This tasty quick bread is a great way to sneak vegetables into your kid’s diet. When you combine chocolate and zucchini, the zucchini disappears. I tell my veggie-phobic son Lennon he’s eating chocolate cake and he’s none the wiser! He thinks he’s really lucky to get chocolate cake for breakfast.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 servings

　　1/2 cup canola oil

　　1 cup light agave nectar

　　1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

　　2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

　　2 cups grated/shredded zucchini

　　2 1/3 cups Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix (page 19)

　　2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

　　3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

　　1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 cup dairy-free, soy-free chocolate chips

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan and sprinkle with a little gluten-free flour mix, tapping out any extra.

　　

Step 2

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the canola oil and agave nectar, mixing on medium speed for 20 seconds.

　　

Step 3

Add the vanilla and cinnamon and mix.

　　

Step 4

Add the zucchini and mix until thoroughly combined, 20 seconds.

　　

Step 5

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour mix, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. Make sure you really mix it well, so that all lumps of cocoa powder are blended in.

　　

Step 6

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low speed until just combined, 20 seconds.

　　

Step 7

Fold in the chocolate chips.

　　

Step 8

Fill the loaf pan with batter and use the back of a spoon or a frosting spatula to smooth the surface.

　　

Step 9

Bake in the center of the oven for 55 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The bread is done when a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

　　Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook