Let’s bake these delicious and surprisingly wholesome chocolate zucchini bread loaves:

1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Loaf Pans:

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Lightly grease two 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pans with nonstick spray. You can also line them with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy removal of the bread later.

2. Combine Dry Ingredients:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup whole wheat flour, ⅓ cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg until thoroughly combined and free of lumps.

3. Combine Wet Ingredients and Zucchini:

• In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the 3 large room temperature eggs until lightly beaten.
• Add the 1 ½ cups room temperature almond milk, ¼ cup vegetable oil (or melted and slightly cooled coconut oil), ⅔ cup maple syrup, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the eggs. Whisk until all the wet ingredients are well combined and smooth.
• Stir in the 2 cups of grated zucchini (remember, do not press or squeeze out the liquid from the zucchini!).

4. Combine Wet and Dry to Make Batter:

• Pour the wet ingredient mixture (with the zucchini) into the bowl containing the dry ingredient mixture.
• Using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, stir just until combined and most of the flour streaks are gone. Be very careful not to overmix! A few small lumps are perfectly fine; overmixing will develop gluten and result in tough, dense bread.

5. Fold in Chocolate Chips:

• Add the 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips to the batter.
• Gently fold the chocolate chips into the batter with the spatula until they are evenly distributed. Again, avoid overmixing.

6. Divide Batter and Bake:

• Pour the prepared batter evenly between the two greased (and lined, if using) loaf pans.
• Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly in each pan and smooth the tops.
• Sprinkle the tops of the batter in each pan generously with more semisweet chocolate chips.
• Place the loaf pans in the preheated oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
• The bread is done when a wooden toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of each loaf comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached (no wet batter), and the tops spring back when lightly touched.

7. Cool Completely:

• Let the Chocolate Zucchini Bread loaves cool in their pans on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes.
• After this initial cooling, carefully invert the loaves out of the pans (if not using parchment slings) or use the parchment slings to lift them out. Place the loaves right-side up directly on the wire rack to cool completely before slicing. This may take 2-3 hours or longer.

Patience during cooling is key for the bread to set properly and slice neatly!