It’s zucchini season, which means I’m always looking for another way to use it—and adding chocolate is never a bad idea!
This Double Chocolate Protein Zucchini Bread is rich, chocolatey and moist, with a little extra protein thanks to chocolate protein powder and Greek yogurt. And don’t worry—you really don’t taste the zucchini. It just helps give the bread that soft, moist texture.
I also love that this version is gluten-free and doesn’t use a ton of protein powder. Just enough to give it a boost without making the bread taste like a “protein recipe.”
And yes, I’m still adding chocolate chips. We’re making zucchini bread, not trying to take all the fun out of it!
Double Chocolate Protein Zucchini Bread
Gluten-Free | Makes 1 Loaf
Ingredients
- 1½ cups shredded zucchini, lightly squeezed
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
- ¼ cup chocolate protein powder
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
- Wash and shred the zucchini. There is no need to peel it. Lightly squeeze out some of the excess liquid, but do not wring it completely dry.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, Greek yogurt and vanilla.
- Stir in the shredded zucchini.
- In a separate bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, chocolate protein powder, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Fold in most of the chocolate chips, reserving a few for the top.
- Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake for 45–55 minutes, beginning to check around 45 minutes. A toothpick should come out without wet batter; a few moist crumbs are fine.
- Cool in the pan for 20–30 minutes before removing and slicing.
Notes
Protein powders absorb liquid differently. If your batter seems unusually thick or dry, stir in 1–2 tablespoons of milk before baking.
Nutrition will vary depending on the brands of flour, protein powder, Greek yogurt and chocolate chips used.
Important Tip
Protein powders can absorb liquid differently. If your batter looks really thick or dry before baking, stir in 1–2 tablespoons of milk. You want a thick batter, but it should still spread easily into the loaf pan.
Can I Use Regular Flour?
Yes. If you don’t need the bread to be gluten-free, you can substitute regular all-purpose flour for the gluten-free 1:1 flour.
Do I Have to Use Chocolate Protein Powder?
No. Vanilla protein powder will work, too. The cocoa powder will still give the bread plenty of chocolate flavor.
This is especially good slightly warm when those chocolate chips are still a little melty. And if you’ve got zucchini piling up this time of year, I’d say this is a pretty good problem solver!
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