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 (45 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder (using regular cocoa powder may result in cakey brownies)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (about 300 – 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.
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517 comments on “Zucchini Brownies (gluten-free, dairy-free options)” — Add one!
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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!