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.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, see my disclosure.
Join over 12,400 readers and sweeten up
your inbox with new posts for free!
This subscription is free of charge and can be canceled at any time.
517 comments on “Zucchini Brownies (gluten-free, dairy-free options)” — Add one!
12 comments are awaiting moderation!
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! :)