Chocolate Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

2 tsp GF vanilla

2½ cups flour or 2½ cups Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF flour or 2½ cups of your favorite GF flour blend + 1¾ tsp xanthan gum (omit if your flour already contains)

½ cup GF cocoa

3 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)

Lightly spray bread pans with GF baking spray. (5 – 6 inch x 3 inch, 3- 7.5 inch x 3.5 inch) *See notes.

Cut off ends of zucchini, but leave skin on. Grate. (I use a small food processor, but you can also grate on a hand-held grater.)

Whisk together in medium bowl flour, xanthan gum (if using), cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, & salt. Set aside.

You can mix the batter on a stand mixer, or by hand – both methods work well, but sometimes it can be a little dry when you use a stand mixer.

Lightly beat eggs.

Add oil & thoroughly mix with eggs.

Blend in sugar & vanilla until smooth & slightly fluffy.

Gradually add flour mixture until completely combined. (If using a stand mixer, use the lowest setting until it starts to blend – or the cocoa dust will get everywhere!)

Stir in zucchini. 

Spoon into prepared bread pans.

Optional: Sprinkle a little red & green sugar &/or edible glitter on top. (I make this bread at Christmas, so I use both sugars & the glitter to make it more festive! But you can use regular sugar or just leave them plain.)

Bake at 350° for 45 – 60 mins (depends on what size pan you used, a toothpick stuck in the center should come out clean)

 Gently loosen from pans with a table knife. Turn onto wire rack to cool.

 Notes:

For preparing bread pans, please refer to my blog post “A guide to preparing pans for baking quick (dessert) breads”.