8 ounces of raisins, not for reasons related to moisture balance but just for bulk.
xoxo Nicole
great thanks!! I’ve made the zucchini bread for my gluten family but now it’s my turn and I can’t wait to make this recipe!!
Have you ever attempted to make pop tarts? This little girl I know went gluten free about 3 weeks ago and the thing she misses the most is pop tarts.
There’s a recipe for Apple-Cinnamon Toaster Pastries in my cookbook, Fatcat.
Nicole