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Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies (GF + DF)

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Zucchini has to be one of my favorite add-ins to baked goods. Muffins, bread, and even cake can all be deliciously made with heaps of good-for-you zucchini! A green veggie in my desserts? Yep! Because who doesn’t want to feel a little bit better when indulging in something ooey gooey and ultra chocolatey?

These brownies are so decadent and fudgy, and with a thin layer of sweet dark chocolate frosting, you won’t be able to pass them up. And once you get the brownie-making method down, this recipe is really quite easy. The chocolate can be melted in the microwave, and if you have a stand mixer, the eggs and sugar can be left for a few minutes to whip while you shred your zucchini. Throw some extra chocolate chips into the batter for an irresistible triple chocolate brownie! 

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Dutch process cocoa powder is darker in color and richer in flavor. Since there are no leavening agents in this recipe (baking soda, etc) you can also use regular cocoa powder – your brownies just won’t be dark chocolate.

Eggs whip up with the sugar to create a fluffy batter which gives the brownies lift, negating the need for baking soda or powder.

Coconut sugar is an unrefined, low GI sugar. It tastes less sweet than white sugar, and makes for a great, better-for-you alternative.

Arrowroot starch thickens the brownie batter and gives the brownies some substance. You should be okay replacing it with tapioca starch.

Yield: 16 brownies

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies (GF + DF)

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies (GF + DF)

Ultra fudgy brownies made with shredded zucchini and dark cocoa powder. These chocolate-frosted squares are grain-free + dairy-free and totally irresistible!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

Brownies

  • 1 cup + 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips, divided
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
  • 1 tsp instant coffee granules or espresso powder (optional)
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp dutch process cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup finely shredded zucchini, excess juice squeezed out

Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp dutch process cocoa powder
  • 1 Tbsp refined coconut oil or vegan butter, melted
  • 2 Tbsp plant-based milk

Instructions

  1. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8" pan or baking dish with non-stick spray and parchment paper - I like to cut my parchment paper into two long pieces, criss-crossing them in the middle.
  2. Melt together 1 cup of the chocolate chips with the vegetable oil and instant coffee granules/espresso powder in the microwave or using the double boiler method; stir and set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the eggs and coconut sugar. Whisk on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes fluffy and light brown in color, adding the vanilla extract along the way.
  4. Gently fold the melted chocolate into the whisked egg mixture. Fold in the cocoa powder, arrowroot starch, and salt. Stir in the shredded zucchini and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips (optional) until combined.
  5. Bake brownies at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until the center looks set. Allow brownies to cool for 10 minutes before making your frosting. In a small, microwave-safe bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, coconut oil or butter, and plant-based milk. Microwave the frosting until warm to the touch. Pour over warm brownies, tilting the pan until frosting is evenly distributed.
  6. Allow brownies to totally cool before slicing and serving. For clean cuts, use the excess parchment paper to remove the entire brownie square. Slice into 16 brownies, wiping your knife clean between each slice. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

Dutch process cocoa powder gives these brownies a richer, dark chocolate flavor. You can use regular cocoa powder, but the brownies won't be considered dark chocolate.

You want to finely shred your zucchini with the skin on. Place on a cheesecloth or paper towel and squeeze out and discard the juice.

The instant coffee/espresso powder will deepen the chocolate flavor, but it is totally optional.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 169Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 99mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 2g
calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: Dessert / Category: Brownies

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Other brownie recipes you might like:

Tahini Swirl Brownies (GF + DF)
Orange Brownies (GF + DF)
Almond Butter Brownies (GF + DF)

Other zucchini recipes you might like:

Spiced Zucchini Cake
Healthier Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Gluten-Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Gluten-Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins (dairy-free)

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I’m so excited to bring you guys these Gluten-Free Muffins! Some of you have been asking for GF recipes, and I’m happy to report that these muffins are also dairy-free, can easily be made vegan, and they taste like regular, glutenous muffins! Yes!! While researching how to come up with my own GF flour mix, I stumbled upon this super helpful formula by The Heritage Cook – check it out if you’re interested in coming up with your own mix!

These muffins are a super moist (thank you, zucchini!), better-for-you muffin that I think you’ll love. Once you have all of your ingredients ready, they’re super easy to get together. As noted in the recipe below, I recommend using paper muffin liners, along with non-stick spray. These muffins will stick to your pan without a liner (thank you, almond flour), and they may even stick to your liners – I found that spraying the inside of the liners with olive oil remedied this. Happy baking!

Gluten-Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 9 regular muffins

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp white rice flour
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp GF oat flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp
2 large eggs, room temp (or two flax eggs* if vegan)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups finely shredded zucchini (about 1 1/2 medium zucchinis)
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips + more to top each muffin

1.) Preheat your oven to 300°F and line your muffin pan with liners. Then, spray the liners with non-stick spray (I used olive oil spray). I don’t recommend making these muffins without liners, as baked goods made with almond flour tend to stick. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes.

2.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, tapioca starch, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, coconut oil, almond milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.

3.) Shred your zucchini until you have 1 1/2 cups. Then place the zucchini shreds on a paper towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out and discard the excess juice. Add zucchini shreds to your wet ingredients, breaking up the clumps and mixing in.

4.) Pour wet ingredients into dry and gently mix until no flour pockets remain. Mix in the chocolate chips. Fill the muffin wells all the way to the top (I distributed my batter between 9 muffin wells). Top each muffin with extra chocolate chips.

5.) Bake at 300°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out with a few crumbs. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan on top of a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove each muffin and enjoy warm or allow to cool on the cooling rack. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy!

*two flax eggs = 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp water. Allow “eggs” to thicken for a few minutes before adding to your mix

Healthier Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

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I’ve had the recipe for these muffins sitting in my notes app for a few months now. I have no idea why it has taken me so long to share this recipe with you guys! I know. I know. Another zucchini muffin? Yes. Because these are one of my favorite muffins. Ever. They’re fluffy, tender, moist, not too sweet, and give me a bit of green veggie on top of the chocolate chips. What’s not to like? I added a touch of ground cardamom, along with some cinnamon, and OMG I love these muffins!!

This recipe is super easy to follow. There are a few steps involved, but it’s all worth it in the end! The amount of chocolate chips and the kind of spice you add is totally up to you. I didn’t want these to be overly sweet, so don’t expect the 1/2 cup I have listed to give you a chocolate loaded muffin. But, by all means, load those babies up with a whole cup of chocolate if that’s what you’re in to! I really like ground cardamom, but if you don’t have it on hand, or you’re not a big fan, no worries. You can leave it out, add more cinnamon, or add nutmeg in its place. Have fun with these, and happy baking!

Healthier Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes ~8 muffins

1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp*
2 large eggs, room temp*
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour**
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom***
1 1/2 cups finely grated zucchini
1/2 cup chocolate chips + more for topping

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your muffin pan with liners or by spraying it with olive oil/non-stick spray. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.

2.) In a large bowl, combine the coconut sugar and melted coconut oil. Add the almond milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until totally combined. Place your shredded zucchini on a paper towel and squeeze out and discard the excess juice. Add the zucchini to your mixture and stir until combined.

3.) Sift the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom into the wet ingredients. Gently fold everything together until no flour pockets remain. Fold in the chocolate chips.

4.) Fill your muffin pan almost to the top – you will get between 7 and 9 muffins, depending on how full you fill them. Top with chocolate chips, slightly pressing each chip into the batter. Bake muffins at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean – try to find a spot with no chocolate! 

5.) Let your muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. If you didn’t use liners, slide a butter knife around each muffin before gently removing. Enjoy warm and store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

*it takes a bit of extra work, but if your milk and eggs are too cold, the coconut oil will solidify while you’re mixing
**whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour will work just fine
***if you don’t like cardamom, feel free to leave it out or replace it with nutmeg

Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Have you ever had zucchini in a cookie? I seriously considered eating these for breakfast, because, ya now, oatmeal + zucchini = breakfast, right? Consider these the better-for-you, not-so-traditional version of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! I wanted to use tahini in these because I love the nutty taste, and I really liked the idea of creating a cookie that’s free of both dairy and oil.

These cookies are so easy (and quick!) to get together – shredding your zucchini will be the “hardest” part! I like to use coconut sugar when I can since it’s a low GI sweetener (maple syrup and honey are not). You can really play with this recipe, adding and subtracting whatever add-ins you like: add nuts or seeds, leave out some of the chocolate chips, add dried fruit, etc. Happy baking!

Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Tahini (dairy-free + oil-free!)
Makes 19 cookies

1/2 cup tahini
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 cup finely grated zucchini
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix together the tahini, coconut sugar, egg + egg yolk, and vanilla extract until totally combined; set aside.

2.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet and fold until combined. 

3.) Squeeze the excess juice from your zucchini shreds – I like to place mine on a paper towel and squeeze over the sink – before folding them into your dough. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips.

4.) Scoop 2 Tbsp dough balls onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake 6 at a time at 350°F for 9 minutes. Let cool for 2 minutes on your baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread

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If there’s chocolate in my bread, it’s over. And by “over” I mean gone. The bread is gone, because I love a decadent, chocolatey bread!! This double chocolate zucchini bread is loaded with cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips and then drizzled with melted chocolate. YES. And it has a whole cup and a half of shredded zucchini in it! This bread is fluffy, moist, and reminds me of chocolate cake (minus the loads of sugar!). Seriously! If you’re looking for a simple, delicious, dairy-free zucchini bread then this loaf is for you. It can easily be made into muffins, too, if that’s more your thing (directions below)! Happy baking!

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Makes one 9×5″ loaf (see Notes for muffins)

Bread
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp*
2 large eggs, room temp*
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, chunks, or chopped chocolate
Chocolate Drizzle
2 Tbsp dark chocolate chips, chunks, or chopped chocolate
1-2 tsp coconut oil, solid

1.) Preheat oven to 350°F and spray loaf or muffin pan with olive oil. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for ~10 minutes.

2.) Sift together the flours and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the coconut sugar, coconut oil, almond milk, eggs, and vanilla; set aside.

3.) Grate zucchini (with the skin on) until you have 1 1/2 cups. Place zucchini shreds on a paper towel and gently squeeze out and discard the excess juice; set aside.

4.) Stir wet ingredients into dry until nearly combined. Fold in the zucchini shreds and chocolate chips or chunks and mix until no flour pockets remain. Pour your batter into the greased pan. If you prefer topping your loaf with extra chocolate chips vs the chocolate drizzle, add the chips now and slightly press them into the batter. Bake for ~30 minutes or until the loaf bounces back when lightly tapped. If you prefer the toothpick method, be aware that the chocolate chips inside the loaf may alter your test.

5.) Allow your bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool on a cooling rack. If you turn your loaf pan over, the bread should pop right out. If you’ve added toppings, you can turn your loaf pan on its side and shimmy the loaf out with a butter knife – that way you don’t smash the toppings.

6.) After your bread has cooled, you can melt together the 2 Tbsp of chocolate chips and the coconut oil. Use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over your loaf. Slice and enjoy!

*room temp is important, because you don’t want your melted coconut oil to solidfy once it hits the almond milk

NOTES:
To make ~10 regular muffins, reduce baking powder to 1/4 tsp, raise temp to 375°, and bake for 18-22 minutes or until muffin bounces back when lightly tapped

Recipe adapted from wyldflour