Expect from this paleo and keto chocolate zucchini bread an intensely chocolatey and moist crumb, that’s bound to satisfy any and all chocolate cravings!
Keto Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ultra chocolatey and moist!
I gotta say, I’m a big fan of sneaking veggies into baked goods! Particularly when these end up resulting in one of the moistest chocolate goodies on the site (like really sorry, but it had to be said!).
Oh, and I’m also going to highly (highly!) recommend this one lightly toasted with generous smear of (salted!) butter. Just supreme!
The Sweetener
You’ve got plenty of options here, but do know that they’ll affect the texture quite a bit. Think xylitol and allulose (no aftertaste, softer and fluffier texture), Lakanto (barely any aftertaste, denser texture when cool a it ‘crystalizes’).
If using allulose, be sure to use 1 cup as its 30% less sweet than sugar!
Fun fact: it might also be my taste buds here, but I’ve noticed that stevia-based sweeteners (such as Pyure) don’t work so great when chocolate is involved as the aftertaste is accentuated. So I cannot recommend enough that you don’t use stevia here!
Oh, and if just paleo or gluten free (or not restricted by sugars), simply sub 1-to-1 with coconut or regular sugar.
And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys!
The Chocolate
You’ll want to use a Dutch-processed alkaline cocoa here. As there’s baking powder involved, using cacao won’t give the same results (at all!).
In terms of brands, my favorite will forever be Valrhona, known to be one of (if not the) best cocoas in the world. That said, as long as it reads cocoa and not cacao you’ll be good to go!
Note: I actually didn’t use Valrhona for this last batch in the pictures, as some of you experts can probably tell from the lighter hue of my loaf! I’ve been testing a few organic brands around for ‘chocolate-ness’, and while you really can’t beat Valrhona for intensity and depth, I feel that you milk chocolate lovers will appreciate the organic cocoa from Equal Exchange!
The Flours
This keto zucchini loaf use a mix of super fine almond flour, psyllium husk and golden flaxseed meal (see links for specific brands I use and love!).
Just keep in mind that for best texture and rise, you’ll always want to regrind your golden flaxseed meal in a dry blender or bullet. And be sure you’re either using either very finely ground psyllium powder or to regrind your husks!
Oh, and golden flaxseed isn’t the same as normal flaxseed (which results in gummy and dense baked goods).
(Ultra Moist!) Paleo & Keto Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
- 200 g (thoroughly drained!) finely grated zucchini about 1 medium
- 96 g almond flour
- 60 g golden flaxseed meal finely ground*
- 60 g cocoa powder
- 16 g psyllium husk finely ground*
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3-1 cup erythritol xylitol or allulose** (I used 3/4 cup)
- 4 eggs
- 84 g grass-fed unsalted butter melted & cooled (or 5 TBS coconut oil + 1 TBS coconut cream)
- 114 g sour cream or coconut cream + 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar-free chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper (an absolute must!). Set aside.
- Finely grate the zucchini and wrap it up in a thin kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Then wring it out until almost all liquid stops coming out and measure up 200g/7 ounces (its roughly a medium zucchini). Set aside.
- Whisk together in a medium bowl almond flour, flaxseed meal, cocoa powder, psyllium husk, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Add sweetener and eggs to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes until airy and lighter in color. With the mixer on, add in the vanilla extract and butter.
- Add in the dry flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the cream. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes until fully incorporated and elastic, the batter will thicken as you mix. Fold in zucchini and half of the chocolate chips (optional!).
- Distribute batter evenly into pan, smoothing out the top with wet fingertips or a spatula. Top off with the remaining chocolate chips (again, totally optional!).
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, covering with a lose foil dome if needed (I did at around minute 40). Just be sure that the foil isn't resting directly on the bread!
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before removing, and cool completely in a rack before cutting. Keep in mind that your bread will continue to cook while cooling, so for best crumb you'll want to really cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or freeze for about 2 months (it defrosts very well!). p.s. its also delicious lightly toasted with generous smear of (salted!) butter 😉
Made this last night. So good! I doubled the recipe and had enough batter left for six muffin tops. They were delicious! I might do them all that way next time. Faster and so tender and good. Thanks, as always, for your recipes!
Depends of how big is your zucchini, if it is big and seed already hard then yes, if it is young zucchini like described in the recipe, then not
Oh my goodness this is insanely good, I’ve never seen a cake disappear in my house so fast! So much for freezing some 😂
This is exceptionally good! I made it with 3/4 c of xylitol and thought it could be a little sweeter. I preheated the oven forever because I got side tracked. I tented it at 40 mins being careful not to touch the bread and took it out at 55 mins. It was beautiful when it came out but when I came back after 15 mins of cooling it has totally caved in in the middle. I thought it might have been undercooked but it was perfectly consistently baked all the way though. My baking powder was new. Any ideas what I might do differently? I was making it for a friend with brain cancer (on keto) and it wasn’t pretty enough to give as a gift but it was moist & wonderful if not quite sweet enough! ♥️
Same happened to mine. I think I will leave it in the oven to cool with the door opened. I think it collapsed because it cooled off too fast, or something like that
Best texture and taste by far of all the baked keto cakes I have made so far. Thank you for explaining so well about sweeteners and how ingredients affects texture. I used mini bunt pans to bake this and they came out beautifully. I brought to our Thursday night dinner with friends, everyone loved it!
I have butter flavored coconut oil. Do I use the amount for butter or the amount for oil when substituting? I have this same question for several of your delicious recipes!
Tried these today to celebrate what would have been my daughter’s 5th birthday. They were wonderful! Made them as cupcakes and did half xylitol and Lakanto sweeteners. Baked for 20 minutes
Can you tell me why you suggest NOT using cacao powder? I didn’t see that when I made this last night, and I used cacao powder as that’s all I had. It turned out yummy!!
Thanks for all your great recipes!!!
Hi,
Can’t find a Dutch-processed alkaline cocoa in France, or can’t get a good translation. Is it raw cocoa powder please?
Thank you for all your recepies,
Am I blind or does the recipe not state when or where to use the sour cream or alternative?
I added it to the wet ingredients, so I guess we will see….lol
Did you get an answer about the sour cream
If I used no Sweetner at all would it change the outcome of the bread in any other way besides it not being sweet? I have completely Sweetner free.
Hi chel2006
If you use no sweetener, you may want to add some cinnamon because it will cut the bitterness of the cocoa. You may want to also exchange some grated apple for the zucchini. It will add some carbs, but it will also help with the flavor if your aren’t using any sweetener.
step 5. many of her recipes alternate the sour cream with the dry. cheers!
How did it turn out?
I just noticed that the cream is mentioned in step # 5 of the recipe; its easy to miss.
I was just thinking the same thing! I don’t see where to add the melted butter or the sour cream, but I’m assuming you add them after you cream the eggs and sugar. Crossing my fingers it works.
Greetings, love your recipes. Can Greek yogurt be substituted for the sour cream?
Thanks!
Do you scoop the seeds out of the zucchini or just shred them in?
Wondering if I can bake this batter in a donut pan and what the timing and temperature would be?
Does the nutritional breakdown include the optional chocolate chips, or no? Thanks for all of your delightful recipes!
Made this. Mine came out a little dry but sooo good. I think I could have baked it for a bit less time. Took mine out around 50 or 55.
Beautiful recipe! Rarely does a recipe turn out looking Just like the picture. Presentation is great and taste is even better. Wouldn’t know that this was a Keto bread if you didn’t tell. Nice and moist with just the right amount of chocolate (love dark chocolate). Slices nicely without falling apart.
Paola, thank you for so many wonderful recipes!
Made this yesterday and it is delicious! I used a 9 x 5 pan for 50 minutes and it worked out great. Thanks for all the great recipes and tips.
Just made it. Its great! I was short 2 oz (40 grams) of zucchini, used different brand of cocoa, Lily’s milk chocolate chips, and Lakanto Golden (3/4 cup). but other than that I followed the recipe exactly. Baked for 50 min. I think next time I’ll add walnuts for some crunch. Thank you for another great recipe!
I made this yesterday, I baked it for an hour and then let it cool. When I cut a piece to try it, it looks doughy(kind of like a marshmallow). I ate it anyway and it tastes good. I then put it back in the oven for another 30 minutes on 300( internet told me how to bake it more), but it is still as doughy/spongy. Is it supposed to be like this? I used the coconut cream instead of butter. Do you think my baking form is too high? I am thinking of making them like brownies next time, in a shallow dish.
Hi Sandra! What prob happened here is that by subbing coconut cream for the butter you increased the water content in the recipe and essentially there weren’t enough ‘flours’ to bake it through. 🙁
Made this today!! What a hit! I followed several recipes for different dessert/breakfast breads-didn’t like any of them!! This is a keeper. I’ll just bake it for the full time recommend. Thank you so much.
Made this yesterday, it’s sooo good! Almost like chocolate cake! my husband (ordinary eater, usually doesn’t like keto bread ) loved it too! Amazing recipe! Thank you so much!
Hi Paola,
Great recipe! Funnily it is more like a really moist cake (so nicely moist!!!) but then not sweet enough for a cake. So if I redo it, I might double the sweetener, or put something extra to give it a taste boost (spices) as I still taste the zucchini.
But seriously… so moist and tender!!!! I will really use it as a base recipe!
Hi Paola, the recipe says that the different sweeteners affect the texture greatly, but you dont say how — can you explain? Thanks, cant wait to make this one!
Actually never mind, my brain isnt working right today. Ignore me!
Hello can I make these into cupcakes/muffins?
Do you think that a yellow squash can be used instead of zucchini? Also, do you know if golden flaxseed is same as “roasted” golden flaxseed (which they have at Trader Joe’s and I can easily grind them)?? Thank you!
I was wondering the same thing About the flax seeds.
Recipe made exactly as written; except it didn’t fit into an 8.5×4.5 tin; I filled the tin to 1 cm off the top and still had enough batter to do 3 muffins.
Cooked a lot faster in a convection oven at 160C; more like 35 minutes than 50.
Taste and texture are 10/10, I can’t taste the zucchini at all (grated on the finest side and squeezed dry)
Sunk a fair bit in the centre but that not unusual with keto loaf recipes and didn’t affect taste or presentation once I filled the space with whipped cream.
Hi Paola! I am very much looking forward to trying this recipe, it looks delish! I sadly get a strong hormone reaction to flax 😔 any idea if I can sub coconut flour? And would I then lessen the amount (say, a third of the flax) or up the eggs as I know coconut needs a LOT of moisture 🤷🏼♀️ I will try anyway but was wondering if you had too?? Greetings from Amsterdam!!
CAN IT GO INTO A BREADMAKER ?
Re the things to be reground, is the US measurement before or after grinding?
I would assume the finer grind would have less volume and that measurement would be before in order to equal measuring in grams.
Any recommendations for substituting ground flaxseed in keto baked goods? I’m allergic. Thank you! Love your recipes!
You always have the best chocolate recipes Paola!! Your brownies and cake are staples here, can’t wait to try this one 🙂
Hope you love this one too Ellen!
In some of your ebook older recipes you don’t talk about allulose — is it always a better choice?
I do generally find it to be a better option Miriam (unless we’re talking about crisp cookies, because it just stays soft!). But it will keep your ice creams scoopable, breads soft, its zero GI and pet friendly. Its caveat is that it browns super fast, so I’m still testing some of the muffin recipes with it because it seems to come out super orange in some cases (oops!) xo!
Hello, is there an egg substitution? I can’t eat the whites, can I do twice as much yolk for example? Or maybe yolk and tofu to get the protein?
Tbh Karina I haven’t had much success with substituting eggs in Keto Recipes and getting ‘the same results’. Having said that, I know many of you use ‘chia eggs’ frequently- but do expect the baked goods to come out denser. xo!
Same unfortunately 😀 although I tested flax eggs rather than chia, so I’ll try those half and half with yolk to try to save the texture