Description
These fudgy zucchini brownies are hands-down the best brownies I have ever eaten - and yes, there is an entire zucchini hiding inside! They are deeply chocolatey, perfectly moist and just sweet enough, all while being vegan, gluten-free and incredibly easy to make.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 medium zucchini, about 6 ounces
- 1/2 cup raw creamy almond butter
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup store-bought gluten-free oat flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips, plus additional chocolate chips for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F if using a ceramic-coated baking pan, or 350°F if using a traditional metal baking pan. Do not use a glass baking dish for this recipe.
- Prepare a 9-inch square baking pan. I use a ceramic-coated nonstick Caraway square baking pan and do not need to grease or line it. If using a traditional metal pan, line it with unbleached parchment paper or lightly grease it with avocado oil to prevent sticking.
- Prep the zucchini. Trim and discard the ends of the zucchini. Using a box grater, shred the zucchini with the skin on. Measure 1 packed cup of shredded zucchini before removing any moisture.
- Squeeze out the moisture. Place the shredded zucchini in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Gather the towel around the zucchini and squeeze firmly over the sink to remove as much excess moisture as possible. The zucchini should feel quite dry once squeezed. Remember: measure first, squeeze second!
- Whisk the wet ingredients. Add the squeezed zucchini to a large mixing bowl along with the almond butter, almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Whisk in the oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until fully combined and no dry clumps remain.
- Stir in the chocolate chips. Fold in ½ cup of chocolate chips and try not to eat the batter!
- Bake. Pour the batter into the pan, sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top and bake at 325°F for 20 minutes, until a knife comes out without batter on it.
- Cool completely (do not skip!). Let the brownies cool fully in the pan, then chill in the freezer before slicing.
Notes
- I have only tested these brownies in my ceramic-coated nonstick square baking pan. If your pan is not nonstick, please keep an eye on your brownies and let me know how it goes!
- Store the brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.
- To make these nut-free, replace the almond butter with a seed butter and use an unsweetened nut-free non-dairy milk, such as oat milk. I have only tested the recipe with raw creamy almond butter and almond milk, so the flavor and texture may vary slightly with substitutions.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American