My Flourless Chocolate Chip Zucchini Loaf is the best healthy dessert that's lower sugar and full of veggies. Dairy-free and gluten-free!
We're currently harvesting our summer garden which means the zucchinis are in abundance. I love using zucchinis in savoury recipes like my cheesy white bean tomato bake and beef zucchini casserole, but it's also amazing in sweet recipes like this loaf.
This chocolate chip zucchini loaf is moist, chocolatey, and just sweet enough while still being fairly low in sugar. It's sweetened with 2 bananas and just a touch of maple syrup, plus we have some extra nutrients from the zucchini. This loaf is what I call a dessert with benefits!
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Blender recipe. You don't need to spend time shredding zucchini, all you need is a blender. We're keeping this recipe really easy!
- Hidden veggies. Zucchini is an excellent source of fibre and vitamin C. You can't even taste it in this chocolate chip zucchini loaf and it adds lots of moisture.
- Gluten and dairy-free. This flourless loaf uses oats so it's great for those with gluten restrictions. You can also keep it dairy-free by using vegan chocolate chips.
Ingredients
Banana. We use two bananas for their natural sweetness. Try to wait until your bananas are as RIPE as possible for the best texture and flavour.
Zucchini. You can't have zucchini bread without zucchini! You can use yellow or green zucchini (the only difference will be the colour).
Oats. Instead of flour we use oats as our binder of choice. Oats are a great source of fibre and naturally gluten-free, however I recommend using certified gluten-free oats if you have Celiac disease. Minute, rolled or quick oats all work as we will be blending the batter.
Eggs. We use two full eggs to bind this loaf and give it rise.
Spices. Salt and cinnamon are the only spices you need for this recipe.
Vanilla extract. For additional flavour! Pure natural vanilla extract or artificial vanilla will both work.
Maple syrup. For natural sweetness, I recommend using pure 100% maple syrup. I have not tried this recipe using any other sweetener.
Chocolate chips. You can always omit these for a plain zucchini loaf, but I think it's so much better with chocolate chips.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 8-½ x 4-½ x 2-½ inch pan.
- In a high powered blender combine zucchini, bananas, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, oats, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Blend until smooth. You may need to use a spoon or spatula to gently stir periodically to ensure everything gets blended.
- Once smooth- pour batter into the loaf pan and top with chocolate chips.
- Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: use certified gluten-free oats.
To make dairy-free: use dairy-free chocolate chips.
To make vegan: I have not tested this recipe using a flax egg or any type of egg substitute. If you decide to try, please let me know how it goes.
To make nut-free: this recipe is naturally nut-free.
Oats can be replaced with 2 cups of pre-blended oat flour. I have not tested this recipe using any other flour variation.
If you wish to shred the zucchini first you can, just don't ring out the excess water.
Feel free to switch up the mix-ins in this recipe. This zucchini loaf would also be delicious with chopped nuts or seeds.
Equipment
Storage
This chocolate chip zucchini loaf can be store on the counter in an airtight container or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, the loaf can be stored in the fridge for up to 7 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.
To defrost, simply allow the loaf to thaw in the fridge overnight before slicing. To freeze individual slices, wrap each slice with plastic wrap and freeze.
Top Tips for Success
If you wish to avoid the slightly green tinge this bread will have, I recommend using yellow zucchini (summer squash).
For best results when blending, add the wet ingredients FIRST before adding the oats.
For the sweetest flavour, use ripe bananas that have brown spots. However I don't recommend using previously frozen bananas as they tend to add too much additional moisture.
For the best eating experience, I highly recommend serving warm with butter or peanut butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven't tried it. If you do, leave me a comment below how it went!
As we are using bananas for majority of the sweetness, they do tend to bring a banana bread-flavour to this loaf! Who doesn't want a moist and flavorful slice of banana bread... but with some hidden veggies!?
You cannot! The beauty of baking with zucchini is it has such a mild flavour it's so easy to mix it into any recipe. This loaf takes on the flavour of the cinnamon, banana and maple syrup but brings such a nice moist texture thanks to the zucchini!
More Healthy Dessert Recipes
If you liked this chocolate chip zucchini loaf, try these recipes next:
- Zucchini Breakfast Muffins
- Zucchini Brownie Baked Oats
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Banana Bread
- Fudgy Vegan Double Chocolate Muffins
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this chocolate chip zucchini loaf, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Flourless Chocolate Chip Zucchini Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 cups of zucchini chopped (about 1 medium zucchini)
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2.5 cups oats rolled oats work best
- 1.5 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1.5 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 8-½ x 4-½ x 2-½ inch pan.
- In a high powered blender combine zucchini, bananas, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, oats, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Blend until smooth. You may need to use a spoon or spatula to gently stir periodically to ensure everything gets blended.
- Once smooth- pour batter into the loaf pan and top with chocolate chips. Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing.
Debbie White says
This turned out delicious! I did make 12 muffins instead of one loaf. And I also added 1/4 teaspoon allspice.
Since I don’t have a blender, I blended it in my large food processor, and it worked perfectly.
Joseph says
If I want to increase the protein in this recipe, what substitution would you suggest?
Nicole Addison says
Hi Joseph, you could experiment with swapping out some of the oats with collagen or protein powder- I have never tested this variation so it may take a little trial and error!