Zucchini Brownies Recipe
These Zucchini Brownies are perfectly moist, and oh-so fudgy. You will never taste the hidden vegetables inside this scrumptious summer dessert. The chocolate is sweet and the shredded zucchini disappears right into the batter, giving you an ooey-gooey and moist zucchini brownie that you will not want to miss.
I know what you’re thinking… vegetables in a dessert recipe, Natasha? You’re going to have to trust me, this combination is pure magic. It tastes just like our classic Brownie Recipe.
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The Best Zucchini Brownies
Zucchini brownies are based on our moist and Fudgy Brownie Recipe that I shared in Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook. If you enjoy sneaking zucchini into everything, these zucchini brownies are a real treat.
We are on a real zucchini kick in our house since our garden is producing like crazy. For breakfast, we have been making Zucchini Fritters on repeat, and we love crispy Fried Zucchini chips as a side for lunch or dinner.
But when it comes to dessert, we especially love sneaky zucchini recipes, like our delicious Zucchini Bread and sweet Zucchini Muffins, because as my daughter said, “THIS is how I eat zucchini”. If you love the extra moisture and nutrition zucchini adds to baked goods, or you also have a picky little one, you have to try this Zucchini Brownie recipe while zucchinis are in season.
Ingredients
All of your traditional brownie ingredients, plus a little something special. You can also change up the recipe with add-ins (see variation ideas below).
- Butter – unsalted, cut into pieces
- Semisweet chocolate chips – Melted for creamy chocolate flavor in the mix, and sprinkled on top for added texture on top
- Eggs – to bind the batter together
- Sugar – for the perfect amount of sweetness and to balance the bitterness of cocoa powder
- Oil – light olive oil or vegetable oil
- Vanilla – Use our homemade vanilla for the best flavor
- Flour – All-purpose, or gluten-free if desired
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – creates the characteristic deep chocolate flavor we expect from brownies.
- Baking powder and baking soda – Act as leavening agents
- Salt – I almost always use fine sea salt
- Shredded zucchini – From 1-2 medium zucchini. Grate using the largest holes on your box grater.
How to Make Zucchini Brownies
- Prepare – Preheat your oven to 350°F and butter a 9×13 inch metal pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Melt chocolate – In a medium saucepan, melt together 2 cups of chocolate chips and butter while whisking constantly. Do not boil. Once it’s smooth, remove it from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes.
- Dry Ingredients – In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk together.
- Wet Ingredients – In a second large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla until blended. Whisk in the cooled chocolate chip mixture.
- Mix – Add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Fold – Fold in the grated zucchini and walnuts until well combined. Pour the batter into the baking pan and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes.
Pro Tip
Using a 9×13 metal pan vs. a glass pan will give you those delicious, crispy edges on your brownies. Metal pans are better conductors of heat which may cause your brownies to have a slightly shorter baking time than a glass pan. If you only have a glass pan, watch and test your brownies with a toothpick as the bake time may vary.
Pro Tip
Check your oven temperature with an inexpensive oven thermometer since most ovens aren’t truly fully preheated even when they indicate they are.
Variations
No matter what you choose to mix into your zucchini brownies, we suggest using half a cup of your add-in of choice. Some of our favorites are:
- Chopped nuts – pecans, walnuts, or any nut of your choice
- Chocolate chunks – for a little more melty chocolate goodness in each bite
- Peanut butter or cream cheese – swirled into the batter after it has been added to the pan
- Coconut flakes – add a tropical sweetness and a more chewy texture
- Mint chocolate candies – such as Andes, chopped
- Sea salt – a couple of pinches, sprinkled on top
Common Questions
We do not recommend using cucumber in this recipe. Your brownies would be very soggy.
Using zucchini adds some vitamins and fiber. It is still, however, a calorie-rich, sweet dessert. See the nutrition label below for more details.
There is no need to peel the zucchini before grating them. The skin on a medium zucchini is thin enough to eat, so peeling does not change the taste or texture either way.
Absolutely. I suggest that you weigh your pans after you portion your batter (as seen in my Zucchini Bread video) so you can ensure that your brownies bake at the same rate in the oven.
How to Serve Zucchini Brownies
Once you have baked your delicious brownies, you can customize the flavor in so many ways before serving.
- Caramel – Drizzle our Homemade Caramel sauce on top and a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Chocolate frosting – Try our perfect Chocolate Ganache or Chocolate Butter Cream frosting.
- Powdered sugar – Sift a dusting of powdered sugar on top for a delicate look.
Cut your brownies into twenty-four pieces. Our favorite way to serve brownies is with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on top.
How to Store Brownies
You’ll be happy to know that brownies, including these zucchini brownies, keep very well and stay soft and moist for days.
- At Room Temperature – Brownies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezer – You can freeze brownies for up to 3 months. Wait for them to cool completely and then wrap in plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil. To keep brownies moist, do not cut them until you are ready to serve.
Make these for your family and have them try to guess what the secret ingredient is. My family didn’t guess correctly, but their look of surprise was priceless when I told them it was zucchini… Two full cups of zucchini! It blends in quite nicely and adds terrific moisture to make these brownies even more satisfying. It’s definitely still a dessert but somehow I feel better about eating a zucchini brownie.
More Summer Dessert Recipes
If you love using summer produce to create sweet treats like these Zucchini Brownies, then you won’t want to miss these other dessert recipes that use fresh seasonal produce.
Zucchini Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 16 oz semisweet chocolate chips, 2 1/2 cups by measuring cup, divided
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp light olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, measured correctly, or use gluten-free flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 cups shredded zucchini, do not drain (from 1 medium or 1/2 lb zucchini)*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ̊F. Butter a 9×13 metal pan and line it with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan over medium/low heat, melt together 2 cups chocolate chips and butter while whisking constantly. Do not boil. Once it’s smooth, remove from heat and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a second large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla until blended. Whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Fold in the zucchini until well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake at 350 ̊F for 35-40 minutes. For fudgy brownies, bake for 35-37 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. If you prefer them a bit more firm, bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan until nearly at room temperature then cut into bars before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Delicious but they came out very cake-like! I followed the instructions and unless an extra 2 gram of flour or so changes the consistency, I wonder how they came out this way?
Hi Anna, a cakey brownie is likely due to too much flour. Be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup.
Oh My! I was not expecting rich and chocolatey. My entire house smells of chocolate but not complaining. I baked these as you said – minutes less for chewy brownies. There must be a very fine line between not done to BAM done bc I got cake-like brownies. Not complaining bc they are tasty, just not easy to pick up and eat. I added walnuts on top.
I usually love Natasha’s recipes…
But this one, I followed to a “t”… and it was NOT bad!!
It just was not brownies… :/
It came out like the perfect chocolate cake though!
But was disappointed because it was not brownies.
Hi Angelina, I haven’t had them turn out like cake – these are based on our classic brownies. Did you possibly over bake or add too much leavening?
Very easy to make.
They just came out of the oven.
Do I cool in pan on a rack or do I cool on the parchment paper, and for how long?
Hi Sue! I’m glad you enjoyed making the recipe. I let them cool in the pan on a rack.
Very easy to make. In the oven right now. Do they cool in pan, or on parchment paper and how long?
Hi Sue, they are very soft if you try to transfer them right away so cool in the pan until nearly at room temperature then cut into bars before serving.
The zucchini melted into the brownie and the brownie melted into my mouth! Delicious!
So glad you loved the recipe!
Just made this recipe – It’s simply amazing!!! The fam says it’s the best brownies ever because it’s not overly sweet, but has a rich chocolate flavor. So good and helps me get rid of the big zucchinis!
That’s wonderful, Julie!
It looks good, is the butter 1/2 lb or 1/2 cup?
Thank you!
Hi Christine, 1/2 lb is correct (2 sticks or 16 Tbsp of butter)
I am a super chocolate lover and these were the best brownies i have ever eaten in my entire life!!!
That’s wonderful, Emilie! I’m so glad to hear that.
Do you think that frozen, shredded zucchini work in this recipe? I love your recipes Natasha – they are consistently good and use readily avaliable ingredients.
Hi Linda! Yes, that should work. Let it thaw and include the liquid, do not drain. The tricky thing about frozen shredded zucchini is that once it’s thawed out, it looks like less than 2 cups freshly grated so you’ll have to experiment with it a bit.
Wow!
These brownies are absolutely amazing! I slightly undercooked them (37min) and they are perfectly gooey.
A complete hit with visiting friends today.
Your recipes are always delicious- thanks for sharing your talent.
Thanks for sharing, Gwen. That’s a good idea if others like it gooey like you. Glad that you loved our Zucchini Brownies!
Just wondering, do I need to squeeze out the liquid from the grated zucchini? Also, can you tell me the amount of grated zucchini in cups? Maybe 2 cups? Thanks, I’m anxious to try this recipe.
Hi Barbara. No, do not drain. You’ll want the liquid to help with the moisture. I can the measurements in the recipe card below, 2 cups grated.
Sounds amazing but wondered if you have recommendations on keeping the same moist results using a mixture of almond and coconut flour?
Hi Tracy! I’m sorry, I haven’t tested it with those flours to know how to make adjustments.
Should we peel the zucchini first before shredding it? And what is the best way to shred it (food processor)?
Hi Sara! There is no need to peel the zucchini. I shredded it by hand using a box grater.
Hi Natasha,
I made these for my family and nobody knew they were zucchini brownies. I had to add some walnuts(my Favorite). They seemed to disappear quicker than normal!!!! This is a Wonderful Recipe:) You’re the Best!!!!
That’s awesome feedback! Thank you for sharing, Melinda. We’re so happy to know that you loved our Zucchini Brownies Recipe a lot.
For even HEALTHIER brownies, substitute CACAO powder for unsweetened cocoa powder… which has been processed. Raw CACAO powder is unprocessed and is one of the healthiest foods you can put in your body, including more antioxidants than Blueberries. You can Google “health benefits of CACAO powder” to discover the many things it does for your health.😃
BTW, cocoa powder is made from Cacao. Substituting won’t change the taste of this great recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Paul!
I am going gluten free and I have 1:1 gf flour. Do I use the same amount of gf flour in place of all purpose? I’m still learning.
I also have an amazing flourless brownie recipe using avacados. Family will never know. 🙂
Hi Wendy, in the recipe we mention: ” All-purpose, or gluten-free if desired” I hope that helps!
You would never know that these have zucchini in them! They are so rich & chocolatey! The zucchini makes them so moist!
Yes! Aren’t they amazing? You couldn’t guess the secret ingredient if no one told you.
These were completely and utterly delicious! Already can’t wait to make them again.
You’re welcome, Jessica! Thank you for sharing.
Wow! For once I don’t regret having planted so much zucchini. This recipe is going to happen tonight. It looks amazing and how can you go wrong with brownies?
Right! I know you’ll love this one.