Chocolate Zucchini Bread

<article> <section> <p align="justify">When you’re first starting out on keto, it might seem that everything is savory all the time. How are you going to get your dessert fix? Over time, you’ll find that you crave sugar less—but everyone needs a little slice of chocolate heaven once in a while. That’s where low-carb creations like this dense, moist chocolate zucchini bread come in! More like a rich chocolate cake than a bread, it’s packed with nutrition from zucchini and has tons of healthy fat from almond and coconut flour. Now there’s a treat you can feel good about! </p> <h2>Explaining Erythritol</h2> <p align="justify">Erythritol pops up more and more often on food labels these days. It’s also commonly used in keto recipes to add sweetness without a ton of carbs. But what is it, exactly? Erythritol is a “sugar alcohol,” which has nothing to do with liquor and everything to do with chemical structure. Basically, it’s a substance that is extracted from plants, and tastes sweet but isn’t metabolized in the body like normal sugar. Because we can’t digest it, you don’t get a carb or calorie shock! Erythritol is about 70% as sweet as sugar. It’s a great swap in baked goods that can benefit from more balanced flavors. Interestingly, erythritol may also help improve dental hygiene, reducing plaque and bad breath. </p> <h2>Cocoa Questions</h2> <p align="justify">Cocoa powder is a fantastic way to get all that chocolatey goodness without piling on the carbs. But did you know there’s more than one type of cocoa powder? Regular unsweetened cocoa powder—also called “natural” cocoa powder—is what you get when you roast and then finely pulverize cacao beans while removing their fat content. Dutch processed cocoa powder, on the other hand, gets treated with potassium to reduce its natural acidity. It’s much darker than natural cocoa powder. The different acidities are important when baking, as natural cocoa powder works better with baking soda to give lift to your baked goods. That’s because baking soda needs acid to work. Natural cocoa powder also has a much more intense flavor than Dutch processed. Plus, less-processed forms of cocoa have more flavonols. Those flavonols improve blood vessel function and can help lower your blood pressure. </p> </section> <hr class="divider-15 divider-thick mx-auto"> <section class="recipe"> <h2 itemprop="name" align="center">Chocolate Zucchini Bread</h2> <div class="prep"> <span> <meta itemprop="prepTime" content="PT10M">Prep Time: 10 minutes</span> <span> <meta itemprop="cookTime" content="PT50M">Cooking Time: 50 minutes</span> <span> <meta itemprop="recipeYield">Serves: 10 </span> </div> <h3>Ingredients:</h3> <ul class="ingredients no-bullet"> <li itemprop="recipeIngredient">2 large eggs</li> <li itemprop="recipeIngredient">½ cup vegetable oil</li> <li itemprop="recipeIngredient">¾ cup erythritol</li> <li itemprop="recipeIngredient">1 teaspoon maple extract</li> <li itemprop="recipeIngredient">½ teaspoon powdered stevia</li> <li itemprop="recipeIngredient">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</li> <li itemprop="recipeIngredient">½ cup almond flour</li> <li itemprop="recipeIngredient">½ cup coconut flour</li> <li itemprop="recipeIngredient">½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa (not Dutch processed)</li> <li itemprop="recipeIngredient">½ teaspoon salt</li> <li itemprop="recipeIngredient">1 teaspoon baking soda</li> <li itemprop="recipeIngredient">1 ½ cups shredded zucchini</li> <li itemprop="recipeIngredient">½ cup dark chocolate chips (70% cocoa or higher)</li> </ul> <hr class="divider-50 divider-medium"> <h3>Instructions:</h3> <ol itemprop="recipeInstructions"> <li><p align="justify">Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8 x 4 inch baking pan with parchment paper.</p></li> <li><p align="justify">In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, erythritol, maple extract, stevia, and vanilla. </p></li> <li><p align="justify">In a separate bowl, sift together the almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.</p></li> <li><p align="justify">Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until evenly combined. </p></li> <li><p align="justify">Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Mix well. </p></li> <li><p align="justify">Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. </p></li> <li><p align="justify">Bake approximately 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.</p></li> <li><p align="justify">Cool completely, then slice and serve.</p></li> </ol> Note: You can also make about 8 chocolate zucchini muffins! Just pour the batter into a muffin tin that has been greased well or lined with baking sleeves. </section> </article>