It’s zucchini season, and there’s no end to it in my garden. The solution is this moist and luscious Chocolate Zucchini Bread. (Yes, those are MY teeth marks on the first slice!) I guarantee it will stir your taste buds, and send an enchanting message right down to your heart. With so many nutritious ingredients, it’s good for your body too! The flavor is similar to Paleo Pumpkin Bread or Sweet Potato Bread, but infinitely sexier…
This is a low-carb, Paleo bread that’s gluten-free and grain-free, with natural, zero-sugar sweeteners that won’t affect your blood sugar. The recipe allows you to sweeten to your own taste by tasting the batter at the end. What level of sweetness do you prefer? A low level of sweetness indicates a healthy metabolism, however many of us are used to a high level of sweetness. So you can choose your preferred sweetness: Level 1 is low, Level 2 is medium, and Level 3 is high. That’s giving you a lot of power to control your own flavors, so let me know your comments.
Honey is a true Paleo sweetener, however I don’t use it much as it’s almost as high in sugars and carbs as cane sugar! That’s why honey causes blood sugar to spike, setting up a vicious cycle that de-stabilizes the metabolism for the whole day, and is especially bad for children. With an epidemic of obesity and diabetes related to sugar consumption, I’ve taken myself off honey.
What about stevia? I recently discovered that stevia is highly refined with chemicals, which is not Paleo at all. The chemical taste of stevia powder or drops doesn’t sit well with me. A true Paleo option is unprocessed green stevia powder, however many people dislike its lingering aftertaste. In this recipe I’m offering a new sweetener option called Lo Han Pure by Swanson. It’s a safe, natural sweetener from Monk Fruit and is zero-glycemic with zero calories, to give your blood sugar a break. (This is a REAL find!) Lo Han Pure is about 6x as sweet as sugar, and it tastes delicious. Another sweetener option is Just Like Sugar Table Top natural chicory root. Or use your preferred sweetener. Yield: Three 4.5 x 2.5-inch mini loaves; two 7 x 3-inch loaves; one 9 x 5-inch loaf; or a 9-inch square pan. A food processor is helpful but not required.
Look what I found in my garden! A GIANT zucchini hidden under the leaves.
Guess what I made out of it?
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup pure cacao powder
- 1/4 heaping teaspoon unprocessed salt
- 11/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, grated or ground
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- Coconut butter, 151 grams of hard, and 2/3 cup if soft. (If mixing by hand, soften it by placing the container in a bowl of hot water)
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature (See The Best Eggs are Pasture-raised Organic)
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup (about 200 grams) zucchini, grated and pressed a bit in a colander to remove excess liquid
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- About 1 1/2 cups sweetener to taste such as Just Like Sugar Table Top natural chicory root sweetener, or 1/4 cup PureLo Lo Han Sweetener by Swanson, or 1 cup raw honey, or your favorite sweetener.
- 11/2 cup chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans, soaked and toasted if possible (See All About Nuts)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking pan with parchment paper that hangs over the edges like handles.
- In a food processor or mixing bowl, add almond meal, baking soda, cacao powder, salt, and spices. Process well. Add the coconut butter and mix until it resembles a paste. Add the eggs, zest, vanilla, zucchini, vinegar, almond butter, and sweetener. Mix well.
- Pulse in the nuts briefly and pour batter into the baking pans.
- Bake mini loaves 20 to 22 minutes, 7 x 3-inch pans 35 to 45 minutes, 9 x 5-inch pan 40 to 50 minutes, 9-inch square pan 25 to 35 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 1 hour. Chill for 1 hour for easy slicing.
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