Craving something healthy and sweet?

If you’re like me and suffer from the most intense sweet cravings, you’ll appreciate this recipe.

I am always on the hunt for a way to sneak chocolate into my diet in a healthy way and this Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread recipe does just that.

I adapted this recipe from Women’s Health but put a bit of my own spin on it to make it even more healthy. I used whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose and cut the oil in half and substituted some applesauce. Next time, I’m going to nix the oil entirely and see how it tastes.

This is how sinful it tastes: I tested it out on my dad and did not tell him that it was healthful. I waited until he was on his second mini loaf and raving about how good the “cake” tasted before breaking the news.

Now… to keep it healthful maybe don’t eat two full mini-loaves. A good serving is about half of a mini-loaf or a thick slice from a standard-size loaf.

It tastes like yummy cake with a hint of cinnamon, especially if served warm.

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce (next time I’ll use one full cup applesauce and no oil)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded zucchini (about 3/4 pound)
• 1/4 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt

I use a mini-loaf pan but you can also use two standard 9 x 5 pans . This amount of dough makes two full-size loaves or about eight mini loaves.

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 and grease your pans.

2. Combine the flour, 1 cup of the chocolate chips, the cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl, whisk together.

3.  Melt the rest of the chocolate chips by either using a double broiler or the microwave. If you microwave them, go in 10-second increments to prevent burning.

4. Stir together the melted chocolate, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in another large bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

5. Add the zucchini and yogurt in alternating batches, stirring well after each addition. It is normal for the batter to be very thick.

6. Scoop the batter into the pans and bake for about an hour (or 30 minutes if you’re using the mini-loaf pan). Cool in the pans for about 10 minutes then finish cooling on a rack.

Yum! Enjoy!