I consider zucchini to truly be one of the sweetest rewards of spring. And with my new recipe, gluten free Secret Ingredient Chocolate Coffee Zucchini Bread, I’m liking it even more!
There are few foods I appreciate more than zucchini. I know that might sound odd, but consider all the yummy gluten free sweet and savory recipes you can use a zucchini to make: ratatouille, jambalaya, quiche, etouffée, zucchini bread, chocolate-zucchini donuts, Southern cornmeal-crusted zucchini, baked zucchini fries, chocolate cake … see what I mean? It’s easy to sneak zucchini into lots of places with no one even realizing it’s there!
This recipe is light on oil and just the right amount of heavy on flavor. I cut the fat by adding fresh-brewed coffee which amps up the chocolate taste without making it too sweet (and the better the coffee, the better the results!). Just look how rich the color is on this decadent bread!
I don’t love the taste of coffee, so if you’re like me, don’t avoid making this recipe. The coffee flavor does NOT come through; coffee actually enhances the depth of the chocolate flavor. It’s like magic. That’s why it’s a secret ingredient!
Oh, and zucchini is pretty secret too. Basically this is a delicious gluten free chocolate quick bread recipe that makes a super flavorful and moist loaf, but few could guess why!
Made with my light and clean tasting gfJules Flour, the smooth chocolate aroma and taste come through loud and clear in this moist bread, enjoyed with or without the yummy glaze!
Because there’s not a lot of oil or fat in this recipe, and because it’s moist from the zucchini, the bread will be rather moist and the top will bake unevenly. But that’s all good because the taste is what’s so amazing, and that’s the most important part! A moist, intensely chocolate quick bread is something no one can refuse!
If you’re using zucchini that is particularly wet, be sure to press out the extra moisture in a colander or between paper towels before adding to the batter:
Then mix the batter and transfer to your favorite bread pan:
Bake for an hour or so …
And enjoy!
So raid your farmer’s market for all the zucchini you can, brew your coffee and get baking! Your family will thank you for this delicious, albeit secret ingredient, Chocolate Coffee Zucchini Bread (and you don’t have to disclose the secret)!
Secret Ingredient Chocolate Coffee Zucchini Bread
Intensely rich and chocolatey, this Secret Ingredient Gluten Free Chocolate Coffee Zucchini Bread is the perfect marriage of all those flavors into one delicious quick bread!
Ingredients
Bread:
- 1 1/2 cups shredded fresh zucchini (approximately 1 zucchini)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used safflower oil)
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee, cold
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated cane sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg white (or egg replacer like aquafaba)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup (169 grams) gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Glaze (optional)
- 3/4 cup sifted confectioner's sugar + 1-2 Tbs. milk of choice for glaze
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F (static) or 325° F (convection). Lightly oil a 9×5 bread pan or 2-3 mini loaf pans.
Shred the zucchini using a fine shredding disc on a food processor or a hand shredder. Measure 1 1/2 cups and set aside to drain in a colander if the zucchini is particularly wet. You can also press the shredded zucchini between paper towels.
Beat together oil, brewed coffee, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients until incorporated, then whip together until smooth, approximately 1-2 minutes. Stir in the shredded zucchini and chocolate chips, if using.
Once the zucchini is integrated, pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center has no wet crumbs on it when removed. Rotate pan half way through the bake to help the loaf rise more uniformly.
Depending on whether your pan size and whether your pan is metal or glass, the bake time may be longer or shorter, so add 5 minutes and repeat the toothpick test, if needed.
Remove to cool on a wire rack and remove from pan after cooling for 15 minutes.
When cooled, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar, or whisk confectioner's sugar with milk for glaze if desired, before serving.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 16 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 125Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 12mgSodium 157mgCarbohydrates 20gFiber 1gSugar 17gProtein 2g
Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
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Fan-freaking-tastic, as always. Can’t get enough of this. And it’s so crazy-moist, none of my gluten free friends believed at first that it was truly gluten free. We just love, love, love your flour!
OH I’m SO Happy Sheryl!!! What a treat to share with friends and have them be so impressed. Congrats on another baking success!!! I’m thrilled you’re loving my flour and having a great time baking again!
~jules
So which is the secret ingredient? The coffee or the zucchini? Ha ha I love both. 🙂 This really looks delicious, Jules. 🙂
LOL! Yes, there are a few secret ingredients, Barbara. Probably all depends on the audience, which ingredient you don’t mention! 😉
~jules
Thank you so much for sharing this with us at Savoring Saturdays! 🙂
Enjoy, Raia! I hope you get to try it!
~jules
Oh yum! I love chocolate zucchini bread! It’s one of my favorites.
Great minds think alike in baking, as well, Emily! 😉
~jules
Hi, This is an embarrassing question cuz what 60 yr old homemaker hasn’t made zucchini bread? Me! So…do you peel the zucchini first?
?
No baking question is too obvious, trust me, I’ve probably asked them all myself first! 🙂 You do NOT peel the zucchini first, but you do wash them well and cut the ends off before you grate them. Then make sure you press them between paper towels or in a colander so they’re not super wet or drippy. I hope that helps! Happy baking!
~jules
Sounds like a winner to me! I think that’s a great use for coffee, too. 😉
I think so too, Raia! 😉
~jules
I love using brewed coffee in baking! This loaf looks so moist and delicious Jules!
Yes! It’s great with chocolate!
~jules
All of my favorite things!!! Delicious!
Yep! All rolled into one!
~jules
This sounds like it would be good with chocolate chips in it. Would there be a need to cut back on the sugar if adding the chocolate chips?
Hi Bev,
It’s really up to you; the sugar is good to balance out the coffee, so I wouldn’t recommend cutting it back too much, but if you’re not too into sweet stuff, you could afford to reduce it a bit. The extra chocolate chips would be a yummy addition!
~jules
We’re allergic to egg and my boyfriend can’t eat bananas so would powdered egg replacer work instead of the egg? Or do you have another suggestion for an egg substitute? Thanks!
Hi Jacqui, you could try flaxseed meal + water egg replacer or even applesauce. The bread will be more dense, but will still be delicious!
~jules
I’m not able to have fruit and sugar or eggs. I saw you used canned pumpkin in another zucchini bread, would that work?
Hi Jeanne – what are you trying to replace in this recipe with the pumpkin? It works in many recipes to replace eggs or certainly ingredients like banana. Is that what you were wanting it to do?
~jules
Is this wheat free also?
Hi Anne, yes, anything that is gluten-free is also wheat-free, although the reverse is not necessarily true, so it can get confusing! All of my recipes and products are gluten-free, so hopefully that makes it easier for you!
~jules
I’m not a coffee drinker. I think I’ll try replacing it with coconut milk.
Sounds good, LaNea – let me know how it turns out!
~jules
I DO NOT like coffee at all. I can taste it in cake or ice cream. Just cannot tolerate it, not even the smell. What could I substitute instead? This sounds like a great recipe otherwise. Thank you
Hi Sue, it’s so funny because I don’t like the taste of coffee, but I like the smell. Everyone’s got their own tastes! In this recipe, I don’t taste it at all, but if you want to avoid it altogether, choose another liquid like chocolate milk or coconut milk to use instead. It will tone down the chocolate taste a bit, but will still be lovely.
~jules
Hi – looks yummy! Wish there was a link to Pin!
Elayne- I just pinned it by going on Pinterest and select add a pin from web. Then paste the web address and you can pick your photo to pin.
Thanks, Christina & Elayne! When my new site is up and running, we’ll be sure to have “pin it” buttons on all the recipes!
~jules
YUM! I’m not a coffee drinker either, but I sure love it in recipes like this one. It’s made to go with chocolate! And like you, I’m a huge fan of zucchini.
Thanks for sharing on Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Jules! Just shared …
xo,
Shirley
Wonderful, Shirley! Thanks much!
~jules
Hi Jules, This sound delicious. I am not a fan of coffee either but I do use it in my cooking. It just makes the chocolate taste more rich. And that’s a good thing! Looking forward to making this!
– Evie
That’s great, Evie! I hope you get to make this recipe soon!
~jules
WOW!
I thought zucchini bread that tastes this good required a pastry chef’s expertise to make at home!
For friends who aren’t fond of coffee, is there something else to substitute for that 1/4 cup of liquid that will make the recipe still taste phenomenal?!
Thank you, Jules!
Hi Andi, for what it’s worth, I don’t drink coffee and I find it delicious in this recipe! Coffee really accents chocolate flavors, but doesn’t leave behind any residual coffee taste in a recipe like this one. I’m so glad you loved the recipe — everyone who has sampled it has loved it (even kids who obviously don’t drink coffee!). As for a substitute, as I said, the coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, so you’re going to lose some of the umph of chocolate by taking the coffee out, but you could try just using milk or another bland cooking liquid. Obviously, you could also use oil, but I don’t think the bread needs it and I don’t like to ever use more fat than I have to in a given recipe.
Hope that helps!
~jules
Well, the recipe looks great and sounds delicious, but I wonder about one of the measurements. I’ve never grown zucchini so small that one yields only a cup and a half of shreds, more like 6 cups or more!
Hahah, Aslan! I want some zucchini from your garden! Around here (admittedly, pre-local zucchini season), the only ones we can get at the store are quite small. During the summer, you’re right, they’re much larger!
~jules
Two zucchini sitting in my kitchen right now, both about 4 inches thick, one about 14″ long, the other a good 18″, should give me enough shred for a years supply of bread. Gotta love this rainy climate for big veg.
Sounds like you have the perfect ingredients on-hand. I expect great zucchini breads out of you!
~jules