This is the best zucchini brownies recipe you’ll ever make! Super moist, flavorful and chocolatey and topped with a creamy-dreamy frosting. This is the best way to use up zucchini from the garden!
Original post: August 2018 | Updated: August 2021
Why This Recipe Works
My boys are THE pickiest eaters, which is the most ironic thing in the world considering how anti-picky I am. I have to shove veggies into the most unlikely places in order to get them into those little (growing) bodies.
Also on occasion I add veggies to baked goods, like with this to-die-for zucchini brownies recipe. I kept having to hold my tongue when I talked about them because if they would’ve known they contained zucchini, they wouldn’t have helped me finish off the pan.
So we just refer to them as BROWNIES (with eyebrows raised high) in our house. And don’t you find it strange that certain vegetables actually taste inCREDible when thrown into baked goods?
Alone, they really cannot be described as having a fantastic flavor, but add them to a pan of brownies and magic happens. And I love me some food magic.
Recipe Ingredients
- Zucchini – The most important ingredient! Whether you grate or shred the zucchini is a personal preference. Do what works best for you!
- Flour – Make this recipe gluten free by replacing all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour.
- Sour cream – Replace with yogurt to increase healthy points.
- Chocolate chips – Replace semi-sweet with dark or even white chocolate, if desired.
How To Make Chocolate Zucchini Brownies
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the melted butter, sugar, egg, sour cream and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until creamy and free of lumps.
Step 2
In a separate large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Gradually add to the butter-sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined. Fold in the shredded zucchini.
Step 3
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
Step 4
In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until mixture is creamy and free of lumps. Spread evenly over the cooled brownies, cut into squares and serve!
I have to tell you a little bit about the frosting on these Zucchini Brownies because ohhhhhhhhh my goodness it is creamy and dreamy and completely irresistible. I promise that nobody in their right mind would be able to take one frosting-ed bite and walk away willingly. That, my friends, is an impossible feat.
Recipe Notes
- For a healthier version, replace a portion of the sugar with honey and reduce the amount of chocolate chips by half.
- Add a handful of chocolate chips to the batter for an extra burst of chocolate. Or when the brownies come out of the oven, replace the frosting in the recipe with white chocolate chips so they get nice and melty and smooth.
- If you want to add veggies to the recipe but don’t have zucchini on hand, add chopped spinach or grated carrots.
FAQ About Zucchini
If you have an abundance of zucchini on hand, it can be frozen for 3-4 months. Freeze whole or sliced (raw or cooked) in freezer bags.
Zucchini, much like it’s cucumber cousin, is a heavy veggie due to its high water content which means limited calories! It is a flavorful vegetable and can be enjoyed both raw and cooked. Raw zucchini is firm and slightly crunchy. Cooked zucchini is softer, but still delicious.
Filled with potassium that is heart healthy, it’s also high in antioxidants like Vitamin B6 and C. It’s also great because it has zero fat and has needed fiber for your diet.
When using zucchini is baked into foods such as bread or muffins, it can be as big as a house. If you intend to use it for cooking fritters or zucchini chips or if you want to saute it or use it in any other way, 6 inches is a good size for optimal flavor. The seeds inside the zucchini will be a perfect size when it is on the smaller side, too, and it won’t be as watery. Large zucchini hold a LOT of water, which isn’t ideal for many savory recipes.
When ripe, a zucchini should feel mostly firm but give a little when pressed with your fingers. The skin should appear dark green and glossy. The flesh of the zucchini should not be mushy or tough and should have a yellowish-white color.
Healthy Recipes For Picky Kids
- Healthy Breakfast Cookies – These cookies aren’t just for breakfast and they are deceptively delicious. Kids will never know how healthy they are!
- Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups – Eliminate artificial and unknown ingredients by making your own homemade fruit roll-ups! This is the ultimate snack food for kids. Great for lunch boxes, too!
- Healthy Breakfast Muffins – Enjoy breakfast the healthy way! Whip up a batch of these muffins as a perfect on-the-go meal or a snack to stay on track with healthy eating. These breakfast muffins are beyond delicious plus they’re packed with good stuff.
- No Bake Granola Bars are the perfect snack for little ones. Filled with dried fruit and chocolate, peanut butter and honey, you will satisfy your sweet tooth with a snack you can feel good about eating.
- Healthy Snack Bites take less than TEN minutes to make and you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry. My boys adore them! Great after-school or anytime snack with no preservatives or added sugar!
Delicious Zucchini Recipes
If you love zucchini in a variety of recipes, we know you’ll love some of our favorites – check these out!
- Sauteed Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles) and Mushrooms
- Zucchini Fries with Seasoned Sour Cream
- Easy Baked Spaghetti
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Zucchini Fritters
- Easy Zucchini Chips
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Zucchini Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 small zucchini or 2 medium, shredded and patted dry to remove moisture (equals ~2-3 cups shredded
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the butter, sugar, egg, sour cream and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until creamy and free of lumps.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Gradually add to the butter-sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined. Fold in the shredded zucchini.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until mixture is creamy and free of lumps. Spread evenly over the cooled brownies, cut into squares and serve!
Notes
- For a healthier version, replace a portion of the sugar with honey and reduce the amount of chocolate chips by half.
- Add a handful of chocolate chips to the batter for an extra burst of chocolate. Or when the brownies come out of the oven, replace the frosting in the recipe with white chocolate chips so they get nice and melty and smooth.
- If you want to add veggies to the recipe but don’t have zucchini on hand, add chopped spinach or grated carrots.
Love it!!! My little one had soo much fun making this with me. Of course i had him step out of the kitchen when i added the zucchini. It is delicious.
I love hearing that! They are delicious and our kiddos don’t need to know the “secret”.
This cake looks delicious! Great way to use up that extra zucchini!
You will get to enjoy the benefits of it and not even think about it!