I’ll start with this: these are not “healthy” brownies—adding zucchini here isn’t some sneaky health move! 😄 If you’re like me and don’t buy into the whole “healthier dessert” trend, don’t be scared off by the mention of zucchini. I love my desserts sweet and decadent, and I’d much rather enjoy a small portion of something utterly delicious than settle for a less satisfying version.
So, why add zucchini? Moisture! These brownies are insanely soft and tender, with a velvety crumb that’s absolutely to die for. The zucchini adds tons of moisture without affecting the flavor. It doesn’t make them healthy—it just makes them amazing!
If you’re taking these to a party, prepare for people to beg you for the recipe and insist you come back with more. They’re that good!
A Little Background:
This recipe is adapted from Allrecipes, with barely any tweaks. That’s rare for me! I usually like to create my recipes from scratch, but this one was already pretty perfect as is. It’s straightforward, foolproof, and delivers pure chocolatey bliss. I saw no reason to change it up!
The Key to Perfect Zucchini Brownies:
The batter for these brownies will look a little… weird. Don’t worry! That’s just the zucchini working its magic. I’ve seen people suggest adding water to the batter—please, don’t do that. You’ll end up with cakey, dry brownies, and nobody wants that. The secret is to bake them just right:
- Moist, not mushy: Bake only until enough water has evaporated and the brownies have set. Check with a toothpick—if it comes out completely wet, they’re not ready yet. But if it comes out totally dry, you’ve overbaked them. Aim for a toothpick with just a few moist crumbs, and you’ll get that perfect fudgy texture!
- Don’t overbake: Seriously, resist the temptation to overbake these! Zucchini keeps the brownies moist, but it can only do so much if you dry them out in the oven. Keep an eye on them as they bake, and pull them out as soon as they’re done.
Choosing the Right Pan Size:
This recipe works beautifully in an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan, but I actually prefer using a 9×11 dish. Why? The 9×11 gives a better ratio of fudgy brownie to delicious frosting! While the brownies might look flat when you press the batter into the pan, remember that baking soda will work its magic and the brownies will rise. The original recipe’s pan size really gives the best results. But hey, feel free to experiment with different pan sizes and see what you like best!
Final Thoughts:
These brownies are an absolute dream—rich, chocolatey, and super moist. Trust me, after making them once, you’ll be hooked and find yourself baking them over and over again! 😍 So, don’t let the zucchini scare you off. Grab your pan, get baking, and let me know if these brownies become your new favorite too!
Happy baking! 🍫✨
The recipe is adapted from Allrecipes with almost no changes. This is very rare for me. Usually I love designing each and every recipe from scratch. But Allrecipe’s recipe is truly perfect. It’s simple, easy, totally delicious and I don’t see any need to change it up.
Zucchini make these brownies extremely soft, moist with a velvety decadent crumb. So quick and easy to make and such a crowd pleaser! If you bring these to a party, you are most definitely getting invited back!
Preheat the oven to 350.
Lightly oil and dust with flour a glass or ceramic 9x11 pan. Alternatively, you can line it with parchment paper (I prefer that as you can easily lift your brownies out of the pan once baked and cooled.)
Combine oil, sugar, kosher salt, cocoa powder and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until well combined. In another bowl, combine baking soda and flour. Sift the flour mixture into the oil-sugar mixture. Then gently with a fork or a pastry cutter, work your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they resemble a mealy powder. Do not overwork the dough as you don't want to stretch the glutens in the flour and make the brownie tough or cakey.
Gently sprinkle zucchini over your flour mixture. With a fork or even your clean hands, gently mix zucchini into the dough so that each strand of zucchini is nicely coated. At first, it will look like the mixture is too dry and it will never combine. Be patient. All you are trying to do at first is separate zucchini strands and get all of them coated with the flour mixture. Stir in your walnuts, or other additions of choice.
Do not add any water - your brownies will not be dry after they are baked. Adding water or any other liquid will result in dense cake-like consistency.
Spread your batter into your prepared baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 30-38 minutes. The time will always vary a bit depending on how much moisture your zucchinis had. Start checking after 30 minutes. The middle should be set and spring back when gently touched. At that point, insert the toothpick - if it comes out with a few moist crumbs - it's perfect, take it out; however, if the toothpick comes out with wet batter on it, keep baking. Please note, if your toothpick comes out with absolutely no crumbs on it, the brownies are unfortunately likely overbaked and may be cakey. So watch closely as there's absolutely no need to overbake these.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before icing.
To make the icing, melt butter and stir in cocoa and a pinch of salt until well combined into chocolate sauce. In a separate bowl, combine milk, vanilla and powdered sugar; whisk well to combine; sir into the cocoa mixture.
Spread over cooled brownies and allow to set uncovered for at least an hour for the icing to set. Then slice your brownies into squares and serve.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350.
Lightly oil and dust with flour a glass or ceramic 9x11 pan. Alternatively, you can line it with parchment paper (I prefer that as you can easily lift your brownies out of the pan once baked and cooled.)
Combine oil, sugar, kosher salt, cocoa powder and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until well combined. In another bowl, combine baking soda and flour. Sift the flour mixture into the oil-sugar mixture. Then gently with a fork or a pastry cutter, work your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they resemble a mealy powder. Do not overwork the dough as you don't want to stretch the glutens in the flour and make the brownie tough or cakey.
Gently sprinkle zucchini over your flour mixture. With a fork or even your clean hands, gently mix zucchini into the dough so that each strand of zucchini is nicely coated. At first, it will look like the mixture is too dry and it will never combine. Be patient. All you are trying to do at first is separate zucchini strands and get all of them coated with the flour mixture. Stir in your walnuts, or other additions of choice.
Do not add any water - your brownies will not be dry after they are baked. Adding water or any other liquid will result in dense cake-like consistency.
Spread your batter into your prepared baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 30-38 minutes. The time will always vary a bit depending on how much moisture your zucchinis had. Start checking after 30 minutes. The middle should be set and spring back when gently touched. At that point, insert the toothpick - if it comes out with a few moist crumbs - it's perfect, take it out; however, if the toothpick comes out with wet batter on it, keep baking. Please note, if your toothpick comes out with absolutely no crumbs on it, the brownies are unfortunately likely overbaked and may be cakey. So watch closely as there's absolutely no need to overbake these.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before icing.
To make the icing, melt butter and stir in cocoa and a pinch of salt until well combined into chocolate sauce. In a separate bowl, combine milk, vanilla and powdered sugar; whisk well to combine; sir into the cocoa mixture.
Spread over cooled brownies and allow to set uncovered for at least an hour for the icing to set. Then slice your brownies into squares and serve.
Notes
