Sweet Sourdough Zucchini Chocolate Bread (vegan)

July 23, 2023

reading time: 2 min

I call this my ZuBaChoSo. Short for "zucchini banana bread with chocolate chips and sourdough" also known as "Carrie's chocolate chip zucchini bread but make it vegan and sourdough", lol. Since both of these names aren't that great, ZuBaChoSo it is!

It is basically Carrie Rad's chocolate chip zucchini bread but – like I said, the plant-based version, and with sourdough added to it.

This recipe is perfect for the infamous zucchini flood that usually hits you around July/August in the Northern hemisphere where you don't know what to do with all those zucchinis popping up in your garden beds, and your neighbours are practically hiding from you because they don't want to be showered with zucchinis (again).

That's when this recipe comes in handy. (Along with vegetable lasagna where you can swap out most of the lasagna noodles for zucchini slices!)

It's sweet and definitely more on the cake side than on the bread side, but not too sweet. It's moist (in a good way), and filled with chocolate bits that will melt in your mouth. And the best thing: It has vegetables in it, and you won't even notice!

So what are you waiting for?

Grab your zucchinis, and let's start baking!

VEGAN SOURDOUGH ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE BREAD

adapted from Carrie Rad

Preparation time: 60 min
Main ingredients: flour, zucchini, banana, chocolate, sourdough
difficulty level: easy
makes: 1 loaf
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, wheat-free, soy-free, low-sodium

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose spelt flour (type 630)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup raw cane sugar (or more, if you prefer it sweeter)
1 cup finely shredded zucchini
1/2 cup vegetable oil (e. g. canola oil or olive oil – I used canola)
2 ripe bananas
1/4 cup dry sourdough starter (if you don't have a sourdough starter, use 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or 3 tbsp aquafaba instead!)
2/3 cups vegan chocolate chips or chopped vegan chocolate + more chocolate chips or chunks for the top of the bread

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 °C / 350 °F.

In a bowl, mash the bananas using a fork. If that isn't possible they aren't ripe enough and therefore not sweet enough! In that case, you could lightly cook your banana and add some additional sugar to your batter.

To the mashed bananas, add vegetable oil, sourdough starter, and sugar. Set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the banana/oil/sourdough mixture to the flour mixture. Also add in the shredded zucchini. Mix everything together with a spoon or spatula until just combined.

Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Transfer batter into a lightly greased or parchment lined loaf pan, and sprinkle with a few more chocolate chips.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 45–50 minutes. Check on the loaf after 30 minutes – if it is already nice and golden on top, place a piece of foil on top and bake for 15 more minutes. Once a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, remove from the oven.

Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and transferring to a wire rack.

Enjoy with some plant-based butter (and chocolate spread 😍) on top, or as is.