Simply Suzanne's AT HOME: chocolate zucchini bread

I love sharing amazing recipes with you . . . and this is one of them!

It truly is. Not only is this chocolate zucchini bread a beautiful loaf to behold with it's crackled sugar top and rich brown nooks and crannies . . . but it's a perfectly flavored and textured chocolate bread.

It's crumb is tender and moist (and again, flavorful) . . . courtesy of sour cream and 3 cups of shredded zucchini. Yes, 3 cups of finely shredded zucchini.

It might be a stretch calling this amazing bread 'healthy,' but given the low amount of sugar . . . and the high amount of zucchini . . . I'll venture to call it a 'healthy alternative.'

My little ones helped me grate the zucchini and mix the batter, and were quite skeptical of what it would taste like given the amount of zucchini and the lumpy batter . . . but their curiosity peaked when our home was filled with the smell of chocolate while it was baking in the oven. And the best part, after one bite, they were hooked!

I can't wait for you to try it, too!

Ingredients
recipe inspired by Our Best Bites

{makes 2 loaves}

. . . . . . .

2 cups flour

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cups canola oil

1 cups sugar

1/4 cups brown sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

3 cups FINELY grated zucchini

1 cup mini chocolate chips

. . . . . . .

Topping

4 T brown sugar

4 T white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon
. . . . . . .

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch loaf pans and set aside.

Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Place flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

With a stand or hand mixer beat oil, white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until combined and slightly fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined.

Gently stir in the grated zucchini.

Take a spoonful of the flour mixture and stir in with the chocolate chips (that will help keep them evenly distributed.)

Add the remaining flour mixture to the batter and stir just until combined. Add chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Divide the batter between the two pans and sprinkle topping over each.

Bake in your preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. I set my timer for 45 minutes and then keep an eye on it for the remainder.

When it’s done a toothpick or skewer should come out clean and the top will be cracked with sugar.
Don't over-bake!

Let it cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes and then remove from pans. Enjoy!