What makes brownies fudgy?

Fudgy brownies have less than flour than cakey ones. They also have a high amount of fat in them. For this recipe I used almond butter and coconut oil to achieve a gooey and fudgy texture.

Can I freeze these vegan zucchini brownies?

Yes! It is much easier to cut them into bars once they are cool or refrigerated. Once cut into bars place them into a freezer safe container and freeze for later. You can also freeze the bars on a sheet pan first and then put them into a freezer safe bag. This keeps the brownies from getting smooshed.

Can I use almond flour in this recipe?

Yes! You can use almond flour to make this recipe grain-free. You can also use oat flour or your favorite type of flour (I would not use coconut flour).

Vegan Zucchini Brownies (Gluten-Free Option)

Ingredients

Units Scale

Nonstick cooking oil
1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flax seeds
3 tablespoons water
2 medium zucchini squash or 1 cup grated zucchini with the water squeezed out
1/2 cup flour (I used Bob’s 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour; if you aren’t gluten-free just use all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup almond butter
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Place 1 tablespoon of chia or ground flax seeds in a small dish. Add 3 tablespoons of water, stir, and set aside to thicken.
Cut the ends off both the zucchini squash. Then, grate both zucchini using a cheese grater or using the shredded disk on a food processor.
Place the grated or shredded zucchini in a clean tea towel and press out as much of the liquid as you can. Measure out one cup of the grated and squeezed zucchini.
Place one cup the squeezed zucchini in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking soda, and sea salt. Use a spatula to stir the ingredients together.
Then, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the chia or flax mixture, almond butter, coconut oil, vanilla, and maple syrup. Stir to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
Pour the batter into your baking dish and place it in the oven.
Bake the brownies for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the dish comes out clean.
Let the brownies cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

You can use any type of nut butter for this recipe instead of almond butter. Peanut butter or sunflower seed butter are also good options.
If you want a double chocolate version of these brownies, sprinkle the top of the batter with 1/3 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips before baking.
If you want the brownies to cut nicely, you will need to refrigerate the baked brownies for at least 1-2 hours before slicing.
The total cooking time for this recipe includes 10 minutes for the brownies to cool.

Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
Calories: 257
Sugar: 20 g
Sodium: 240.7 mg
Fat: 13.5 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 32.9 g
Fiber: 4.5 g
Protein: 5.9 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg