I love a good old lady recipe. You know the recipes you might find in the Joy of Cooking or a church lady cookbook that contains way too much sugar and outdated ingredients like lard or shortening? I think we all have many characters within ourselves. Within me lives a very old cat lady who likes to gossip with her friends over freshly baked zucchini bread and tea. To me, quick breads, like zucchini bread or banana bread, scream nostalgia. Here’s a great recipe for an old favorite with modern ingredients. No lard or shortening in sight.

There is something so homey about warm bread baking in the oven to serve for a weekend breakfast or a tea time snack. The shredded zucchini adds moisture to the finished bread without any perceptible vegetal flavor. This makes an excellent end of summer, early fall recipe, using the last of the precious summer zucchini. Even the pickiest eaters won’t know there are vegetables lurking in this chocolate-laced bread. 

As you may have guessed, quick breads refer to the speed of baking. Before the mid-1800’s, breads relied upon yeast until the invention of chemical leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda. With this modern invention, baked goods became more reliable and consistent. Yeast in this era was often temperamental and needed the skilled hand of a trained baker. With quick breads, anyone could bake. This is when old family favorites like banana bread, pumpkin bread and lemon poppyseed bread came into fashion. Some say it’s technically bread, I say it’s more like cake for breakfast. 

This is a great recipe for kids to help bake. There aren’t any complicated steps, and it’s always reliable. These make great muffins, too, just bake for 20-25 minutes for 12 standard size muffins. Simply grate your zucchini (about one large zucchini works for this recipe but be sure to measure) with a box grater. As with any baked good, don’t mix the flour too long. We just want to mix the batter until barely combined. This will leave a soft crumb and moist texture. In about an hour, your home will smell like a hug from grandma.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread (makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled, then sifted)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cocoa powder (optional)

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini (don’t drain the liquid)

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup olive oil (or other neutral oil)

2 eggs

1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt (and cocoa powder if using).
2. Grate zucchini on the largest side of a box grater into a bowl. Measure out 1 1/2 cups.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the sugar and eggs for 2-3 minutes on low. Slowly add in the oil to the mixer on low speed. Then add the vanilla, sour cream and zucchini.
4. Using a spatula, fold in the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips until just combined. Don’t overmix the batter or the resulting bread will be tough.
5. Spray a 9×5 inch loaf baking pan with oil and dust with flour. Fill with the batter and bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes. If the loaf is browning too quickly, you can loosely cover it with aluminum foil for the last few minutes of baking. You’ll know it’s done with a toothpick that comes out mostly dry. Let cool completely before slicing. Store at room temperature or in the fridge for several days.