Chocolate Zucchini Bread…Healthified

Oh Helloooo out there. I’m back. T’was a quick trip, but so worth it. My niece is darling, and we had an awesome weekend with family and friends. (FYI I started this post yesterday and am just barely getting it up. SHEESH. Crazy monday!)

Now for the Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe as was promised HERE…
I got this recipe from the Our Best Bites Cook Book. It is an AWESOME. My mom gave it to me upon my arrival in AZ and I was so excited about it! I am sure I’ll have more modified recipes from there in the future, because they have some great ideas! One of my favorite things to do when I go home is cook with my mom because she always has everything on hand. None of this…run to the store business. It’s the greatest. She is always up to let me try out new things too which is great.

This bread turned out awesome. We made one loaf and 18 muffins. My mom informed me later that I used the wrong bread pan, which is why it is so flat. oops…

Healthified Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Original recipe found HERE
(I have included the regular recipe with my modifications)

Ingredients:
2 cups flour (I used 2 cups whole wheat flour)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup plus 2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup canola oil (I used 1/2 cup applesauce instead)
1 cup granulated sugar (I used 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup baking splenda)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs (I used egg beaters)
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream (I used 1/2 cup 0% Fage Greek Yogurt, fat free sour cream would work as well)
3 cups shredded zucchini
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (I left these in…because they made it MONEY)

Topping
2 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS granualted sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

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.) If you only have regular chocolate chips, or a chocolate bar, just give it a chop so it’s the size of mini chocolate chips.
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 (8″ pans…not 9″ like i used). and sprinkle topping over each. Place pans on a cookie sheet for easy moving.
Bake in your preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. Set your 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 without goopy batter on it and the top will be gorgeous and cracked with sugar.
It makes fantastic muffins as well.Cook them at the same temp. Set your timer for 10-12 minutes and then keep an eye on them.

I haven’t worked up the nutrition facts on these because we ended up splitting them up between the bread and the muffins. I will work on that. I must admit that I am such a fan of quick breads. I think they are SO DANG TASTY, and one chalked full of zucchini? What’s not to love?  

Do you like veggie inspired baked goods? (Zucchini/Carrot/Pumpkin/Sweet Potato?) I LOVE them. In fact these Sweet Potato Muffins are a favorite of mine as well as these Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.