Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Avocado Frosting! This thick moist chocolate zucchini cake with creamy avocado frosting recipe is a delicious way to sneak in some veggies!

So I went outside today to check on my garden for the first time in days and I found these monster zucchinis. And by monster sized I really mean it! This zucchini was the size of half my leg!

Needless to say, zucchini season is still on at my house and next on the menu is this super easy to make healthy chocolate zucchini cake recipe with rich creamy dark chocolate avocado frosting.

Love baking and want to truly take your healthy baking up a notch? Read my full No Discard Sourdough Starter Guide for Beginners! You can use sourdough starter in everything from cookies to cakes, breads, and so much more!

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE INGREDIENTS

My healthy chocolate zucchini cake recipe is made with no refined sugar and no white flour! Here's what you'll need to make my healthy chocolate zucchini cake!

• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1 cup mashed bananas (or pureed dates for a sweeter flavor)
• ¾ cup avocado oil or coconut oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
• 2 ½ cups white wheat flour or 1:1 gluten free flour
• ½ cup raw cacao powder
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder (aluminum free)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon pink sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup milk of choice (unsweetened) 

NOTE: this recipe was updated February 2025 to be more healthy, my original chocolate zucchini cake used 2 cups of cane sugar. If you are making the original recipe, leave out the apple sauce and bananas and use 2 cups of sugar.

GUT HEALTHY BENEFITS OF THE ZUCCHINI CAKE INGREDIENTS

• Apple Sauce provides pectin, a prebiotic fiber that feeds good gut bacteria and supports digestion. It also helps maintain regular bowel movements.
• Mashed Bananas (or Pureed Dates) nourish beneficial gut bacteria with resistant starch and soluble fiber, promoting smooth digestion and preventing constipation.
• Avocado Oil or Coconut Oil reduce gut inflammation with oleic acid and support beneficial gut bacteria with medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs).
• Eggs maintain a healthy intestinal lining by providing choline and support gut repair with their high-quality protein.
• Pure Vanilla Extract fights inflammation in the gut with its antioxidants and helps soothe the digestive system.
• Zucchini hydrates the digestive tract with its high water content and supports gut bacteria with pectin, a prebiotic fiber.
• White Wheat Flour or 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour provides prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria, while gluten-free options like oat or almond flour support digestion without irritating sensitive guts.
• Raw Cacao Powder strengthens the gut microbiome with polyphenols, which act as prebiotics, and supports digestion with magnesium.
• Pink Sea Salt supports digestive enzyme production with its trace minerals and helps regulate stomach acid levels for smoother digestion.
• Ground Cinnamon balances gut bacteria with its antimicrobial properties and reduces bloating by aiding digestion.
• Milk of Choice (Unsweetened) supports digestion with gut-friendly fats, and options like oat milk provide beta-glucans, a type of prebiotic fiber that feeds good bacteria.

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE FROSTING RECIPE WITH AVOCADO!

Want a healthy fluffy and creamy chocolate frosting recipe for your healthy chocolate zucchini cake? Look no further! My incredible healthy chocolate frosting uses up not 1 but 2 ripe avocados and is so easy to make!

• 2 ripe avocados
• ½ cup raw cacao powder
• ½ cup pure maple syrup or raw honey
• 2 tablespoons softened coconut oil
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE!

First, start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lining a 9" glass baking dish with parchment paper. I find that parchment paper works way better to prevent sticking than greasing the pan.

Mash the ripe bananas until they are totally pureed in a large mixing bowl. 1 cup mashed ripe bananas is about 2 large bananas.

Mix in the 1 cup of apple sauce. If you want a sweeter flavor, use 1 cup pureed dates.

Next, add the ¾ cup avocado oil and 3 eggs. Beat to combine and to fluff up the eggs a bit. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 2 cups shredded zucchini and mix to combine.

In a separate bowl, sift together 2/12 cups wheat flour (or 1:1 gluten free flour), ½ cup cacao powder, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Add the dry mixture alternatively with milk to the egg mixture. I added half the dry mixture, then half the milk, and repeated with the other 2 halves. Mix your batter until it is just combined. Over mixing can leave you with a chewy cake texture.

Finally, pour the batter into your prepared baking dish.

Bake in the center rack for 50-60 minutes.

Your healthy chocolate zucchini cake will be done when:

-A toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

-The top springs back when lightly pressed

Allow your healthy chocolate zucchini cake to cool completely before you add the frosting!

How to make a one bowl chocolate zucchini cake:

Are you in a time pinch and want to make your chocolate zucchini cake in 1 bowl? Or, like me and you don't want to do ANY extra dishes!! To make this chocolate cake batter in one bowl, grab a large bowl. Add all your dry ingredients and sift them together.

Then, form a well (a hole) in the center of your dry ingredients. Add all your wet ingredients to the center of the well. Whisk the wet ingredients together, being careful not to mix in the dry ingredients yet. Finally, mix your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY CHOCOLATE FROSTING

While your cake cools, add 2 ripe avocados, ½ cup cacao powder, ½ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons softened coconut oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to a blender or food processor.

Blend the ingredients until you have a smooth and creamy chocolate frosting.

Spread the frosting on top of your cooled cake and enjoy!

How to store chocolate zucchini cake

Store your cake at room temperature with a tight fitting lid for up to 3 days. After 3 days the texture will start to taste dry and stale.

FAQ's

Why is my chocolate zucchini cake dry?

Your chocolate zucchini cake may be dry due to a few common reasons:

1. Too much flour – If you overmeasure the flour, the batter can become too thick, leading to a dry cake. Use the spoon and level method rather than scooping directly from the bag.
2. Not enough moisture – Ingredients like apple sauce, mashed banana, and zucchini provide natural moisture. If your zucchini isn’t shredded finely enough or squeezed out too much, the cake may turn out drier.
3. Overbaking – Baking the cake too long or at too high a temperature can remove too much moisture. Check for doneness a few minutes before the suggested baking time using a toothpick.
4. Not enough fat – Healthy fats from eggs, avocado oil or coconut oil keep the cake moist. Reducing the oil too much or using substitutions can result in dryness.
5. Overmixing the batter – Mixing too much can develop excess gluten (especially if using wheat flour), making the cake dense and dry. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.

How to Fix It:

• Add a bit more shredded zucchini or an extra tablespoon of oil if the batter looks too thick.
• Check for doneness early and remove from the oven as soon as a toothpick comes out clean.
• Store the cake properly in an airtight container to retain moisture.

Can you make a chocolate zucchini cake vegan?

This chocolate zucchini cake can be made vegan! The only thing non vegan in this recipe are the eggs! Instead of an egg, make 1 flax egg. To make a flax egg simply mix 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons water. For the milk, you can use any type of milk that you have. I used vanilla soy milk in my cake batter.

The chocolate avocado frosting has all vegan ingredients already!

Does zucchini cake need to be refrigerated?

No zucchini cake does not need to be refrigerated. I personally don't like storing cakes in the fridge because I don't like eating them cold. But, if you want to extend its shelf life a little bit, I think you could store in the refrigerator. Super moist cakes, like zucchini cake, tend to go bad quicker at room temperature.

Do you peel zucchini for baking?

No! Don't peel the zucchini for baking. It might be tempting to peel the zucchini's skin, but you don't need to. Zucchini melts into the cake, so peeling it is just extra unnecessary work.

How long does zucchini cake last?

Properly stored, freshly baked zucchini cake will last for up to 3 days at room temperature. You can extend its shelf life by storing it in the fridge. Freshly baked zucchini cake will keep for up to a week in the fridge if stored in an airtight container.

How many calories are in a piece of zucchini cake?

1 piece with frosting: 495 calories, 21g fat (1.9g polyunsaturated 14.4 monounsaturated), 79g carbohydrate (6.5g fiber), 8g protein.

More Healthy Baked Dessert Recipes you're going to love!

• Surprise Carrot Cake
• Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts
• Blue Marble Donuts
• Pink Cinnamon Rolls
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
• Almond Flour Funfetti Cupcakes
• Healthy Strawberry Poptarts
• Twix Bars with Date Caramel
• Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies
• Healthy Pumpkin Brownies

If you try my Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!

~Rosemary