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Welcoming the weekend with this Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Zucchini Bread. One bowl, pantry staple ingredients, super quick to mix up, kind of healthy, and oh so delicious! That pretty much sums up this zucchini bread. With just a couple of zucchini, some pure maple syrup, creamy almond butter, and your favorite chocolate bar, this is sure to become your favorite way to use up your summer garden zucchini. Great for breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or a late-night dessert…enjoyed just out of the oven with a generous smear of sweet maple butter. So GOOD!

overhead photo of Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Zucchini Bread

We highlighted summer strawberries on Tuesday, so it only seems fair that today we highlight summer zucchini. But zucchini in a sweet way, and with the addition of chocolate and creamy almond butter.

Hey, it’s Friday…this is needed!

You guys, I love a good Friday dessert. You all know this. Last week we had cookies n’ cream ice cream sandwiches, the week before it was raspberry pies. And today we have zucchini bread. And yes, I know, zucchini bread…really? That doesn’t sound that exciting. But hear me out, I promise you this bread is worth your time. It’s delicious, and even, kind of sort of…healthy…depending on how you define healthy. For me ” healthy” definitely includes zucchini and chocolate, so…

Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Zucchini Bread | halfbakedharvest.com

The quick back story of this recipe is really pretty simple, I had a lot of zucchini in the fridge and a fresh jar of almond butter in the pantry. I’ve recently become very excited about baking with almond butter (more to come). The sound of a buttery zucchini bread with chocolate chunks and creamy almond butter was truly exciting to me. Normally I would sit on an idea like this for a while, probably overthink it, and then potentially never share it. But I have a new motto, stop over-thinking and just start doing.

Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Zucchini Bread | halfbakedharvest.com

So I went with it. It was kind of a dreary day and I felt like baking something slightly sweet anyway. And since I’ve been sharing plenty of berry-filled summer desserts, I thought I would switch it up and go for chocolate today.

A very good idea.

overhead photo of Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Zucchini Bread

Making this almond butter zucchini bread is simple…

You only need one bowl, some pantry ingredients, fresh zucchini, about 20 minutes of time to prep, and about an hour for baking.

The first step is the zucchini. Here’s the thing, when baking with zucchini it’s really important to remove any excess moisture (so the water). You want to do this so your baked goods don’t end up super dense and watered down. Simply shred the zucchini, let it sit on paper towels for 10 minutes, then ring the zucchini out to squeeze out all the water. It’s really easy. The drier you can get the zucchini, the lighter your loaf of bread will be.

overhead photo of Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Zucchini Bread

While the zucchini sits, make the batter.

The rest is so quick and easy. In a bowl, mix up melted butter, a couple of eggs, maple syrup – for sweetness, and a splash of vanilla. Then stir in the zucchini. Now add in some whole wheat pastry flour,  baking soda, cinnamon, plus a touch of salt. And lastly, add in the chocolate chunks.

The final step is essential to this bread. The almond butter swirl…well it’s not must, MUST, but it sure is DELICIOUS. But the chocolate chunks…well there’s no negotiating there, the chocolate chunks are a MUST!

Now, bake and wait…the absolute hardest part. Distract yourself and use the time to knock out some emails, watch your favorite show, sit in the summer sun. I could go on and on. Hey, an hour is a long time, but the upside is that the house smells incredible as this bread bakes away in the oven.

overhead close up photo of Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Zucchini Bread

The final (extra special) finishing touch.

While the bread bakes, mix together a little butter and maple syrup to create a sweet maple butter to slather over the warm bread.

Is this really needed? No, but as I said above, it adds that extra special finishing touch. Especially if you plan to enjoy this warm…which you should do. It’s just perfectly sweet, nutty, and heavy on the melty, warm, gooey puddles of chocolate. The sweet maple butter creates that “roll your eyes back” deliciousness with every last bite.

overhead photo of Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Zucchini Bread with 3 slices of bread cut

So very good!

I’m thinking some afternoon/weekend baking sounds just perfect. Especially if it happens to be a rainy summer afternoon. Nothing’s better than this bread on a rainy day.

slide angle close up photo of Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Zucchini Bread

Looking for other sweet zucchini recipes? Here are a few ideas: 

Sneaky Zucchini Chocolate Chunk Coconut Bread

Chocolate Chip Olive Oil Zucchini Banana Bread

Zucchini Peach Streusel Muffins

Lastly, if you make this chocolate chunk almond butter zucchini bread with salted maple butter, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Watch the How To video:

Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Zucchini Bread with Salted Maple Butter

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories Per Serving: 464 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Maple Butter

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch bread pan.
    2. Lay a clean towel on the counter and spread the zucchini out in an even layer, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover with another towel, and let sit 10 minutes, then squeeze out any excess water. 
    3. In a large bowl, stir together the melted coconut oil or melted butter, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Mix in the squeezed out zucchini. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate. Dollop the almond butter in teaspoon size amounts directly into the batter. Gently swirl the almond butter in, being careful not to overmix.
    4. Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until center is just set. If the bread is browning before it's done cooking, cover with foil.
    5. Meanwhile, make the maple butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter and maple syrup.
    6. Remove the bread and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting...or just eat it warm with a smear of maple butter. Enjoy!

Notes

To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour. 
Storing: this bread keeps well for 2-3 days at room temperature. 
Freezing: cool the bread, wrap well with plastic wrap, then store in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw for a few hours on the counter before slicing. 
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Comments

  1. 3 stars
    I made this bread with gluten free flour and the texture of the bread was gritty and the bread was crumbly. Not my favorite bread recipe

    1. Hey Monica! So sorry this didn’t turn out for you with the gluten free flour! I haven’t ever tested this recipe with GF flour so I wish I had more tips! xT

  2. Just made this recipe. I didn’t have zucchini so I used 2C of ripe bananas and added extra cinnamon (love cinnamon). Wow! It came out great. Not sweet but perfect. I don’t even like banana bread and this was wonderful. I’ll try zucchini next time.

    1. Hey Deborah,
      Happy Monday!! I really appreciate you trying this recipe out, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week:)

  3. 5 stars
    Made this yesterday exactly as written and was completely delish!! Thank you for so many fun and yummy recipes!

    1. Hey Rachael,
      Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a hit! Have a great weekend:) xx

      1. 3 stars
        I made this tonight. It is delicious but was too soft. I feel there was too much chocolate in the batter. I used a Lindt 70% cacao bar. Could that be the issue?

        1. Hi Jenny,
          Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was too soft! You could always reduce the chocolate next time and use all purpose flour in place of the pastry flour. I hope this helps! xx

  4. I have this baking right now and I have a question about the maple butter. Should I smear it over the top of the whole loaf, or should it added to each slice as we eat it? We plan on enjoying over the next few days of a ski trip! Thanks so much:)

    1. Hi Anne,
      I add it to each slice, but whatever you like:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan