Chocolate Zucchini Bread

From EatingWell: January/February 1999, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004) — Subscribe Now!

In this recipe remake, we replaced much of the oil with fruit-based fat replacement, reduced the amount of unsweetened chocolate but added cocoa powder and used half as many nuts but toasted them for maximum flavor. The result retained the original's tender crumb and rich, chocolaty flavor with only one-third the fat.

READER'S COMMENT:

"Very good. I upped the cocoa to 1/3 cup, used only 3/4 cup sugar, left out the melted chocolate and replaced 2 of the eggs with Egg Beaters. This reduced the calories to 167 and 6 total grams of fat. I only had a 9x5 pan, so I made 6...

2 loaves, 8 slices each

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 3/4 hours

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, (1 3/4 ounces)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch-process
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup fruit-based fat replacement, such as Lighter Bake, or unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 cups grated zucchini, (1 medium)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
Spread walnuts in a pie pan and bake until fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk eggs, sugar, fruit-based fat replacement (or applesauce), oil, vanilla and melted chocolate in another large bowl until blended. Add to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in zucchini and the reserved walnuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, smoothing the tops.
Bake the loaves 55 to 60 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto rack and cool completely.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store well wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Per slice: 239 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 40 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 143 mg sodium; 97 mg potassium.

2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Nutrition Note: Original Zucchini Bread 365 calories, 23 g fat EW Zucchini Bread 239 calories, 8 g fat