Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Bread

If you're a gardener, there's a good chance that you've got more zucchini than you know what to do with (or that you will soon). If you're not a gardener, there's a good chance your gardening friends are trying to unload their extra zucchini on you (or they will be soon). When a friend of mine recently shared a recipe for chocolate zucchini bread, I couldn't wait to make it. Since I was out of eggs at the time, I decided to go ahead and veganize the recipe, and it turned out perfectly amazing. This recipe is perfect for those overgrown extra large zucchini. It can also be made with shredded zucchini that has been frozen, just thaw before using. This bread is so moist and delicious, you could even pass it off as cake! This recipe makes two loaves (or two 8X8 square cakes).

What You'll Need:

• 4 Cups shredded zucchini
• 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed
• 6 Tablespoons warm water
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 Teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or almond) extract

What You'll Do:

• Place shredded zucchini in a sieve or colander over a bowl to drain excess moisture while preparing other ingredients.
• In a small bowl, mix ground flax and water, set aside. (This is the egg substitute and needs to thicken slightly.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease (or use cooking spray) 2 loaf pans or 2 8X8 inch baking pans.
• Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine flax/water mixture and sugar (you can either use an electric mixer or stir by hand). Mix until smooth. Add olive oil and vanilla (or almond) extract and stir until combined. 
• Stir the zucchini into the sugar mixture. At this point, you might check back to the recipe in disbelief, thinking "that MUST be a typo, this is WAY too much zucchini". It's not. Trust me. It seems like too much, but it melts right into the bread and makes it perfectly moist.
• Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, combining well after each addition.
• Divide the batter between the two loaf pans (or 8X8 inch baking pans).
• For loaf pans, bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. For 8X8 cakes, bake for 30 minutes. The bread/cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
• Allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. When cooled completely, cut with bread knife and enjoy!

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