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Fudgy, moist, and completely vegan, this zucchini brownie recipe is a delicious, healthy-ish egg-free dessert option! Coming together quickly in just one bowl with a few simple ingredients. These zucchini brownies are a great way to sneak extra veggies into those picky eaters!
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Zucchini brownies are a great way to make use of your garden’s bounty in a delicious way. Not only are we adding fresh vegetables to these brownies, but they are also egg-free! These healthy brownies are only 30 minutes away.
If you’re still flooded with excess zucchini, here are 30 recipes made lighter with zucchini.
“I’m new to cooking and trying to find healthy alternatives to some of my favorite foods. Tonight, I tried your Cauliflower Alfredo recipe with the Zucchini Brownies for dessert. They were amazing!! Thank you for sharing your awesome recipes!!” – Sarah
Recipe at a glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Vegan & Egg Free
Key Flavor: Chocolate
Skill Level: Easy
Summary
- Hidden Veggies: Zucchini brownies are a great way to sneak in vegetables without compromising on taste. Raw zucchini is very mild in flavor, letting the chocolate flavors shine.
- Kid Friendly: Toss some chocolate chips on top, and the kiddos will be hooked; they’ll never even know that zucchini is hidden inside!
- Gluten Free Option: Easily adapt this recipe to be gluten free by swapping out your AP Flour 1:1 with Gluten Free Flour.
- Incredibly Moist: Zucchini adds the perfect amount of moisture to these brownies, making them soft and tender.
Ingredients to make zucchini brownies
- Flour: I use all purpose flour, and this gives these brownies a cake-like texture
- Oil: I use canola oil in these brownies which has a neutral taste. It helps to make the brownies wonderfully moist and fudgy. You can use any other neutral oil.
- Sugar: I prefer to use cane sugar which is unrefined and less processed. You can use granulated if that’s what you have.
- Cocoa powder: Gives these brownies a deep and rich chocolate flavor.
- Zucchini: Grated zucchini helps to bind the ingredients together so that you don’t need an egg, which makes these brownies vegan-friendly. Use a box grater to grate the zucchini.
- Vanilla extract: I like to add a little vanilla extract to flavor the brownies. Use pure rather than imitation if you can.
- Baking soda: Baking soda helps the brownies to rise when they bake.
- Salt: A little salt helps to bring out the sweetness.
- Bitter-sweet chocolate chips: I like to add in chocolate chips for that extra chocolate hit in each bite!
Popular substitutions & additions
- Flour Alternatives: For those with gluten intolerance, swap out the flour for your favorite gluten-free flour. You can also use whole wheat or almond flour for zucchini brownies.
- Sweetener Options: Instead of using cane sugar as I did here, you can use a liquid sweetener like maple syrup or honey or a low-calorie sugar like stevia or erythritol can be used, but be on the lookout for changes in taste and texture with any option.
- Nuts & Seeds: Add chopped walnuts or pecans for a crunchy and nutty flavor. For another crunch factor, try adding sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
- Spices and Flavorings: A pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg can add some warmth and depth to the brownies. On the other hand, pairing the chocolate with a bit of orange extract will help to brighten the flavors.
How to make zucchini brownies
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, and oil in a large bowl. It will have a sand-like texture.
- Add in the cocoa powder, grated zucchini (with all its liquid), vanilla extract, and salt.
- Blend until well combined, either with an electric mixer or a whisk.
- Fold in a cup of chocolate chips through the batter.
Pour the mixture into a baking pan, sprinkle with chocolate chips and bake.
Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut brownies into squares and serve.
Zucchini Brownies
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups cane sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups zucchini shredded
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups chocolate chips divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.
- Place the flour, sugar and oil in a large bowl and blend with an electric mixer or whisk. Once the oil and sugar are well incorporated into the flour, add the cocoa powder, shredded zucchini, vanilla extract, baking soda and salt. Continue to blend with the electric mixer until well combined. Fold in one cup of the chocolate chips.
- Pour brownie batter into prepared baking pan and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the brownies pull away from edges of the pan.
- Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut brownies into squares and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
“Salaam Yumna, your zucchini brownies were the bomb and packed in so much flavor. I’m usually a box brownie kinda girl but decided to give these a shot after trying the delicious chocolate zucchini bread. They are amazing. I will definitely make them again. Thank you!” – Nashat
Tips for making the best zucchini brownies
- Don’t worry about peeling the zucchini. You won’t see the zucchini skin when all the ingredients are mixed together and you definitely won’t see them when it’s baked. Plus the skin gives it good fiber which is added health benefits to these zucchini brownies.
- Add a couple tablespoons of water if needed. Sometimes if the batter feels crumbly and not pourable, the zucchini may not have had enough moisture. In that case, you can just add some water to the mix. But make sure to mix well before adding any water.
- Cut the brownies with a plastic knife after they have cooled. I learned this tip from Maria at Two Peas and Their Pod. She recommends a plastic knife because it doesn’t make a lot of crumbs.
- Don’t undercook the brownies. If the brownies are undercooked, the texture will be less than pleasant. They are ready to come out of the oven when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
What to serve with zucchini brownies
How to store & reheat zucchini brownies
Once the brownies have fully cooled and you have cut them, store them in an airtight container. They will keep for 2 to 3 days at room temperature.
How long will zucchini brownies last in the fridge?
When stored properly zucchini brownies will last up to 7 days in the fridge.
Can I freeze zucchini brownies?
These zucchini brownies freeze well, you just have to make sure that they are well-wrapped so they don’t get freezer burn. I like to wrap the squares individually in plastic wrap and foil and then place in a freezer bag or container. Thaw them at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.
Reheating Zucchini Brownies: The quickest way to reheat brownies is in the microwave. Place them on a microwave-safe plate and heat for about 15 – 20 seconds. To prevent them from drying out, wrap them in a slightly damp paper towel.
Frequently asked questions
This zucchini brownie is going to have more of a cakey texture than fudgy. Just because they have a cakey texture doesn’t mean they lack moisture. These brownies have a wonderful balance providing them with a moist and tender crumb despite their cake like structure.
Dense brownies are likely a result of overmixing the batter. Mix the batter until it’s just come together to avoid this. Excess moisture in the zucchini can also result in dense brownies. Make sure to strain, squeeze or pat dry the zucchini before adding it to your brownie batter.
No! Nobody will ever guess that there are vegetables in these brownies! Zucchini are a bland vegetable and the chocolate flavor is so rich, you won’t even get a hint. If you don’t tell them, they’ll never know!
More Brownie Recipes
I love how quick and easy it is to make a batch of these vegan zucchini brownies, and my kids had no idea they were eating some green veggies! They are so deliciously rich with a perfect fudgy texture, the hardest part is not eating them in one sitting!
If you try this healthy-ish feel good Zucchini Brownies recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then please come back to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
These brownies are excellent! Yet another 5-star recipe and total crowd-pleaser. I was craving more chocolate so I whipped up some homemade chocolate frosting for an extra boost!
Yum, homemade chocolate frosting sounds delicious! Thanks, Karen!!
I think that the order of operations needs to be adjusted here. I followed the instructions, adding the salt and baking soda after mixing in the oil and zucchini. The brownies have random bursts of salt and metalic-tasting baking soda. My six year old son cried when he tried one. He keeps coming back to try other spots, though, as some parts taste good.
Why not mix all the dry ingredients together first?
Also, I made these without an electric mixer and with a mixture of flour and the texture is like a crumble topping.
Hi Stephanie, so sorry to hear your batter didn’t mix properly! It sounds like you may have mixed up the steps a bit if you were adding the zucchini and oil at the same time. The instructions say to first mix the flour, sugar, and oil in a large bowl and blend with an electric mixer or whisk. Once those are mixed well, you then add the cocoa powder, shredded zucchini, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt all at the same time and continue to blend with the electric mixer until the batter is well combined. You can certainly combine the cocoa powder, shredded zucchini, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl before adding to flour, sugar, and oil mixture, perhaps that would help?
They are in the oven now and smell great! The only thing I would say is that a whisk couldn’t get me to the “batter” consistency. An electric mixer is a must!
Glad you were able to get that batter consistency! It can be tough to make this recipe with a whisk, I agree that an electric mixer is best. I hope your brownies turned out great!
The brownies are fudgy and delicious!!!
Does anyone know – can these be made without wheat? Is there a different flour that would work, or something like black beans?
I think a gluten-free all-purpose flour would work best! You can also try almond flour. Let me know how they turn out if you end up making them!
Just made these because we’re heavy into zucchini season. They are delicious— fudgy and chocolatey.
So glad you liked them, Carole!
Have you trued to make this with much less sugar?
Best brownies ever, I literally make them every week. My kids would devour them in a day if I let them, but they don’t know about the zucchini lol. Thank you for all your recipes and hard work.
Thank you so much! They definitely don’t need to know about the zucchini haha. You’re welcome!
Yummy . Hoping to get my teenager to try some.
Thank you! Hope they enjoy too!
Loved your Blueberry Oat recipe! So Easy! Soooo good ! 💜👌🏽
Thank you so much! Yay!!
Can you maybe put this in metric
There are some websites that will help with the conversions!