This Vegan Zucchini Bread with Yogurt and Chocolate Chips is everything a good zucchini bread should be: incredibly moist, tender, lightly spiced, and packed with melty chocolate chips. It’s an easy one-bowl recipe that makes the most of fresh summer zucchini, and the addition of plant-based yogurt gives the loaf an especially soft, rich crumb.
Whether you’re swimming in garden zucchini or simply looking for an easy vegan quick bread, this is a loaf worth making.
Why You’ll Love It
- Incredibly moist and tender: Vegan yogurt and fresh zucchini work together to create a soft, tender crumb that stays moist without being gummy.
- Packed with chocolate chips: Melty chocolate chips add just the right amount of richness to every slice.
- Easy one-bowl recipe: No complicated techniques or piles of dishes—just mix, bake, and slice.
- Perfect for using fresh zucchini: It’s a delicious way to turn an abundance of summer zucchini into something everyone will want to eat.
- Vegan without sacrificing texture: You won’t miss the eggs or dairy. This loaf has the tender, satisfying crumb you’d expect from a classic zucchini bread.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Vegan Zucchini Bread with yogurt and chocolate chips
Zucchini
Fresh zucchini provides moisture and a subtle vegetal sweetness. You don’t need to peel it—just wash it well and grate it using the large holes of a box grater.
Plant-Based Yogurt
Plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt keeps the loaf moist and tender while adding a little acidity to the batter.
Flour
All-purpose flour gives this zucchini bread enough structure while keeping the crumb soft.
Brown Sugar
Brown sugar adds sweetness, moisture, and a deeper caramel-like flavor thanks to its molasses content.
Oil
A neutral-flavored oil keeps the loaf tender and moist. Unlike butter, oil remains liquid at room temperature, which helps quick breads stay soft for several days.
Chocolate Chips
Chocolate chips add rich pockets of melted chocolate throughout the loaf. Use your favorite dairy-free chocolate chips.
Warm Spices
Cinnamon and other warm spices complement the zucchini and chocolate without overpowering them.
Why Use Yogurt in Vegan Zucchini Bread?
Plant-based yogurt does more than add moisture to vegan zucchini bread—it helps create that soft, tender texture we want in a quick bread.
Yogurt contains water as well as proteins, sugars, and fats, depending on the variety you use. During baking, that additional moisture creates steam, which helps keep the crumb soft rather than dry. The acidity in yogurt also helps tenderize the gluten network, resulting in a more delicate texture.
The zucchini contributes plenty of moisture, too, but it isn’t always consistent. Some zucchini are incredibly watery while others are relatively dry. Yogurt gives the batter a more predictable source of moisture, helping produce a consistently tender loaf.
For the best results, use a plain, unsweetened, relatively thick plant-based yogurt. Coconut, soy, almond, or oat yogurt can all work as long as the consistency isn’t watery.
How to Make Vegan Zucchini Bread with Yogurt and Chocolate Chips
This vegan zucchini bread comes together in one bowl. You’ll start by preparing the zucchini and whisking together the wet ingredients before adding the dry ingredients. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips, transfer the batter to a loaf pan, and bake until golden and fully set in the center.
Vegan Zucchini Bread with Yogurt and Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- 210g (1 ¾ cup) All Purpose Flour
- 4g (1 tsp) Baking Powder
- 3g (½ tsp) Baking Soda
- 4g (1 ½ tsp) Cinnamon
- 1g (¼ tsp) Nutmeg
- 3g (½ tsp) Salt
- 120g (½ cup) Vegan Yogurt unsweetened, plain
- 120ml (½ cup) Canola Oil
- 100g (½ cup) Brown Sugar
- 100g (½ cup) Vegan Cane Sugar
- 10g (2 tsp) Vanilla Extract
- 160g (1 ¼ cup) Zucchini shredded, no blotting necessary
- 180g (1 cup) Vegan Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Lightly spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl combine the vegan yogurt, oil, brown sugar, cane sugar and vanilla. Whisk together well, until emulsified.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt straight into the large bowl or whisk together in a small bowl first. Gently mix until there are still a few streaks of flour left. Now add in the shredded zucchini and vegan chocolate chips. Fold in with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Spread the batter into the loaf pan. Use an offset spatula or spoon to level out the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a tester comes out nearly clean (maybe a few crumbs) and with no raw batter. Leave bread to cool in the pan for about 1 hour. Remove and finish to cooling completely on a wire rack.
- Wrap tightly and keep at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Expert Baking Tips for the Perfect Loaf
Don’t Over-Mix the Batter
Once you add the flour, mix the batter as little as possible. Over-mixing develops gluten, which can make your zucchini bread dense or chewy instead of soft and tender.
A few small lumps are perfectly fine. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see obvious streaks of flour.
Don’t Completely Dry Out Your Zucchini
Zucchini varies significantly in water content, so managing that moisture is important.
After grating, gently press or squeeze the zucchini to remove some of the excess water. You don’t need to wring it completely dry. Removing too much moisture can leave you with a drier loaf, while leaving an excessive amount can make the center gummy.
Use Thick Yogurt
A thick, plain, unsweetened plant-based yogurt works best here. Very thin or watery yogurt can add more liquid than the recipe is designed to handle.
Measure Your Flour Correctly
Too much flour is one of the easiest ways to end up with dry zucchini bread. For the most accurate results, weigh your flour with a kitchen scale.
If you’re measuring with cups, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping directly from the flour container.
Don’t Overbake It
Quick breads continue to cook from residual heat after they come out of the oven. Start checking your loaf toward the end of the recommended baking time.
A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If it has wet batter clinging to it, give the loaf a little more time.
Let It Cool Before Slicing
This might be the hardest tip to follow, but it’s worth it. Cutting into the loaf while it’s still very hot can make the crumb seem gummy and cause the slices to fall apart.
Let it cool until it’s warm or completely cooled before slicing.
How to Store and Freeze Quick Bread
Once completely cooled, store your vegan zucchini bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to about a week.
You can also freeze zucchini bread, either as a whole loaf or in individual slices. Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap or another freezer-safe material, then place it in an airtight freezer bag or container.
Individual slices are especially convenient because you can thaw exactly what you need. Let a slice come to room temperature, or gently warm it in the microwave for a few seconds for that just-baked texture.
This zucchini bread also makes a great make-ahead bake for busy mornings, lunchboxes, or whenever you need a little chocolate with your coffee.
FAQs About Vegan Zucchini Bread with Yogurt and Chocolate Chips
Is zucchini bread naturally vegan?
Traditional zucchini bread often contains eggs, butter, or dairy. This vegan zucchini bread is completely egg-free and dairy-free, using plant-based yogurt and oil to create a soft, moist crumb.
What makes vegan zucchini bread moist?
Fresh zucchini, vegan yogurt, and oil work together to keep this loaf moist and tender. The yogurt also adds acidity and helps create a softer crumb.
Why use yogurt in vegan zucchini bread?
Plant-based yogurt adds moisture and tenderness while helping create a more consistent texture. Use a plain, unsweetened, thick vegan yogurt for the best results.
Do you have to squeeze zucchini for zucchini bread?
No, there’s no need to remove excess water. The moisture bakes right into the quick bread.
Why is my vegan zucchini bread gummy in the middle?
A gummy center usually means the loaf was over mixed or needs more baking time. Make sure you gently fold the batter until *just* combined. Use a tester to make sure the center is fully set. Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing so the crumb has time to set.
Can I make vegan chocolate chip zucchini bread without the chocolate chips?
Absolutely. Simply leave them out for a classic vegan zucchini bread, or replace them with chopped walnuts, pecans, or another favorite mix-in.
Can I make this vegan zucchini bread gluten-free?
You can substitute a gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour blend. Choose a blend formulated specifically for baking, and keep in mind that the finished loaf may have a slightly different texture.
How do you store vegan zucchini bread?
Store completely cooled zucchini bread in an airtight container or wrapped tightly at room temperature for 3-4 days or refrigerate it for up to a week. Individual slices can also be wrapped and frozen for longer storage.
Can I turn vegan zucchini bread into muffins?
Yes. Divide the batter into a 12-count muffin tin with liners and bake until the centers are set. Since muffins bake much faster than a loaf, begin checking them well before the loaf’s recommended baking time. Bake at 350F for 20-24 minutes.
If You Love This, Try…
If you loved this vegan zucchini bread, here are a few more Ritual Pastry recipes to bake next:
- Vegan Peach Cobbler — juicy summer peaches tucked beneath a tender, golden biscuit topping.
- Easy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake — soft and chewy in the center, crisp around the edges, and loaded with melty chocolate chips
- Rustic Summer Strawberry Galette — a flaky pastry with sweet, juicy strawberries and plenty of rustic charm.
- Vegan Biscoff Banana Pudding — creamy, nostalgic, and packed with Biscoff cookie flavor.
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