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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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!