The gooiest zucchini brownies ever! You’d never guess these are made a little healthier and made with whole grains (but can also be made with all-purpose or gluten-free flour) or that zucchini and that applesauce takes the place of oil! With gluten-free and dairy-free options.
I don’t like zucchini at all. I’m also not a fan of “hiding” veggies in my dessert recipes, because I can always tell that they’re in there. That’s not the case with these brownies!
These healthy zucchini brownies still have sugar in them, but they’re not quite as bad as your usual brownie recipe. If you want something especially naughty, try these gluten-free brownies, which are really the best brownies ever – gluten-free or not! They can also be made with whole wheat flour.
These chocolate zucchini brownies have no added fat* (except what’s in the chocolate chips) and are full of zucchini and whole grains (but really do not taste like it!) so you can feel good about giving these to your children.
* I love healthy fats and usually load up my recipes with them. But in this one, it’s just not needed!
Really, unless your kids watch you make these, or you grate the zucchini coarsely, there’s no way that they’ll be able to tell that these brownies have zucchini in them. Or that they’re whole wheat or whole spelt. The gluten-free version also doesn’t taste gluten-free!
Want some more kid-friendly recipes? Try my no-bake oatmeal cookies. They’re whole grain and naturally gluten-free + vegan. And perfect for the lunch box!
This whole wheat banana bread is also a favorite and you can always toss in some walnuts or chocolate chips for something different.
And if you have portion control issues, these brownies halve beautifully! Use a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan and bake for only 14 minutes.
I highly recommend not decreasing the amount of chocolate chips in the batter. You can definitely skip the ones on top but these zucchini brownies rely on the sweetness and flavor from the chocolate chips!
I’m pretty sure you’d be disappointed if you didn’t use the chocolate in the batter. And I definitely don’t want that!
Be sure to use Dutch-process cocoa powder in these zucchini brownies. If you use the regular natural kind (like Hershey’s) these zucchini brownies will likely come out cakey instead of nice and fudgy like you see!
Besides, once you have some Dutch-process cocoa powder, you’ll be able to make these whole wheat chocolate cupcakes! They’re seriously just as delicious as traditional cupcakes made with all-purpose flour.
If you don’t mind the brownies being cakey and want to use regular cocoa powder, then go for it! Some commenters have mentioned making them with regular cocoa powder and loving them.
Have more zucchini to use? This chocolate zucchini bread also looks great! As do these zucchini muffins.
Enjoy!
Zucchini Chocolate Brownies (100% whole grain, gluten-free, dairy-free options)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 16 brownies
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs (50 grams each, out of shell)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar or unrefined sugar or granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup (125 grams) whole wheat flour or whole spelt flour or all-purpose flour or Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for the gluten-free version
- 1/2 cup (55 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder (using regular cocoa powder may result in cakey brownies)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda1
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (about 280 – 320 grams) peeled and grated zucchini
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to sprinkle on top (for dairy-free, use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) and line an 8"x8" pan with parchment paper or spray with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, vanilla, coconut sugar, and apple sauce and let this sit for 5 minutes to let the coconut sugar dissolve.
- In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder (sifted if lumpy!), baking soda and salt. Make sure there are no clumps before going on to the next step.
- Add the dry mix to the wet, gently stir until combined. Be sure not to over mix!
- Then fold in the zucchini and 1 cup chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the pan and even the surface with a spatula.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes (14 minutes for the half batch) or until a toothpick inserted in the middle doesn't come out gooey. It might still be sticky - just not have raw batter on it.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature or up to one week in the refrigerator. I recommend storing them in the refrigerator right from the beginning due to their high moisture content.
Notes
- Some commenters mentioned that baking soda doesn't make sense in this recipe. I agreed with them and have tried this recipe twice without baking soda. They came out rubbery and absolutely disgusting both times. I don't understand why, but baking soda definitely works and is absolutely necessary here! Please DO NOT try them without baking soda. Thanks!
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519 comments on “Zucchini Brownies (gluten-free, dairy-free options)” — Add one!
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Wowwww.. this recipe is amazing! The best brownie!! My toddler loved it . Instead of using 3/4cup of sugar I used only 1/4cup of maple syrup and I WAS HIGHLY SATISFIED of the outcome.
Wow! That’s awesome. I’ll have to try your version. Thanks so much for sharing! I’m really glad your toddler enjoyed the brownies. :)
I read through ALL the comments before making this recipe (I love the obsessive thoroughness of the recipes and explanations in the accompanying posts here – a sister from another mister). A theme I saw was that the (few) people who had a cakey result (1) thought it made for a delicous cake, and (2) were asked if their zucchini was especially watery. With gooeyness rather than cakey-ness as my goal, I squoze the heck out of the more watery zucchini I had using a nut butter bag, and pressed the moisture out of my second zucchini through a sieve, even though it seemed a bit dry for a a zucchini. I weighed all of the ingredients, used spelt flour and followed the recipe to a tee. After cooking for 30 min, and allowing to sit and cool completely, the result I got was very much that of a tiny chocolate sheet cake. An excellent fudgy sheet cake, reminiscent of the cakes at my favorite sandwich shop/cafe, but 100% a soft cake texture, rather than a denser, gooey brownie texture. Here’s my *guess* about what’s going on here: I, and the other folks who found the outcome cakey, have a different definition of gooey, and a different expectation for brownie texture than Erin or the other folks here. I watched the video before making this, and the final shot shows a baked good springing back from Erin’s fingers and settling on the one below in a way that looks exactly like what a lovely moist, fudgy cake would do. It’s texture looks just like the cake I ended up with. I dislike cakey brownies, which I’ve always thought was just a kind term for “dry.” But this cake isn’t dry, it’s fudgy and wonderful. But it’s not brownie texture, which, in my book is richer (higher in fat, denser, different crumb) and if I ordered this from a bakery, I’d be disappointed and wonder if they made a mistake and gave me unfrosted cake by accident. But since it’s in my home, I will put frosting on it and serve it as cake. And I don’t think it’s likely different from the result other people got who loved this. It’s a great cake, or, if you experience that way, a great brownie.
OMG I’ve died and gone to heaven 💖
These are absolutely divine
Thank you for sharing this recipe certainly will be making these again
❤❤❤❤❤
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed them so much! And awesome that you want to make them again. Thanks a bunch for your feedback. :)
My family is in love! I used regular flour, Hershey’s cocoa, and Xylitol as the sugar,and they are amazing!! Baked for about 35 minutes and are a cross between a cake and a brownie, still fudgy! Wish I could post a picture!
I’m so glad that they worked well with those ingredients! I’m surprised that xylitol worked out. I never have much luck with low-carb sweeteners. Thanks a ton for your feedback!
When you made this recipe how did you deal with the zook? Did you leave it or did you squeeze some liquid out?
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! I left it as is. If you think your zucchini is super moist, you could squeeze some out.
Can this be made without eggs?
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your question! I haven’t tried it but another commenter used flax eggs and said it worked.
Oh my goodness! These are the best brownies ever! I have been wheat free for 2 1/2 years, and these made with gluten free flour were Amazing!! Thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you liked them. :) And sorry for my slow reply (I was on vacation).
Made these a couple days ago (some adjustments made- no cocoa powder, used 150g of dark chocolate) and they turned out great but pretty cakey… I believe the cause was too long in the oven. I will bake for 20 minutes instead of 30 next time and hopefully get a less cakey texture. Thanks for the recipe, love the healthier option!
I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment! It somehow ended up in the spam folder. No cocoa powder is a huge adjustment! I recommend trying the recipe again with the cocoa powder and seeing how they come out. :) I’m glad you enjoyed them, though! Thanks a bunch for your comment.
Wondering if anyone has tried cacao powder with these and what the result was. I love them as per the recipe but I’d love the nutritional benefits of cacao (and I’m scared to waste good zucchini!)!
Hello! I’m so sorry for just now replying to your question. I was on vacation and just got back. I haven’t tried it but I’m pretty sure it’d work. If you try it out, I’d love to hear how it goes! Sorry again for the slow answer.
These are SO delicious! I served them topped with whipped cream and sprinkles for a friends birthday and they were a hit! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! I’m glad that they were a hit and hope your friend had a nice birthday. :) Thanks for your comment and I’m sorry for just now seeing it!
I made these exactly as stated in the recipe and they are absolutely incredible. Moist, chocolatey. They don’t feel like health(ier) food, which is great. I’m serving them for company tonight and trying really hard not to eat them all before the guests arrive!!
I’m so glad that they came out well! I hope that your company ended up with a few to eat. ;) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
They were delicious! But they came out cakey even though I used Dutch processed cocoa powder.
I’m happy you enjoyed them! I’m guessing the moisture content of the zucchini may also play a role. More liquid means more cakey. Thanks for your comment! :)
They were yummy -nutrition information?
I’m so happy you liked them! :) I don’t have the nutritional info but you could use this recipe analyzer for the nutritional profile. Thanks for your comment!
I just want to say that I made these last week and they were spot on amazing! My kids didnt care for the taste of bananas so maybe next time Ill make it without it. But anyways I loved it!
Oh my goodness! I had (and still have) a ton of zucchini to use up, so I made two batches of these last night. They are incredible – probably the best brownies I have had in years! And the best part is – I am vegan, and all I did was substitute flax eggs for the eggs, and they are wonderful. I even used sprouted spelt flour, and you would never think they are whole grain and relatively healthy. I will be making these again – soon. Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome! That’s awesome that your flax egg version worked. I think I tried a GF + chia egg version and it wasn’t so good. Thanks a bunch for the tip and your comment!
These were delicious! I was glad I weighed the zucchini because my 2 cups were coming out to only 200g or so. I used about 95g of eggs and didn’t have any issue with egginess. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m happy it came out well and that the grams were helpful. :) Thanks for your comment!
Wow. These are amazingly rich and delicious. And the husband had ZERO clue that there was a vegetable in his brownie!! Printing this now as it will be a favorite. Thanks for a great recipe!!!
You’re welcome! I love that your husband didn’t know that there were some hidden veggies in the brownies. :) That’s definitely always a good thing. Thanks for your comment!
Have you tried using substituting oat flour in these?
I haven’t, sorry. If you try it out, I’d love to hear how it works!
I tried mixing mine with 1/2 c coconut flour, 1/2 c whole wheat flour and they are delicious!
Thanks for the tip! So you used 1/2 cup coconut flour + 1/2 cup whole wheat flour in place of 1 cup of whole wheat flour? I’m amazed that that worked because coconut flour absorbs SO much more liquid than wheat! Thanks again.
This is a great recipe! My only complaint is that they came out more like cake than brownies. I still love them but I wonder how to adapt the recipe to make them more dense and chewy. Maybe less flour? Or would I add less egg? Let me know if you have any ideas!
It seems like they’ve come out cakey for a few people. You used Dutch-process cocoa, right? If not, see the note about that in the recipe. If you did, maybe your zucchini was super watery? More liquid would mean more cakey. The hard thing about zucchini recipes is that the moisture content varies so much, meaning the end result will vary a bit (which drives me crazy! I like absolute precision when baking).
Five stars. Great recipe and an easterly solution for how to use an extra zucchini to make something chocolatey and delicious!
Thanks! I’m happy you found them a good solution for excess zucchini. :)
Super delicious! I used coconut flour instead. They are a little crumbly because of it, but stick together for the most part. Didn’t bother my husband, the brownie lover in the house. These are perfect with milk or lactose free milk in my case ;)
Oh, wow. I’m shocked that they worked with coconut flour! Did you make any adjustments? Coconut flour isn’t really interchangeable with wheat flour so that’s why I’m asking. Thanks for letting me know your results!
I made these with the dutch processed cocoa but they still tasted and looked cakey. Still pretty good though. My dutch process cocoa had the same color as the regular cocoa. I bought it in Earthfare.
Hmm. Interesting! I’m not sure why your cocoa powder had a lighter color but I don’t think it explains anything. I’m happy that they were still tasty. :)
I made the recipe with trim healthy mama gentle sweet (1 cup)in place of sugar, spelt for the flour and left out the chocolate chips and whoo hoo they are only 1 point per square for weight watchers (12 serv). (I just had regular cocoa) so they tasted just like a chocolate wacky cake. Definitely a keeper.
That’s great! I’m so happy that they came out well with your sweetener and that you’ll be making them again. :) Thanks for your comment!
I made these using wholemeal flour and raw sugar as I am allergic to coconut and almond and they turned out Great!! I added a little extra chips just because I love dark chocolate and they turned out well. I also double the batch to make them a bit thubkcker but I also used a larger tin. I Will be usibg this recipe from now on for when I feel like something a little naughty but also a little guilt free!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them and that you’ll be making them again! Thanks a bunch for your comment. :)
Just wondering what the nutritional values are for this recipe. Like how many carbs, sugars etc. I really want to make these.
I don’t have that info but you could use this recipe analyzer if you’d like for the nutritional profile. :)
I’m looking for a recipe that I can use Bobs red mill gluten free all purpose baking flour. Would this work in these brownies? The ingredients in the flour are garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, white sorghum four and favs bean flour
I’ve never tried that – only the 1 to 1 GF Baking Flour that comes in a blue bag. I think it’d probably work in these. But since I haven’t tried it, I can’t say for sure. Sorry about that!
Made this!!!! It was DELICIOUS! My kids loved it! They don’t even know they are eating zucchini plus no oil….it’s great. We will be baking these brownies more often. I follow the recipe except for one thing. Since I saw some of the reviews of an eggy taste, I adding one whole egg and 3 Tablespoons of another egg. It was perfect!
I’m happy that they came out well for you and that your kids enjoyed them! Thanks for the tip on the egg. :)
I just made these. They smell and look great but have an eggy taste to them. I used all the same amounts of the ingredients so unsure why? Maybe they need to cook longer? The skewer came out clean but it’s gooey to cut into.
I also used dark chocolate powder as i had it in the cupboard and normal chocolate chips but i cant see that making much of a difference
hmm. The chips and cocoa powder shouldn’t have made a difference. I don’t recall anyone saying that these taste eggy so I’m not really sure what could have caused that! Do you by any chance live outside of the US? Large eggs in the US are smaller than in Europe, where 50 grams would actually be an XL egg. Do they taste less eggy after sitting a bit?
I live in Australia so not sure about the egg sized but they weren’t very big ones
I haven’t tried them again yet but my friend likes them and said they just have a funny after taste but I assumed that would happen since its so different to anything we’ve eaten before. Still a great recipe and easier to make than I expected!
Hoping i grow used to the slightly different texture and taste since they’re so much healthier:)
Well I’m happy you still liked them! If you want something that tastes 100% like regular brownies, try these gluten-free brownies. You can use whole wheat flour in them and they’re every bit as fudgy as regular brownies. :)
Hi. I read that dutch processed cocoa powder should only be used with baking powder but your recipe calls for baking soda. Will it still come out correctly?
Yes. That’s how all the reviewers made it – with baking soda. :)
I read this too Cynthia and was wondering about it. Dutch cocoa powder is made with an alkaline substance to eliminate the acidity of normal cocoa but without this acidity, baking soda has nothing to react to and so will chemically do nothing in this recipe. Just wondering what the rationale behind sticking to baking soda is? Thanks
Good point! I’ll omit it the next time I make them and see how they compare. And I’m very sorry for my super slow reply!
Agreed on the baking soda. It makes no sense here. Must not be enough to adversely affect the taste, but it has nothing acidic to react with, so it’s just something a bit salty added to the batter. Sub for baking powder or leave it out completely.
Just made it last night because I suddenly need to use up all my zucchini and remember I had this recipe pinned for ages already. It taste a bit too eggy on the crust side I dont know why, cut down the sugar into half cup and it still taste amazing, thanks for the great amount of chocolate on it. Thank you for being my saviour last night.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! I’ve never had them taste eggy on the crust side. Maybe use the full amount of sugar next time? No idea! I’m happy you found a nice way to use up your zucchini. :) Thanks for your comment!
I’m excited to try to make these, but I just bought some almond flour and coconut flour for other recipes and thought I’d try to use one of them in this recipe too(that stuff is expensive so I don’t want it to go to waste!) I wonder if anyone has tried it? I don’t have the Dutch process cocoa powder either but I think I will prefer the cakey texture anyway.
Hi! I do most of my baking with almond and coconut flours these days and don’t recommend experimenting with them here. They’re not at all interchangeable with wheat! I have tons of recipes that use both, though. You can find them in my paleo recipes section. :)
Thanks! I will check out those other recipes and stick to wheat for this one. I’m new to this alternative flour game. 😉
You’re welcome! I’ve been baking with almond and coconut flour for years and converting a wheat recipe to use those two flours still usually takes me about a dozen tries. So definitely look for recipes that already call for them. It’ll save you a lot of time and money. ;)
Sooo good! I was worried looking at all the zucchini in the batter but these are amazing. Could not be more impressed!
The one change I made – used a really ripe banana in place of applesauce, just because it’s what I happened to have on hand!
I’m so happy that the banana worked out well! Thanks for the tip. :)
These look incredible! For the gluten-free version, can I use Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free flour? Would that work with this recipe? It does not contain xanthum gum in it though. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. That mix uses a blend of different flours than the one in the blue bag so I’m really not sure. Sorry about that! I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it out. :)
I’ve made these TWICE with amazing results! Don’t care much for the taste of baking soda, so I subbed with 2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp baking soda instead. It worked like a dream. This recipe is awesome even with the zucchini skin on. At first the mixture got pretty stiff once I incorporated the dry ingredients. Now I use a little of the zucchini juice in the bowl to moisten the batter so I can stir without over-mixing things. I read another reader’s suggestion about yoghurt and used that instead of applesauce and again this is a perfect sub. An 8 by 8 brownie is not big enough for me, so I bake 1.5 times of this recipe in a 9 by 9 pan. I’d rate this a million stars, but your site only allows 5 ;) Thanks for a great recipe!
I’ve made these brownies for family/guests that are dairy free/soy free and they absolutely LOVE them… I’ve even eaten quite a bit myself. Is there a way to make this vegan? I’m thinking an egg substitute? As all of the other ingredients seem ok. Thank you for sharing!
I’m happy to hear that your family has been enjoying them! I’ve never tried these with an egg substitute and I haven’t had the best luck with egg subs in brownies. So I honestly have no idea if they’d work in these. Sorry about that! If you decide to try it out, I’d love to hear how it goes. :) Thanks for your comment!
Oooh! Making 1.5x the recipe in a 9×9 must yield some nice and thick brownies. I’ll have to try that! It’s good to hear from another person that yogurt works well as a sub for applesauce. I’ll have to try that! And thanks for rating the recipe “just” 5 stars. ;) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
Can a 9×13 pan be used?
Sorry for just now seeing this! You could probably double the recipe for a 9×13 and just keep a close eye on the baking time (but I haven’t tried it).
These are INSANE!!! My kids absolutely devoured them – these will be our only brownie recipe from now on. Love!! :)
Oh, wow. So happy that you’ve found a new favorite brownie recipe! Thanks a bunch for your comment. :)
Just made these with a few changes.
I used 3/4 cup of Truvia baking blend, 350g unpeeled zucchini and a total of 220g enjoy life chocolate (mix of chunks and mini chips).
Nutrition info for 1/16th of recipe came out to 136 calories each (6f/20c/4p)
They were incredible!
That’s great to know that it works well with Truvia! Thanks for sharing your nutritional analysis and for your comment. :) I’m so happy you liked them!
Hello! Those look scrumptious! May I please ask or do you know how many weight watchers smart points are these per serving?
Hi there! Unfortunately I have no idea. :( Sorry about that!
I Ann just making this that looks delicious but I have to doble the recipe and then make another batch for the size I wanted I in my secound batch I totally forgot the bakin soda I’m worry how they will turn because I made the recipe x 7 oh!!! Noooooo
Oh no! I hope that they came out well. I wouldn’t recommend doing a recipe x7 for next time! I would at most double it.
Could I use a 9″x9″ baking pan instead? Or will brownies be too thin?
They’re pretty thick so I think it’d work! Just check them a little earlier than called for.
Are these ok to freeze?
I haven’t tried it but I’m pretty sure that’d be fine!
I discovered this recipe about 3 years ago and it has become one of my very favorite summer time recipes. It has an incredible chocolate flavor, comes together super fast, and isn’t terrible for you. Last time I made the recipe I found out my applesauce was moldy after I had already set my heart on making these and subbed plain yogurt with good results. I’ve also tried with the zucchini skin still on, also a success. Thanks for the great recipe!
That’s great that plain yogurt works out well! I would have never thought to try that. And I’m so happy that you’ve been enjoying the recipe the past few years! Thanks a bunch for your nice comment. :)
what a great, fudgy, nutrient dense recipe! as a dietitian, i am always on the hunt for healthy dessert recipes that still taste good. i have made quite a few of your recipes and have enjoyed all of them (especially the pumpkin pie bars and the caramel apple cheesecake bars). i did modify the recipe a litle; reduced sugar to 1/2 cup and i also left the skin of the zucchini on since that’s where a majority of the nutrients are. admittedly by doing so it made it that much more obvious that there was zucchini in the batter but since i’m the only one eating these brownies, i really don’t care about that. came out extremely fudgy which is how i like my brownies! will definitely be making again!
I’m so happy that you’ve been enjoying the recipes! Great to know that this recipe works well with less sugar. I’ll have to try that, too! And good idea to not peel the zucchini if you don’t have picky kids around. :) Thanks for your comment and sorry for just now seeing it!
Can either the loaf pan or 8×8 be used? Are the textures the same for both? The description says the loaf pan but the recipe calls for the 8×8.
A sentence went missing! I have no idea what happened. Sorry about that! The loaf pan is if you want to halve the recipe. Then the texture is the same. If you want to make the full recipe, you need to use an 8×8. Sorry for the confusion!
I really want to make these tomorrow, but I was wondering if anyone happens to have the calories count for the recipe as is? Either way I’m making them 😂 but it’d be nice to know. Thank you!
I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like. :) Hope you’ll enjoy them!
My son is allergic to eggs as well, and I’ve yet to nail a good brownie recipe w/o eggs. Think this would work with Ener-G egg replacer, or a flax egg?
I’m sorry but I haven’t tried it so I really have no idea. I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it out!
Wow these are absolutely amazing!!!! Brownies are my favorite dessert and these exceeded all expectations! I thought I would share how I changed the recipe in case anyone is wondering about changing these items:) Here are my substitutes:
-Instead of all sugar, I used 1/2 cup of honey and 1/4 cup of sugar. I think next time I will use only honey.
-I used brown rice flour
-I used the highest % of dark chocolate I could find and cut into chunks instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
I squeezed the liquid out of 1 1/2c of zucchini and left it as is for the last 1/2c. Mine zucchini was quite wet, so I thought it would make the brownie too moist. These changes did not compromise the taste or texture. Thank you for sharing this!
So happy you liked them! And awesome that your subs all worked out. I’m sure that’ll help some others who are wondering the same thing! Thanks for your feedback. :)
Hi Erin! I plan on making these for our Father’s day dessert. We’ve been trying to make some healthy changes to our diets by eating more whole, unprocessed foods. I was super excited to find your recipe. I love to cook, but I am NOT a baker, so I plan to collow your recipe to a T. With that said – as far as sugar is concerned is cane sugar a good option to put in this recipe? Thanks in advance!
Hi Karin! Sorry I just now saw your comment. Cane sugar should be fine as long as it’s not SUPER coarse. Just make sure to let the mixture sit for a bit to let is dissolve like I mention in Step 2. I hope everyone will enjoy the brownies and sorry again for the slow reply!
Thanks for the reply. I made these today for Father’s Day. I wasn’t planning on telling anyone they are healthy, but my husband let the cat out of the bag. My dad was bummed to hear they were healthy, but after trying them he couldn’t believe it and had at least 3. They were amazing! I followed the recipe exactly and they came our fudgey just as you described – not cakey at all. Thanks so much for the recipe! I enjoyed them even more without the guilt! :)
Aww, yay! So happy that your dad didn’t end up disappointed after all. And tsk tsk to your husband… sharing the secret. ;) Thanks for your comment!
It is the best Chocolate Brownie I have ever tasted))))
Thank you so much for this yummy present)
Woohoo! So happy to hear that. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
Hi! I’ve been looking for the perfect zucchini brownie recipe and these look great! I’ve tried one before and it was good but the zucchini was not grated enough for my liking. My kids loved them but I was wondering if taking the required amount of zucchini and putting it in the food processor would make too much of a mushy difference for these?
Hello! I think making a puree out of it would definitely make it too mushy. I used this grater and you couldn’t detect the zucchini at all. :)
does the zucchini need to be peeled first? can the appplesauce be substituted with nut butter? what are the nutritional facts for this recipe?
Yes, the recipe calls for peeled zucchini. :) I’ve never subbed applesauce with nut butter so I can’t recommend it. I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like.
Hi,
I’m looking foward to trying your recipe. But have a few questions:
1) I can’t find Dutch-processed cocoa powder. What adjustments do I need to make if using Hershey Cocoa Powder?
2) I only have Mini chocolate chips…How much should I add to sub the 1cup reg morsels?
Thanks!
Hello! Unfortunately I don’t know what adjustments you’d need to make. It’d require a bit of testing and I haven’t done that. Other people have enjoyed them with Hershey’s cocoa powder, but a few have said they come out cakey. I would use 1 cup mini chocolate chips in place of the regular-sized ones. Hope you’ll like them!
I’ve made these a bunch of times and they are delicious. Do you think this recipe would work as cupcakes?
I’m happy you enjoy them! You could make individual-sized brownies using a muffin pan (maybe filling them 1/4 or 1/5 full) but filling the batter almost to the top and having them come out in cupcake shape… I’m not so hopeful that that’d work well.
Do you squeeze out the excess water from the grated zuchinni or do you add it as is?
I added it as is. But if yours is dripping wet, you might want to get rid of some of the excess water.
Great recipe! Got a batch in the oven right now. Only difference I used is honey as my sweetner! and peanut flour instead of the whole wheat!
Oh, wow! The peanut flour’s an interesting sub. How much honey did you use? Thanks for your comment!
Sounds good! I am allergic to apple sauce, could you recommend a substitute
Thanks! I’m not sure what would work well here but there are several suggestions found on this page. My vote would be for banana puree, but you’ll likely be able to taste it.
You could try puréed pear or pear baby food if you want to be lazy!
Thanks for the tip! :)
These are soooo good! I made these a few months ago and had to try it again! I have a batch in the oven right now… I’m so excited! :D Thank you for the wonderful recipe that I can feel good about.
Aww, yay! I’m happy that you’re making them again and that you like them so much. :) I hope this batch comes out just as well. Thanks a bunch for your comment!
How do I cook with the zucchini? Do I peel the skin off and put it in a blender or just shred it with a cheese grater? I’ve never made brownies with zucchini before.
Hi there! Peel the zucchini (I used a potato peeler) and then use a cheese grater or whatever grated you’d like to grate it. Enjoy! :)
What’s the nutritional info for these, please?
I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like. :)
Hi there, hope I’m not repeating a question but I am about to make these with my nephews and wanted to substitute the coconut sugar because of an allergy but I also don’t use regular sugar. Do you think I could use a banana or extra applesauce? Thanks!
Hi there! I haven’t had a good experience when it comes to subbing bananas or applesauce for sugar. If you feel like experimenting, this page may have some helpful tips for you. I’d love to hear how they come out if you try them!
These brownies were amazingly gooey! I didn’t end up subbing the coconut sugar. Made other cookies for the nephew with coconut allergies. ;) I didn’t have the Dutch cocoa but since many stated it was cake like with regular cocoa, I added more applesauce after mixing everything together because I could see it was a little dry looking. Baked for 30 minutes & it was gooey inside but stiffened up enough after cooling. Can’t wait till my hubby tries these without knowing there’s zucchini in it
Aww, yay! I’m so happy that you tried them and enjoyed them. I hope that your husband liked the brownies, too! Thanks for coming back to let me know how it went. :)
These were honestly super good!! I made them with egg whites instead. I included 3 egg whites and put 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup of coconut flour and they turned out wonderful!
ALSO, I forgot to mention that I baked them as cookies so when the outside looked dried out, I removed them and as they cool, they get moisture and softer.
Another interesting change. :D What kind of texture did they have? Were they like cookies or brownies but in cookie shape? Sounds like something I need to try!
Coconut flour?! That’s an interesting sub. I’m shocked (but happy!) that that worked. :) Thanks so much for your comment!
Made these this afternoon with coconut oil, since I didn’t have applesauce on hand. Thank you for this delicious recipe! Melty, chocolatey, & satisfying. I will be making these again.
Did you use the same amount? Interesting! Thanks for the tip and your feedback. :)
Could I double this and bake it in a 9×13 pan instead?
Thanks!
I haven’t tried it but I’m assuming that’d work! The difficulty would be the baking time. I’d keep a close eye on them and start checking them every 3-5 minutes after the recommended baking time for an 8×8.
BEST BROWNIES EVER! That is all :) Seriously, a must bake.
Haha. I’m thrilled you liked them so much! :D Thanks for your comment!
Hi everyone- i’m pretty new to substituting vegetables in baking, but I’m excited to try this recipe! Does the zucchini have to be cooked first or does it go in raw?
Hi there! It goes in raw. :) I hope you’ll enjoy them!
These are super good! I made mine using my blendtech, and then baking. I also added in a few fresh figs
With figs?! That sounds like a great addition! Thanks for your comment. :)
Just made these, and wow!!! They’re fantastic! Thank you for such a great recipe!
And thank you for your comment! :) I’m happy you enjoyed them.
As I type this my three year old is quietly devouring a brownie. These are very good! I made the mistake of leaving them in too long. As I set the timer for ten more minutes I came back to read comments and saw leaving them in longer can make them more cake like. So next time I will stick to 30 minutes instead of 40! They aren’t TOTALLY cakey though. The center looks more gooey. I will absolutely make these again. I used whole grain flour as well and you absolutely can’t tell. And a side note – I LOVE that your comments are mostly from people who actually made the recipe. That is so helpful when someone is considering trying a recipe. And your feedback to commenters is so helpful and respectful. Thank you so much! I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Actually- while putting away my cocoa I realized it was a blend! Not 100% Dutch process. That in combo with baking too long made them slightly cakey. Still delicious though. Looking forward to trying again with the proper cocoa and cooking time!
Aha! Good that you caught that. Hopefully next time they’ll turn out less cakey. :)
I have to admit that most of my recipes aren’t filled with so many reviews like this. I wish they were! Most people prefer to leave feedback on social media these days and not on the recipe post. I appreciate any feedback I get so I’m not complaining. :) Thanks so much for your review and thoughtful comment! (and sorry for my slow reply! I’m sick and haven’t been at my computer much)
I made these tonight and they were soooooo good! It was thick like cake for me, but definitely the consistency of a fudgy brownie. I used white whole wheat flour from Bob’s Red Mill, and turbinado sugar. I baked mine in an 8×8 pyrex baking dish. It took longer than an hour though. I think it took nearly an hour, but I just keep checking every 10 minutes and they came out great. I have tried making other brownie recipes from scratch and they weren’t that great, thank you for making one that’s healthy and delicious! I make lots of my own applesauce every fall and keep extra shredded zucchini in the freezer, so I plan to make a few batches this winter. :)
I’m happy to hear that you liked them! It shouldn’t have taken an hour, though. Maybe that’s why they were like thick cake? I made these the other day and when I checked with a toothpick, I couldn’t get it to come out clean. Everywhere I checked, it came out with melted chocolate on it! But not raw batter. It’s tough to tell when these are actually ready! But if you liked them that way, then it’s great. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
Erin, I am on a grain-free diet due to intolerances, and so had tried your brownies with tigernut flour just for fun. They are FANTASTIC–agreed to by all my gluten-eating friends and family! The tigernut flour leaves a little bit of cruchiness–kind of like coconut would–but it just adds to the texture. We add pecans to the chips on top as well. The only thing I noted is that the baking time changes to over an hour–use the knife coming out clean as when it’s fully cooked. Thanks for a fantastic recipe! By the way, I had some leftover grated zucchini this time, and added an egg, chopped onion, salt and a few tablespoons of cassava flour and fried some (trial) zucchini pancakes in bacon grease. It will become a routine, as they were delicious
That’s great that tigernut flour worked well! That’s one grain-free flour that I’ve never tried. Did you use the same amount? And your zucchini pancakes sound like a wonderful way to use up leftover zucchini. I’ll have to try that! Thanks for your comment. :)
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’ve tried it and it turned out great.
Just wondering — can these brownies be put in a freezer?
I think they’d freeze well! I’m happy to hear you liked them. Thanks for your feedback! :)
The tigernut ones with pecans freeze beautifully, so I bet the regular ones would as well. Heating them in the microwave, they even retain the wonderful gooey texture–I didn’t expect that! I take them for a snack at work and they hold me 4+ hours until my next meal!
Thanks for the tip! That’s great to know. I’m happy that they reheat well!
I made these last night and they are sooo good! I used 1/3 cup stevia instead of coconut sugar and regular cocoa powder and they turned out amazing! Thank you for the recipe, I’ll definitely be making them again👍🏼
That’s great to know that it works with stevia! Does it have an aftertaste? Now I can refer to your comment when people ask for a sugar-free version. :) Thanks a bunch for the tip and for your feedback!
Nope no aftertaste! But I did use baking blend, not sure if that makes a difference. My boyfriend had no idea there was stevia in it :)
Oh, neat! Good to know. Everything I’ve tried with stevia has an aftertaste I can’t deal with. Thanks again for the tip! :)
Mine came out extremely dry despite cooking it for 29 minutes with only the middle part moist. Kind of kicking myself for wasting all those ingredients and not taking the brownies out sooner. But I’m sure this receipe is delicious as the small middle area tastes amazing!
Hi there! If yours came out dry, something must have gone wrong. These should be super moist and gooey! (and none of the other reviewers have mentioned them being dry). Did you make any changes or subs at all to the recipe? If not, then perhaps your oven is running hot? Or did you use a glass or dark baking pan? I’m happy the middle was still good! :)
How long would you recommend baking these in a dark 8×8 pan?
I’m guessing you should bake them at 325 and for the same amount of time. It’s just a guess, though. :)
Should I wring out the zucchini to remove excess moisture?
If it’s really juicy, like if you after grate it and it’s sitting in liquid, then you may want to get rid of some but I’ve never had to do that. Enjoy! :)
Do you have nutrition facts for these?
I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like. :)
If i don’t want to use cocoa powder can i substitute with lets say 1/4 cup of melted dark chocolate? And maybe reduce the sugar?
I’m sorry but I really don’t think that that’ll work! You can read more about why here. I recommend just getting some cocoa powder. :) I’d hate for you to waste your ingredients by experimenting with chocolate!
Could I use teff flour for these?
I’ve had good luck with teff in brownies but can’t guarantee it’d work here since I haven’t tried it. I do have a teff brownie recipe here. :)
Yep, and I’ve made that one twice and its delicious! Was just curious since I have the teff flour laying around. I may just use the 1-1 GF baking flour just to be safe.
I think that’s a good idea! I’d hate for you to waste your flour on experimenting. I’m planning on trying an oat flour version of this soon so at least there’ll be 1 GF option soon. :) And I’m happy you enjoyed the other brownies!
I used a GF flour blend of buckwheat & sorghum flour & it turned out just fine. Also I used chia seeds for the eggs. It was delicious!
Thanks for sharing your GF / vegan version! Sounds great. :) So happy they came out well for you!
Just made these, they’re AMAZING! So delicious!
Yay! So happy that you liked them. Thanks for your comment. :)
Hi,do you think I could use liquid sweetener instead of sugar, would it make any difference in the texture?
Hi there! If you add liquid to the recipe then you need to reduce the other liquids in the recipe. Unfortunately, this recipe doesn’t have any milk or anything that you can really reduce so I wouldn’t recommend it.
Oh okay, and what if I exclude the sugar from the recipe/use a smaller amount ?
You can reduce it a bit but if you reduce it too much, then the texture and taste will be negatively affected. Excluding all the sugar would be a disaster and I don’t recommend it. ;)
These are amazing! The recipe turned out perfect!
I’m happy to hear that! Thanks so much for your comment. :)
Can you use cacao powder instead of Dutch cocoa?
I wasn’t sure so I googled it and still don’t have a good answer. I’m sure it’ll taste fine but you’ll probably end up with cakey brownies rather than gooey like in the pictures. Let us know how it works if you try it out! Enjoy. :)
Made these a few weeks ago and like lots of people have said before, it was more like a moist cake…. so, I put a thin layer of cool whip on the top and called it zucchini cake… it was loved by all our kids and family at our cookout! I will replace my regular chocolate cake recipe with this one for now on. It’s our new family favorite! ! Thank you!
Did you use Dutch-process cocoa powder or the regular Hershey’s kind? I think the commenter below you has figured out why they’re coming out cakey for some people but not cakey for others! And I’m so happy you still enjoyed it and turned it into a cake. :) Thanks so much for your comment!
I’m not sure if the mystery of the “cakey” brownies has been solved but I’m quite sure it has to do with Dutch-processed cocoa vs natural cocoa. Dutch-process cocoa has a nutral pH which means the recipe needs baking powder to have any leavening occur, which is not what you use in your recipe hence yours are dense and moist. If someone substitutes natural cocoa it will react with the baking soda and cause a cake-like texture. The two cocoa’s are not interchangeable.
Hope this is helpful :)
Wow, thanks so much for your comment! I just updated the recipe stating that Dutch-process cocoa powder must be used. That’s what I originally had listed but then several people told me that they had used natural cocoa powder with success so I listed that as an option. I’m going to go through my other brownie recipes and add a note to them, as well. Really, thanks so much for taking the time to leave this comment! It’s a huge help. :)
No problem, glad to be of help. My head is full of random baking facts, I’m glad they can be useful :)
Haha. Better than a bunch of random film trivia, like mine. ;) Thanks again!
Mine came out like a cake. Used Dutch cocoa and followed exactly. Only baked 32 minutes. Hmm not sure. Tastes pretty good though.
The only other variable I can think of is water content, which varies a lot in zucchini. I’m happy you still liked them. :)
I made these last night. I will make them again but i will tweak the recipe. i used a tablespoon of pure vanilla extract and these had a very strong taste of liquor. So i will cut that back quite a bit. The brownies were more like cake but I may have stirred them too much or baked them too long, according to your comments. But over all I will be making these again. Thank you for sharing this is a keeper.
I’m happy you enjoyed them! And good call on being careful with the overstirring. I hope next time they’ll come out as gooey as they should be! Thanks a bunch for your comment. :)
Oh my! These are so decadent! Delicious and easy. I skipped the chips on top.
Oops, forgot to add a 5 star rating!
And thanks for leaving another comment just to leave a rating. Much appreciated! :)
I’m so happy you liked them! Thanks for your comment. :)
If I am in the mood for a healthy desert and don’t have zucchini could I substitute it for a banana? (I’m not familiar with substitutions just trying to eat healthier) LOL any advice would help! Thanks!
I’ve never tried subbing a banana for zucchini so I’m sorry to say I have no idea if that’d work. I’m guessing not, though. 2 cups is a lot of zucchini to omit / sub! These brownies have a lot more sugar in them but there’s no zucchini to worry about. :)
It is splendid to come across your recipe for healthy brownies. Just a thought to help out those who found their brownies turning out cakey could be the baking time….I experiment a lot with mixed Millet/buckwheat flours in brownies and I think it helps to get the brownies out soon as they are at a stage where a few crumbs stick to the tester/sticky as you mention in the procedure. Timing is key when it comes to making fudgy multi-grain brownies.
Exactly! I suppose the few people who said these are cakey might be overbaking them (if they didn’t make any subs) because these just aren’t cakey. I hope you’ll enjoy the brownies if you try them out! Thanks for your comment. :)
Do you think these would be 21 day fix approved?! PLEASE SAY YES!
I’m sorry but I’m not at all familiar with that program! Do they have guidelines anywhere?
Yes they do! I think I would basically need to substitute the sugar for maple syrup or agave. http://www.daystofitness.com/21-day-fix-eating-plan/
Hmm. I can’t find any mentions of sweeteners (maple, agave, or sugar) in that post, though I didn’t read the comments! The problem with using a liquid sweetener is that you’ll be adding quite a bit of liquid, which I think will make the brownies cakey.
Holy Toledo! The most moist delicious brownie!
Yay! So happy you liked them. Thanks for your comment!
I just made these and they are amazing!!! I left out the chocolate chips (I didn’t have any on hand) and it still came out delicious!! I used me own mix of gluten free flours (instead of the whole wheat flour. Yes these brownies are a bit more ‘cake like’ but they are super light and moist. A total winner! Thank you for sharing!!
I’m happy your GF mix worked out well here! Which flours did you use? I’m thinking of trying these with buckwheat. I’m pretty sure they’d come out gooey and fudgy like the whole wheat version with that. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
Hi,
For a buckwheat flour substitution how would I change the measurements? Or is it a 1:1?
Thanks!
Hello! I’d do a 1:1 sub but since I haven’t tried it yet, I can’t say if it’d actually work. I hope you’ll enjoy them if you give it a go. :)
I love to bake but up until today everything I’ve baked has been super unhealthy (albeit delicous). I’m looking to make some healthier changes but I could never cut out sweets! I tried this recipe today and I have to say, these are by FAR the best brownies I’ve ever had. These will be my go-to from here on out. Thank you!
I’m with you! I want to eat a little more healthfully but sweets aren’t going anywhere. ;) I’m so happy that you enjoyed the brownies and your first healthier sweets! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. :)
I followed the recipe, but mine turned out to be more of a cake consistency than brownie… What are your thoughts? Still delicious though!
Did you make any subs at all? Or did you perhaps mix a little too much? Or did you maybe use a black or very dark colored pan? They definitely shouldn’t be cake-like but I’m happy they were still tasty!
I totally agree, this was very cakey, not what I was expecting. Good, very good, but it was a chocolate cake with chocolate chips.
If these brownies came out cakey, I’m pretty sure something must have gone wrong. Or did you make any subs at all? Or make any changes to the recipe? Or perhaps overmix the batter? If you overmix, that can lead to more cakey brownies. I’m happy you still enjoyed them!
We went plant based last January and this brownie has become our occasional treat! Instead of eggs I have used flax eggs (1 Tbsp ground flax with 3 Tbsp water per egg) and last time tried an aqua faba substitute (the liquid that drains off of chick peas). Both work fabulously!! These brownies are rich and moist. Our favorite way to eat them is topped with fresh strawberries.
How awesome that your vegan subs worked out well! Thanks for sharing your tips with us. :)
I made these tonight and they are delicious! I was making them on a whim from my pantry and only had granulted sugar so I used that. I also only had a bag of mixed chocolate chips and peanut butter chips and let me just tell you… I don’t regret using that combo! In the future I’m going to try to pare down the refined sugar even more and use the coconut sugar and maybe a different kind of chocolate chip, but for now I’m enjoying these and feeling pretty satisfied with myself that they are pretty healthy!
Mixed chocolate and peanut butter chips sounds amazing! I’ll definitely have to try that. :) I’m happy that they came out well for you. Thanks a bunch for your feedback and let me know how the different chocolate chip versions go!
Hi, do you think we can sub applesauce for the eggs and still get a good result? Thanks!
Hi, there! I haven’t tried that sub so I’m not sure if it’d work out. I’m pretty sure it’d make the brownies a bit more cakey and a lot less fudgy, though. Sorry I don’t have a more definite answer for you!
How many calories are in each brownie and can you substitute whole wheat flour for almond flour?
I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here and it’ll give you what you’re looking for. :) Almond flour isn’t interchangeable with wheat. If you need these to be gluten-free, I’d recommend oat flour (though I haven’t tried it myself).
could you use coconut flour?
No, sorry. Coconut flour also isn’t interchangeable with wheat flour (or any other flour for that matter!). If you want to make these gluten-free, I recommend using a GF baking mix that’s a 1-to-1 sub for all-purpose flour.
THESE ARE THE BEST BROWNIES I’VE EVER MADE! I was looking for alternative ways to make desserts and cam across this recipe i tried it and they were perfect, i have made them multiple time since. One time i used half chocolate chips and half butterscoth for a party everyone was in awe….Tonight i made them and substituted the applesauce for pumpkin puree and added nutmeg and cinnamon to turn them into delicious fall brownies….MY FAVORITE RECIPE! thank you so much ive had so many people ask me for the recipe.
Wow! I’m so happy that you’ve been enjoying them so much. And I love your experimenting! The pumpkin puree version sounds like something I need to try. :) Thanks a ton for your feedback and for sharing your variations!
Yum. Just made these. I didn’t have applesauce or spelt. Subbed plain yogurt for applesauce and oat flour for the spelt. My coconut sugar said coconut palm sugar, not sure if that is the same thing but they taste good, not too sweet. Soft, delicate texture and look just like the picture.
It’s good to know that oat flour works in these! I’ve been wanting to try that out. And yogurt sounds like a great sub! Coconut sugar is indeed the same thing as coconut palm sugar. :) I’m so happy that the brownies came out well for you. Thanks a ton for the feedback!
Hey Erin! I am making these right now:-) my only concern is the batter (although delicious in my opnion) was very gritty. I accidently put baking powder In & baking sod. Will that effect it much? I’m ju curious to know why the texture is like that
Thanks!
Hi, Eliza! I haven’t had any commenters mention the batter being gritty so I’m not really sure what could be going on there. What kind of flour did you use? Do you mean that you used 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda? I’m not sure if that’d make the batter gritty but I’m guessing they’ll come out more cake-like! Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you. I hope they’re still delicious! :)
We must be soul sisters!!! My birthday is tomorrow, I have 2 huge zucchinis on my counter that have been asking me to make them into brownies. One google search and I find the recipe that I would have made had I not been able to find it. Thank you for saving me the effort! Scrolling down to check out the ingredients and that first photo made me say “damn that looks good!”
Happy birthday! :D That’s so funny that your zucchinis tell you those kinds of things because mine are the same exact way! Crazy. ;) I hope you have a fantastic day today and that you’ll enjoy your birthday brownies!
I made these last night and I love them! But I need a low sodium variation for my family member. I find it easier to find sodium free baking powder not soda….Any recommendations? Would I have to add 4x the baking powder? I assume that would leave a weird taste in the brownies.. please help! Thanks!
I’m so happy you liked them! I wasn’t sure about your baking powder question so I looked into it and found this useful article. I think the first three points would be helpful for you. They say, “Baking soda and baking powder are chemically different, and while it’s easy to sub soda for powder with a few added ingredients, doing the reverse might require a Ph.D.” Then this page says to use 3x the amount. I haven’t tried this so I don’t know if it’d affect the taste at all. Sorry I couldn’t be more of a help!
These were delicious!! Thank you so much for creating this recipe! None of my guests guessed the magic ingredients applesauce (made my own) and zucchini!
Awesome! I’m so happy it was a hit. And I love that you made your own applesauce! Thanks so much for your feedback. :)
I was browsing pinterest for zucchini recipes because we have so many that I needed new ideas.
These brownies sound perfect for my family!
I love that those are dairy free. My mom is not allowed to eat dairy and I’m always looking for ideas when she is coming over.
My younger son never eats vegetables. Yay for sneaky recipes!
And I still have applesauce from last year’s harvest and looking at the trees there will be a lot more this year.
Thank you! I’m going to try it this week.
Like your son, I don’t like veggies so I also appreciate sneaky ways to hide their taste. ;) And lucky you with apples trees and homemade apple sauce! That’s a dream of mine. Thanks so much for your comment and I hope that you and your family will enjoy the brownies!
Hi Erin!
Just wanted to say this recipe is fabulous! I did make some adjustments though. I know you had told other commenters that it probably wouldn’t work with a gluten free flour because the brownies would get too cakey, but I still was able to get a gooey consistency substituting the 1 c whole wheat flour for 1/4 c coconut flour. Also, I didn’t have coconut sugar so I used maple syrup instead. I did have to add an extra 1/4 t of baking soda and subtract out 3 T of liquid. I just wrung out my zucchini to decrease the liquid content. I even baked them in a mini cupcake pan to have bite-sized brownies (to hopefully create some portion control… haha :D ).
I’m sure the original recipe is wonderful, but I thought I’d experiment a bit and it did turn out quite well! I’ll definitely be looking at your site for additional recipes. Thanks a bunch!
Hi, Courtney! I love that you made these with coconut flour. I do a lot of baking with that so I’ll have to try it, too. The bite-sized brownies also sound great. :) Thanks so much for sharing your grain-free version! Hopefully it’ll help the others out and I know I’ll be trying it for sure. And so sorry for my slow reply! I don’t know how I missed it.
I am speechless!!! These are absolutely amazing and I was totally a skeptic! You must try these because you will not be disappointed! Oooey gooey chocolate lovers dream!
Thanks so much for your feedback! I’m thrilled that you liked them so much. :)
I have made your brownies so many times and everyone (friends, family, strangers off the street…. They all love them) but in so many different levels of sugar I thought I’d pass on what I learned…. 1) coco to ‘Regular’ sugar you can go 1:1 1/2 cup of each but only Only if you use eggs…. I have a son with an egg allergy and for his I have to go 1:2 with the sugar being a full cup. Most importantly if you Only have mini chips…. Go to the store and buy morsels it is not the same (in a bad) way if you don’t….. Thank you again for your blog I have always loved all your recipes and usually follow them to the letter… But with that much chocolate I find I don’t miss the sweet sugar. ;-)
Hi, Maureen! Thanks so much for sharing what you’ve learned with the sugar amounts. :) I’m all for less sugar so I’ll definitely be trying your reduced sugar version! And I think it’s great that you experimented with the recipe to find a yummy-tasting not so sugary version. Thanks again for your feedback!
Hey Erin just giving you a Happy Update That Thanks to all your amazing recipes My son is for the 1st year Officially Egg Allergy Free…. I always sharing your post to all my allergy friends. So glad this recipe is still in my bookmarks As Everyone Swears its the Best Brownie EVER!!!
Not sure why I never posted what I DID use as a sub but it was Chi-Egg (1tbs of chi 2 tablespoons of water… let it sit for 30 seconds in a separate container before adding)
Anyway just wanted to Thank you again And if ANYONE scrolls this far into your comments to see this…. I PROMISE you WILL NOT REGRET MAKING THEM!!! (Oh and 1/2 the regular sugar still 🤣)
Hi Maureen! Nice to hear from you so many years later. :D I’m thrilled that your son made it through the first year and that you and your friends like these brownies! I love how enthusiastic you are about them. :) Thanks again for your super nice comment and please forgive my slow reply! (I was on vacation)
These are freaking awesome. Thank you so much Erin for this recipe. They’re still hot (I ran here to write the review) so I hope I won’t change my mind when they cool off tomorrow(you know, if they’re one of ‘those’ desserts that just loses value after cooling off), but while still hot, a large portion has already gone, my family loved them.
I love knowing that much of the volume of the brownies actually comes from VEGETABLES and not flour. Also, I put 5-6 drops of stevia (no aftertaste, will put up to 8 next time), and check this out-I put stevia-sweetened chocolate that has no added sugar(crushed them into little chips myslef). Because I was really scared I also put 2-3 tbsps maple syrup and 1-2 tbsps honey(forgot to measure how much), but looking back (if like me, you don’t need things to be super sweet) it can be reduced to 2 tbsps max in total. Not a hint of regular sugar in them. That’s how I succeeded in making them even a bit more healthier, and I’m super proud because of that (so I guess I know how you feel when you do it). I think I also went overboard with the applesauce but that seems to be a completely acceptable mistake to do. Next time, I might try subbing up to 25% of the flour for buckwheat or oat flour to lessen the grain amount. Stop me if you think that would be a bad idea.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them! These remain gooey for days so day two should definitely be good. :) I love how you made them even healthier! I’ll have to try that. Although I haven’t tried it, I’m pretty sure buckwheat or oat flour should work fine in these! I’ve had good luck using those in brownie recipes. I’ve never had to add a binder and it always works. Let me know how it goes and thanks a ton for your great feedback!
I love this recipe! I’m making it again for St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow – I feel like the green of the zucchini makes it festive :)
I like how you think! Thanks so much for the feedback. :)
LOVED this recipe. I’m new moving toward clean healthier food choices, which thought I would start with eliminating white flour, white/brown sugars, and eggs (eggs in recipes). So for this recipe I sub sugar with maple syrup and eggs with flax egg. On the flour I was going to use GF Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour, but noticed it said on the package use as a 1:1, but recommend to add Xanthan Gum, which I didn’t have. Since not sure how it would work with this added item, I just used white flour :(. Do you know if I could have gotten by without the Xan gum? Glad I found your blog.
I’m so happy that you liked them! I’ve not made these using GF flour but I’ve made lots of GF brownie recipes and I never use xanthan gum (I don’t use it in anything). These brownies are so gooey and so chocolatey that I think you don’t really need the xanthan gum to hold it together. If it’s cookies or bars or something like that, it’d probably be needed. If you’re just trying to eliminate white flour and not necessarily gluten, you could also try these with whole wheat or whole spelt flour. They’re much better for you than refined white flour! Thank you so much for your feedback and I’m sorry for my slow reply – I didn’t see this until now!
Hi I’d love to try your recipe. I’m always on the lookout for healthier alternatives for my son since he loves chocolate so this seems great. My question is this : I have a huge jar of hot chocolate mix that I wanted to use up – could that be replaced for the cocoa powder and sugar? What changes do you think I’d need to make if I were to do that? Thanks!
Hi there! I’ve never tried it but I’m guessing that won’t work. The proportion of sugar and cocoa powder would be totally different, which would affect the taste and texture of the brownies. I’m guessing the brownies would be too sweet and not chocolatey enough, but it’s just a guess. I definitely recommend sticking to cocoa powder and sugar. :) I hope you’ll enjoy the brownies if you try them out!
Can i substitute more apple sauce for the zuchinni? i Dont have anything against veggies, but i was SHOCKED to find out zuchinni is GMO!!
I don’t think so because the texture and moisture content is totally different. Sorry about that!
my friend cannot have eggs butter or milk what can I do to make a cake or cookies
I would suggest finding some vegan recipes to use rather than trying to adapt one like this. I don’t have many vegan recipes, but Namely Marly has lots of vegan cake and cookie recipes. :)
I just made them – unfortunately the grated zucchini did not seem to have absorbed the colour of the chocolate and did not dissolve – so it looks like little worms. I tried some and they are great tasting but knowing my kids they will not touch them. Not sure if I do them again unless I find a better way of grating them. I grated them fine.
I also gluten intolerant so adjusted the recipe. I only had milka hot chocolate which already has chocolate as well as the apple sauce was sweetened so I did not put any additional sugar in it which was fine and used Doves Gluten free flour for it.
I’m happy you thought they tasted good! Using hot chocolate instead of unsweetened cocoa powder and leaving out the sugar completely (even though the hot chocolate mix and applesauce was sweetened) is most likely to blame. 3/4 cup is a lot of sugar and the hot chocolate and applesauce don’t have anywhere near that. The gluten-free mix might have contributed to the weird texture, too. If you want a GF version, I recommend these flourless chocolate chip zucchini oat brownies. I hope that helps! :)
LOVE these – super tasty & intensely chocolatey – all the family enjoyed them. Just wondering, do you have any tips on how to reduce their sugar content/what I could swap in for the granulated sugar (I don’t have any coconut sugar)? Thanks :)
So happy that you liked them! You can reduce the sugar but the more you reduce, the cakier and less gooey they become. I’d say raw sugar or coconut sugar are really the only good subs here. If you used a liquid sweetener, then the liquid content would be off. Thanks for the feedback! :)
Hi Erin,
These look delicious!!! We do not get applesauce where I am (India). Can I use regular unsalted butter instead of the applesauce?
If you used butter, I think these would come out really greasy. They’re already super gooey and I’m afraid that they would never really set. If you enjoy applesauce, it’s easy to make! Or you could try these whole wheat zucchini brownies, which are applesauce free. :)
Hi Erin,
Thanks!! I found a simple applesauce recipe online and finally made these brownies for me and some office folks. They turned out very moist but not as gooey as expected (like a soft cake). I could not believe that there was zucchini in these. Will make them again this week. Thanks a lot for this recipe. I already know this will be one of my regular ones :)
Abhishek
I’m happy they came out well! I’m wondering if your homemade applesauce was maybe a little more watery than store bought apple sauce. That could have caused the cakey-ness! Thanks for letting me know how they came out. :)
Hi Erin! Just wanted to thank you for this recipe! I made it last night and it was deeeeeeeeeelicious :-) So moist – like one of those chocolate dessert cakes, you know? I do have one question: do you grate your zucchini finely or coarsely? I only ask because we could still ‘feel’ the bits of (coarsely) grated zucchini. Didn’t stop us eating a quarter of the brownies in one go though!
I’m also in Germany (British but live here with German boyfriend). So…. greetings from Berlin!
Kay
Hi Kay! I’m so happy that they came out well for you. :) I used a medium ribbon grater from Microplane. It’s been a while since I’ve made them but I don’t think I could detect the zucchini at all (and as someone who hates zucchini, I’m betting I’d remember. ;)) And hi back from Berlin! Thanks so much for the feedback and stopping by to say hi. :)
Oh my god these look absolutely amazing!!
Thanks, Millie! I hope you can give them a try. :)
Thanks for the recipe! Loved the gooey factor of this chocolate brownie, as did my bf who has left a few for me… He was getting concerned with counter space after I brought home a glut of zuccs. I used whole meal flour and Belgian dark chocolate chips, 70% cocoa solids and they were delish. I’ve looked at your inspiration for this recipe and would like to add this recipe as a link to my relatively new blog in my second recipe post if that is OK?!
So, so sorry for my slow reply, Tina! Please feel free to link to this recipe or the recipe on The Baltic Maid, where I adapted it from. :) And you never need to add to link to someone, just ask if you want to use their recipe (rewritten in your own words) or want to use a picture. I’m just letting you know since you said your blog was new. Hopefully it’ll save you a little time! :) I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the brownies and thanks for the feedback! Sorry again for my slow reply.
Do you know approx.hiw many calories these would be? On a calorie voucher ting diet here!
I intentionally don’t include the nutritional info (I focus on making healthier choices rather than low calorie / fat / etc.) but you can copy and paste the recipe here for that info, if you like. I hope you’ll enjoy them! :)
I want to make these delicious brownies but I wondering what you think would be a good substitute for the eggs ( my 4 year old has a sever egg allergy).
Thank you,
Maureen
I unfortunately have no experience with egg substitutes but I found this helpful chart. I hope that helps! :)
You can substitute ground flaxseed for egg.
I just made this with chia ‘egg’ as a vegan version and they turned out great! Just mix 2 Tbsp chia seeds with 6 Tbsp. water and let sit for 5 minutes, then use just as you would the two eggs :)
Thanks so much for posting the vegan version you tried! I’m sure it’ll help others. And thanks for the rating. :)
For a Flax egg use 1TBS flax meal and 3TBS warm water. Sit in refrigerator for 1 minute to set up.. Equals 1 egg.
Thank you for that! :)
I just made these b/c I have so much zucchini from my garden. They were absolutely amazing. I cannot believe there is no added fat besides the choc chips. The 2cups of zucchini make them so moist!
I’m happy to hear that they came out well! And I agree… it’s hard to believe the only added fat is from the chocolate chips. Thanks so much for the feedback. :)
These were AH-mazing! I was a skeptic, I’ll admit. But man alive these blew me away. Everyone loved them and you can’t tell there is squash in there at all! I used one cup of zucchini and one cup of yellow squash – and spelt flour. Winner!!! Thanks! :-)
I’m so happy that they came out well! And good to know that yellow squash works here. Interesting! Thanks so much for the feedback. :)
Wow! These are incredible! My kids didnt see me sneak in the zucchini. They love them. I would make these again because of how moist they are! Thanks for your recipe! I complimented you on fb so I think more people will be using your recipe! :)
I’m so happy that your kids liked them! And thanks for complimenting me on FB. I hope your friends will enjoy the brownies, too! Thanks for the feedback. :)
Oh My!!! These brownies are awesome! My husband and all 3 kids loved them! I made the recipe exactly as written except I used white whole wheat flour. They tasted to me like the sinful molten lava cakes but none of the guilt. They fell apart a bit but I’m guessing that’s because we couldn’t wait even 5 minutes for them to cool from the oven! I will definitely be checking out more of your recipes.
Haha. Well, they shouldn’t have fallen apart but I’m happy you were able to live with it. ;) So happy that you and your family enjoyed them! And white whole wheat is always a good idea. Thanks so much for your feedback! :)
Hi Erin,
Do I need to wring out the water in the zucchini? Love your recipes!
Thanks.
Margie
Nope! No need to do that. Unless your zucchini is over the top watery. Then just get rid of enough water so that it has a “normal” amount of water (I hate saying that because there’s no exact way of measuring this). I hope you’ll enjoy the brownies! :)
Wow Erin, these were so good! I used whole wheat pastry flour and they came out more like cake which was fine with my family, my kids loved it so much my 6 year old said he wants this “cake” for his birthday! I have to admit I probably used more chocolate chips than you called for because you can never have too much chocolate… Another winning recipe from you!!
But darn. These aren’t supposed to be cake-like! I’m really surprised that whole wheat pastry flour had that effect. I love that your son asked for these brownies as his birthday cake. :) Thanks so much for the feedback!
Zucchini is exploding out of my garden and I really don’t want to make any more zucchini bread. I checked to see what you had on your site and decided to do these first :-). I added a cup of walnuts (for the hubby) and omitted the chocolate chips sprinkled on top. These were chocolatey and ooey gooey!!! I think next time I might make your chocolate ganache to frost the brownies. That would take it over the top! When mixing, I had to double check the amount of zucchini called for and then check my measuring cup to make sure I hadn’t added too much. It just really seemed lilke a lot of zucchini I was folding in. The thing I love is it used up 2 cups of zucchini!!! Now I have a reason to be excited when I see an enormous zucchini in my garden! You rock, Erin!!!!
Yay! So happy that you liked the brownies! :) But after you’ve made these, my other zucchini recipes aren’t nearly as exciting (especially the chocolate zucchini cookies and lemon zucchini muffins – they’re good but nothing compared to this!) The chocolate zucchini cake is almost as good as these brownies but not as gooey and decadent. I’d be interested to know how it comes out for you, though! I know a few people who have had issues with the ganache (it comes out gel-like or it comes out totally runny) but I make it all the time and never had any problem. Really strange! Anyway, thanks for your feedback and good luck on growing a few more zucchini this year. :)
These are quickly becoming a weekly staple in our home! I add peanut butter chips on top instead of mini chocolate chips- because you can’t go wrong with peanut butter!
Ooh! You’re right. Peanut butter is always right. ;) I wouldn’t have thought of adding them here, though. Thanks for the idea and for the feedback!
Thank u so much for this delicious and healthy recipe that my whole family loves! The only change I made was G/F flour instead of regular flour, which made it come out much more fluffy (almost a cake instead brownie). But still a super moist, yummy and HEALTHY treat that I can feel good about offering to my picky eaters.
Sorry for the slow reply! Was it a GF baking blend mix? I’m happy that it came out well, even if they were cakey. ;) Thanks so much for the feedback!
These are Delish. I’ve deemed them pin worthy to my board which contains Pinterest recipes that are worth it. Way to go and thank you. Now if I could just eat only one- but with nursing a baby I think it will be ok ;) xx
Thanks a ton for pinning! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the brownies. Good luck on the self-control thing (I know I don’t have any…) and thanks for the feedback! ;)
Ahhh, using Whole WHEAT and SPELT does not make this a GLUTEN free recipe as the title Chocolate Zucchini Brownies (100% whole grain, dairy-free)suggests.
We eat only “Paleo”, maybe Almond Flour or Coconut Flour would work?
Thank you for the delicious looking recipe, I’m going to try to alter your wonderful recipe just a bit and see if those of us who have to be absolutely gluten free can enjoy it too
I’m not sure how “100% whole grain” and “dairy-free” suggests gluten-free. A whole grain label has absolutely nothing to do with gluten (although there are gluten-free whole grains like teff and buckwheat). I never mention this being a gluten-free recipe in the post or title at all. About half of the recipes on my blog are 100% whole grain and contain gluten (normally using whole wheat or whole spelt) and the other half are grain-free (using almond and coconut flours). So perhaps that’s where the confusion came from? Or perhaps someone linked to it wrong? I’m kind of stumped! Anyway, I hope you’re able to make a nice grain-free version and if a gluten-free version is okay, try these flourless chocolate chip zucchini oat brownies with certified gluten-free oats. Hope that helps!
I’m so happy I found this recipe on Pintrest. Since I’ve made them my friends have not stopped asking me for the recipe. So easy to make and this was the first time I’ve made brownies from scratch. LOVE them!!!
I’m so happy that you and your friends liked the brownies so much! Who would have thought something full of zucchini would be so good? ;) Thanks a ton for the feedback and the rating!
I used avacodo instead of applesauce and they even more moist and fudgy!!!
Ooh! That sounds amazing. I’m definitely going to try that. :) Thanks so much for the tip and the rating!
It is that lovely time of the month and I just had to have something chocolatey, so I made these delicious brownies. I made some substitutions because I didn’t have everything… Maple granulated sugar instead of coconut sugar, oat flour instead of whole wheat flour, and Hershey’s cocoa powder instead of Dutch-process cocoa powder. SO YUMMY! And I don’t feel like a fatty-boom laddy after eating one, I mean three pieces. LOL! Thanks for sharing :)
Haha. I’m so happy that the brownies could give you a little comfort! ;) Maple granulated sugar sounds amazing! I bet it’s pretty expensive but I’ll look into it, anyway. Thanks for mentioning it! And oat flour?! Thank you for mentioning that! I’ll try that out too and then I can add that as a gluten-free option because people are always asking. I think I like your version better than mine. :D Thanks for your lovely comment and the rating!
I was really excited about this recipe! I substituted coconut oil for applesauce since we didn’t have any at home. Perhaps that really messed with the outcome, but I’m not so sure.
I just pulled these out of the oven, and I am, sadly, disappointed with these brownies.
First of all, if you add a cup of chocolate chips to any recipe (and add more on top), it will taste great. Why bother with the zucchini and whole wheat/ spelt flour at all? The amount of chocolate chips totally negates any real progress in nutrition.
I left out the chocolate chips and the resulting flavor was bland and “earthy” tasting, definitely not like a brownie. Almost like a piece of brown bread, actually.
I would rather just eat 1 cup of chocolate chips from the bag!
Lily
I’m sorry you didn’t like them. I’ve just made it clear in the post that you need the chocolate chips. I do have to disagree with you on the pointlessness of using zucchini and whole grains here. Just because there are a lot of chocolate chips doesn’t mean I need to use all-purpose flour, refined sugar (although sugar is sugar) and butter instead of applesauce. That’s like saying why eat salad if you’re going to use salad dressing? At least in my opinion. :) I’m all about making healthier desserts and not healthy desserts. There will always be some kind of sweetener in my desserts (and therefore never be classified as “healthy”) but I won’t stop making other healthier changes just because of the negative contribution sweeteners (or in this case, chocolate chips) make to the nutritional profile.
Hey Erin,
First of all, I am so sorry to have left a negative post! It might seem silly, but I really have been thinking about it and just wish I had tried the recipe as you suggested and THEN reviewed. So sorry about that.
Now, to the reason I’m posting again: I made them a second time exactly as you directed in the recipe and they were REALLY really good. Also, even though I ate like 10, I didn’t feel gross afterwards at all.
Thanks for a great recipe, and I apologize again for my first review and totally admit it was 100% error! This recipe will be my new go-to from now on :)
Lily
Hi Lily! Thanks a bunch for this comment. I really appreciate that you came back to re-review them after making them with the chocolate chips! I’m also happy that you enjoyed them. Yucky brownies are one of the saddest things ever, right? ;) And so awesome that they’ll be your go-to brownie from now on! Thanks again. :)
Wondering if one could use Quinoa floor rather than the whole wheat or spelt for these zucchini brownies. If so what would the portion amount be
I’m afraid not. :( Quinoa flour doesn’t have the gluten in it to hold these brownies together. If you need them to be gluten-free, you could try a gluten-free baking mix but I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure.
I have a baking question. When you use baking soda as the leavener there is usually something acidic in the recipe, otherwise the leavening agent is usually baking powder. Is the zucchini acidic enough to need baking powder?
Good question! I have to be honest and say that I’m not really sure, even after doing a little research. If you prefer to use baking powder, give it a try. These are incredibly dense brownies so I don’t think it’d end in disaster, even if baking powder was the wrong call.
the cocoa is
Can I use baking stivia or Splenda for a diabetic treat?
I haven’t tried it myself. I’m thinking there might be a Stevia aftertaste but if you’re used to that, then I think it’d be okay. :)
Hi, Erin! Stevia and Splenda by themselves do not sweeten chocolate sufficiently. The brownies would taste very bitter using one of those substitutes. Just piping up because I run a sugar-free blog and have worked with sweeteners quite a bit. ;) Have enjoyed browsing your recipes so much! I’m going to try my hand at a few of the grain free ones, and of course give you credit if I post ’em.
Great job with those photos by the way. So drool-worthy!
Could u use honey instead of sugar? And if so do you need to add more or something else to balance it back out?
Sorry for the slow reply! I use a lot of honey in place of sugar and haven’t found an exact rule. If I were you, I’d try half and half and see what happens. I hope it worked out if you already tried it!
Made these yesterday, and they turned out fantastically!! I’m on a diet before my wedding but needed something sweet and gooey as a treat and they were perfect! Thanks so much for this recipe!! Even better than regular brownies!
Better than regular brownies – woohoo! Thanks for that. ;) So happy that you like the brownies! I hope you have a wonderful wedding and good luck with the diet. :) Thanks so much for the feedback!
I made these the other night and they were FANTASTIC! I have been trying to find a healthy dessert that is delicious and that my fiancee would eat (happily). And he loved them too. I’m literally making them right now.
So happy that you and your fiancee like them! :) I have the same issue with my guy not liking healthy desserts (even though they don’t taste healthy!) Thanks so much for the feedback and the rating. :)
Coarsely or finely grated?
Thanks!
I used a medium grater! I’d go for coarse if you don’t have a medium one. Hope you’ll like them. :)
Will these be okay without the 1 c of choc chips inside them?? They look SO GOOD but we are out of choc chips :(
I guess that they’d be okay but they won’t be nearly as good! There’s not that much sugar in them so you need the chocolate chips for sweetness and gooey-ness. ;) I hope you’ll like them!
Is coconut sugar the same as coconut palm sugar?
Yup! It’s the same. :)
Thank you so much for this recipe! I got married to a non-vegetable-lover, and I spend a LOT of time figuring out how to get veggies into him – whether he knows about it or not. He loves dessert, and I don’t care about it, so he should have been suspicious when I made him a pan of these the other night, but he had NO CLUE. And I’m impressed – two cups of zucchini is not easy to hide in anything. The zucchini really keeps them moist. I didn’t have any cocoa powder when I thought I did, so I improvised and added ‘sipping chocolate” powder I had in the pantry. THANK YOU!
Wow, that’s awesome! I’m also a veggie hater so I can sympathize with your husband. ;) So funny that he had no clue that these had zucchini in them. Woohoo! I’m happy to hear that the sipping chocolate powder worked out. :) Thanks so much for the feedback!
I just made these and they are delish…..You would never know that there is zucchini in them. I’m not even going to tell the kids or hubby. Thank you for the great recipe.
We finally got around to making these, soooo good! My girls thought it was funny that we put a zucchini in brownies. We gobbled them up in no time! Thank you!!
I’m so happy that you all liked them, Monica! And awesome that your girls thought it was funny about the zucchini (rather than gross!) Thanks so much for letting me know that they came out well. :)
These brownies look ridiculously gooey! I want to plant my face in them :D
Hehe. Me too! Soo gooey. ;)
YES!!! Healthy brownies are the best. :)
Yay healthy brownies! :D
Healthier weekend treats, and maybe a little less ice cream….lol
Healthy treats for grandkids!
Love giveaways! Thanks!
less sugar for us!
I am cutting out most gluten products from my family’s diet. I have been gradually switching us to using all organic produce and proteins and I am making sure we are eating high protein foods.
I have decided to feed my family with more organic foods this school year.
I will introduce more veggies into our diet. We are mostly meat and potato people.
I’m trying to instill a healthy lifestyle and way of thinking into my babygirl. I want it to b be second nature to them.
I want the pans and the brownies…
I need to learn how to tell my family no for my kids. They are constantly offering crap to eat and it makes me crazy… oh it makes me crazy. It’s such a fine fine line though.
These look really good. I’ll have to make them when no one is around to see the zuc get added in.
Cutting back on sugar this year!
We are trying to bump up the veg portion on the kids plate. And, as always, trying to (re)introduce new vegetables into the rotation.
I love that these have whole grain and a vegetable, they look incredible! What wonderful giveaway too thanks Erin!
We are eliminating all GMO grain and veggies from our diet. Really trying to clean up our diet
Learning new ways for recipes. Thanks for the giveaway.
We are adding more veggies to our diet- you can never get enough, and definitely cooking at home more.
These look so tasty. Now, I’m looking forward to seeing if there is more zucchini or other sqash in my CSA this week. YUM!
We are definitely going to be eating healthier this year. Less processed foods and more of the good stuff! Can’t wait to try this one out.
Hard to believe these have zucchini in them. They look so rich and decadent! Delish!
Wow! I need to make gluten-free desserts, because my SO is a celiac, but as a teacher, treats like this really beat candy as a reward.
This school year I will only give my students good things to eat. (and learn!)
I cannot wait to try these brownies! I cutting back on the processed foods for my family.
These look delicious! I wouldn’t need to hide what’s in them from my kids as much as their father!
I don’t have kids but my nephew is in the service and he has asked for healthy goodies in his care packages.
Will make this with the zucchini given by a friend… looks delicious!
Can’t wait to try.
We are eating less processed foods, buying organic when it is available and not eating out.
I hope to serve my family less processed foods.
This looks amazing. We are trying to can and freeze out summer bounty so we have high quality food during winter to become locavores!
Going to make these brownies right now. We are buying less processed items and if we want brownies, we will NOT be buying the boxed mix or stuff out of the grocery bakery. I also want to get my older kids helping out in the kitchen more. Thanks Erin!
Those sound like some great changes! And those brownies from the grocery store bakery are always so tempting with that glossy ganache on top. But homemade are even better. ;) And I really hope you enjoy these brownies!
These brownies are a hit! My boys had no idea there was zucchini in them. My husband did, and he liked them too :) I used sucanat, spelt flour (my first time using spelt), and dark chocolate chunks. Adding this to my fave recipe folder! Wish I had grown some zucchini this year! ;)
I’m so happy to hear that you all liked them! And good for your husband for liking them even though he could tell there was zucchini in there. I would say grate the zucchini finer next time, but if he didn’t mind, I guess it doesn’t matter. ;) Thanks so much for the feedback!
We have started preparing meals one day a week and feeezing them so all the prep work is done, this cuts back on the junk eating.
Yum. I bought some zucchini today so I am going to try this tomorrow. It looks good.
I want to make healthier after school snacks instead of using prepackaged snacks. Thanks for your inspiration!
I am going to start making and freezing healthy options to have for a quick breakfast or dinner!
These looks Yummy!
Beautiful! Great theme to fight childhood obesity and wonderful giveaway!
I’ve been thinking about the combination of chocolate and zucchini lately,,,this time of year brings that out in me, lol! Your brownies look so good and I love that you’ve made them healthier!
Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.
I’m encouraging my family to focus more on fruits and vegetables for our snacks and even with our regular meals. :-)
Eating mindfully!
Our family is trying to eat more veggies and cook more
We’ll be eating more raw fruits and vegetables
Make things only with whole grains.
I’m trying to include more veggies, less carbs in our meals!
My family has adopted a low carb approach to meals. My husband and I are very low carb, but our little one is still growing so she gets a little more carbs than us. In one year, she has become more active and eating healthy has helped her weight slowly become more heatlhy and less overweight!!
These brownies look fantastic!! Brownies are my weakness so I am excited about giving these healthier ones a try!!
More high-quality dinners and less heavy dessert!
I’ve been cutting back on processed foods and trying to convince my boyfriend to go on walks at night instead of TV watching!
I’m trying to switch out regular sugar with stevia or other non-refined natural sweeteners! Trying to eat healthier altogether!
These look amazing! I’ll definitely have to try them because I’ve been really craving sweets lately.
Wow, these look fantastic! I am going to make these tomorrow STAT!
looks yummy
Make sure breakfast is eaten every day!
thanks for the recipe! adding zucchini to my grocery list. yummers!
These look great! If I use AP flour, do you think it will effect moisture level? I know whole wheat absorbs more moisture…
I actually think they’ll be okay. I use the two flours interchangeably and have never had problems. I can’t guarantee it’ll work but I *think* it will. Good luck! :)
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a zucchini brownie look THAT mouthwatering. My God! These are right my alley, girl! Great giveaway, too.
Hi Erin, these look amazing! I was trying to pin them, but couldn’t get the button to work. Maybe it’s just me, but I wanted to let you know. Thanks for the recipe! :-D
Thanks so much for letting me know! I’m working on it. :) For now, Pin It button that you see when hovering over the pictures should work!
I will definitely be making these! It is so refreshing to find a better way to make the food you love healthy, for the people you love to keep them healthy!
My god, these look absolutely fantastic! I’ve been looking for more ways to use up all this zucchini i have in my fridge, and i’m definitely going to try these!
We have been making small changes that really add up, like less sugar, less gluten, less dairy. We have also been more intentional about listening to our body to notice which foods we are sensitive to, like pasta and beans. Excited to try this one! I love tricking my sweet tooth!
I’m going to add more whole foods and less processed foods to my meals.
We already eat pretty healthily, but occasionally there’s a take out pizza night…I’m hoping to keep the freezer stocked with homemade dough so that making pizza night at home is a cinch.
Going to try this one out, Trim Healthy Mama style :)
yum!
I want to cut down on our sugar intake.
Any time I can go ahead and devour a brownie guilt free is fine by me!! These look amazing Erin!!
I NEED GLUTEN FREE DESERTS.
This year I am definitely embracing these types of healthier recipes! Starting my masters program is going to take time away from creating/making dinners that are filling and desserts that quiet my inner baking beast! Having your blog is not only making our life easier…it’s so inspiring to watch you pour out healthier creations on so many recipes!!
Using whole foods more often in our diet and less boxed, pre-prepped “food” is the goal this year! And so far so grrrreat!
Lovely recipe:)
I am trying to bake using healthier ingredients, like whole wheat flour.
Though we do pretty well, the goal is to eat even less processed foods.
These look fabulous! Definitely making them!
We are eating more salads. I love zucchini brownies! These look good.
These look amazing! Do you think you could vegan-ize them by using flax eggs?
Thanks! And I’m not sure about vegan-izing them as I haven’t tried. If you do try flax eggs, please let us know how that comes out. :) Good luck!
They look incredibly gooey and chocolaty. And I love the reduced sugar. Thanks for the link. You’re awesome!
I am Gluten free. Can I use almond flour??? Or even my gluten free baking blend of rice flours, tapioca and potato starch??? I also have coconut flour but NO spelt. What do ya think???
Definitely don’t use coconut flour! I’d try your baking blend but as I haven’t tried it, I can’t promise they’d come out. How about doing the half batch in a loaf pan to see if they work out being using all those ingredients on a full batch? Let me know how it comes out and good luck! :) Oh and because so many people have asked, I’m going to make an almond flour brownie recipe. But they won’t have zucchini in them because I am so sick of zucchini at this point. ;)
Thanks Erin….will try 1/2 batch.Have lots of zucchini, also getting tired of it but this sounded better than the good old bread recipes. Look forward to any and all almond flour recipes. Can I find your recipes on Bran Appetit. Am new to this wed site.
Just found your web site I believe…Dinners & Desserts. I put myself on your e mail list!!!!!
I hope it works out well, Debbie! And I’m afraid you can’t find the recipes here on Bran Appetit. She posts her recipes and I post mine here. :) I hope you’ll come back for a visit!
A change I am making is less processed foods for my son! Most kids snacks are either boxed or bagged, trying to stay fresh :)
I let my kids pick out 2-3 healthy items in the produce section when we go grocery shopping. I then incorporate them into dinners for the week.
I have cut out enriched flour and have been eating whole wheat. This is a great recipe for that. My boyfriend hate zucchini, so I plan on trying these out on him.
These look delicious – will definitely be giving a try!!
These sounds delicious… I’m definitely making them… and they would be really easy to veganize too for my daughter!
Drink more water instead of soda
Try to eat more fruit as my snacks when I’m hungry. and make more things with whole-grain flours.
I’m trying to feed my family fewer processed foods and use less plastic for cooking/storing foods
Holy cow! I can’t even see the zucchini in these things! They look delicious, and I’m perfectly fine with the extra calories the chocolate chips add. Chocolate chips are gifts from the chocolate gods! :)
As for being healthy it will be tough since I will be at school for most of the day and I will have to watch what I eat for lunch since I don’t think I will be able to eat my usual turkey sandwich on toasted bread every day. But campus is big and so all the walking I do will counter balance most things I think.
So glad to have stumbled on your site! These brownies look amazing! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
wow! These look so moist and delicious!
These look dee-lish! I am starting to cook more baked foods for my family, rather than frying everything.
These look yummy!! we are going to try to eat healthier & exercise more!!
Can’t wait to try them!
yes, I agree.. looks great! But I am now GF and trying to get the rest of my family there this fall.. wondering if anyone has any GF flour substitute ideas that would work in this recipe?
I’m afraid that I don’t know how to make these GF. I just haven’t tried it yet with these brownies. You could try a GF baking mix, but I don’t have any experience with those. Sorry about that!
This looks delicious!
Looks so good
This is a great way to get my kids to eat more healthy!
I am going to make better breakfasts this year than the quick cereal and milk. Egg white scrambles with green peppers and tomatoes, healthy smoothies are on the menu!
These brownies look so delicious! Can’t believe how healthy they are :D Don’t have kids, but I need to start eating healthier. Please keep the healthy recipes coming!
More vegetables!
Less processed foods.
Make the time to prepare meals ahead of time (Sunday) so I dont take the easy route and pick up greasy, unhealthy fast food
I love your healthy recipes! Thank you for posting!
These look awesome! My son is on the GAPS diet so I can use grains or sugars or I would give these a try. Subbing honey for the sugar and almond flour for the wheat flour would probably completely wreck the texture, but I love having healthy things like zucchini in desserts.
We are eating vegetarian Mon-Fri. Meat only on the weekends.
I still have never made zucchini brownies! These might have to be the first. They look gooey and delicious, thanks for sharing! :)
OMG! I love you! I have a serious chocolate addiction and now I won’t feel as guilty when I eat a whole batch of these all by myself. Gonna share on my Facebook for all my fellow chocolate addicts/bakers.
We love zucchini and especially when paired with chocolate. We eat low fat and as much fruits and veggies as possible. We even made zucchini banana bread in the crock pot the other night, and it was excellent. Great blog!
We will eat out less frequently.
Veggies, veggies, and more veggies!
I’m working to include more vegetables in lunch!
What a wonderful cause to be participating in.
Two ways I promote healthy eating with my daughter is to limit snacks so she’s hungry at mealtimes, and to serve vegetables first. These two tactics ensure she enjoys eating her veggies!
Such an exciting giveaway – I could use new pans!!
I definitely going to have to try to make these!! <3 Awesome job :)
These look delicious! ;)
These brownies sound good. I would probably make them with some chocolate chips, just because… :-)
Wonderful that you are having an All-Clad giveaway. I had a whole set of their cookware and gave it away because my husband didn’t like having to wash them by hand.
I officially have a preschooler this year, he’ll be going half days and I plan on limiting snacks for the kids – or at least giving them HEALTHY snacks.
Great recipe, you are so creative!! I love the healthy twist on these :)
No kids yet, but I am going to work on making more “clean” meals for my husband and I!
Even more whole foods and more organic!
Hoping to use a lot less sugar and also more of the good grains and fats.
I’m working on adding more veggies to their diet, and this recipe is exactly what I needed! I never thought of incorporating them through desserts. Thank you
These look fudgy and decadent – I cannot believe there’s no added fat!
We don’t have kids but I’m constantly trying to incorporate more veggies in our diet. Not always an easy task with my veggie-hating husband :)
These brownies look decadent! And so healthy! Sneaking in veggies into my kiddos food is something I plan on doing a lot this year. :)
i am well on my way to having a healthy routine (chocolate is a bit tough to give up ;)) but breakfast is a MUST!! usually eggs and some form of protein. lunch is protein and veggies. dinner is usually the same! i am trying to get the hubby on the same page, that is my goal!
These look amazing and my kids will be excitd about the zucchini! They love zucchini bread and zucchini bites so this recipe, I’ll add to my zucchini collection :).
They shall eat more veggies- whether they like or know it or not! Thanks for the giveaway!
Oh…these look sooo good!
Hallo Erin, your chocolate zucchini brownie looks so good, normally I don’t like zucchini, it’s great way to prepare it chocolate. :-)
More veggies as snacks and less sugar as snacks.
Thanks!
Love that you snuck some zucchini into these brownies! I don’t have kids but I’m always trying to encourage my family to eat more veggies (we like to grill or roast them) and eliminate as many processed foods from our diets as we can.
yum!! these look SO good! i love that you lightened these up!! unbelievable!
yum! these look so good.
I will be preparing more vegetable dishes.
Wow, these look divine! I’m gonna have to make them. :-)
I hope you’ll enjoy them, Jessica! Let me know how they come out. :)
Your brownies sound so delicious wish I had some zucchini to make some plus all the other ingredients. Thanks for sharing. am definitely saving this recipe.
Yum, those brownies look good! I’d like to cook more of our dinners at home and include more veggies in our meals!
Those look delicious! But I thought it said “grain-free” instead of “whole grain” :P Guess I can’t eat them after all!
Aww, sorry, Erin! I promise to post some grain-free chocolate brownies soon, okay? :)
We are using less dairy ( I’m now dairy free:-)) gluten free, and are switching over to organic produce….woot-woot!!!!
Cheers!
Connie
PS~I’m looking forward to the challenge of making this recipe gluten and dairy free, lol…
Well, at least they’re already dairy-free! :) And I just told someone else that I’d post some grain-free chocolate brownies soon. But they won’t be zucchini because I’m all zucchini-ed out!
These look so good!
The best zucchini brownies I’ve ever laid eyes on, hands down. Erin, you’re the chocolate/zucchini queen!
If these taste as good as they look, I am very excited to eat them! Love a yummy but healthy treat. Thanks!
Adding more raw fruits and veggies!
I REAAAAAALLY want these brownies! They look sooooo gooey and delicious! I sure wish we lived closer to each other!
I want to cook more.
I really need to stop drinking diet drinks. I just love diet sunkist. )-:
Gorgeous brownies!! I have a zucchini brownie recipe coming too – but mine has oil in it. Love this version! Thanks for putting this great project together!
I love how ooey gooey and delicious your photos are!!!! I can’t wait to try this – i love zucchini and chocolate together.
Less sugar, more fruit & veggies.
These look delicious. I love new brownie recipes because they are the quickest thing to bake and bring to summer potlucks.
I want to eat less processed snacks. More whole foods, not so many store bought granola bars or chips!
I don’t have kids and I’m not in school, but I still see the end of summer as a time when I should really get my eating act together (because I know Thanksgiving and Christmas splurges are headed towards me fast). I like to improve my eating by sneaking fruits and veggies into pretty much everything I eat — so this brownie recipe will help me with that! :)
This set is incredible! Also, I cannot wait to pull some zucchini out of the garden to try this recipe – yum!
Our family has really been trying to get on a healthier track in terms of our daily meals. I think next we’re going to focus on cutting back on processed foods, as well as paying more attention to amount of refined sugar vs. natural sugar in our foods!
Yum!! Making these next weekend for some bridesmaids plannjng!
My kids would love me forever if I sent these in their lunch boxes! Great healthy snacks, Erin.
I seriously need to bake with zucchini more, because these brownies are awesome!!
We’ve been incorporating less “white foods” and more whole grains into our diet! It feel great!
Look at those beautiful brownies! I can’t believe you ‘lightened’ them up so much and still allowed for such gooeyness. Since you came to visit and educated me on coconut oil, I’ve been using it all the time and love it! Such a great recipe. A must try!