Though I might malign zucchini for its propensity to overtake every possible kitchen surface, I must commend any vegetable that can produce a dessert as intensely chocolaty and gratifying as these whole wheat Zucchini Brownies.

These ultra moist zucchini brownies are made with whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and are naturally sweetened with maple syrup. The best healthy brownie recipe!

Let us give respect where respect is due. These fudgy squares of hidden-veggie magic are downright delectable.

This zucchini brownie recipe came to be when my hankering for chocolate intersected with my perpetual, internal guilt over allowing produce of any kind to go bad, including excessively abundant squash. Our zucchini were just about to slip into the no-zone, when I remembered a pan of zucchini brownies that I made for Ben and myself a few summers ago. They were terrible.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Brownies, made with whole wheat flour

A recipe that turned out badly might sound like odd motivation, but I was convinced that zucchini brownies could and should be delicious. I loved this Chocolate Chip Paleo Zucchini Bread after all, so surely zucchini brownies had potential. I began to fantasize over my ideal zucchini brownie. Totally normal.

About These Rich and Fudgy Zucchini Brownies

My zucchini brownies were to be fudgy but not too fudgy to resolve the household conflict between the fudgy brownie loyals (me) and the cakey brownie devotees (Ben). They needed To be quick and easy to make, as I don’t like anything standing between me and my brownie, least of all extra prep time. Finally, to properly honor the reality that we are, in fact, putting vegetables in a dessert, I wanted my zucchini brownies to be reasonably healthy…without actually tasting healthy. A few recipe tests later, and we have a victory on all accounts. Zucchini brownies, I knew I liked you.

These brownies are 100% whole wheat, sweetened with maple syrup, and boast two full cups of shredded zucchini. They pack double the chocolate—cocoa powder or dark chocolate alone did not seem sufficient, so I used both—and are ultra moist, thanks to a combo of coconut oil and the moisture from the zucchini itself. And, just in case you were worried, they don’t taste vegetables. At all.

This recipe was my starting point, and after a few rounds of tweaking, I arrived with what I consider to be my ideal zucchini brownie. I added a bit of nutmeg, replaced the original olive oil with coconut oil, and, because I found the taste of the honey used in the original recipe to be a bit off-putting with the chocolate, my final version uses maple syrup instead. It gives a more classic brownie flavor and is a nicer pairing with the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Zucchini brownies, redeemed!

Chocolate Brownie Tips

First, be sure that you don’t completely press the zucchini dry after grating—you want most of its moisture to make the brownies nice and moist too. A light pat should do.
Second, these brownies are not ultra sweet, so if you aren’t a fan of especially bittersweet chocolate flavor we can’t be friends choose a semi-sweet (around 55% or 60%) chocolate, versus a more intense 70%.
Looking for other chocolaty and fudgy healthy brownie options? Check out my Healthy Brownies.

More Delicious Dessert Bars with Fruit and Vegetables

Public service announcement: I’ll be cooking LIVE on Evine TV’s The Sizzle this Sunday, around 9:25 a.m. CST, demoing this pan. If you’d like to tune in (and watch me try not to burn fish tacos), you can find a channel guide here or watch live here.

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