Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread (or Cake as the case may be)

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread
(adapted from Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook)

2.5 cups all purpose flour
1.5 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (I have also used semi-sweet in the past)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1.5 cups sugar
1 cup sunflower oil (you can use canola but I don't know why you would want to.)
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini (about 3/4 pound)
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat two 9x5 loaf pans (or one 9x13 pan) with cooking spray.

2. Combine flour, chocolate chips, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Stir together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in another bowl.  Add flour mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.  Add the zucchini and yogurt in alternating batches, stirring well after each addition.  The batter will be very thick - sometimes I have to add a little bit more yogurt.

4. Divide between two loaf pans (or dump it all in the 9x13 pan) and bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on rack for 10 minutes then turn the loaves onto the rack to cool completely.  If you're using a 9x13 pan you can just leave it in there.

You can also use mini loaf pans which I generally prefer BUT one of my kids (or maybe it was me) misplaced all of my mini loaf pans.  I usually keep one mini loaf out and freeze the rest.  This recipe freezes very well.  I wrap the loaves in plastic wrap then wrap with aluminum foil and put them in the freezer.

The original recipe (two loaves) will serve 16 - 8 slices per loaf.  The original nutritional information is as follows:

Nutrition per serving
354 calories
4 g protein
44 g carbohydrates
20 g fat
4 g saturated fat
25 mg cholesterol
240 mg sodium
2 g fiber

I substitute sunflower oil for canola and I don't use fat free Greek yogurt - just plain Greek Yogurt.  Maybe it is fat free?  I'm not sure.  I tend to avoid anything that is labeled Fat Free. 

Here it is all nice and warm! 

Some of my loaves from last year.