Name: Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Zucchini Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 3-1/2 cups zucchini, grated; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder; 2 tsp baking soda; 3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt; 1/2 tsp espresso powder; 1-1/2 cups pure cane sugar; 1 cup olive oil; 2 large eggs; 2 tsp pure vanilla extract; optional: 2 oz dark (bittersweet) chocolate (60-70% cacao), chopped

Ingredients

Scale

3–1/2 cups zucchini, grated
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
1/2 tsp espresso powder
1–1/2 cups pure cane sugar
1 cup olive oil
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
optional: 2 oz dark (bittersweet) chocolate (60-70% cacao), chopped

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 5×9-inch loaf pans with butter or baking spray. Set aside.
Grate the zucchini. You want the zucchini to be moist (these keeps the zucchini bread tender and moist), but if the zucchini seems particularly wet (dripping), wrap the grated zucchini in paper towel or cheesecloth, and very gently squeeze to release some of the extra liquid.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder until well-combined and lump-free. If the cocoa powder is especially clumpy, sift it before adding to the other dry ingredients. Set aside.
In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, olive oil and egg until very smooth and completely combined. Stir in the vanilla followed by the zucchini. Working in two batches, gently fold in the flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
Divide between the prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle with the chopped chocolate, if using. Bake on the middle rack for 40-50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the loaf pans on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans, then let cool completely before slicing.

Notes

To store, wrap tightly in aluminum foil. May be kept at room-temperature for up to a day, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or, in the freezer for 2-3 months.