It has been awhile! Between breaking my foot (all healed up now), exploring my roots in Germany with the hubby and getting my garden stuffed with plants for the Summer I haven’t been baking much at home lately. However, when I saw my yellow zucchini plant starting to produce waaaay too much I knew it was high time to pull out my Oma’s recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Bread and start “speltifying”!
I didn’t have to change much since this zucchini bread is so tasty as it is, but I did make a few tweaks to turn the chocolate bread into a lemon bread… I couldn’t resist.
Although I don’t have a memory or family story to pass on with this recipe, it did warm my heart to see my Oma’s writing on the recipe card and the spelling mistakes that come with German sometimes getting in the way of English she writes down. 😀
I hope your hubby or wifey gives you the same reaction mine did when he took his first bite… “sweet Jesus that’s good”. He sure knows how to put a smile on my face. 🙂
Happy baking and happy Summer!
Sophie
Update September 27, 2025: I have tinkered quite a bit with these recipes this year including lowering each recipe to make one loaf each (easily doubled if you want to), increasing the chocolate flavour in one and the lemon flavour in the other and just generally making the process of putting them together easier.
If you liked this recipe you are going to love these ones!
Whole Grain Spelt Banana Bread
Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Spelt Bread
German Fruit and Nut Spelt Bread (Swabian Hutzelbrot)
Oma’s Chocolate Zucchini Spelt Bread (a lemon version too!)
Ingredients
Chocolate Zucchini Spelt Bread
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sour cream at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups yellow or green zucchini, grated and packed at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose, organic spelt flour (also called white spelt flour) or all purpose wheat flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips 1/2c inside the dough, 1/4c sprinkled on top
Lemon Zucchini Spelt Bread
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon zest zest of approx. 2 large lemons
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sour cream at room temperature
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups yellow or green zucchini, grated and packed at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose, organic spelt flour (also called white spelt flour) or all purpose wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Lemon Glaze (Optional)
- 1 cups icing sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
Chocolate Zucchini Spelt Bread
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar until combined. Add the egg and whisk again until creamy. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream and whisk again. Add the grated zucchini and stir with a spatula until combined.
-
In a small bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips onto the wet ingredients. Gently fold and stir with a spatula until completely incorporated.
-
Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Spread evenly, then sprinkle 1/4 cup of chocolate chips on top. Bake for 45 – 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so before removing the loaf using the parchment paper and transferring to a cooling rack.
Lemon Zucchini Spelt Bread
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and lemon zest together vigorously until fragrant. Add the melted butter and whisk until combined. Add the egg and whisk again until creamy. Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice and sour cream and whisk again. Add the grated zucchini and stir with a spatula until combined.
-
In a small bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients onto the wet ingredients. Gently fold and stir with a spatula until completely incorporated.
-
Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake for 45 – 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so before removing the loaf using the parchment paper and transferring to a cooling rack.
-
Once the loaf is cool, mix the glaze in a small bowl and either drizzle it or spread it over the top of the loaf before serving.
