Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Rich and fudgy zucchini brownies are a high-fiber dessert made with whole ingredients. They’re naturally gluten-free, made with almond flour, and sweetened with all-natural maple syrup.

Chocolate zucchini brownies

If you follow the paleo diet, these delicious brownies are perfect! They are low-carb and nutritious, thanks to almond flour and maple syrup. In fact, they don’t even taste like there are veggies hidden in them.

Before you start rolling your eyes at hiding zucchini in brownies, you have to trust me. These brownies are so rich and decadent that they taste just like the classic brownies you love.

I don’t know about you, but I sure do love a good brownie. These chocolate zucchini brownies are chewy, fudgy, and slightly dense. When you bite into them, you’ll have flashbacks of your childhood, eating Duncan Hines boxed mix brownies.

If you still want more chocolate after eating the brownies, I definitely recommend my Healthy Chocolate Fudge Recipe next on your baking list!

Ingredients needed

This rich zucchini brownies recipe is made with just ten ingredients that are easy to find. Here’s a bit more about what I used:

• Zucchini: You’ll need about a cup of finely shredded zucchini, squeezed to remove the extra moisture. You don’t need to peel the zucchini before you shred it.
• Almond Flour: Use almond flour, not almond meal. You will use 1 cup.
• Almond Butter: Creamy, unsweetened almond butter is best, use 1/4 a cup.
• Maple Syrup: This is a natural sweetener, you will use 1/2 a cup to sweeten the entire bach.
• Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder is what makes these brownies taste so chocolaty. Use 2/3 cup.
• Eggs: You need eggs to bind and emulsify everything, use two large eggs.
• Coconut Oil: As a natural fat, use 1/2 a cup of coconut oil.
• Vanilla: Enhance the rich flavors of the brownies with one teaspoon of vanilla.
• Baking Soda: This gives the brownies a bit of rise and prevents them from being too dense. Use 1/4 a teaspoon.
• Chocolate Chips: I only used 1/2 a cup in the batter. Save some chocolate chips to sprinkle on top.

Kitchen tools required

All you truly need is one bowl (you can use two if you wish!) and about 25 minutes, and then you’ve got the most perfect fudgy zucchini brownies.

Gather the following items before you begin:

• 8×8 Baking Pan
• Parchment Paper
• Non-Stick Spray
• Whisk
• Mixing Bowl
• Shredder
• Food Processor (optional)
• Toothpick

For measuring, you will need 1 cup, 2/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup, 1 teaspoon, and 1/4 teaspoon.

How to make healthy zucchini brownies

They are seriously easy to make. Like most things of mine, they don’t require a lot of steps or ingredients because I like to keep things as basic as possible.

You’ll need to shred a zucchini as fine as possible. I actually used my food processor for this because there is an attachment on the processor that grates things. This still wasn’t fine enough for my liking, so I ran it through the regular food processor for a few pulses to get it small enough.

You’ll want to squeeze it with a paper towel, too, just to remove any extra moisture. I just wrap it up and squeeze.

You’ll then combine all of your wet ingredients in one bowl, whisking together the eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, almond butter, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stir till combined, and then add in the zucchini and the chocolate chips.

Stick them in the oven for 24-28 minutes or until baked through when a toothpick gets inserted and comes out clean.

They get so fudgy and delicious.

Enjoy!

Below are some common zucchini brownies questions. Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post!

What makes these brownies paleo?

In order to make a paleo brownie, there cannot be any regular flour that comes from a grain, so no oat flour, no white flour, and no spelt flour. It has to be a gluten-free flour, typically one that is lower in carbs.

To keep them gluten-free and low-carb, almond flour is the only flour used. So that handles the flour aspect, but we also need to use a paleo-certified sweetener, such as coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey.

So in order to keep them refined sugar-free, the only sugar I used was maple syrup.

Are these zucchini brownies healthy for you?

Yes! And the best part of it is that you can’t taste that they are healthier either. The zucchini is actually blended in nicely and just adds a veggie boost to your brownies.

Zucchini is really high in fiber, and vitamin C. Fiber benefits your gut health, and vitamin C supports your immune system.

Coconut oil is a healthy fat that helps you feel full and contributes to healthy brain development.

Almond flour is also high in healthy fats, but it’s also known for protein too! These brownies will help you feel full and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time.

How did you shred your zucchini?

First, I grated the zucchini. Then, I pulsed it through my food processor to get an extra-fine texture. You don’t need to peel the zucchini before you shred it.

How do you remove moisture from shredded zucchini?

This is a very important step! If you don’t remove the moisture first, your brownies might turn out too soggy. The best way to remove moisture from the zucchini is to place all of it in a cheesecloth and squeeze it as hard as you can. Do this over the sink or a bowl because you’ll squeeze out quite a bit of water/zucchini juice.

These brownies need to be stored in the refrigerator. Keep them in an airtight container for up to three days.

You can also freeze them too. They will stay fresh in the freezer for up to six months.

If you make this recipe, be sure to comment below and let me know how it was! Also tag @erinliveswhole on Instagram and use the hashtag #erinliveswhole so I can see it and feature you!

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

Here are some of my favorite chocolate and zucchini dessert recipes you should make next. Enjoy!

• Easy Paleo Brownies
• Paleo Zucchini Bread
• Super Fudgy Brownies

Photos by Moriah Sawtelle and recipe by Erin Antoniak.