If you love zucchini bread but hate grating zucchini, this is the recipe for you. I wanted a lazy zucchini bread—something quick, easy, and with as little prep as possible.
So I borrowed an idea from one of my favorite Brazilian recipes: Brazilian carrot cake. Instead of grating the carrots, you simply throw them in the blender. Why not do the same with zucchini?
The result is a wonderfully simple zucchini bread with no grating, no squeezing handfuls of zucchini, and no complicated prep. Just blend the zucchini with the wet ingredients, mix in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips, and bake.
And this isn’t a dry zucchini bread. It’s incredibly moist, soft, and tender, with chocolate chips throughout and an optional sprinkling of coarse sugar on top that bakes into the most delicious crackly, slightly crunchy crust.
There is one important thing to know, though: let this bread cool completely before slicing it. Because it is so moist, cutting into it while it’s still warm can give you a gummy-looking interior. Trust me—it’s worth waiting.
Why You’ll Love This Blender Zucchini Bread
- No grating or squeezing zucchini — cut it into chunks and let the blender handle it.
- One-bowl batter — blend the wet ingredients, mix with the dry, and you’re ready to bake.
- Seriously moist — the zucchini gives this loaf a soft, tender crumb that stays moist for days. Chocolate + cinnamon — the combination gives this zucchini bread a warm, rich flavor without making it overly sweet.
- That crackly sugar top — coarse sugar bakes into a crisp, crunchy topping that contrasts with the soft center.
- Even better the next day — if you can resist cutting into it, the texture improves as the loaf rests.
Ingredients
You only need simple baking ingredients to make this zucchini bread, but a few are worth highlighting:
- Zucchini: No need to peel, grate, or squeeze it. For the most consistent results, I recommend weighing your zucchini rather than measuring it by volume. Zucchini can vary significantly in size and moisture, and because it provides much of the moisture in this recipe, using too much or too little can affect the final texture.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are my favorite, but milk or dark chocolate also work.
- Turbinado sugar (or another coarse-grain sugar): Optional, but highly recommended. The larger sugar crystals create a thin, crunchy, crackly crust on top that contrasts beautifully with the soft, moist bread underneath.
The remaining ingredients—eggs, vegetable oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, sea salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour—are straightforward baking staples.
How to Make Blender Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
- Blend: Blend the zucchini with the wet ingredients until smooth.
- Mix: Combine the dry ingredients, then stir in the blended zucchini mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Bake: Transfer to a loaf pan and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using. Bake until golden and cooked through.
- Cool: Let the loaf cool completely before slicing. This is important! Because the bread is very moist, slicing it while warm can result in a gummy center.
Why Blend the Zucchini?
The whole idea behind this recipe came from Brazilian carrot cake.
Traditional Brazilian carrot cake doesn’t require you to grate the carrots. Instead, the carrots are blended with the wet ingredients before being combined with the dry ingredients.
I thought: why not do the same thing with zucchini?
Blending makes this zucchini bread much quicker to prepare and saves you from pulling out a grater, grating zucchini, and dealing with a pile of shredded vegetables.
It’s basically the lazy way to make zucchini bread—and I’m completely okay with that.
Why You Need to Let It Cool
Even when the bread is fully baked and passes the toothpick test, the interior is still very soft when it first comes out of the oven. Slicing it while hot can compress the moist crumb and make the center appear gummy.
Let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove it and transfer it to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Once cooled, the crumb will set and you’ll get the soft, moist texture you’re looking for.
Tips for the Best Blender Zucchini Bread
- Don’t peel the zucchini.
The peel blends easily into the batter and adds a little color. - Don’t grate or squeeze the zucchini.
That’s the whole point of this recipe! The moisture from the zucchini is important for the texture. - Don’t overmix the batter.
Mix just until the flour disappears for a tender loaf. - Don’t skip the cooling time.
This is probably the most important tip. The bread needs time to set before you slice it. - Try the coarse sugar topping.
It’s completely optional, but the crunchy, crackly crust is such a good contrast to the soft interior. - Save some chocolate chips for the top.
A few scattered over the batter before baking make the finished loaf look extra inviting.
Storage
Once the zucchini bread has cooled completely and you still have not sliced it, place it back in the loaf pan and leave it uncovered. I find it not only stays perfectly moist this way, and also the sugar topping keeps its delicious crisp texture.
If you have the patience, it’s even better the next day. The crumb has more time to settle, and the texture becomes especially soft and moist.
For longer storage, you can cover the loaf or transfer it to an airtight container. Just keep in mind that covering the bread will soften the crisp sugar topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to grate the zucchini?
No! That’s one of the reasons I love this recipe. The zucchini is blended with the wet ingredients, so there’s no grating required.
Do I need to peel the zucchini?
No. Just wash it well, trim the ends, and cut it into pieces small enough for your blender.
Do I need to squeeze the zucchini?
No. Unlike many traditional zucchini bread recipes, you don’t need to squeeze out the zucchini’s moisture for this recipe.
Why does my zucchini bread look gummy?
If you sliced the bread while it was still warm, that is likely the culprit. This is a very moist zucchini bread, so it needs to cool completely before slicing.
Can I skip the sugar topping?
Absolutely. The coarse sugar topping is optional, but it gives the bread a delicious crackly crust that I highly recommend.
Blender Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Equipment
- blender
- 9 x 5-inch loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 300 g zucchini about 1½ medium zucchini, not peeled or grated
- 2 large eggs
- 150 g vegetable oil ⅔ cup
- 100 g granulated sugar ½ cup
- 100 g brown sugar packed (½ cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 250 g all-purpose flour 2 cups
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar or another coarse-grain sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, or simply grease and flour the pan.
- Wash the zucchini, trim the ends, and cut it into chunks. Do not peel or grate. Weigh out 300 g and add it to a blender along with the eggs, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Blend until smooth.300 g zucchini, 2 large eggs, 150 g vegetable oil, 100 g granulated sugar, 100 g brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, sea salt, baking soda, and baking powder.1 teaspoon table salt, 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 250 g all-purpose flour, ¾ cup chocolate chips
- Pour the blended zucchini mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, being careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the top.2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar
- Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out without wet batter.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes, then carefully transfer it to a cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely before slicing—ideally for several hours (about 6 hours). Once completely cool, the crumb will have set and the bread will slice cleanly without a gummy centre.
- Once completely cool, slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Weigh the zucchini: I strongly recommend weighing it rather than relying on the size of the zucchini. Zucchini varies in size and moisture, and it provides much of the moisture in this recipe. Too much or too little can affect the final texture.
- No grating needed: Cut the zucchini into chunks and blend it with the wet ingredients. There is no need to peel, grate or squeeze it. Don’t skip the cooling time: Even when fully baked and passing the toothpick test, the centre is very soft when hot. Letting it cool allows the crumb to fully set. Slicing too early can make the centre appear gummy.
- Turbinado sugar: The topping is optional, but it creates a crisp, crackly crust that contrasts beautifully with the soft loaf. urbinado sugar works beautifully, but you can use other coarse-grain sugars such as demerara or coarse sparkling sugar. The larger crystals create that crisp, crunchy topping. Avoid regular granulated sugar, which dissolves more readily into the surface.
- Storage: Once completely cooled, return the loaf to the pan and leave it uncovered. For longer storage, cover it or place it in an airtight container, but the crisp sugar topping will soften.
Nutrition
Recipe Note: This recipe was inspired by Smitten Kitchen’s Ultimate Zucchini Bread, with slight changes to the ingredients and method.
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