Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you take the skin off zucchini for bread? ›

Don't peel the zucchini – Yes, it's tempting to remove the zucchini's skin, but there is no need to do that. Zucchini melts into the bread, so peeling is just an unnecessary step. Do grate the zucchini – I don't know about you, but when it comes to zucchini in bread, I want it there – but I don't want to see it.

When they are larger, zucchinis tend to contain more water, which leads to excess moisture in the batter. Additionally, larger zucchinis don't taste as good, with a more bitter flavor. They can also have larger seeds. These large seeds can throw off the texture of your zucchini bread.

Grate, don't chop.

Here's how to grate a zucchini: Cut off the ends of the zucchini and rub it against the shredder side of a box grater to make a pile of squash that's perfectly sized for baking zucchini bread. You can also use the shredder blade in your food processor to quickly shred zucchini.

The most common reason for zucchini breadand other quick breads (and cakes) to collapse as they cool is the ingredients are too vigorously or quickly mixed, which incorporates lots of less stable air bubbles into the batter.

A medium zucchini will result in approximately 1 cup of shredded zucchini. If you happen to be using a larger zucchini and the seeds are large, cut the zucchini lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.

If you've ever wondered if you should try and squeeze out some of the water from your shredded zucchini before adding it to batter or dough, the answer (happily) is no! Zucchini recipes are written to accommodate their water content.

Too much baking soda or baking powder can mess up a recipe, causing it to rise uncontrollably and taste terrible.

The bread was sinking in because the leavening was wrong. It seems likely that the amounts of baking powder and baking soda were switched. Where you were using 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, the actual measure should be 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

Zucchini is abundant in the summer months, and it's fun to incorporate this vegetable when baking, too. Zucchini adds flavorless moisture. We're talking pure moisture with zero savory vegetable flavor. I don't think I would bake a cake with a green vegetable if I could taste it.

When sliced, 1 medium zucchiniyielded about 1 to 1.25 cups and if grated, you end up with about 2/3 cup of tamped down zucchini. If you need 1 cup of cooked sliced zucchini, due to shrinkage while heated it will take about 3 medium zucchini, sliced, to hit the mark.

Can you freeze zucchini? ›

While freezing zucchini is a great way to extend its life, it's not as simple as just popping a few squash into your freezer. Raw zucchini gets weepy and watery after thawing. To effectively save it, you should chop and blanch it first. This helps set the texture and color and makes it last longer.

Zucchini bread will keep for 6 months or more stored in the freezer, wrapped and stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container or plastic bag. Whether storing an entire loaf of zucchini bread, zucchini bread slices, or zucchini muffins, I recommend freezing your bread in the same way.

Generally, bread sticking to the pan is caused by one of two things: the coating in the pan or the temperature the bread was baked. Bread baked too hot will turn out gummy and dense, and will not have that perfect spring you are looking for.

Try mixing more gently, using rubber spatula to fold wet/dry ingredients without over-mixing. Why does my zucchini bread come out dry? This is usually due to either not measuring ingredients carefully or over-baking the bread.

Do you need to peel zucchini? Our Test Kitchen has good news for you: You do not need to peel zucchini before using it in a recipe. Zucchinis have very thin, tender skin. “It cooks up well without being tough,” explains Mark Neufang in the Test Kitchen.

Nope! There's no need to peel zucchini. In fact, the skin is a big source of zucchini nutrition (the deep green color is a dead giveaway) so you definitely want to leave the skin on. How to cut zucchini: after giving the zucchini squash a good rinse under cold water, slice off the stem and discard it.

Rinse the zucchini under water and wipe dry with paper towels. No need to peel the zucchini beforehand-the skin is mild in flavor and will soften when cooked. Plus, much of zucchini's fiber content is in its skin, so you don't want to throw that away.

You'll get the most health benefits if you eat the colorful skin, which holds the healthy carotenoids. Zucchini skin is soft, thin, and perfectly edible, so don't peel it off.