Zucchini Brownies

It’s that time of year where gardens everywhere are producing extra amounts of zucchini. Where people are sneaking them onto their neighbors porches, into their cars, you name it. I was deep into Instagram and a woman commented that she planted 11 plants her first time. I think I guffawed at that! If you can relate and have a stack of zucchinis on your counter, maybe give this recipe a go: Zucchini Brownies. 

Now listen, I know brownies are necessarily synonymous with healthy sweet treats, but these are pretty darn close. I swapped maple syrup for sugar (seriously, it’s so good!), opted for oatmeal flour rather than regular flour, and used olive oil. All great things, right? 

And they are so rich and delicious. The amount of cocoa powder leaves them a dark beautiful brown color and the zucchini adds extra moisture. They get better as the days go by, if you can keep them in your house long enough! 

Ready to start baking? Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup nut butter (I did peanut butter but have used almond as well) 
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • 1 egg 
  • ⅓ cup olive oil 
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup old fashioned oats, made into flour in a food processor after measuring
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt 
  • 1 ½ cups finely shredded zucchini 
  • ¼-½ cups chocolate chips 

Your Steps to Zucchini Brownies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, grind oats until a coarse flour is formed. Add cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Pulse a few times to mix. 

In a large bowl, whisk syrup, nut butter and olive oil together. Add the egg and extract and whisk again. Sir in the zucchini and add the dry ingredients until JUST mixed. 

Fold in the chocolate chips (reserving a few to sprinkle on top, if you care to). Pour into a greased 8×8 brownie pan and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 25 minutes, or until set. 

Serve them up with a bit of ice cream or a tall glass of milk and watch the zucchini brownies disappear!

Zucchini Brownies

Veggies and dessert? Serve these delicious zucchini brownies up with a tall glass of milk or ice cream and wait for smiles!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 brownies

Ingredients
  

  • cup nut butter I did peanut butter but have used almond as well
  • cup maple syrup
  • 1 egg
  • cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup old fashioned oats made into flour in a food processor after measuring
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups finely shredded zucchini
  • ¼-½ cups chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, grind oats until a coarse flour is formed. Add cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Pulse a few times to mix.
  • In a large bowl, whisk syrup, nut butter and olive oil together. Add the egg and extract and whisk again. Sir in the zucchini and add the dry ingredients until JUST mixed.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips (reserving a few to sprinkle on top, if you care to). Pour into a greased 8×8 brownie pan and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 25 minutes, or until set.
Keyword brownies, chocolate, chocolate zucchini bread, Gluten Free, zucchini, zucchini brownies, zucchini desserts, zucchini treats
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other zucchini recipes?

You can check out my baking and canning and preserving pages for more inspiration! Our perhaps pick one of my favorites below!

Spiced Zucchini Oatmeal Bread

Spiced Zucchini Oatmeal Bread

“Mama! Will you make more chocolate zucchini bread?” That’s what I heard a few weekends back, and while I really love my chocolate zucchini bread recipe (Find it here!) I wanted to skip the chocolate and go for a new recipe; A spiced zucchini oatmeal bread. 

The goal? Make a zucchini bread my kids would gobble up while making some healthy swaps. If you’ve been here a while, you know my MO is maple syrup (or honey!) instead of sugar, whole wheat flour rather than white, and oatmeal is so heart-healthy I have to throw it in there! 

And while lots of my recipes are gluten-free (because darn it, I care about you, gluten-free friends!), this recipe uses some Sunrise Flour Mill Heritage Wheat Flour. If you are gluten-free, I highly recommend checking out their flour. They are well known in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area for creating heritage wheat that is more digestible. Freaking dang cool, right? 

This recipe was a great breakfast for my mini me and mid morning snack for myself. I eat breakfast at 6 am and lunch at 12:20 pm. I don’t know about you, but this girl can not last that long. There is definitely a second breakfast around 9:30 with some form of granola, graham cracker, or bread and a piece of fruit. It’s how this active teacher rolls. But enough about my eating habits, let’s get baking! 

Your Ingredients for Spiced Zucchini Oatmeal Bread 

  • ¾ cup maple syrup 
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 3 eggs 
  • ⅓ cup oil 
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour 
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats 
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1 teaspoon salt 
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
  • ⅛  teaspoon ground cloves 
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • ½ cup chopped nuts
  • 2 ½ – 3 cups shredded zucchini

Your Steps

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9×5 inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. Mix maple syrup, vanilla, eggs, and oil in a medium bowl. Whisk until well combined. Add whole wheat flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and shredded zucchini. 

Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, without raw batter. 

Spiced Zucchini Oatmeal Bread

Cinnamon, maple syrup, and some oatmeal make this heart healthy zucchini bread a delight while still being kid friendly!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 slices

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • cup oil
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • ½ cup chopped nuts
  • 2 ½ – 3 cups shredded zucchini

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9×5 inch loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, combine maple syrup, vanilla, eggs, and oil. Whisk until well combined.
  • Add whole wheat flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix until just combined.
  • Fold in chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and shredded zucchini.
  • Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans.
  • Place in the center of the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, without raw batter.
Keyword Breakfast Bread, chocolate zucchini bread, oatmeal, Quick Bread, whole wheat flour, zucchini, zucchini bread, zucchini recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for more zucchini recipes?

Check out any of the ideas below!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Who here has a kiddo who is much more likely to eat something that is chocolatey? *Raises hand.* Who here likes chocolate zucchini bread themselves? *Raises hand again* 

I love zucchini bread in all forms, but my big kiddo isn’t a zucchini fan and will complain if it isn’t disguised well. Knowing that we have the intent to send our kids to school with more home lunches this year, I set out to create a chocolate zucchini bread that had some healthier ingredients while still pleasing the 12 year old. 

Upon taking it from the oven, he was questioning it. “Zucchini bread, really?” Then he cut himself a warm slice. He smiled and finished it with his eyes closed (the tell-tale sign that I won his tastebuds over). Then he cut another and finally stopped after ⅓ of the loaf was gone. When he and his sister finished the loaf a few days later, he immediately asked me to make more.

I played with the recipe in a few more batches, but the first one was “the one.” The one I will be baking this summer in this fun petite pan from Epicure. From there, I will freeze the portions and then place them in a freezer-safe bag. I think they will be perfect in lunch boxes. What do you think? 

Don’t worry if you don’t have that sweet pan. The original recipe was baked in a 9 inch loaf pan, so you are set to go! Want muffins? That’s cool too! Cut the bake time to 20 minutes and you’ll be set! 

Ready to start creating? Let’s go!

Your Ingredients for Chocolate Zucchini Bread

  • ¼ cup olive oil or melted coconut oil
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt 
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour 
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • ¼-½ cup chocolate chips
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini, water squeezed out 
  • ½ cup chopped nuts, optional

Your Steps

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine oil, syrup, vanilla, and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda, salt, baking powder, flours, and cocoa powder. Stir into the wet ingredients until just combined. 

Add zucchini, chocolate chips, and nuts, if using. Fold into batter. 

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 min, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with no raw batter. 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

A classic chocolate zucchini bread with a bit of a healthy twist that is still kid approved!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 slices

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup olive oil or melted coconut oil
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • ¼-½ cup chocolate chips
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini water squeezed out
  • ½ cup chopped nuts optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, combine oil, syrup, vanilla, and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda, salt, baking powder, flours, and cocoa powder.
  • Stir into the wet ingredients until just combined.
  • Add zucchini, chocolate chips, and nuts, if using. Fold into batter.
  • Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with no raw batter.

Notes

This recipe bakes up nicely as a muffin too! Just prepare a muffin tin by greasing or using liners and drop the bake time to 20 minutes or so. 
 
Keyword chocolate, chocolate zucchini bread, Quick Bread, zucchini, zucchini bread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other great recipes?

Check out a few suggestions below! Or feel free to head to my baking or cooking pages for all sorts of inspiration!