Don't Knock It Until You've Tried It
HOLD ON.
I know what you're thinking. WHAT? ZUCCHINI in a BROWNIE?
Well first is, it's healthy zucchini brownies.
Second is, you REALLY need to try these. Seriously they're so good!
Just forget about the zucchini word. Just focus on the look and texture of these beautiful brownies.
Imagine the soft texture as you bite it and that chocolate explosion taste in your mouth.
Yep. Yep. Yeeeeep!
Healthy Option
I've been wanting to post this recipe for quite a while but I just didn't know how you guys would react to it.
I know we LOVE it. These are our healthy cheat whenever we crave for something that taste decadent, chocolaty and refuse to be burdened with that guilt after eating it.
I know you know that feeling.
First you're all excited to be biting into something naughty that you've been craving and the second that you finished your last bite, you're overwhelmed with this guilt and regrets that lasts for days.
Life is cruel. I know.
But hey, with these brownies you don't have to feel that ever again. I promise.
These brownies have zucchini but you will NEVER ever taste nor realise that it's there.
These brownies also don't use any butter nor oil. Instead it uses applesauce which really helps in making them super moist.
Also, less sugar. This whole batch of 16 pieces of brownies just takes ½ cup of sugar. Coconut sugar to be precise. You can use brown sugar or granulated sugar if you want. No problem at all.
For this recipe I'm using 2 types of chocolate which are cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate. I feel the combination really brings out the chocolaty flavour that we look for whenever we crave for something chocolaty.
A touch of salt definitely helps also.
A slice of brownie ONLY (with no topping) is 98 calories. ONLY. Imagine that.
Yes I add the chocolate topping on them but it's something that you can easily skip. Less work even.
And if you're wondering are they good without the topping. The firm answer is YES, they are.
If I haven't convinced you yet until now, then I think I deserve a brownie to help with my frustration. Haha!
Do give it a try, I promise you won't be disappointed. It's an easy recipe to do anyway.
More Brownie Recipes
- Fudgy brownies
- Eggless healthy zucchini brownies
- Fudgy pumpkin cheesecake brownies
- Dulce de leche cheesecake brownies
Video
📖 Recipe
Healthy Zucchini Brownies
Ingredients
The Brownie
- 5.3 oz semisweet chocolate (150 gr)
- ½ cup coconut sugar (100 gr)
- 1 egg , room temperature
- ½ cup applesauce (140 gr)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour (130 gr)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (30 gr)
- 1 cup packed grated zucchini (200 gr)
The Topping
- 4.4 oz semisweet chocolate (125 gr)
- ½ cup whipping cream (125 ml)
Instructions
The Brownie
- Chop the chocolate into small chunks and put it in a bowl. Melt in microwave or using double boiler. Set aside.
- Add sugar, applesauce, egg, vanilla extract into a bowl and whisk just to combine. Then sift in the flour, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder. Mix just to combine again, don't over mix. Then add in grated zucchini and mix to combine.
- Now add in the melted chocolate and mix everything together for one last time. Pour the batter into a buttered 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF (175ºC) for 40 minutes or until when you insert a skewer stick it comes out slightly crumbly wet. If it comes out clean, it means that you've over baked it.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
The Topping
- Chop the chocolate and place it in a bowl. Heat cream until it's about to simmer and then pour it into the bowl with chocolate. Leave untouched for 3 minutes.
- Gently whisk until the mixture comes together. Pour onto the cooled brownies and spread evenly. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until the chocolate sets. Then simply slice and enjoy!
Yanerys says
Hi,
Can this be made without eggs to make it vegan?
Bea says
Hi! Maybe you'd want to check out my eggless zucchini brownies here, they're super delicious!
ivy kho peiyin says
Hi. Fellow sarawakian. I love your recipe. Thank you so much. May i know if i can sub the applesauce with other type of sauce. is quite hard to find a good applesauce here.
ivy
Bea says
Hi Ivy! You can substitute it with mashed banana or sweet potato, same amount. Hope it helps! ps: always happy to have Malaysians here!
ivy kho peiyin says
: -) thank you. i will try with mashed banana ya. thanks. take care over there ya.
Bea says
You too Ivy! ❤️
Abbie says
Can you use almond flour or anything other than all purpose flour?
Christelle says
Just made these and they taste AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for sharing this. Will definitely be making them again!
Bea says
Right? It's one of my favourites and I'm happy that you loved it! Thank you so much Christelle! XO
ChrisFromNY says
I made these last night. I wasn't sure what to expect, but these are AMAZING. I can't wait to share these with my loved ones (and I won't tell them that there's zucchini in there!). You'd never know these are made with zucchini. I've been cutting back on white flour, so I used 3/4 cup almond flour and 1/4 cup white flour, and it worked great. AND ... your YouTube videos are great, Bea -- I love the music you use with them!! They're shot really well, too.
Bea says
Haha! Yes, keep the zucchini a secret! And hey, great to know your substitution/combination of white flour! Will refer to your info when other people ask. Credits to everything video (and website) go to my husband, Marco. I just cook 😀 Thank you so much Chris!
Miry says
I am going to try this... Look health and less calories
Thank you for sharing
Bea says
Yes do give it a try. And yes, it's definitely with less calories than a normal brownie has, and lesser even if without the topping. Hope you'll like it, thanks Miry! 🙂
Raji nair says
Will try. Looks yummy
Bea says
Yes, do try it's super easy and yummy. Hope you'll like it. Thanks Raji!