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These Zucchini Chocolate Brownies are decadent and fudgy, made with creamy cashew butter, zucchini, cocoa, and chocolate chips.
Zucchini Chocolate Brownies Recipe
Prepare to indulge in a world where decadent meets wholesome! Our Double Chocolate Brownies, rich with the delicious combination of cashew butter and chocolate, are a fudgy deliciousness with a green veggie hidden inside. Clearly, these aren’t your ordinary brownies – they’re a delightful creamy treat with chewy textures, proving that indulgence and nutrition can indeed share the same plate.
Why These Brownies Work
Every ingredient in these brownies plays a crucial role. The cashew butter adds a creamy, rich base, while the zucchini makes sure that every bite is moist and tender. Chocolate chips provide that classic chocolatey burst, making these brownies irresistibly decadent yet surprisingly wholesome.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shredded Zucchini: Sneakily adds a serving of vegetables.
- Creamy Cashew Butter: Lends a rich, creamy texture and nutty flavor and is the base of the brownies.
- Honey: Sweetens the batter naturally, adding a touch of floral notes.
- Egg: Acts as a binder.
- Baking Soda: Helps the brownies rise, offering a light, airy crumb.
- Cocoa: Infuses the batter with a deep, chocolatey flavor, enhancing the richness.
- Vanilla Extract
- Chocolate Chips: Provide gooey, melted chocolate pockets for double the chocolate indulgence.
- Powdered Sugar (optional): For dusting, adds a sweet finish and a beautiful aesthetic touch.
How To Make Zucchini Brownies
- Prep the Oven and Pan: Heat the oven to 350˚F and line a brownie pan with parchment.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Blend zucchini, cashew butter, honey, and egg in a mixer until smooth.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Incorporate baking soda, cocoa, and vanilla; mix well.
- Fold in Chocolate: Gently stir in chocolate chips.
- Bake: Pour batter into the pan, bake for 40-45 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the brownies cool completely on a wire rack inside the pan.
- Finish: Dust with powdered sugar, cut, and enjoy.
Tips And Variations
- Zucchini Prep: You don’t have to peel the zucchini because the skin adds color and extra nutrients, but do squeeze out excess moisture to avoid soggy brownies.
- Nut Butter Swap: Substitute almond or peanut butter if cashew isn’t your favorite.
- Add Nuts: Consider stirring in chopped walnuts or pecans for an added crunch and flavor.
- Spice It Up: A dash of cinnamon or chili powder can bring a warm, spicy twist.
Proper Storage
- Allow the brownies to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
- To freeze, place the brownies in a single layer inside a freezer-safe container, separating layers with parchment paper, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and enjoy.
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Zucchini Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 12 ounces creamy cashew butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- powdered sugar,, for dusting, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Line a brownie pan with parchment paper; set aside.
- Place the shredded zucchini in a kitchen towel, wrap the towel around the zucchini, and squeeze out as much of the water as possible.
- In your mixer's bowl, combine the zucchini, cashew butter, honey, and egg; mix for 30 seconds or until thoroughly combined. Add baking soda, cocoa, and vanilla; continue to beat until well incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the brownie pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely in the pan.
- Dust the brownies with powdered sugar.
- Cut and Serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
These are amazing. I made one pan with cashew butter and one with chunky peanut butter. Got rave reviews from all members of the family. Thanks for this fantastic recipe.
Hi Dawn!! Very happy to hear that you all enjoyed the brownies! Thank you! ๐
Any chance you know the calorie count in these? They are delicious & I need to know how many I can have & still stay under my calorie intake for the day! Thanks!!
Hi Meredith! These are going to be around 280 calories per brownie because, cashew butter (or any nut butter) is pretty high in calories. The rest of the ingredients are simple and within a good range.
But, in just looking at the recipe, these would be just around 280 calories per square. I hope that helps!
Do you have to squeeze any of the excess liquid from the shredded zucchini first? These look great, can’t wait to try them!
Hi Melanie!! It’s not necessary, but if you feel that your zucchini has way too much water, squeeze it out.
But, yeah, these truly are delicious! I hope you have a chance to give them a try! Have a great weekend ahead!!
Stating any measurement for ingredients in jar size is confusing and since there are so many variations on product sizing, it just doesn’t make sense. My jar of nut butter I used (had to use almond since can’t find cashew) is 500g. Since you are trying to appeal to the masses you should use a more common measurement, in this case cups.
Plus how big is your brownie pan, this size should be stated.
The jar, as stated, was 12-ounces… about 1-1/2 cups. I’m in the States and using grams is just not a standard practice, but I do agree with you that grams is a more common measurement. I however do this for free and measuring everything out in grams would take so much of my time.
A brownie pan is normally 9×9 inches, but an 8×8 inches can also be used.
My apologies for any confusion! Thank YOU!
Sorry for the confusion, I did not mean for you to state in grams, yes that would be silly. That was to show not everyone has ounces. I’m suggesting using the more common measurement of cups.
Just a quick question, if I were to replace cashew butter for something else, what would you recommend? Thank you
Hi Aki!
What do you think of almond butter? Or even peanut butter? I’ve tried them with both of those and they were really good.
I made these for a family party specifically for my cousin’s dairy and gluten free daughter. I had to fend off my family from eating them before the party started, they smelled so good. When she arrived she was thrilled to see them and later ate 4 (she’s 6). More than that the rest of the kids (and their parents) loved them, too. Thanks so much!
I am SO happy she loved ’em!! That is GREAT!! Thank you soooo much for letting me know!
These are my kind of brownies… since there is a veggie serving… I can eat two. ๐
Nah. It’s a veggie. Have Five! I did!! ๐
Thank you, Ramona!! mwah! xo
These are soooo good! I just made them last night! Next time I make them, I am going to double the batch so I don’t throw out any zucchini. So delicious!
I am so glad you loved ’em!! I keep making them every 3rd day! haha ๐ Thank You!!
Amazing. I am a Paleo girl and this is just up my alley. Question, what is the size of the cashew butter container?
Hi Marianna!! The jar is 12-ounces. I used the one by JIF. Hope you have a chance to try them!