Zucchini Brownies

Is the zucchini in your garden growing like crazy yet?! I am always looking for ways to use some of it up and what is better than being able to sneak some into your desserts. Brownies happen to be my favorite dessert and I couldn’t wait to try out a recipe with zucchini in it. This recipe is absolutely wonderful.

These Zucchini Brownies are rich, moist and super delicious! I stumbled across this recipe first on AllRecipes, but when I made them they turned out rather dry. The addition of the egg really helps complete the recipe and make the texture perfect. Don’t be freaked out by zucchinis in your brownies. Really. They are so good. If you don’t believe me, try them out and see for yourself :)

Zucchini Brownies from chef-in-training.com …These brownies are rich, moist, delicious and the perfect way to use up some of that zucchini!

4.6 from 10 reviews
Zucchini Brownies
 
This zucchini brownie recipe is a delicious way to use up some of that zucchini. They are soft, rich and SO yummy!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
Brownies
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini
Chocolate Frosting
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Brownies
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  3. Combine oil, sugar, vanilla together in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Add egg and beat in until well blended. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and stir until well combined. Stir in zucchini. Batter will be on the drier side. Don't panic, the moisture from the zucchini will come out while baking and moisten it up perfectly. Pour and spread out evenly in prepared pan.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until done.
Chocolate Frosting
  1. Melt together butter, milk and cocoa in a medium microwave safe bowl for 1-2 minutes until butter is melted and mixture is warm. Stir together. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth. Spread over cooled brownies.

Enjoy!
(recipe slightly adapted from AllRecipes)

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #chefintraining and/or #chefintrainingblog. I would love to see how these recipes take shape in your kitchens.

Filed under: brownies, dessert

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Comments

  1. Averie @ Averie Cooks

    I love baking with zucchini and between your cookies the other day and now these, you have given me some awesome ideas! Love them both! I've made brownies with avocado to replace some of the butter but am loving this zucchini idea! Pinned!

  2. Emily @ Life on Food

    I really want to try these. I have tons of zucchini. We are a bit done with zucchini bread. Up next, brownies!

  3. Amy

    Ok, dumb question. Do you cook the zucchini prior to shredding it. And if so what's the best way to do that? New to zucchini and these look like an excellent way to sneak in some undetectable veggies:)

    1. Chef in Training

      Nope, no cooking. Just shred and add to the batter :)

    2. Tonya

      No, you don't cook the zucchini beforehand. I find the best way to "hide" it is to peel it (the green is a dead giveaway) and grate it finely.

    3. Jane

      3

      Tasty, but it is more of a cake, does not have the dense fudge texture of a brownie.

  4. Dawn

    The batter was very dry...added another egg...hope it bakes OK

    1. Chef in Training

      The batter will be still on the dry side. The moisture from the zucchini will come out while baking and moisten it up perfectly. Please let me know how they turned out and how the extra egg made it turn out :)

  5. Sue Stetzel

    Nikki are you squeezing the moisture out of the zucchini or shredding it and using it as is?

    1. Chef in Training

      Shredding and using it as is. The moisture from the zucchini will come out while baking and helps to moisten up the brownies perfectly. The batter will still seem on the dry side when you first add it, but they cook up nicely!

  6. Coline

    Hello! I wanted to make these a bit healthier, do you think I could replace the oil with apple sauce, have you tried before? Ive replaced oil/butter with apple sauce in other recipes but I am a bit afraid for this one because of the zucchini...

    1. Anna VanDeWeert

      5

      I've done it with half applesauce and half oil, and it came out fine! Just be sure to use unsweetened applesauce- we used our homemade stuff. Go ahead and use the applesauce if you want to!

  7. Ann

    Looking very forward to trying these. I've got a giant zucchini in the fridge to use. Thanks for posting.

  8. Debbie

    So, is this recipe with or without the addition of the egg? I mean....do I need to ADD another egg? I am zucchini rich at the moment! Thanks!

    1. Chef in Training

      this recipe has the addition of the egg already in it :)

  9. Daria

    Hi, do you have to squeeze the juice out of a zucchini before putting it in the batter?

    1. Daria

      Sorry, just saw the previous questions :) getting ready to shred zucchini :)

  10. Veronica

    3

    I grated the zucchini on the smaller grater side of the box grater and added and mixed it in before adding the flour. I stirred the flour minimally and let the bowl sit for a couple minutes after mixed so the gluten didn't develop, but the brownies were super fluffy. It was like eating cake or a chocolate cake donut. I only cooked them for 20 minutes. The frosting and the brownie we darker than I like; I prefer milk chocolate, but I'm sure using a different cocoa powder would fix that. We could not taste or feel the finely shredded zucchini. These were good for a cake, but we'll stick to our other brownie recipe if we want good, fudgy brownies.

  11. Sarah

    I have a recipe very very similar to this...it is so so yummy...I encourage everyone to make it.

  12. Lisa | Mummy Made.It

    I love desserts that have sneaky veggies!! The kids think they're getting something a bit naughty when they're really getting their daily greens!

  13. M. Teague

    These recipes sound delicious.

  14. Elaine

    I really wanted to love these. But it was more cakelike than brownie as the above poster mentioned. Recipe needs a little more tweaking to be a brownie I think. Good idea though.

  15. Josie

    I'm feeling pretty silly about this but...the cocoa and the cocoa powder listed are two totally different items correct, not just a typo or oversight? Making solute that it isn't all supposed to be cocoa powder. Thanks a bundle!

  16. Shawna

    5

    I fixed this EXACTLY as instructed and it turned out DELICIOUS!! Very moist! No need to add extra egg or anything. Do just as described.
    I would however say this is more like a decadent CAKE, not brownies. :-)

    Thanks for the recipe!!

  17. Barbara

    I love this recipe, so thank you for sharing it. I had 3 cups of zucchini from one so I ended up making the cookies too. My first thought was they were kind of cake like and not fudge like another poster mentioned, but i brought them in to work and they are so moist today that they are more of a brownie than a cake. This was my first recipe from your site and my second with the cookies....I think my waistline (and my co-workers) is in trouble,but I'm looking forward to reading more of your recipes. Thanks again.

  18. Samia

    I don't have any zucchini in the garden but I have half a ton of yellow crookneck and pattypan (Bening's Green Tint) squash. So - here goes. I hope to report back soon.

  19. marlene brush

    Can the Zucchini Brownies be frozen

  20. Carolina

    5

    Wow! Bravo the best recipe ever! I add 2 tbsp of water and they are very moist! Love them! I'm making only this recipe now! Bravo!

  21. Rebecca

    5

    Do you have an idea on the nutritiional info for these brownies? I made them and LOVE them so much! MMMM!

  22. Peg

    I tried to make your zucchini brownies and when I followed the recipe the mixture was very dry. Could some ingredients have been left out? I ended up adding more butter and some milk to make the batter moister.
    Thanks Peg

    1. Chef in Training

      the batter is actually a really dry batter. Almost startling dry compared to other brownie recipes, but as the zucchini cooks, moisture is leaked out and they end up perfect!

  23. Sarah

    5

    This is awesome! It's a cake though, or at least that's how we're using it! I tried it with the recipe frosting which is good but too much chocolate for me so I tried it again with store bought white frosting and it was great! Taste just like Devil's food chocolate cake. People are amazed when I tell them it's zucchini cake!

  24. ZahraJ

    5

    Just amazing! but i added some water coz only one egg with the sugar and then flour was hard to stir, but it's faboulous at least i don't feel guilty! thank you a lot!

  25. Susie breault

    They look awesome!may be one of my favorite recipes!

    1. Susie breault

      5

      Forgot to rate this yummy delight! Best brownie recipe yet!

  26. Lisa

    5

    This brownie is fabulous I have yet to be disappointed. My family and friends love it ?

  27. Cyndi

    I have been using this recipe for years. These are the only brownies my family will eat. I have made them without the icing and just dusted with powdered sugar. My husband prefers them that way, but if course the kids and grandkids want the frosting, so always have to make two batches. Love them!