All Natural Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I'm really excited about this post.  Maybe a little too excited considering it's just food, and I don't normally post about food.  It usually means that whatever I made is now half gone and I ended up feeling physically sick (because even too much of a good thing is a bad thing, right?)  So I have to share it with the world in hopes that someone else will do the same and share in my sweet, sweet misery.  

I wish that meant I had done a lot of sit-ups, or gone running or something...

Nope.  

Here's what I'm really talkin' 'bout...

Mmmm.  MM, Mm, MMMMM, mm, MMMmmm.  

Let's cut straight to the chase and read this recipe, shall we?  No time wasting.  Go grab your mixing bowl.  

1/2 C. Organic Coconut Oil 

1/4 C. Natural Butter  

3/4 C. Honey

Beat oil, butter and honey until smooth, then add:

3 Eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

1/2 C. Buttermilk (OR: 1/2 C. milk with a splash of lemon juice or rice vinegar)

Mix until combined.

In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients::

2 1/2 C. Whole wheat flour or Organic Non-GMO white flour if you're a texture person.  Half wheat and half white works well too.

1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. baking soda

4 TBSP. cocoa powder

After your dry ingredients are all blended together, add them to the wet mixture and mix well.

Next add:  

3 Zucchini (about 6" long) washed with ends cut off, grated thinly - add directly to the batter.  Or grate it all into a bowl and then add to the batter - it was just easier that way.  Mix it in until combined and add a small amount of nuts or chocolate chips, about 1/2 -1 C and mix in well.  

Turn your oven on to 325°.  While that heats up, grab two 9x5 loaf pans.  GREASE and FLOUR them.  I just rub a finger scoop worth of all natural butter on the pans and then coat in flour. 

Pour batter evenly into the two pans and when your oven is ready, bake for 50 minutes and then check on your loaves.  A toothpick should come out cleanly.  If it's still a little moist, add 4-5 more minutes and check again.

Remove from oven and let cool in pans for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from pans and let cool another 5-10 minutes.   Store in an airtight ziplock or plastic container and then put it in your fridge.  It was really good warm out of the oven, but REALLY good (I'm talking REALLY) the next day after it sat overnight in my fridge.  Like it was marinating itself.  The flavor just got even better.  Trust me.

Being chilled also helps it keep it's form well when slicing.  

Yuuum, Yuum.  Share, if you can.  Your family, friends, and neighbors will thank you for it.  And you will feel good too.  You'll be happy, because sharing is awesome, and because you'll thank yourself for letting go of a few calories.   

Enjoy!  

Special thanks to my mother in law for introducing me to this wonderful recipe.  She rocks.