Zucchini Brownies (So Easy!)

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Soft, homemade, and secretly healthy zucchini brownies are the perfect treat for any occasion! With a moist and chewy texture, these brownies have the rich chocolate taste you love, but with an extra boost from veggies. Since this zucchini brownie recipe uses coconut oil and natural sweetener, you can enjoy a healthier alternative when you need something sweet. Add it to your rotation of zucchini recipes!

I love sneaking vegetables into my desserts and snacks, and zucchini makes it so easy! If you’re a fan too, try my ultra moist lemon blueberry zucchini bread, chocolate chip zucchini muffins, or almond flour zucchini bread. Most people won’t even notice the veggies. 😉

Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Brownies Recipe

Rich chocolate flavor
Moist, fudgy texture (NOT dry or gritty!)
10 minute prep
Naturally paleo, dairy-free, and gluten-free, with vegan and keto options
Loaded with melty chocolate chips

Aside from the zucchini, there’s one more secret ingredient that makes these brownies healthy… the chocolate chips! I exclusively use ChocZero Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate Chips for all my healthy baking. Since they contain no sugar, sugar alcohols, gluten, soy, or GMOs and taste just like conventional dark chocolate, they’re the perfect choice for an indulgent treat without a sugar crash.

Get Choczero chocolate chips

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Zucchini brownies with chocolate chips by ChocZero.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for chocolate zucchini brownies, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Zucchini – Shred it finely with a box grater or food processor. You’ll need 1 cup of shreds (measured after removing excess moisture), which is about 2 medium zucchini.
Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – Baking zucchini brownies with almond flour creates moist brownies without the gluten! This one is my top recommendation because it has the finest texture.
Cocoa Powder – Make sure to select one that’s unsweetened and Dutch-processed to avoid bitterness — this one is my favorite.
Baking Powder – Use the freshest possible for fluffy healthy brownies with zucchini. Don’t confuse this with baking soda, which is not the same thing.
Sea Salt – Balances the sweetness.
Maple Syrup – A liquid sweetener keeps this recipe moist. I often use sugar-free maple syrup to keep it low carb and completely sugar-free, but you can use regular maple syrup as well. Honey (regular or sugar-free honey) would also work.
Coconut Oil – Measure it solid before melting. I used an unrefined coconut oil for a little extra coconut flavor and aroma, but flavorless refined coconut oil also works, as long as it’s the kind that’s solid at room temperature. You could also use melted unsalted butter or ghee.
Eggs – Room temperature eggs prevent the melted oil from solidifying. If you need to make this vegan friendly, use flax eggs or other egg substitutes instead.
Vanilla Extract – Use a high quality vanilla extract for the best gluten free zucchini brownies.
ChocZero Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate Chips – I use these chips all the time for everything from snacking to baking. They are sweet and smooth, with no aftertaste! You could use conventional chips as well.

How To Make Zucchini Brownies

This section shows how to make zucchini brownies with chocolate chips, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

Prep. Preheat oven. Line a baking dish (this one is the perfect size) with parchment paper.
Shred the zucchini. Use a box grater to shred the zucchini. Wrap tightly in several layers of paper towel or a cheesecloth and squeeze to wring out as much moisture as possible.
Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, stir together maple syrup, melted coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla.

Dry ingredients whisked together in a bowl.

Wet ingredients mixed together in a bowl.

Combine. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until well combined. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips.

Zucchini and chocolate chips added to batter.

Transfer. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Top with additional chocolate chips, if desired.
Bake. Place chocolate chip zucchini brownies in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly (but not completely) clean. Cool completely before slicing.

Zucchini brownie batter poured into prepared baking dish.

Finished zucchini brownies in baking dish, cooling.

Tips For The Best Zucchini Brownies

Follow these tips for the best zucchini brownie recipe:

Squeeze water out of zucchini. Squeezing out the moisture from zucchini is super important, otherwise the brownies won’t set and will be watery.
Measure zucchini after squeezing. Make sure to measure AFTER squeezing out excess moisture. You’ll need 1-2 zucchini to make the 1 cup of shredded zucchini for the recipe.
Don’t use granulated sweeteners. Subbing with granulated sugar or granulated sugar substitutes will make the brownies too dry.
Do the toothpick test correctly. For fudgy brownies, a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with just a tiny bit of batter on it (but it should not be wet). For cakey brownies, a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep leftover almond flour zucchini brownies in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag at room temperature. For best results, consume within 1-2 days for maximum freshness. You can store them in the fridge for longer, but they may dry out.
Meal prep: To save time, shred zucchini ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator.

Can You Freeze Zucchini Brownies?

Yes, you can freeze zucchini brownies. Cut into squares, wrap individually in plastic wrap (or place in an airtight container), and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Zucchini brownies cut into squares on a white surface.

More Healthy Brownie Recipes

Discover all the creative and healthy ways to enjoy brownies with these recipes:

Stack of keto coconut flour brownies on a plate

Tools To Make Zucchini Brownies

Baking Pan – For this healthy zucchini brownie recipe, you will need a square baking pan and this one is the perfect size.
Box Grater – The slip resistant border on this box grater makes shredding so much easier.
Cheesecloth – For the best results, I recommend using a cheesecloth when squeezing the moisture from the zucchini. It does a much better job than just paper towels.

Zucchini Brownies

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10 Comments

Diane
0 August 3, 2023Reply

Wondering if I can bake this recipe in a mini muffin pan?
- Wholesome Yum A
  0 August 4, 2023Reply
  
  Hi Diane, I have not tried it in a mini muffin pan, but I imagine you could bake them this way. Keep in mind that the bake time would change, so you may have to watch them closely to find the exact bake time. Let me know how it goes!
Cat
0 July 4, 2023Reply

Hi, I hope the measurements using the metric system are accurate. Sometimes these things are not and the recipe doesn’t work!
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 July 5, 2023Reply
  
  Hi Cat, At the top of the recipe card you can switch from US customary to metric.
Belinda
0 June 4, 2023Reply

Thanks Maya!! These are the best keto brownies ever, so moist and delicious! I am in Australia so used sukrin sugar free maple syrup.
Andie
0 April 25, 2023Reply

I’m not going to lie, I had my suspicions about putting zucchini in brownies but oh wow! So delicious! They are so fudge and gooey and everything I want in a brownie and MORE! Will be making these again.
Abby
0 April 25, 2023Reply

By far my favorite way to bake with zucchini! These are so chocolatey good and my kids ask for them all the time now. Will be making these all summer long.
Toni
0 April 25, 2023Reply

Everyone at my house enjoyed this!! Loving this guilt-free dessert! Thanks for sharing!
Marjorie Heard
0 April 24, 2023Reply

Aren’t these a bit high in carbs to be keto?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 April 25, 2023Reply
  
  Hi Majorie, You would have to make some alterations, like substituting sugar-free maple syrup for regular maple syrup. These substitutions will lower the carb count.