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Zucchini Brownies
Do these dark, super-moist fudge brownies look like they're made with zucchini? No, they don't — and trust us, no one enjoying them will be the wiser. Rather than the usual method of shredding zucchini for your sweet treats, this time we purée it — so that all it adds is moisture, not any unwelcome "stringy" texture. Bonus: For extra fiber and nutrition, make these brownies with whole wheat flour; its "wheaty" flavor will disappear amidst all of that chocolate!
Ingredients
Brownies
- 8 ounces zucchini (about one 8" fresh zucchini, trimmed), cut into chunks*
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-process cocoa preferred
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional; for enhanced chocolate flavor
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
- 3/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- *If you don't have a scale, 8 ounces is about 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini, lightly tamped down.
Frosting
- 3/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" square pan.
- To make the brownies: Combine the zucchini, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla in the work bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth.
- Add the sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, salt, and flour; process briefly, just until well combined.
- Add the chips, and pulse several times, to break up the chips just a bit.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the brownies for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it; you shouldn't see any sign of wet batter. Remove the brownies from the oven, and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting: Combine the chocolate chips and milk or cream in a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan. Heat until the milk is steaming, and the chips are soft. Remove from the heat, and stir until smooth.
- Spread the frosting atop the brownies. Place them in the refrigerator for an hour or so, to set; then store them at room temperature, covered, for several days.
- Yield: 16 brownies.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 piece (62g)
- Servings Per Batch 16
Amount Per Serving:
- Calories 170
- Calories from Fat 80
- Total Fat 8g
- Saturated Fat 5g
- Trans Fat 0g
- Cholesterol 40mg
- Sodium 70mg
- Total Carbohydrate 25g
- Dietary Fiber 2g
- Sugars 19g
- Protein 3g
* The nutrition information provided for this recipe is determined by the ESHA Genesis R&D software program. Substituting any ingredients may change the posted nutrition information.
Tips from our bakers
- If you don't have a food processor, use a blender to blend the zucchini, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth; then transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl before proceeding with the recipe.
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Reviews
This recipe is the bomb! I made this for my colleagues at work and everyone loved it. I doubled the recipe and made a simple chocolate ganache for the frosting as a reviewer recommended. I live at altitude and made no changes. It turned out very cakelike when I initially took it out of the oven, but as it cooled it compressed and ended up being very fudgy. Super easy using the food processor to do all the work and an awesome use for those big zucchini.
I've made this recipe twice and love, love, LOVE it! I have yellow zucchini flourishing in my garden this summer, so I've been looking for creative things to do with it. This is, by far, my and my kids' favorite recipe yet! I've searched for a cocoa-brownie recipe that didn't come out too dry and this one is perfectly moist. I never thought I'd say this but I think I like these zucchini brownies better than my go-to Food Network fudgy brownies recipe! I do not have an 9x9-inch pan, so I used an 8x8-inch pan the first time. They were delicious but more of cake-like thickness. Second time around, I used my 9x13 cake pan and the thickness was much more brownie-like, though, obviously, thinner than I'm sure they would be in a 9x9. For the frosting, I used the same amounts as the recipe but used the same method I do for ganache. I heated up the cream in a small saucepan just until steaming (no boil), took it off heat, poured in the chocolate chips and let it sit for five minutes without stirring. When the 5 minutes is up, you whisk it up 'til smooth and you should have a thick, glossy ganache that spreads beautifully. :) As a fun FYI, I entered the ingredients into a recipe calorie calculator and when cut to 20 servings in the 9x13 pan, it came out to an approximate 156 calories apiece, even with the frosting! Anyone who's ever read the nutritional info on a candy bar or Little Debbie knows that 156 calories is pretty good for something that tastes so decadent! Very impressed! :)
Loved the hidden whole wheat flour and zucchini in these brownies. You couldn't even tell they were in there! I skipped the icing the second time I made them as these brownies are very moist so they don't need the icing.
Oh my goodness. This might be my favorite brownie recipe now. It's so easy to make in the food processor. I could only find my 8x8" pan, so I had to bake them ~15 minutes longer, but they still turned out great. So dense and intensely chocolatey, but didn't crumble into big chunks like other brownie recipes. I admit that I added a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar to the ganache, but it still wasn't too sweet. These are amazing. I'll definitely be making them again.
These were fantastic! I made them exactly as written the first time; I'll try doubling them and baking in a 9x13 pan the second time for a potluck. My picky seven-year-old liked them so much that she requested that I not make the frosting (which I thought it would take to convince her to try them due to the zucchini). This recipe is a keeper!
A great recipe for chocolate lovers. We really enjoyed the brownies. This turned out to be a wonderful way to use some of our zucchinis.
I made these brownies with King Arthur gluten-free flour, since l have celiac disease. (I added about a teaspoon of cinnamon.) They were moist and flavorful. I skipped the icing; the brownies were fabulous without it.
We're sorry to hear that this brownie recipe didn't give you the results you were looking for, fellow baker. We'd love the chance to figure out the best recipe for you, so we encourage you to reach out to our free and friendly Baker's Hotline staff at 855-371-BAKE (2253). Kindly, Annabelle@KAF
This recipe was perfect for a birthday, especially with the extra bit of chocolate frosting on top. The whole house smells wonderfully of chocolate. I especially like the ability to use white whole wheat flour and know nothing is lost in the making. Will be making again!
I made this using my mixer after I put the zucchini through a food processor. I skipped the frosting, it was delicious. All five kids ate it up without any hesitation. Will be making this again!
