Because one just can't eat enough chocolate, here's another tasty way to stuff it in: my Vegan Chocolate Bread with a chocolate-raspberry glaze that's out of this world.
I shared a more basic version of this cake with you years ago, and while that version was quite sumptuous, I wanted to make this one just more fun, especially because I have an 11-year-old around who definitely eats with his eyes first. If something doesn't look good to him, it could taste like heaven and he'd still turn his little nose up at it.
And this Vegan Chocolate Bread looks good, doesn't it? Especially with that scrummy glaze drizzled over the top. Who wouldn't want to eat it?
There's so much chocolate in this bread, it will make your chocolate-loving heart do somersaults. The first hit of chocolate is from cacao powder or cocoa powder, mixed in with the flour. The second comes from two cups of chocolate chips stirred into the batter that form little pockets of yummy chocolatey gooeyness when you bite into the bread. And the third comes from the chocolate glaze that goes on top.
I added some raspberry to the glaze, because I love the raspberry-chocolate combination, but you can make it just chocolate, or add another flavor you love. Orange would be amazing.
To make this delicious cake/bread even more delicious--and elegant--I stirred in some blanched almonds (I think they add elegance to almost anything, don't you?).
Tips for making this recipe
- This is a one-bowl recipe, so you just toss all the ingredients in one after the other, making it really convenient and reducing the need for washing up.
- I use all purpose flour in this chocolate bread, but if you want to make it healthier, you can use whole wheat pastry flour. I've used it in the past with good results, but all purpose will result in a lighter, cakier texture.
- Use a flavorless oil in this recipe. Something like olive oil will add a fruitiness you don't want in the chocolate bread. Coconut oil could work, because it's a flavor that doesn't clash with chocolate. Make sure you determine that it also complements whatever flavor you add to the glaze.
- This is a tender bread, with a crumb that's moist, dense and cakey. Applesauce adds some of that tenderness. If you want a bread that holds together more firmly, you can replace the applesauce with more oil.
- If you want to make this a chocolate banana bread, you can leave out the applesauce and add a mashed banana instead.
Hope everyone is looking forward to the long Memorial Day weekend. Make yours a memorable one!
Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Sugar
- Applesauce. You can replace this with a mashed banana.
- Aquafaba
- Vegetable oil. I used avocado, but coconut would work too.
- Nondairy milk. I used almond milk, but for a nut-free version use soy or any other.
- Pure vanilla extract
- Unsweetened and/or semisweet chocolate chips. Use semi-sweet for a sweeter bread, especially if you have little mouths around.
- Almonds (optional if you don't want nuts in here)
Looking for more vegan chocolate dessert recipes?
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
- Vegan Chocolate Oreo Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake
- Vegan Brownies
- Vegan Chocolate Babka
Vegan Chocolate Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour (unbleached preferred but not necessary. You can also replace all or part of the flour with whole wheat pastry flour)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ tablespoon baking soda
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup aquafaba
- ½ cup applesauce (can replace with a mashed banana)
- 1 cup nondairy milk
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chips (semisweet is fine too)
- 1 cup blanched almonds (optional if nut-free)
For the optional chocolate-raspberry glaze:
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 tablespoon raspberry preserves (or use another fruit preserve for any flavor you want)
- 1 teaspoon raspberry extract (again, replace with vanilla or, if you have it, the fruit extract of your choice)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line two 9 X 5 inch loaf pans with parchment paper, or oil and flour them. I prefer the parchment because the flour sometimes leaves white streaks on the sides of the bread which is fine but doesn't look pretty.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder and sugar.
- Dump in the vegatable oil, aquafaba, applesauce, nondairy milk and vanilla extract. Mix everything with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the bowl to make sure you don't leave any dry flour unmixed. You shouldn't need this, but if it feels like the batter looks too dry to mix, you can add a bit more of almond milk. This is a pretty thick batter but you should easily be able to pour it into the pans and it should smooth out on its own in the pan without you needing to help it along with a spatula.
- At the end, stir in the chocolate chips and blanched almonds, if using.
- Divide the cake/bread batter equally between the two pans. Place the loaf pans in the preheated oven and bake 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes clean. A bit of the melted chocolate inside might stick to it.
- Cool for loaves for 30 minutes on a rack and then unmold them and continue cooling.
For the Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Glaze:
- In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips along with the vegan butter until smooth. Stir with a spatula to help it along. Stir in the raspberry jam and the raspberry extract. The glaze should have a pourable consistency.
- Turn off the heat and quickly drizzle or spread the glaze on the loaves.
- Let the loaves stand an hour for the glaze to harden a bit, or you can place the loaves in the refrigerator for a few minutes to speed this.
- Slice and serve.
Nutrition
Vinee
Hi Vaishali!,
I’m so eager to try this recipe. What can I substitute for Aquafaba??
Vineet
Vaishali
Hi Vinee, use more applesauce, or 1/2 cup pureed bananas.
Ana
Chocolate bread one of the most major missing right now. Thank you very much for sharing such a tempting recipe. Surly gonna try this.
Nadia
Where is the recipe? All I see is a list of ingredients.
Vaishali
I must've accidentally deleted it as I hit post. It's back in now. 🙂
Nadia Petitt
Finally got the recipe! Thank you!
Fareeda
Hi Vaishali:
I just finished baking this bread. Like you suggested, I substituted 1/2 cup homemade applesauce for half of the sugar called for. I used the 2 cups whole wheat flour, but for the 1 cup of all purpose, substituted 1 cup of multi-grain flour.
The bread was delicious. Thanks.
Vaishali Honawar
Fareeda, so happy you liked it, and that the applesauce substitution worked. And you made the bread even healthier with the multigrain flour. Thanks for the feedback.
swetha
Hi vaishali, what can i use if i di not have flax meal...
Vaishali Honawar
Swetha, you might try subbing with 1/2 cup of applesauce instead of the flax.
Anonymous
The bread looks wonderful. As does Opie.
Steffi, our three-and-a-half year old pomeranian, loves chocolate. She jumps and she jumps till she is handed one (not that she is badly behaved. She usually does this after we return home and is excited). And typically, my family members give in. I try not to give her any.
How do you handle Opie?
Incidentally, I absolutely love your blog for the lucid, intelligent and funny writing and the solid ethical framework you seem to bring.
Vaishali Honawar
Steffi sounds so adorable! I had a little dog, Freddie, who would bark incessantly until he got what he wanted.
Opie has his own way of trying to persuade us to part with food-- he will scratch my leg with his paw and give a soulful look that is impossible to resist. But with chocolate I put my foot down-- I can't take chances with his health. Instead I will give him one of his own treats and in the end he doesn't seem to mind.
Thanks for your kind words about the blog. 🙂
Anonymous
She is one of a kind. 🙂
Thank you. I will also try giving her something else and see what happens.
And please keep writing.
Anita Darnell
Not strictly food related but....Please do not feed chocolate to your dog. They cannot break it down and it builds up in their system,eventually poisoning them. You do not have to take my word for it,either google or ask your vet for information. How sad for your Pommie to become ill over time. You can buy chocolate especially for dogs to keep her happy.
Srivalli
Vaishali, the recipe sounds wonderful...you have done a great job in making this so healthy..will surely try this sometime..thanks!..yes your Opie surely looks very cute below the table..:)
Vaishali Honawar
Srivalli, thanks. He is the apple of my eye! 🙂
Vaishali Honawar
Fareeda, my apologies. There is sugar In the recipe and I forgot to add while writing here. This is a sweet bread like banana bread. I have made the correction. You could sub half the sugar with applesauce for a less sweet but even healthier bread.
Fareeda
I would like to try this bread. Is it really that there is no sugar called for? If so, that would be wonderful!!
Thanks
Manasi
Opie rocks! I am amazed at his self control.
The chocolate bread looks so good. I must try this for S and his friends ( for them this will be chocolate cake 5+ year olds are okay with any name as long as it has chocolate 😉 )
Enjoy your weekend.
Vaishali Honawar
He is very well-behaved around food. Always waits and asks.
🙂
Kumudha
Today I baked dates cake from aayi's blog. I veganized by using almond milk.
Chocolate bread looks so good, I will make it.
Thank you so much for sharing so many tasty vegan recipes - good for our health and also of our beautiful planet Earth!
Today, I read in some article, that even united Nations is urging people to go vegan, to combat global warming.
Vaishali Honawar
Thanks, Kumudha. A vegan diet certainly helps the planet. A date cake sounds wonderful.