Vegan Zucchini Brownies

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These decadent Zucchini Brownies are rich and full of chocolate but they have a secret.   No one would ever guess they are filled with zucchini and are vegan too!

This recipe originally published in March 2014.

It’s zucchini season!   I feel like every summer people are always offering to give me zucchini and squash from their gardens.  In fact, I rarely grow it myself because we are always being gifted it from others.

A lot of people think that zucchini is more of a savory ingredient.  I made a Sauteed Zucchini and Squash with Bacon that makes a great summer side dish.  In the fall I love making Easy Zucchini Casserole for a side dish.  For dinner Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Zucchini is an easy to make and tasty meal.

However, zucchini can be used in sweet recipes as well.  Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins are studded with rich chocolate and are great for breakfast or a snack.  I also enjoy Blueberry Zucchini Bread in the afternoons. 

Years ago I was asked to make vegan zucchini brownies.  I did the best that I could and found a recipe that sounded ok.   They tasted fine but weren’t the best.

Fast forward to today and I’ve made plenty of vegan baked goods.  There are easy substitutes for things that vegans cannot eat.

What are some easy vegan substitutes?

• Plant based milk can be used in place of cow’s milk.
• Vegetable oil or plant based butter can be used in place of butter.
• Cocoa powder or vegan chocolate bars can be used in place of chocolate bars.
• Applesauce or mashed bananas can replace eggs.

So when I went to make these Vegan Zucchini Brownies again I had a few tricks up my sleeve to help me get the right texture and flavor.

Ingredients:

• vegetable oil
• pure cane sugar (or other vegan sugar)
• vanilla extract
• all purpose flour
• cocoa powder
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• zucchini (you can also use yellow squash)

To make the brownies preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Can I use another size baking pan?

For thicker brownies you can use a 9 inch square brownie pan.   Bake the brownies for 45-50 minutes instead of the shorter time.

In a large bowl combine the vegetable oil, sugar, and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix well to combine.   The batter will be very dry.

Add the zucchini to the brownie batter and mix until well combined.  If the batter is too dry add 1-2 tablespoons of water and mix again. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out with thick chocolate crumbs. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Can I put anything on top of the brownies?

Sure!  I like to put a little vegan powdered sugar on top of the brownies.  Another option would be to have vegan vanilla ice cream on top of the brownies.  You can also drizzle it with Hershey’s syrup which is a vegan chocolate syrup.

I’m so glad I tweaked this recipe because it is so much better then the last zucchini recipe I was using and it is still vegan!  The brownies come out moist, sweet, and chocolatey.  They are so good that if I didn’t know there was zucchini is them I’d have no idea!

How do you store the brownies?

Keep them in an air tight container on the counter for up to 5 days.  However, they are best eaten within 3 days of baking.

Vegan Zucchini Brownies

Rich chocolate brownies are made with zucchini and are 100% vegan!

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 brownies

Author: Hezzi-D

Equipment

• 1 9 x 13 baking pan
• 1 Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

• 3/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 c. Domino Certified Organic Pure Cane Sugar or other vegan sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 c. all purpose flour
• 1/2 c. cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 c. zucchini shredded
• 1-2 Tablespoons water

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl combine the vegetable oil, cane sugar, and vanilla. Mix well.
• In a medium bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix and then add to the wet ingredients. Stir until combined.
• Add in the zucchini and mix well. If the mixture is too dry and crumbly add in water 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray and pour the brownie mix into the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the brownies spring back when lightly pressed.
• Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cut and serve or store in an air tight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Crazy for Crust