Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread | Simply Quinoa

I’ve been on a mission to ace gluten-free, vegan baking for years, and this chocolate zucchini bread has been one of my go-to’s for experimentation. I finally got it dialed in, and oh boy, was it worth the effort. Loaded with chocolate chips, it comes out so tender and moist (but not too heavy), and I LOVE the way the earthiness of the zucchini plays with the rich bittersweet of the cacao powder in the batter. It’s totally gluten-free, totally plant-based, and 100% naturally sweetened. Needless to say, I’m obsessed.

Why This Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Bread Is a Favorite

This chocolate zucchini bread with chocolate chips might just become your new favorite vegan breakfast treat. Here’s why:

• I have really been getting into vegan gluten-free baking lately. It’s a bit of a challenge, but I think the world needs more recipes that check both boxes. This recipe gets it right. Did I mention it’s naturally sweetened too!?
• This chocolate zucchini bread has a wonderfully moist, tender texture without being overly heavy/dense. Kind of a rarity in vegan gluten-free baking recipes. I attribute it to my GF flour blend and the careful use of leavening agents.
• This loaf freezes beautifully. You can pop frozen slices directly into the toaster oven for the most convenient breakfast ever.

Ingredients for Zucchini Bread

Gather your ingredients! It’s time to start baking. Here’s what you’ll need (see the recipe card below for exact measurements):

• Mashed banana – Nice and ripe, please! You know, with lots of brown spots. The banana works as a binder as well as to naturally sweeten the loaf.
• Flax eggs – You can make a flax egg by whisking together 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water. Have a look at my post on How to Make a Flax Egg for more information. You could also use a vegan egg substitute if you prefer.
• Almond milk – Or any plant milk of your choosing.
• Maple syrup – Agave would also work. So would honey, although it’s not vegan.
• Coconut sugar – If you prefer raw cane sugar, you can use that.
• Apple cider vinegar – When combined with baking soda, apple cider vinegar works to give this loaf a powerful rise so it isn’t overly dense.
• Gluten-free flour blend – I used a combination of oat flour, quinoa flour, and arrowroot starch (or tapioca starch). The arrowroot starch helps absorb excess moisture and works as a binder to create a lighter, softer crumb. This helps keep the loaf from developing a gummy texture.
• Cacao powder – Or unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Leavening agents – The combination of baking powder and baking soda (with the help of a little apple cider vinegar) gives this loaf the perfect rise.
• Salt – To balance the sweetness a bit.
• Shredded zucchini – Measured AFTER squeezing. You’ll want to squeeze any excess water from the zucchini (with your hands or a cheesecloth) before adding it to the batter. Otherwise, your loaf will turn out overly dense and just plain wet.
• Chocolate chips – The chocolate chips are optional, but I think they give this zucchini bread a little extra pizzazz.

How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This recipe is super beginner-friendly. Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to do (you can find more detailed instructions in the recipe card below):

• Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.

• Assemble. Smooth the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle with additional shredded zucchini and chocolate chips (optional).
• Bake. Bake for 55–60 minutes.
• Cool. Cool in the pan for 20–30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mix-ins and Variations

Feeling creative? Go ahead and have some fun with this recipe. Here are a few variations you could try:

• White chocolate chips. If you want to swap the chocolate chips out for white chocolate chips, be my guest!
• Nuts. I will sometimes opt out of the chocolate chips and fold chopped walnuts into the batter instead.
• Nix the chocolate. If you’re not a big chocolate person, you can leave the cocao powder out of the batter. You’ll want to replace it with 1/4 cup oat flour.
• Ice it. If you want to sweeten this chocolate zucchini bread up a bit, consider topping it with a drizzle of the coconut butter glaze from my Gluten-Free & Vegan Pumpkin Donuts.

Storage and Freezing

• Countertop: You can store fully cooled chocolate zucchini bread in an airtight container (or wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap) at room temperature for up to 2 days. Anything beyond that and you’ll want to freeze it.
• Freezer: This loaf freezes really well! Once fully cooled, slice it and arrange the slices in a single layer on a sheet pan. Freeze for a couple of hours and then wrap each slice in a double layer of plastic wrap. Load the flash-frozen slices into a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. You could also wrap the whole loaf in a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months.
• To revive from frozen: If you froze the whole loaf, thaw it at room temperature before diving back in. If you froze slices, you can pop ’em in the toaster directly from frozen! So convenient!

More Vegan Quick Bread Recipes

If you’re looking for quickbreads that are 100% vegan, I’ve got a few more recipes for you to try: