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Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread

BY:

Rachel


Sweet, chocolatey, and delicious with less than half the carbs a traditional zucchini bread contains. Upgrade your chocolate zucchini bread to this healthy low-carb version.

Low-Carb Zucchini Bread | Kitchen Cents

I love summer and everything that comes with it, especially all the fresh zucchini coming out of the garden.

With health challenges I’ve dealt with in the past, I decided to try a few low-carb recipes to see if it would lessen some of the symptoms I was experiencing.

The problem with this…

I’m a carb lover!

Breads and sweets are my favorite. No surprise for anyone who has taken a look around Kitchen Cents (the majority of my recipes I have shared are sweets or carb-heavy).

Low-Carb Zucchini Bread | Kitchen Cents

For any carb-lover, lowering your carb intake or going no carb is so hard! I hear ya!!!

Thankfully I love trying new things (that still taste great). This bread is one of them. Less carbs but all the yummy flavor still baked right in. Can I get a woot, WOOT!

With all the summer zucchini available this healthier zucchini bread is a must try before the summer is over. For us, it’s a family favorite and tradition when the zucchini comes on.

Low-Carb Zucchini Bread | Kitchen Cents

HOW TO MAKE LOW-CARB ZUCCHINI BREAD:

Substitution was key in developing this recipe!

This healthier chocolate zucchini bread was the result of my efforts with substituting through trial and error. It’s filled with fresh zucchini, chocolate cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavor, and far fewer carbs than the traditional zucchini bread.

Like most quick breads (no yeast), you need dry ingredients, leavening agent, moisture and fat. All of these things have the traditional versions (i.e. flour, eggs, milk, butter). When you need to lessen the carbs, sugar, fat etc. there’s almost always a substitute that you can use to achieve it.

Here are a few things I switched to help this recipe stay delicious while lowering the carb count.

  • Flour –> almond flour and cocoa powder. Did you know?… Cocoa powder will act like flour in recipes like this. You can substitute a small amount of cocoa powder in place of flour.
  • Sugar –> zero-calorie sweetener
  • Oil/fat –> applesauce (this also adds natural sweetness).

I replaced about half of the flour with almond meal and sweetened the bread with a zero-calorie (no carb) sweetener and homemade applesauce (unsweetened).

I also used cocoa powder to add the chocolatey twist. If you are a chocolate lover, feel free to add a cup of sugar-free chocolate chips to this bread. It adds a richness that’s divine!

DO YOU HAVE LEFTOVER FRESH ZUCCHINI?

Don’t let your leftover or abundance of fresh zucchini go to waste.

Did you know you can freeze zucchini and use it later in the year when zucchini is harder to come by? Seriously, you can!

To freeze zucchini, shred it with a box grater. I have a box grater I like to use like this one (you can purchase your own on Amazon here).

I pad it with paper towels to remove some of the extra moisture that may have come out then place 1-3 cups of shredded zucchini in plastic freezer bags. Date the bags with today’s date then pop them in the freezer. Your frozen shredded zucchini will stay good for 3-6 months.

When you’re ready to use it, thaw and drain then add to your recipe.

Low-Carb Zucchini Bread | Kitchen Cents

IF YOU LIKE THIS LOW-CARB RECIPE YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE:

DO YOU GROW YOUR OWN ZUCCHINI? HOW DO YOU LIKE TO USE IT?

Here’s the full printable recipe for this low-carb chocolate zucchini bread. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Low-Carb Zucchini Bread | Kitchen Cents

Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Yield: 1 9x5 loaf
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Healthy low-carb chocolate zucchini bread made with almond meal, apple sauce, and zero-calorie sweetener. Sweet, chocolatey and just as tasty with less than half the carbs of traditional zucchini bread.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup almond meal
  • 3/4 cup flour, sifted
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini, drained
  • 1 1/4 cup zero-calorie sweetener (1:1 ratio see notes for more information)
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 2 large eggs (or 3 medium)
  • 1 T vanilla
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 - 1 cup sugar-free chocolate chips, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
  2. In a large bowl, mix sugar substitute, apple sauce, eggs, and vanilla.
  3. Add dry ingredients. Blend only until just incorporated.
  4. Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips (if desired). Do not over mix.
  5. Pour into lightly greased 9x5" bread pan.
  6. Bake at 325 F for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.

Notes

Use a zero-calorie sweetener that has a 1 to 1 ratio to sugar. Using a sweetener that has a different ratio to sugar will alter the final product.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 119Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 186mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 4g

8 thoughts on “Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread”

  1. I substituted regular flour for whole wheat flour, sugar for 1 cup blue agave and added 1 tbs flax seed meal. Very good and a great why to get little ones to eat hidden vegetables.

    Reply
    • Tina! I love the substitutions. With summer right around the corner and the zucchini plants doing well, I’m going to try your substitutions on this recipe. Sounds good! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
  2. I have made this zucchini loaf several times. I have frozen it in small pieces to have for dessert with yogurt and icecrem – yummy. I have doubled the recipe to make a couple of small loaves and 12 muffins. Thanks Anne

    Reply

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