Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Peanut Butter Swirl

A great snack or breakfast treat, this Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Peanut Butter Swirl is a subtly sweet take on the age old union of peanut butter and chocolate. Trick your kids into eating vegetables by giving them this delicious dessert bread, or just eat the whole loaf yourself. Trust me when I say that after one bite, it’ll be hard not to!

The grocery list.

• Zucchini – I don’t believe in “guilt free” baking; you should never feel guilty about the foods that you nourish your body with! Food should not be associated with guilt at all. If you are trying to maintain healthy habits, search for healthier recipe options. If you are being mindful about what you eat but are also looking for a sweet treat, this healthy baked good is perfect!
• All-purpose flour 
• Cocoa powder – I used organic cacao powder for this recipe, but it’s essentially the same thing as cocoa powder. It has nutritional benefits, so I recommend trying it as a cocoa powder substitute! 
• Chocolate chunks – I use semi sweet chocolate chunks because I don’t want my zucchini bread to be overly sweet. 
• Baking soda – The rising agent in this bread to make it light and fluffy. 
• Egg
• Kosher salt – Salt may seem strange to add into baked goods, but it does a good job of enhancing the other flavors of the zucchini bread. 
• Olive oil – You can use melted butter instead of olive oil but I looooove baking with Olive Oil best.
• Maple syrup – I sometimes use maple syrup as a substitute for sugar. It provides a subtle sweetness in baked goods, and that works perfectly for this recipe because chocolate and peanut butter is a combo that doesn’t need to be too sweet. It also adds to the maple flavor of the Fix & Fogg coffee and maple peanut butter. 
• Fix & Fogg coffee & maple peanut butter – My absolute favorite peanut butter; I could eat this by the spoonful! 
• Flaky salt – I like to sprinkle flaky salt on the zucchini bread when it’s out of the oven because I think it enhances the peanut butter flavor and makes it even more delicious (if that’s even possible)! 

The preparation.

You could bake this in the oven, but I used my Traeger grill! Anything that you normally bake in the oven, you can also make in the grill. Since the Traeger regulates its temperature, it’s a great way to keep the house cool in the summer months by making these baked goods, outside! Start by preheating your oven or Traeger grill to 375°F.

Shredded zucchini for the win, and the moisture!

Now, prepare the zucchini. You don’t need to peel the skin off of your zucchini when you shred it. The zucchini practically melts into the bread as it bakes, so leaving the skin on won’t impact the texture or flavor of the bread. After you shred the zucchini you must drain the water out of it. Zucchini has a high moisture content, so to prevent your bread from being soggy place the shredded zucchini on a kitchen towel, hold it over the sink and squeeze the zucchini within the towel until most of the water has drained. Place the drained zucchini in a small bowl and set it aside. 

Mixing the batter.

Mix your dry ingredients: combine the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, chocolate chunks, baking soda and salt in a large bowl by whisking it. The reason you mix dry ingredients before adding the wet is because it allows them to be evenly distributed through your baked good. Add your zucchini and mix to coat it in the flour mixture.

In a separate small bowl combine the egg, olive oil and maple syrup. Whisk the wet ingredients until they are combined and smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. You don’t want to mix it too much because you will risk your bread collapsing or falling apart when it comes out of the pan. Use a silicone spatula to bring the batter together until no dry bits remain.

Rather than buttering your loaf pan, line it with parchment paper. It will make it much easier to remove your bread from the pan. 

Pour the batter in a parchment lined loaf pan. Use your silicone spatula to evenly distribute the batter in the pan. Drizzle the top of the batter with the peanut butter and use a fork to swirl the peanut butter into the batter. 

Using the Traeger Grill for baking.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted to the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove your zucchini bread from the grill or oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. The pan will support your hot bread as it cools so it will retain its structure. After the 10 minutes use the parchment paper to lift your zucchini bread loaf from the pan and allow it to finish cooling on a wire rack for an additional 15 minutes before slicing it. If you slice it while it’s still warm, it will crumble and fall apart. 

Sprinkle flaky salt onto your Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Peanut Butter Swirl and enjoy! 

Storing options.

You want to allow enough time for your bread to completely cool before cutting it or putting it inside any container. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting! When your bread is completely cooled you’ll want to store it in any type of covered container at room temperature. I like to keep mine in a breadbox on the kitchen counter so I can grab a piece every time I walk by!

Looking for more sweet treats to bake in your Traeger grill?

Here are a few to try:

Banana Chocolate Chip Skillet

Cardamom Carrot Loaf w/ Brown Butter Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Ricotta Banana Muffins with Oat Crumb

Lastly, if you make this Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Peanut Butter Swirl recipe, be sure to leave a comment! Above all, I love to hear from ya’ll and do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of your dayyyummm good recreations is my favorite!

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