Peppermint Death by Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Chocolate peppermint zucchini bread sliced on a wooden cutting board.

Peppermint Death by Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Peppermint death by chocolate zucchini bread is a wonderfully festive twist on a classic. It takes the warm, comforting characteristics of homemade zucchini bread and turns it into a moist and flavorful fudgy treat. Make this holiday treat for Christmas or celebrate year round by baking up this loaf any time of the year!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings

Calories 458kcal

Author Alana Lieberman

Cost $15

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Zucchini Bread:

1 ½ cups grated zucchini
¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
¼ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
2 eggs room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup dutch process cocoa see notes for substituting regular unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

For the Chocolate Ganache (Glaze):

a handful of peppermints and candy canes
1 ⅓ cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

For the Chocolate Zucchini Bread:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper and nonstick spray.
Grate the zucchini into a paper towel lined bowl using the larger sized holes of a cheese grater. Allow the paper towel to soak up the excess water, while you prepare the rest of the batter.
Combine the slightly cooled melted butter, vegetable oil, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add in vanilla, peppermint extract, and eggs. Then, whisk again.
Add the all purpose flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until it is just combined. Do not overmix.
Carefully fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips, reserving a few for the top.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, top with the rest of the chocolate chips, and place it in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove the loaf from the oven, allow it to cool for 15 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.

For the Chocolate Ganache (Glaze):

Add the peppermints and candy canes to a plastic bag. Pound them with the back of a spoon or meat mallet until they become finely crushed. (You might want to double the bag so the mints don’t fly all over your kitchen.)
Place the chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Set it aside.
Add the heavy cream to a sauce pan and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes over medium low heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips, cover the bowl with a lid, and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, gently and slowly whisk the cream and chocolate together until it becomes smooth. Let the mixture sit uncovered at room temperature for 15 minutes or until it becomes thick enough to coat the bread.
Place the bread on a cooling rack on top of a sheet pan to collect the excess glaze. Pour the chocolate glaze over the bread until the top is completely coated. Sprinkle the crushed mints over top and allow the topping to thicken a bit more before slicing and serving.

Notes

What is dutch process cocoa? In short, dutch process cocoa is a less acidic cocoa powder. It helps to keep the bread moist, yet airy, with a rich chocolatey flavor. If you do not have dutch process cocoa, you can easily substitute it 1:1 with regular unsweetened baking cocoa powder plus an additional ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to help neutralize the acid.
1 ½ cups of shredded zucchini is equivalent to about 2 small zucchinis.
If you’re looking for a plain chocolate zucchini bread, simply leave out the peppermint extract, mints, and candy canes.
You can also experiment by turning this loaf recipe into muffins, but be sure to watch carefully and adjust the cooking time accordingly so they don’t burn.
This bread will keep on the counter in an airtight container for up to 4 days. (If the chocolate glaze gets too gooey, you can also store it in the refrigerator to help it solidify.) You can also freeze this bread completely cooled and tightly covered for up to 1 month. Then, defrost it before slicing and eating.

Nutrition