Vegan zucchini brownies which are soft, moist, gooey, fudgy, and very chocolaty! The recipe is plant-based, gluten-free, easy to make, and delicious! Enjoy this vegan chocolate cake with your family and friends. Kids will love this healthy chocolate dessert.
Healthy Vegan Zucchini Brownies
Do you also love moist and gooey brownies, especially when they are pretty healthy? Well, I do for sure, because these vegan brownies don’t taste healthy at all and you won’t taste the zucchini, trust me! They taste like a rich and soft chocolate cake which will make your mouth water!
Some reasons, why I could never say no to these vegan zucchini brownies:
- They are vegan, gluten-free, and healthier than most other brownie recipes
- Kids will love these brownies because they taste chocolaty and yummy
- The recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients
Zucchini Brownies Are Great For Kids
I love “hiding” veggies and legumes in brownies and cakes because they aren’t noticeable due to the intense chocolate flavor. Also, isn’t it so much more enjoyable making desserts with healthier ingredients, instead of using the same boring (and not so healthy) ingredients over and over again?!
Kids won’t notice a difference either and you don’t even need to tell them that these brownies contain zucchini! 😀
How To Make Vegan Zucchini Brownies?
This is a “throw it all together recipe” that everyone can easily make in a food processor.
- Line a 6×9 (15×23 cm) loaf pan or a slightly bigger pan with parchment paper or grease it with vegan butter or oil.
- Process all dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) in a food processor.
- Add all wet ingredients and blend again until the batter is smooth.
- Finally, add the chocolate chips and stir with a spoon.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and add more chocolate chips on top.
- Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes. For fudgy brownies, I recommend a baking time of 35 minutes or less. And for cakey brownies, I recommend a baking time of 40 minutes or a little more. You can also insert a toothpick in the center of a brownie after 30 minutes and if it comes out clean/slightly crumbly the brownies are done. If the toothpick comes out very sticky/wet, then the brownies need more baking time.
- Let the brownies cool completely. They will firm up once they cool and taste even better on day two!
Great For Breakfast Or Dessert
You can enjoy the vegan zucchini brownies for dessert or breakfast. They are also great on the go or for school, travel, work! If you want to make the chocolate cake brownies even healthier and furthermore oil-free, simply leave out the chocolate chips. You can add raisins or any other dried fruit as a substitute!
Simple Ingredients
These easy zucchini brownies contain only simple vegan ingredients which are as follows:
- Zucchini
- Ground oats (gluten-free if needed)
- Granulated sweetener of choice
- Cocoa powder
- Nut butter or seed butter of choice
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Salt
- Dairy-free chocolate chips
- Plant-based milk (I used canned coconut milk)
- Vanilla extract
- Instant coffee powder (optional)
Find the exact measurements below in the recipe card!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
I used rolled oats for this easy brownie recipe which I processed in an electric coffee/spice grinder to make oat flour. You can use regular rolled oats or gluten-free oats and process them in a blender (or grinder). Of course, you can also use store-bought oat flour.
To make the zucchini brownies oil-free, simply leave out the chocolate chips. 🙂
These Vegan Zucchini Brownies Are:
- Plant-based (dairy-free, egg-free)
- Gluten-free
- Can be made refined sugar-free (by not using chocolate chips)
- Can be made oil-free (by not using chocolate chips)
- Rich
- Moist
- Soft
- Chocolaty
- A great breakfast or dessert
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
Should you give these vegan zucchini brownies a try, please leave a comment and rating below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes! 🙂
If you like healthy brownies and chocolate cake, definitely also check out the following delicious gluten-free & vegan brownie recipes:
- Sweet Potato Brownies
- Cheesecake Brownies
- Caramel Chocolate Brownies
- Best Vegan Brownies
- Healthy No-Bake Brownies
- Flourless Brownies
Vegan Zucchini Brownies
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sweetener (see notes)
- 1 1/2 cups (135 g) rolled oats, ground into flour (see notes)
- 1/2 cup (90 g) dairy-free chocolate chips + more for the top
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (50 g) cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp instant coffee powder (optional)
Wet ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups (200 g) shredded zucchini tightly packed
- 1/2 cup (120 g) nut butter of choice (see notes)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) plant-based milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- I recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe. This recipe has a video for easy visual instructions (see below).
- Line a 6x9 (15x23 cm) or a slightly bigger pan with parchment paper or grease it with vegan butter or oil and preheat the oven to 360 °F (182 °C).
- Process all dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) in a food processor.
- Add all wet ingredients and blend again until the batter is smooth.
- Finally, add the chocolate chips and stir with a spoon.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and add more chocolate chips on top.
- Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes. For fudgy brownies, I recommend a baking time of 35 minutes or less. And for cakey brownies, I recommend a baking time of 40 minutes or a little more. The baking time also depends on the size of the pan! You can insert a toothpick in the center of a brownie after 30 minutes and if it comes out clean/slightly crumbly the brownies are done. If the toothpick comes out very sticky/wet, then the brownies need more baking time.
- Let the brownies cool completely. They will firm up once they cool and taste even better on day two! Enjoy! Keep leftover zucchini brownies covered in the fridge. You can also freeze them!
Notes
- Granulated sweetener: You can use coconut sugar, Erythritol, Xylitol* or regular sugar. *Desserts with Xylitol should be never given to dogs.
- Oats: I used rolled oats for this recipe which I processed in an electric coffee/spice grinder to make oat flour. You can use regular rolled oats or gluten-free oats and process them in a blender (or grinder). Of course, you can also use 135 grams of store-bought oat flour.
- Nut butter: You can use almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version. If you don't have nut butter, you could possibly use oil instead. Please note that I never made this recipe with oil, however, I would suggest about 1/4 of a cup (please report back if you give it a try).
- Nutrition facts are for one of eight brownies (1/8 of the recipe).
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Wes
I’ve gotta be honest, I was pretty spektical about this recipe, mainly because brownies texture seems to be hard to replicate, especially without butter and melted chocolate. I WAS WRONG! This recipe is amazing and it will definitely be a STAPLE in this house. So tasty, beautiful texture and quite easy to make. I used half xylitol, half coconut sugar and no coffee. 10/10. Thanks a lot Ela.
Ela
So glad you liked it, Wes! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Emily
I almost never leave ratings or comments on recipes, but this was SO GOOD I ate the entire pan within 24 hours… not sorry about it. Sometimes vegan and/or gluten free baked goods are too dry, or don’t hold their structure but these brownies were sturdy while still being moist, and they were super chocolatey! The addition of peanut butter was everything. The only thing I might change next time is the amount of sugar – they were a little too sugar-y for me, but I also used regular granulated sugar instead of coconut or sweetener which may have impacted this. Will DEFINITELY be making again, and sharing the recipe with everyone I know 🙂 Thanks!!!
Ela
Hi Emily! Thanks so much for your lovely and helpful feedback! I am so glad you liked these brownies and that you will share the recipe with others. And yes, definitely feel free to use less sugar next time or use a sugar substitute like coconut sugar as it really sweetens a little less. 🙂
Daisy
I made brownies last night!
I used slightly less peanut butter then in the recipe, and agave and date syrup instead of sugar.Still everything turned up great.Thank you 🙂
Ela
Wonderful! Happy they turned out yummy. 🙂
Fanny
They look amazing! I’ve already tried many of your desserts and are always so delicious that my non vegan boyfriend doesn’t want to eat anything else now ????
One question: can I use tahini instead of nut butter? My friend tends to get an itchy throat with many nuts so I’d like to try an alternative. I saw someone using apple sauce instead. Which of the 2 alternatives you would recommend?
Ela
Hi Fanny! You could use tahini (though it’s slightly bitter) or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free alternative. The half amount of oil is also fine. Applesauce, mashed banana, or pumpkin puree would be also possible, however, these will make the brownies less rich since they don’t contain fat. Hope this helps. 🙂
Peta
Oh my goodness, this is the most amazing brownie recipe in the whole entire universe ????✨✨✨ thank you so much for sharing. The texture is so fudgy!! Yummm. Everyone that tried them LOVED them ☺️. The only thing is my mixture was pretty dry so I had to add a generous splash more of the milk and it was perfect ☺️. Also you really have to wait for them to cool overnight! The texture and flavour is much better once cooled and set ☺️. They’re still lovely even after 4 days in the fridge! Thank youuuu!
Ela
You are very welcome, Peta! I agree they are even yummier on the following day(s), so it’s better to double the batch to have enough leftovers, hahaha (talking about self-control). 😀
I am glad you loved them. 🙂
ailin
Hi ela, your recipes are so good.
Can I use margarine butter instead of nut butter in this recipe?
Ela
Yes, that’s totally fine. 🙂
ailin
Thank you so much ????
Ela
You are very welcome! 🙂
ailin
Hi ela
I made this cake and it was so delicious.
Can I use any other flour instead of oat flour? for example wheat flour? if yes, how much?
Ela
Hello, I believe regular flour or spelt flour should work fine. Normally you can replace oats with wheat flour, but I haven’t tried it in this recipe. Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
Irene Tamvakos
OMG I couldn’t stop eating it!
It’s excellent and even my son loved it, he said “Mommy what was it it, it was soooo good?” I told him there was a special ingredient, LOL. This recipe is a keeper!!!
Ela
Aww, that’s awesome! I am so glad you both loved them. 🙂
Christine
These are SO amazing! I used 1/4 cup apple sauce instead of nut butter, and it worked out well! Maybe someone will want another option.
Ela
Yay, I am glad they turned out yummy with applesauce. Thanks for sharing, I am sure many readers will appreciate it. 🙂
Kristina
How much applesauce did you use?
Ela
Christine wrote: “I used 1/4 cup” applesauce. 🙂
Maria
I tried these and they are absolutely delicious!!! Good chocolate flavor, moist and easy to make. Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Ela
You are very welcome Maria! I am so glad you liked the brownies. 🙂
Cris
Do you think these would work as muffins instead of brownies?
Ela
Yes, definitely. They will cook faster though, so check with a toothpick after about 25 minutes. 🙂
Valeria
Hi Ela
Have to tell you this is the brownie recipe that keeps on giving. This brownie is so satisfying with the zucchini in it. The only change I made is using cold coffee left over instead of the vegetable based milk.
Best brownie ever!
Ela
So happy you love the recipe, Valeria! 🙂
Mia
Hi Ela, I made these brownies today and used home made hazelnut butter. The brownies came out very dry and hard to eat. I really wanted to love them. ???? I followed the recipe and even added an additional table spoon of soy milk. But it was still so dry. I am wondering If I should not have used hazelnut butter?
Ela
Hi Mia, I never tried hazelnut butter but I don’t think this was the problem. Did you maybe bake them too long? Maybe try 5-10 minutes less next time. Did the batter have the same consistency like the one in my video? 🙂
Mia
The batter did not look like the video. It looked more dry. And that’s why I added a tablespoon of soy milk.
Ela
You could try adding oil instead of hazelnut butter next time. 🙂
Henrietta
The first time I made these I didn’t push the zucchini into the measuring cup very firmly so I know I didn’t add enough and as a matter fact I’ve added an extra quarter of a cup which makes them a little bit more moist.. Hope that helps
Liz
Super easy and the batter is delish!! I used the Organic Dandy Blend (instant herbal dandelion blend) instead of instant coffee and it was wonderful! Thank you for a super delish, super easy and healthier brownie! New family recipe to pass!!
Ela
My pleasure! I am so glad they turned out delicious. 🙂
Michèle
Absolutely delicious!
Ela
I am so glad you loved them. 🙂
Sarah
Holy shit, the batter tasted like the most delicious smoothie! I could have thinned it out with ice cubes and milk and drank it. <3
Ela
Haha, I am glad you liked it, Sarah! 🙂
Chloe
Ela! These were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! You are officially my favorite food blogger among vegans and non-vegans! The only problem was that I made a slight mistake; I used Meridian Organic Peanut Butter, which is extremely sticky. The batter came out too stiff, so I added more milk, but it was still not as runny as yours. Nevertheless, as I was afraid to add more milk, I baked tham as they were on 175°C. Well, instead of 40 minutes I took them out at 20 minutes and they were slightly fudgy and soft (the came out harder than they should had to). Everything was my fault; I’ll use a more runny peanut butter and bake them for about 15 minutes next time (cause there will DEFINITELY be a next time, sweetheart) ???? Lots of love and thank you for your exceptional recipes ????
Ela
I am glad they turned out amazing, Chloe! Thanks for your sweet comment. 🙂
Catarina
Hi! I want to try the recipe tomorrow and I was wondering if I have to peel the zucchini before shredding it.
Thank you!
Ela
Hi Catarina, I peeled the zucchini but you can also leave the peel on, it doesn’t make a big difference. 🙂
cyd
These were incredible! I followed the recipe and instructions to a tee (didn’t peel zucchini). My non vegan, very finicky friend loved them!
Ela
Yay, that’s awesome! Thanks so much for you great feedback. 🙂
Sanchez
The most easiest, healthiest and fudgiest homemade brownies I’ve made so far. Honestly, these are f*****g amazing. I made two batches within two days. Girlfriends family love them too.
Ela
Awesome! I am so glad you all loved these brownies. Thank for your great feedback, Sanchez. 🙂
Dale
I made these with 1/4 cup coconut oil instead of nut butter.
Best vegan brownie recipe I’ve tried, well done!
Ela
That’s amazing, Dale! I am so glad you love these brownies. 🙂
Al
Hi, I don’t have enough zucchini on hand. Would it be okay to sub some of it with mashed banana?
Thanks 🙂
Ela
I think that should be fine. 🙂
Henrietta
Are used half zucchini and half summer squash or I call it yellow squash. Some people call it crookneck squash it was amazing. Just as good as if you used all zucchini. Hope that helps