• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Best Dessert Recipes
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Bars
    • Brownies
    • Cake
    • Dessert Dips
    • Candy
    • Cookies
    • Cake
    • Cupcakes
    • Frozen
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Shop!
  • Get the Emails
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Bars
    • Brownies
    • Cake
    • Dessert Dips
    • Candy
    • Cookies
    • Cake
    • Cupcakes
    • Frozen
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Shop!
  • Get the Emails
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Bars
    • Brownies
    • Cake
    • Dessert Dips
    • Candy
    • Cookies
    • Cake
    • Cupcakes
    • Frozen
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Shop!
  • Get the Emails
×

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

May 16, 2022 by Jessica 4 Comments

Sharing is caring!

53 shares
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Yummly
Jump to Recipe

Brownies are one of my favorite chocolate desserts and these zucchini brownies are no exception. They’re easy to take on the go for picnics, cookouts, and parties, but they’re also a delicious evening dessert after dinner.

stack of zucchini brownies with text overlay for facebook

I like to top mine with simple vanilla bean ice cream or dunk one in some Bailey’s Irish Cream Coffee.

Regardless of how you like to eat your brownies, these simple zucchini brownies may become your go-to brownie recipe. With only ten minutes of prep time, you can forget about needing to buy a box of brownie mix, and with the addition of zucchini, these brownies are kind of healthy brownies.

Zucchini Brownies

Table of Contents

  • Zucchini Brownies
  • Ingredients
  • How To Make Zucchini Brownies
  • Why You’ll Love Best Zucchini Brownies
  • Variations
  • Other Delicious Brownie Recipes
  • Zucchini Brownies
    • Equipment
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Nutrition

Zucchini is often used when baking to replace other ingredients like bananas or applesauce. However, in this recipe the zucchini is an addition to the base brownie recipe. Adding it makes for a moist brownie with the benefit of added nutrients. Who doesn’t love a dessert they can call healthy?

This brownie tends toward a cakey consistency (as opposed to a fudgy brownie). However, that moisture from the zucchini helps to make it the rich, decadent dessert that it is. Think zucchini bread meets chocolate cake.

While you can whip up these zucchini brownies quickly all alone, it’s also a simple enough recipe to involve the littlest bakers in your household. After all, what could make them love zucchini more than seeing how it can be combined with chocolate?

stack of zucchini brownies with bite taken out

Ingredients

  • Canola or vegetable oil– canola is lower in saturated fats and is therefore touted by some as being healthier than vegetable oil. You can use whichever you have on hand.
  • Sugar– granulated sugar will dissolve quickly when added to the wet ingredients in this recipe.
  • Brown sugar– brown sugar is one of the keys to helping these best brownies retain their moistness.
  • Vanilla extract– if you’re into experimenting in the kitchen, making extracts like a homemade vanilla extract might be up your alley. If not, just buy your favorite brand if you don’t already have it in the pantry.
  • Egg– large size eggs are typically the standard for baking so it would be ideal to use that size for these zucchini brownies.
  • All-purpose flour– this ingredient helps to thicken the batter. Be sure to use all-purpose and not self-rising flour since this recipe already includes baking powder.
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder– using unsweetened cocoa powder in this zucchini brownie recipe is the key to getting rich chocolate flavor without too much sweetness.
  • Baking powder– baking powder helps baked goods to rise and contributes to lightening the texture.
  • Fine sea salt– salt rounds out the flavor of any baked good and will help to highlight the chocolate flavor in these brownies.
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips– since this recipe uses cocoa powder as well, semi-sweet chips add just enough chocolate flavor without making the brownies overly sweet.
  • Shredded zucchini– when shredding the zucchini, the finer you can get it, the better your brownies will turn out. Be sure not to squeeze out the excess moisture after shredding. We want as much moisture as we can get.
straight on shot of stack of zucchini brownies

How To Make Zucchini Brownies

  1. Preheat oven and prepare pan. Preheat the oven and spray pan with nonstick cooking spray or line the pan with parchment paper to prevent the brownies from sticking to the pan.
  2. Shred zucchini. Using a grater, shred the zucchini. Reserve the zucchini for the final step of preparing the batter.
  3. Mix wet ingredients. Combine the oil, sugars, vanilla extract, and egg in a large bowl, ensuring there’s enough room for mixing and adding the remaining ingredients. Whisk together for about a minute until all ingredients are incorporated.
collage of zucchini brownie batter
  1. Add dry ingredients. To that mixture add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and chocolate chips. Gently combine these ingredients until all of the ingredients are mixed together. It is important to avoid over-mixing so that the zucchini brownies are not too dense.
  2. Fold in zucchini. Next, fold in the shredded zucchini until it’s evenly dispersed throughout the batter.
  3. Bake. Spread the zucchini brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Add to oven and bake. To test if they are done cooking, quickly insert a toothpick and ensure that it is clean when it is removed.
  4. Cool and enjoy. Allow some time for the brownies to cool on a wire rack. Then, slice and eat immediately, or wrap tightly to store for later.
collage of hoe to make zucchini brownie batter

Why You’ll Love Best Zucchini Brownies

They’re quick and easy- with only 10 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of bake time, these zucchini brownies are a cinch to make.

You can sneak in nutrients- do you have picky eaters at home? These zucchini brownies are a great way to infuse some goodness into your baked goods.

You can freeze them- after slicing them into bars, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for a quick treat to throw in lunchboxes or microwave whenever you want a sweet treat.

plate of zucchini brownies

Variations

  • Try using almond, coconut, or even coffee extract instead of vanilla.
  • Substitute monkfruit sweetener for the granulated sugar for a lower carb version of these zucchini brownies. Monkfruit is an alternative sweetener that can be a 1:1 substitution. You can also find 1:1 substitutions for brown sugar as well.
  • Experiment with using other flours instead of all-purpose flour. Almond flour and coconut flour are both 1:1 substitutes for all-purpose flour.
  • Substitute peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips for some of the chocolate chips to add another element of flavor to the zucchini brownies.
collage of zucchini brownies for pinterest

Other Delicious Brownie Recipes

  • Flourless Avocado Brownies
  • Bailey’s Brownies
  • Mississippi Mud Brownies
  • Peanut Butter Banana Brownies
  • German Chocolate Brownies
Cheesecake Brownies
Take a box of brownie mix to new heights with these fudgy brownies laced with rich, creamy vanilla cheesecake.
Check out this recipe
stack of cheesecake brownies
Brownie Batter Dip
If you love licking the beaters, you are going to go bonkers over this brownie batter dip. Edible brownie batter served in a bowl.
Check out this recipe
brownie batter dip at an angle
Chewy Brownie Recipe
With simple pantry ingredients, you can have this EASY Chewy Brownies Recipe ready in no time. Top with caramel and Fleur de Sel!
Check out this recipe
overhead shot of chewy brownie on a white spatula
stack of zucchini brownies with text overlay for pinterest
stack of zucchini brownies with bite taken out

Zucchini Brownies

These EASY Zucchini Brownies are easy to take on the go for picnics, cookouts, and parties, but they’re also a delicious evening dessert!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: zucchini brownie recipe, zucchini brownies
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 20
Calories: 206kcal
Author: Kathryn Donangelo

Equipment

  • 9×13 baking dish
  • stand mixer

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar , packed
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 cups zucchini , finely shredded (do not squeeze out moisture)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mizer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, whisk together the oil, sugars, vanilla extract, and egg until combined.
  • Sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt. Slowly add to wet mixture, then stir in chocolate chips and zucchini by hand. Do not over mix.
  • Spread evenly into the prepared baking pan.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test. Remove and allow to cool fully before slicing.
  • If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 41IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

Filed Under: Brownies

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sandhya S

    May 24, 2022 at 8:36 pm

    5 stars
    That’s a clever way to sneak zucchini into brownies. I am going to try it over the weekend.

  2. Anita

    May 24, 2022 at 8:42 pm

    5 stars
    These brownies are so moist and delicious. It’s impossible to tell that it has zucchini at all.

  3. Andrea

    May 24, 2022 at 9:00 pm

    5 stars
    These brownies look so moist and fabulous. Can’t wait to make them with the grandkids.

  4. Tavo

    May 24, 2022 at 9:56 pm

    5 stars
    Wao, I can’t believe I just made brownies out of zucchini! They are delicious!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Meet Jessica

Best dessert recipes is a central place for easy dessert recipes featuring semi-homemade, one step and easy dessert making hacks guaranteed for all culinary levels. Jessica is a cookbook author and Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School certified recipe developer. See her work in Parade Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Mashed, AllRecipes AllStars and The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more!

jessica eating a cheesecake

Visit Our Sister Sites

For all things savory, make sure to visit our sister sites, SavoryExperiments.com and MySauceRecipes.com.

savory experiments logo

Trending Now

angled shot of two granola cookies

Granola Cookies

straight on shot of jar of cream cheese frosting

Best Cream Cheese Frosting

straight on shot of bowl of frosting

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

angled shot of slice of butternut squash cake

Butternut Squash Cake

Footer

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • About

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Exclusive Member of Mediavine Food.

Copyright © 2022 Best Dessert Recipes

↑ back to top