This whole wheat zucchini bread with chocolate chips is the best way to use up your abundance of zucchinis towards the end of summer. In the 15 years I’ve been making this recipe, I’ve baked over 100 loaves of this extra moist, flavorful chocolate chip zucchini bread to share with family and friends. With detailed step-by-step instructions and photos, you’ll be able to make drool-worthy whole wheat chocolate chip zucchini bread too!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
“The BEST zucchini bread, and love that it’s whole wheat / whole grain.” – Marge
A hundred loaves teaches you a few things. The one that surprised me most is that you don’t need to squeeze the water out of your zucchini, which runs counter to what most recipes tell you. That extra moisture from the zucchini does a lot for these loaves and there’s a whole section below on why this recipe is built to use it. I also learned that zucchini size matters more than you’d think, that the shred size on your grater makes or breaks the texture. And using a lower oven temperature over a longer bake is what keeps whole wheat loaves from drying out at the edges before the center finishes.
I’ve developed over 50 breakfast recipes for this website, and this is the one I always make big batches of when zucchini season hits. The recipe makes three loaves on purpose, which sounds like a lot until you’re staring down a counter full of zucchini in August. Enjoy one now as a breakfast or snack, make one to share, and prep one for the freezer to enjoy later.
If you’ve been looking for a healthy zucchini bread recipe that still tastes like a treat, this is the one. Whole wheat flour, wheat germ, and ground flax give these loaves a hearty, whole grain texture, and the chocolate chips make sure nobody at your table thinks of it as a health food.
If you still have a ton of zucchini to use, give our light and fluffy zucchini muffins recipe or our carrot & zucchini muffins a try, or lean into your chocolate craving with these chocolate and zucchini muffins! We’ve got a ton of zucchini recipes, sweet and savory, compiled for you too.
And if you love this simple quick bread recipe, be sure to try our banana bread recipe too!
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe!
Easy to make! The only part of this recipe that may seem a little challenging is grating your fresh vegetable… otherwise the rest of this recipe is pretty standard. Simple measuring and mixing, and then dividing your batter between loaf pans.
Moist, flavorful quick bread. Our recipe has a lovely undertone of cinnamon with pops of chocolate in each bite.
Bulk Baking with option to freeze. The recipe as written makes 3 loaves at once on purpose! It’s the perfect way to use up that abundance of zucchini at the end of summer with the bonus that this quick bread recipe freezes wonderfully too! So you have the option to save a loaf or two to enjoy a homemade treat later in the year.
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh Zucchini. You’ll need 3 to 4 medium zucchinis for this recipe. There’s no need to peel them, since the skin softens completely during baking. Just wash them thoroughly before grating.
- Large Eggs. Four eggs give these loaves structure and richness. Beat them well before adding the other wet ingredients so they’re fully incorporated.
- Ground Flaxseed + Water. These combine to create two flax “eggs,” which add a nutty depth and help give the loaves their hearty texture. Ground flax is also a great source of omega-3s. If you’ve never baked with flax, the flavor is mild and slightly nutty. Either brown or golden flax works here, with golden being the milder of the two.
- Brown Sugar AND Granulated Sugar. Using both gives you the best of each. Brown sugar brings moisture and a hint of molasses that works beautifully with the cinnamon, while granulated sugar helps with structure.
- Neutral Oil (Like Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil). Oil rather than butter is what keeps these loaves so moist, and it’s part of why zucchini bread stays good for days. Any neutral oil works.
- Vanilla Extract. Rounds out and deepens all the other flavors.
- Whole Wheat Flour AND All-Purpose Flour. This recipe uses more whole wheat than white, which gives the loaves a heartier texture and nuttier flavor than a standard zucchini bread. The all-purpose keeps things from getting too dense.
- Wheat Germ. Adds a toasty, nutty flavor and a bit more texture to the crumb. If you’ve got a package sitting in your pantry wondering what to do with it, there are more ideas in the tips section below.
- Baking Soda AND Baking Powder. Using both gives these loaves a reliable rise. Baking soda reacts with the brown sugar and zucchini, while baking powder provides steady lift through the long bake.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness and sharpens all the other flavors.
- Cinnamon. Six teaspoons across three loaves, which sounds like a lot but it’s what gives this bread its warm, cozy undertone. Cinnamon is the only spice in the base recipe, though there are notes on adding others in the variations section.
- Chocolate Chips. A cup and a half stirred into the batter, with the option to sprinkle a few more on top of each loaf before baking. Semi-sweet is my go-to, but milk or dark chocolate chips work too.
See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Zucchini Tip
Don’t use the huge zucchinis for zucchini bread. The small to medium sized zucchinis are the best ones to use for zucchini bread because they will help create a moist loaf. The massive sized ones will result in a dryer loaf, which isn’t what you want.
Should You Squeeze the Water Out of Zucchini for Zucchini Bread?
You’ll see a lot of recipes tell you to squeeze or blot your shredded zucchini before adding it to the batter. For this recipe, don’t. That moisture is exactly what makes these loaves so moist, and the recipe is built around it.
Here’s the thing: whether you squeeze depends on the recipe you’re following. Recipes with less flour or a lower zucchini-to-flour ratio can end up gummy with all that extra liquid, which is why they tell you to squeeze. This recipe uses 4 cups of shredded zucchini across 3 loaves with 6 cups of flour between the whole wheat, all-purpose, and wheat germ. There’s plenty of dry ingredient to absorb it.
The one time to pay attention is if you’re using a very large zucchini. Those hold more water, and it’s part of why I recommend small to medium ones.
Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread Tools
You will need standard size loaf pans to make this quick bread recipe.
How to Make Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread
Pre-heat oven and prep baking dish. Pre-heat oven to 325° F (163°C) and spray 3 standard loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Wash and prep your zucchinis. Wash and grate your zucchinis. Measure out 4 cups of shredded zucchini and set aside. There is no need to pat your zucchini dry; this is what adds moisture to your bread!
Make your flax “eggs”: Mix the flax and water together in a small dish and set aside. Goal to have it sit at least 5 minutes to thicken.
Mix together wet ingredients, sugar, and zucchini. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs well, then add in both sugars, oil, flax/water mixture, the shredded zucchini, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
Add in dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (if preferred, you can mix together in a separate bowl prior to adding to your wet ingredients). Stir until well combined and a batter is formed. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Divide batter evenly between 3 prepared pans. If desired, top with additional chocolate chips.
Bake. Place in the oven and bake for 60-75 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaves.
Cool loaves in their pans for 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Allow your loaves to cool in their pans for 10-15 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Slice and serve: Slice and enjoy! I like to eat mine with some butter.
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Variation Ideas
- Add nuts. Stir in up to 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans along with the chocolate chips. Toasting them first deepens the flavor if desired (I don’t usually bother with this).
- Add dried fruit. Stir in up to 1 cup of raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dried apricots.
- Add more warm spices. Our recipe leans on cinnamon, but ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of ginger, or a pinch of cloves adds depth. Or use pumpkin pie spice.
- Skip the chocolate chips. The bread is good without them if you’d rather have a plain loaf, and it leans more breakfast than dessert that way.
- Use summer squash. I’ve made this with a mix of green zucchini and yellow summer squash many times. Use whatever looks best.
- Make one loaf instead of three. Divide every ingredient by three. You’ll need about 1⅓ cups of shredded zucchini, and the bake time stays about the same.
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe Tips
- After washing your zucchini, cut off the rounded end and use the stem-end as a handle while grating. This will allow you to use up as much of your zucchini as possible to create your shredded zucchini for use in this recipe
- I like to use a simple 3D, or box grater, to grate my zucchinis. I place my grater on a dinner plate, and while applying medium pressure, quickly move the zucchini up and down the grater, always keeping the vegetable touching the grater (it grates on the downward motion). The box grater will keep most of the shreds inside of it, and the plate is a simple surface to transfer your grated zucchini to a measuring cup on.
- Do not use a super small grating size for zucchinis, they will turn to mush. I use the larger, circular holes on my box grater. Similar to what you might use for a block of cheese.
- How to Use Wheat Germ: Don’t let your package of wheat germ go to waste! We love using wheat germ in this wheat germ muffins recipe as well as adding it to yogurt, smoothies, cereal, and granola is an easy way to incorporate wheat germ into your day-to-day meals. Additionally, wheat germ is a fantastic substitute for bread crumbs in meatballs and meatloaf. It’s a breadcrumb alternative for breaded chicken as well!
- Look for loaf pans at your local thrift shop! I have found that thrift shops can have some high quality kitchen items, especially when it comes to miscellaneous pans (like bread pans, pie pans, bundt pans, etc.) at a very low price point. If you are in need of a loaf pan for this recipe, check out the thrift shop! You can also get loaf pans from your local home goods store or online.
How To Store Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread
Zucchini bread should be stored in an air-tight container (or ziplock bag) to prevent it from drying out. Store on the counter for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Freezing Zucchini Bread
You may be wondering if you can freeze zucchini bread. And the answer is a resounding yes! We love pulling a loaf of this bread out of the freezer to enjoy during the winter when the best fresh produce is a sweet, sweet memory.
How to freeze a loaf of zucchini bread:
- Make sure your loaf of zucchini bread is cooled completely before wrapping (I often leave my loaf on my cooling rack and cover it with a tea towel for several hours to ensure it is fully cooled and I won’t trap moisture around my loaf when I store it)
- Make sure to properly wrap your loaf to avoid freezer burn. Do this by doing a tight, double wrap of plastic wrap followed by one layer of tinfoil
- Label and date the wrapper so you know what it is and when it was made when you see it in your freezer.
- Freeze up to 6 months (I find it’s best when eaten within 3-4 months)
- When you’re ready to enjoy your frozen zucchini bread, remove the layer of tinfoil and let the plastic wrapped loaf thaw at room temperature (about 1-2 hours). Slice and enjoy!
FAQs For This Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread Recipe With Chocolate Chips
No! I’ve used a mixture of green zucchini and yellow summer squash in this recipe many times. Select whichever looks best at your farmers market, grocery store, or from your garden.
This is usually due to underbaking. Whole wheat loaves can look done on the outside while the center is still wet, and at 60 to 75 minutes these are in the oven a long time. Test with a toothpick in the very center of the loaf, not off to the side, and give it another 5 minutes if it comes out with wet batter.
No. The skin softens completely during baking and you won’t notice it in the finished loaf. Just wash the zucchini well before grating.
Yes, using the shredding disc rather than the blade. A food processor is much faster if you’re making the full three-loaf batch. Just don’t use the regular blade, since that turns zucchini to mush.
So we’re actually using a combination of a flax egg and regular large eggs! The flax adds a nutty depth and extra structure to the batter, and it works alongside the eggs rather than replacing them. If you don’t have ground flaxseed, you can leave it and the water out, and use 2 additional eggs instead.
Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
Zucchini Bread Recipe with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 5 tablespoon water
- 2 C brown sugar
- ½ C granulated sugar
- 1 + ⅓ C vegetable or canola oil
- 4 C grated zucchini (~3-4 medium zucchinis)
- 4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 C all-purpose flour
- 1 C wheat germ
- 3 C whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 + ½ C chocolate chips
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 325° F (163°C) and spray 3 standard loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Wash and grate your zucchinis. Measure out 4 cups of shredded zucchini and set aside. There is no need to pat your zucchini dry – this is what adds moisture to your zucchini bread.
- Make your flax “eggs” by mixing the flax and water together in a small dish and set aside. Allow this to sit at least 5 minutes to thicken.
- Beat the eggs well, then add in both sugars, oil, flax/water mixture, the shredded zucchini, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (if preferred, you can mix together in a separate bowl prior to adding to your wet ingredients). Stir until well combined and a batter is formed. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Divide batter evenly between 3 loaf pans. If desired, top with additional chocolate chips.
- Place in the oven and bake for 60-75 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaves.
- Cool loaves in their pans for 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Slice and enjoy! I like to eat mine with some butter.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container (or ziplock bag) on the counter for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
- Make sure your loaf of zucchini bread is cooled completely before wrapping
- Make sure to properly wrap your loaf of zucchini bread to avoid freezer burn. Do this by doing a tight, double wrap of plastic wrap followed by one layer of tinfoil
- Label and date your frozen whole wheat zucchini bread with chocolate chips
- Freeze up to 6 months (I find it’s best when eaten within 3-4 months)
- When you’re ready to enjoy your frozen zucchini bread, remove the layer of tinfoil and let the plastic wrapped loaf thaw at room temperature (about 1-2 hours). Slice and enjoy!
marge says
The BEST zucchini bread, and love that it’s whole wheat / whole grain
Meredith says
So happy that you love this zucchini bread recipe too! Thanks Marge 🙂
David says
This is such a great zucchini bread recipe. My new go-to!!!
ourlovelanguageisfood says
glad this is your go-to recipe now too! 😊