If you’re looking for a baked good other than zucchini bread, these chocolate zucchini brownies are an excellent way to use up your stash of summer squash! Made with a gluten-free almond flour and peanut butter base, they’re a healthier and lower sugar choice that still feels like a real dessert. Once you sink your teeth into the fudgy, moist texture, you’ll remember to come back to this recipe every summer!
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Dietitian Lizzie’s Notes
I created these brownies as a way to honor a universal experience for almost all home cooks and bakers at the end of summer. I’m sure you know it, too! It’s when you reach the point of zucchini overload in August and can’t even look at another one.
If you have no desire to bake another loaf of zucchini bread, I promise this recipe will deliver a new zucchini experience. These brownies are incredibly delicious, even with a healthy, dietitian-curated ingredients list. They’re also kid-approved and great for popping into lunchboxes (note: they do contain nuts). My daughters were so disappointed when the “best brownies ever” (tied only with my Veggie Brownies) were all gone.
Through my many rounds of recipe testing, I discovered that the best way to make zucchini brownies moist and fudgy is to not squeeze the excess moisture from the shredded zucchini. Peanut butter also contributes to this desired texture, something I knew from creating my Easy Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies. Meanwhile, almond flour, with its high healthy fat content, makes them rich and decadent, as seen in my Fudgy Beet Brownies. I hope you love this veggie-loaded dessert!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Peanut butter: Use a natural peanut butter with only one ingredient: peanuts (or two if it contains a small amount of salt). You want it to be drippy and not overly hard. You can substitute creamy almond butter or sunflower seed butter. Keep in mind the brownies will have a slightly different taste if you swap out the PB.
- Maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup). Substitute honey or agave nectar in a 1:1 ratio. If you don’t have or want a liquid sweetener, use coconut sugar in the same amount. However, you’ll want to add ¼ cup of milk, vegetable oil, melted butter, or coconut oil to make up for the lack of maple syrup.
- Eggs: I have not tried this recipe using an egg substitute, such as flax or chia “eggs,” but I suspect that they would work.
- Vanilla extract
- Almond flour: Blanched, super-fine almond flour works best for gluten-free zucchini brownies. I don’t recommend substituting all-purpose flour or other flours, but you could use almond meal in a pinch.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: I recommend using regular cocoa powder, not Dutch-process, since this recipe contains baking soda. You can sub cacao powder, but the brownies may have a slightly more bitter taste and cake-like texture.
- Baking soda and salt
- Zucchini: I tested this recipe with regular green zucchini, but yellow crookneck squash would also work.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: Sub another variety of chocolate chips if desired.
How to Make Zucchini Brownies
The full recipe card is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you in the kitchen.
Whisk the wet ingredients together until smooth.
In a separate bowl, use a rubber spatula to mix the dry ingredients until they are well-combined and have a uniform brown color. If the almond flour is lumpy, use a fork to whisk it a little to loosen up the clumps.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet mixture. Use a rubber spatula to stir until just combined.
Grate the zucchini. Although most recipes recommend a fine grate, I had the best results using the larger holes on my box grater. During baking, the zucchini melts into the batter either way. For the same reason, you also don’t need to peel the zucchini!
Fold the grated zucchini and chocolate chips into the batter until just combined. You don’t want to over-mix, or else the brownies will get too tough.
Spread the batter into a square baking dish lined with parchment paper. It’s helpful to cut the edges of the parchment and clip it down with chip or binder clips so that it lays flat. This ensures straight edges on the brownies.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs but not streaks of batter. This takes between 20 and 30 minutes in a 350 degrees F/175 degrees C oven.
Let the brownies cool for about 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into squares.
Variations to Try
- Add nuts: Fold ¼ to ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter at the same time as the zucchini.
- Use dark chocolate chips: For a richer, more intense version of zucchini brownies, use dark chocolate chips or a roughly chopped bar of dark chocolate.
- Mix in espresso powder: Add ½ to 1 teaspoon to the other dry ingredients for an even deeper chocolate flavor.
- Add flaky sea salt: Sprinkle the brownies with flakes after they come out from the oven to boost the flavor.
Serving Ideas
These brownies are a delicious sweet treat that doesn’t go overboard on added sugar. They’re great on their own, especially slightly warm out of the oven, or paired with coffee and tea. For a more decadent dessert, serve with vanilla ice cream or spread with chocolate frosting, such as my Avocado Chocolate Frosting.
Storing Leftovers
Keep zucchini brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days. They will last for 1 to 2 days when stored at room temperature on the kitchen counter away from direct sunlight. However, storing them in the fridge is the best way to keep them fresh.
To freeze them, let the brownies cool completely. Wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap or foil, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container, and seal tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can eat them straight out of the freezer or let them thaw on the counter or in the fridge.
To speed up the thawing process and/or enjoy a warm brownie, remove the plastic wrap and place on a microwave-safe plate. Warm in 30-second intervals on high.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Zucchini Carrot Oat Muffins
- Chocolate Zucchini Gluten Free Skillet Cookie
- Healthy Olive Oil Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Ribbons Salad
- Baked Italian Zucchini Balls Recipe
FAQs
- What is the point of adding zucchini to brownies? Zucchini contributes moisture to the batter and helps create a fudgy texture. This is why I don’t recommend squeezing out the moisture. It also adds extra nutrients and fiber without changing the taste.
- Do you peel zucchini for zucchini brownies? No, leave the peel on the zucchini for this recipe. It’s soft and “melts” into the brownies during baking.
- How do zucchini brownies compare to regular brownies in taste and texture? The taste is quite similar to regular brownies but with a nutty undertone. My rendition has a texture that’s fudgy but also a little cake-like, so it’s not the same as boxed brownies.
📖 Recipe
Zucchini Brownies
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour - I used Bob’s Red Mill super-fine almond flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup grated zucchini - do not squeeze out water; I also recommend using a grater with large holes, not a fine grate
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. Line a 8×8 square baking dish with parchment paper. It's helpful to fit the parchment paper into the dish by cutting the corners to remove extra paper and securing it to the sides of the pan with chip or binder clips. Remove the clips before putting it in the oven.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- In a separate bowl or measuring cup, stir the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt with a rubber spatula until combined and a uniform brown color. Use a fork if the almond flour is clumpy, to remove the clumps.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ones. Mix with a rubber spatula until just combined.
- Fold the grated zucchini and chocolate chips into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared square baking dish. Spread into an even layer.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached but not streaks of batter. You may want to check for doneness starting at 20 minutes.
- Let the brownies cool for 10 or so minutes in the pan before slicing into 16 squares. Enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Storage: Keep brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days for best results. They will last on the counter for a day or 2 but have a longer shelf life in the fridge.
- Freezing: Wrap each brownie tightly in plastic wrap or foil. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Seal tightly and freeze for 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, on the counter, or in the microwave (unwrapped and warmed in 30-second intervals).
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