Zucchini Brownies Recipe

Are you ready for some ooey, gooey brownies? Believe it or not, there are several ways to sneak a serving of veggies into brownies, and most of the time, you can't even taste them. This incredible zucchini brownies recipe, for example, is loaded with plenty of chocolate, but also has a healthy serving of zucchini!

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn is known for coming up with tasty yet healthy recipes, and we think she hit the nail on the head with this one. "Ok, these are absolutely amazing! They are chewy and moist, and super-rich! They take less than an hour to make and are heavenly," Hahn raves. "I also love that you can make these 100% vegan so easily by just using a flax egg (which is one tablespoon ground flax seed plus three tablespoons of water that you let sit for 10 minutes to form a gel)," Hahn adds. "And dairy-free chocolate chips are readily available. There is no difference in taste making these two swaps." If you've been looking for that perfect healthy-but-still-decadent dessert, you're going to want to follow this recipe.

Ready to get started? If so, you will need to gather all of the necessary ingredients to whip up these incredible brownies. Start with some zucchini, and then be sure to grab an egg and some tahini. You will also need to pick up some maple syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla to add more flavors to the brownies. In addition, get cocoa powder and coconut flour. While you're in the baking aisle, you can also grab baking soda. There are only a few more things you'll need to pick up, including salt, which you likely have at home already. Finally, you'll need some coconut oil and chocolate chips. The recipe also includes one optional ingredient — flaky salt, which can be used as a garnish.

Zucchini is one of the best vegetables out there, and not only does it taste good, but it also comes full of incredible health benefits. "Zucchini is so nutrient-dense. Super high in nutrients and very low in calories. It is especially high in Vitamin A, making it good for the eyes and skin," Hahn shares. "It is also high in fiber. I love sneaking it into baked goods!"

This is also a great recipe to utilize your garden produce. "Also, many people who have gardens in the summer end up with a surplus of zucchini, and this is a great thing to make to use them up," Hahn adds.

Since you will need to use an oven for this recipe, go ahead and set the temperature to 350 F. That way, it has time to get nice and hot while doing the rest of the prep work. Take out your food processor and use the grating blade to grate the zucchini. "If you don't have a food processor, you would have to use a hand grater. Not that big of a deal; you just have to watch your fingers when you get close to the end of your zucchini," Hahn says. Next, measure out a cup of the grated zucchini and lay it out on a paper towel to drain. Finally, put the zucchini a medium bowl.

Add the egg, tahini, syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla into a mixing bowl. "Another swap you can do is use brown sugar for the coconut sugar," Hahn shares. "I typically use coconut sugar in place of brown in most cases for two reasons. First off, it is less processed than brown sugar, and secondly, it does not harden when you store it like brown sugar, so it is much easier to use."

Mix everything together to blend. Then, stir in the cocoa powder and mix until it combines with all other ingredients. Next, toss in the flour, baking soda, salt, and coconut oil. As a reminder, you should have melted the coconut oil ahead of time.

The last thing you will need to fold in is the chocolate chips. This is one of the best parts of the recipe, because it adds a great additional chocolate flavor — and who doesn't love extra chocolate in their brownies? We live by the motto that there is no such thing as too much chocolate. 

In the meantime, line a 9x9-inch pan with parchment paper, so nothing sticks to the sides. Then, fill it with batter. Now, it's ready to go into the oven! Bake the brownies for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Once your timer dings, use oven mitts to take the brownies out of the oven. "These are so delicious for any time you want to serve a treat. Good to pack in a lunch, have for dessert or an afternoon snack," Hahn raves. "They are also a great treat to pack up and bring to a friend or neighbor."

We don't think you'll have anything left, but if you do, no worries! "I store them in the fridge in an air-tight container. They are delicious warm or cold," Hahn shares. We hope you enjoyed these gooey, chocolatey brownies as much as we do, and we also hope you love the healthy addition of zucchini!