David and I have been hiking every Sunday morning.
I should probably be in church. But honestly, the cold air on top of the mountain brings me more peace, right now. I was raised on the smell of pine and the sound of a crackling campfire; the taste of toasted marshmallows and the sight of smoke drifting into the stars. Waking up to a cold morning may not sound wonderful, but it is. Throwing on torn-up jeans that smell like the campfire the night before and stepping out into the cold air. It was always cold in the morning, even if it was summer. There are just enough birds calling to make you smile and just enough silence to hear your heart beat.
David and I would like to think that we are not a part of the millennial generation–that we aren’t nearly dependent on the technology that incessantly interrupts our lives and shoves aside time that used to be filled with more wholesome hobbies. But we are.
My mountains are the cure. It may be a different mountain range now than when I was a kid, but it still provides an escape. Who wants to look at cute dogs in the mountains on instagram when I have fuzzybritches, who owns a large piece of my heart, chasing birds up into pine trees and staring down a family of deer right in front of me? Who wants to read cute quotes about love on pinterest when I have my other half kicking pine cones at my backside and singing hiking songs in ridiculous voices?
Baking may be my therapy, but hiking takes me home.
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Before you shake your head at yet another paleo, gluten-free recipe, realize the brilliance of it. You get to eat sinfully rich double chocolate zucchini bread . . . and not feel guilty about it! I mean, sure. If you’re cutting calories, you may want to pay attention to portion size. But this paleo bread has no gluten, no refined sugar, no chemicals, nada. This recipe is adapted from my original healthy chocolate zucchini bread. Which was an upgrade on other recipes, because it is a low sugar zucchini bread. But I really wanted to omit the refined sugar and gluten, upgrade to a healthier oil to make a moist zucchini bread, and bam. This recipe was born.
This double chocolate zucchini bread is not overly sweet–but still sweet enough to satisfy your cravings. I store mine in the refrigerator and reheat a slice for exactly 15 seconds. This makes the chocolate chips a little melty and I feel like I’m eating a molten double chocolate zucchini bread. Heaven. Cold glass of milk to wash it down and I’m ready for another slice.
How to make gluten-free chocolate zucchini bread?
As with any flourless quick-bread, the trick is using a mixture of flour types. This zucchini bread recipe uses both almond flour and cassava flour. Almond flour has a larger crumb and absorbs less, whereas cassava flour is a smaller crumb and more absorbent. The two flours help to balance each other out for a moist chocolate zucchini bread.
How to store zucchini bread?
Thanks to the zucchini, this chocolate zucchini bread is very moist. I prefer to store mine in the refrigerator to help prevent it from becoming soggy. It tastes delicious both cold or heated just a touch in the microwave!
mikaela | wyldflour
1 standard loaf
15 minPrep Time
40 minCook Time
55 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (about two small or one large zucchini)
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup cassava flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional but highly recommended)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup plain cashewgurt (or any kind of yogurt)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- extra chocolate chips for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a little extra coconut oil or ghee to grease a 5" x 9" loaf pan and set aside.
- Shred zucchini onto a pile of 4-5 paper towels. Gather the corners of the paper towels and gently squeeze the shredded zucchini. You should feel moisture soak into the paper towels, but liquid should not be dripping from the paper towels. You want the zucchini to remain moist, but not be dripping. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips.
- In a separate small bowl, melt the coconut oil. (I find that if I measure a scant 1/3 cup solid coconut oil, this will melt to 1/4 cup, but make sure you measure it in melted form.) Use a fork to stir coconut sugar into the melted coconut oil. It will become a coarse paste. Stir the cashewgurt and vanilla into the sugar/oil mixture. It should start to smooth out. Finally, use the fork to whisk both eggs into the mixture until it is smooth.
- Use a fork to mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until there aren't any lumps. The batter will be quite thick. (Remember that when the batter is baking, the zucchini is going to provide extra moisture.) Fold the zucchini shreds into the batter and spread the batter into the greased loaf pan. Sprinkle with some extra chocolate chips (I probably use 1/4 to 1/2 cup.)
- Bake loaf for 40-45 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack. Tip the loaf out onto a cooling rack when the pan is cool enough to handle.
- Store the loaf in a zip-top plastic bag in the refrigerator. (My favorite way to eat this bread is reheating a slice in the microwave for 15 seconds so the chocolate chips are a little melty!)
Notes
You can use dark chocolate chips or try Davis chocolate chips, which are paleo-compliant and made with coconut sugar, or Enjoy Life chocolate chips.
For those who asked, I use this Wilton loaf pan and the bread comes out clean every time.
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
Original Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Disclaimer: Note that the above links may include affiliate links, from which I make a small percentage. However, I personally use the above products and will only recommend something I continue to use, myself. My opinions are 100% my own. Check out my full policies here.
Comments