Chocolate Espresso Zucchini Bread (with video)

Ok, who doesn’t know Zucchini Bread? Raise your hand. I’m looking at you. I know the truth. We all know the truth. —The truth is it’s an old recipe (made new), plus…it’s healthy!?! Yeah, healthy. You know you’re getting your vegetables if zucchini is in the name. Well, I’m happy to help 😆 …with a big ‘ol helping of Chocolate Espresso Zucchini Bread with Ganach!

Let me tell you…I love this new dessert! It’s zucchini bread with a Chocolate Espresso inside and out! It’s beautiful, moist, and fluffy bread, and with the name Zucchini— you’re getting your vegetables as well! I mean you might as well plop it on some salad! Ha, kidding. No. Don’t.

Zucchini Bread…the memories.

Zucchini reminds me of my childhood when Granny or anyone over the age of “old” would bring the dessert bread. I remember grabbing a slice, adding margarine (cause that was healthy 😆), and slapping a pad right on a warm piece of banana nut bread or zucchini bread. Those were the days! I’ll tell you, now I’m the old lady bringing healthy bread to the party 😆 . I’m kidding! I wouldn’t just take it to a party…I’d make it any day. Hehe.

Adding the Chocolate Espresso takes it from a piece of tasty bread to chocolate heaven! Espresso elevates the chocolate flavor, giving it a café vibe. Oh, la la! C’est bien! (That was French and Spanish combined—my fault for taking French in High School. Who would have thought you wouldn’t need to speak French in Texas?)

Now…onto how to make this beautiful lug of yumminess.

How to make Chocolate Espresso Zucchini Bread:

Before I forget…DON’T FORGET to add flakey salt and more slices of zucchini on top. The zucchini adds a nice crisp crunch to a warm, melty piece of bread.

Now, let’s get down to business.

Step 1

Always set your table with all the things you’ll need. This is called Mise En Place (all French, no sneaky Spanish this time, haha). Also, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and make sure your butter is softened. Lay parchment paper in the loaf pans.

Grab mixing bowls (1 small, one large), a mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer), a scraping spatula, measuring cups, spoons, and 2 loaf pans. THIS DOES MAKE 2 LOAVES. Divide in half if you only want to make one. My thought is keep one, and give one away—cause your a super great neighbor like that!

Step 2

With your mixer, start blending your softened butter and sugars (brown and white). Whip until light and fluffy. Then, add eggs, one at a time. Let it become a pancake-like batter without streaks and fully incorporated.

Step 3

Get a large mixing bowl and add all the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, espresso). In my video, I mixed the espresso with the chocolate chips. That’s fine, too. Just stick it in there 🫵 😆. Add espresso to the dry ingredients or the chips.

Add these dry ingredients with a fine mesh shifter —sift and put the bowl to the side. Time to make the liquid ingredients.

Step 4

Add the liquid ingredients —buttermilk (or make your own with 1 1/2 cups milk and a tablespoon of vinegar) and oil in a large liquid measuring bowl.

Step 5

Take your dry ingredient bowl and your wet ingredient bowl to the butter mixer area. You will turn your mixer on and add 1/3 dry then 1/3 wet, then 1/3 dry, then 1/3 wet, and so on until your done. Take the beaters out and go to the next step.

NOTE: the batter should look like waffle batter—thick but pourable.

Step 6

Fold in the zucchini and the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Fold about 4 times -that should be plenty.

Step 7

Divide the batter amongst two pans. (Don’t forget to use parchment paper to line your pan; don’t need to spray)

Step 8

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min. to 1 hour, until a small knife or toothpick comes out clean. You will also see the center jiggle (love that word, hehe) if it still needs some time to cook.

Step 9: making the Chocolate espresso ganache

Get a small bowl. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of whipping cream to the bowl. Put the bowl in your microwave and cook for 20 seconds, stirring it each time until you have a smooth consistency. This took me about 60 seconds total.

NOTE: If you find your chips “burnt,” they were probably cooked too long without stirring.

Toppings

I love to add a cold, crisp crunch to the top by adding more diced (leftover) zucchini. I also love flaked salt anytime there is chocolate involved.

You may find yourself adding a pad of butter (who am I to say no to that?!!), but with the Ganache, you don’t need to.

Note:

~You absolutely CAN refrigerate or freeze it. I would wait to add the Ganache until the end, so it feels fresh, but you can do it either way.

~If you’re transporting it somewhere, I would definitely leave it in the loaf pan or in a cake box.

~If it’s cold or frozen, transporting will be easy no matter the vessel.

~leave in the freezer for no longer than a month.

Pin this bad-mayma-jayma! (pinterest)

On the upper left corner, pin it to your favorite dessert board so you will forever be able to reach your true chocolate zucchini espresso bread Fred. (Or something like that)

Check out this fascinating video:

How-to video!

Hope that helps! The work always pays off 🙂

Love to you and your new healthy bread :),

(kidding…it’s a dessert)

Yours truly,

Farmer Fran

BUT!! HAVE YOU SEEN?!! This LEMON POPPYSEED BREAD with LEMON ICING. 🤤 you must! Or the Great Debate with Granny’s Banana Bread vs. Franny’s Banana Bread….who do you think won? Hehe…I’m not telling!

Give me your thoughts below 👇 I can’t wait to hear from you!