Double Chocolate Zucchini Brownies
Decadent and delicious, these velvety and rich one-bowl chocolate zucchini brownies are one of the BEST ways to use up all that zucchini!
If you’ve been wanting a great zucchini brownie recipe like I’ve been wanting a great zucchini brownie recipe, you’re going to be excited about today.
When it comes to chocolate zucchini cake, I’ve got you covered.
Apparently, I’m so interested in having my bases covered when it comes to all things chocolate and zucchini and cake that I even have another version of chocolate zucchini cake.
And if you need the best triple chocolate zucchini cookies? Yes, yes. Got ’em right here.
Going beyond chocolate zucchini desserts, you need look no further for the greatest zucchini bread ever and to-die for whole grain zucchini muffins.
And if you get a kick out of seeing tons of crazy delicious zucchini recipes in one place (sweet and savory), this link is for you.
But when it comes to a really good, really decadent recipe for zucchini brownies, I’ve left you hanging.
For a lot of years.
And for that I am truly sorry.
Because zucchini needs brownies and brownies need zucchini. And that is the truth.
I’ve made so many variations of zucchini brownies over the years, it isn’t even funny.
But it’s surprising how difficult it’s been to get a zucchini brownie recipe that isn’t a brownie recipe really just masquerading as cake.
Like I mentioned above, I have nothing against chocolate zucchini cake, but I don’t want my brownies to be cake (and vice versa)!
Because zucchini has the tendency to make most baked goods light and fluffy, it’s challenging to get zucchini cookies to be chewy instead of puffy and zucchini brownies to be rich and fudgy instead of cakey.
I’ve weathered more disappointment over failed zucchini brownies in the last decade than I care to remember.
But finally (finally!), I have a zucchini brownie recipe worthy of your attention.
The texture of these brownies is intensely velvety and soft. Rich and decadent. Irresistible (especially when chilled!) and dangerous.
I love them so much.
If you have zucchini still coming out of your ears OR you are harvesting your last few humble green veggies OR you have to pawn some off your neighbors (or maybe even buy it at the store this time of year – gasp!), you must make these fudgy zucchini brownies.
There are no secret ingredients (well, except for the zucchini), no fussy steps, or strange mixing methods.
The ratio of zucchini to chocolate to butter to flour is finally just right, and I couldn’t be happier.
It has been a labor of love to get the perfect zucchini brownies ready for a lifetime of devouring, but this is a recipe I’ll be making for a looooong time.
I’m already excited for next summer.
Looks like my little backyard square foot garden might be sporting a “Zucchini Plants Only” sign to ward off the unintentional overplanting of, say, tomatoes, which to my knowledge do NOT make a yummy brownie.
One Year Ago: Tri-Color Pasta Salad {My Favorite Pasta Salad}
Two Years Ago: Amish-Style Apple and Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
Three Years Ago: Thai-Style Fish and Creamy Couscous Packets {Make-Ahead Meal}
Four Years Ago: Big Fat Greek Tacos
Five Years Ago: Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins
Double Chocolate Zucchini Brownies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter, (12 tablespoons)
- 1 cup (170 g) chopped semisweet chocolate or good-quality chocolate chips that melt well (see note)
- ¼ cup (21 g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (106 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (about 283 g) finely shredded zucchini that has been wrung dry (see note)
- 1 ¼ cups (178 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (340 g) chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch aluminum pan (see note) with nonstick cooking spray or line with foil and coat with cooking spray (for easier cleanup and to lift out the brownies in one slab after baking, if desired).
- In a microwave-safe bowl (you can also do this in a pan on the stovetop), add the butter, chocolate chips, and cocoa. Cook for one minute increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is melted and smooth (don’t overheat).
- Add the brown sugar and white sugar; mix well. Add the vanilla and egg yolk and mix again until well-combined.
- Stir in the baking soda and salt until well-combined.
- Add the zucchini and stir until evenly mixed.
- Add the flour and ONE CUP of the chocolate chips (or chunks) and stir until just combined (don’t overmix).
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining cup of chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are set and the middle is soft (a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean or with a few moist crumbs – but if there is wet batter on the toothpick, bake for a few more minutes). Don’t overbake or the brownies can be dry. Let the brownies cool in the pan before cutting. These taste amazing chilled.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
HOLY YUM!! These brownies are absolutely INcredible. Make them ASAP!! And so easy to throw together. Another winner, Mel!
I’ve been taking these to work and a coworker has said, “These are the best brownies he’s ever had in his life.” I shared your recipe with them as well. Very yummy and great website, too. Love the Zucchini Archives.
oh my lanta! These are amazing! and i thought i had tried every possible zucchini recipe possible- nope! Stocking my freezer with these for the winter! thank you!
So good! I made these with my preschooler and it was great. I didn’t have quite as much shredded zucchini by weight, but it looked like the right amount. I used nestle semi sweet chocolate chips and they worked great
OM Gosh! Best ever brownies! Period! Would give it 100 stars!
I’ve made these many times since you first posted them, I love them so much. I didn’t think they could get better. You even mention that they are good being chilled but ours never lasted long enough for me to think of chilling them, until this year! I made them twice within about a week of each other to use up zucchini so I ended up putting a couple in the freezer and actually forgot they were there. The other day I happened to see them in my freezer and ate one straight from the freezer… oh my. AMAZING!! I think I’m going to have to make a double batch every time I make them now! One for right then and one for the freezer!
Oh my heavens! These brownies are DELICIOUS!!!
Can I use a whole egg rather than egg yolk?
You can definitely experiment; I haven’t tried it. The egg yolk will make the brownies chewy instead of cakey (if using a whole egg).
I always thought my brownies were the best but these are the bomb and I admit better. I have a very large metal pan (17×11) so I did a recipe and a half and it was a perfect fit. Perfect thickness, moistness, chewiness on the tops, truly amazing!! Baked for full 30 minutes. I used a hodge podge of chocolate chips, some mini, some semisweet and dark, whatever I had in bags and it was great to have the variety of chips. Thanks again for awesome recipes!
Thanks for the review, Kelli! Glad you liked these (and great details on the 1 1/2 recipe fitting in a half sheet pan).
Plus my large metal pan has 2.5 inch tall sides. Great for huge lasagnes but I’ve been using it for cakes and brownies for large groups
These were delicious! So moist, rich and chocolatey, and you cannot see any shreds of veggies. Seriously one of the top brownie recipes ever; not “the best with zucchini,” just simply fantastic. I made sure not to overbake them, checking every couple of minutes towards the end. We had to share with our neighbors to keep from eating the whole pan ourselves (two of my kids dislike chocolate- who are they?).
Used an image from this post on my blog, Chief Health, and wanted to let you know. Both the picture and a keyword phrase are linked back to this post. If you want me to take down your image and link please contact me.
Great recipe!
I made these a couple weeks ago for my birthday. They were good chilled that evening and they were even better the next day. But I just served the last bits out of my freezer tonight and they were AMAZING. I’ve tried several homemade brownie versions, but always come back to the Costco Ghiradelli mix. These win out over them though!!!
So happy to hear this, Abby!
Mel! I made these and they are very yummy but my husband and I still think they are more like chocolate cake then brownies. They still have a slight cakey taste and texture to them. Did I do something wrong or are yours that way too? Anyway, they are still delicious and I love that I am eating dessert while getting my veggies in at the same time.
Hey Mikelle – they aren’t as fudgy as a true non-zucchini brownie, but they should be pretty close (did you chill them at all)? You might try slightly less zucchini next time (or slightly less flour).
These are probably the best brownies we have ever had! I was out of eggs so I used 1/8 cup oil. They are ooey goey and might not serve guests well (haven’t tried them chilled yet) but are so amazing out of the pan they might now make it to the fridge!!! I’m sure it’s the butter and chocolate making them taste so good but at least you can tell yourself you are eating zucchini!
I made these Gluten Free and they were amazing!
That’s awesome!
I made these the day you posted the recipe but I’m just getting around to reviewing them now. I seeded the zucchini and draned it very well and they did take a bit longer in the oven for me to be done. The final texture was still very dense and fudgy but certainly delicious. Maybe I didn’t drain it as well as I thought. We kept them in the fridge because it made cutting and plating them so much easier.
I made 1/2 recipe following exactly except I added 1 T of Espresso powder and sprinkled coarse sea salt on top.
YUM!!
I weighed all ingredients that had weights and baked in a USA metal pan with sprayed parchment. 35 minutes to bake (my oven usually takes the longer time), into the frig for about 2 hours. They are perfect texture, cut well and are wonderfully fudgy.
Just a note and maybe a browser issue on my end but the comment form is whacky today and the rating thing has 10 vertical circles. I wasn’t sure which was 1 and which was 10 so did not rate.
Oh, that’s odd, Liz. I’ll look into it.
All is well this morning. I didn’t check another device yesterday which I should have. This morning I noticed that there was a bit of a delay – things were whacky and then they morphed into correctness.
I’m guessing, even though I refreshed and retried, that it was something with my internet connection or browser cache.
Thanks, Liz. I’m running through a few other tests, too. I’ve been working on optimizing my site speed, so I want to make sure there isn’t a delay when the site loads. Appreciate your feedback.
Amazing!! I’ve been a fan for years but have never left a comment (but we love you Mel!!!) My son is home “sick” from school and is only wanting his favorite brownies. He felt it was unfair they only had 28 comments and wanted to tell everyone how delicious they are. Thanks for yet another winner!!
Oh, and he wants you to know he ate 3 last night…hmmm…Perhaps that’s connected to his tummy today, haha!
Haha. I hope he gets feeling better soon! 🙂
Hi Mel! These are hands down, the BEST tasting brownies I have ever made!! However, mine would not stay together. They are just so soft, they fell apart. I even chilled them before cutting them. I squeezed the s&%$ out of that zucchini! We had to eat them with a spoon out of the pan (which we all did happily), but Help! I really want to master these. They taste so good. What am I doing wrong?
Should I put in a whole egg instead of just the yolk?
Thoughts?
Hmmm, interesting, Amanda! They ARE pretty darn soft, but they shouldn’t be falling apart like that. You could try the whole egg so there’s more binding in the batter OR try adding another 1/4 cup flour, maybe?
I am having the same problem and I have made them twice. They seem really oily. They are more of a lava cake texture. Help!
Hi Audrey – sounds like you might need a bit more flour to bind the batter together if they are that oily – might be a difference in how we each measure flour?
Can coconut oil be used in place of the butter or will that make the brownies too gooey and greasy?
You could try for sure – sometimes when I’ve used coconut oil in a brownie recipe (that hasn’t been specifically written for that), the texture is greasy and crumbly.
Wow! These are delicious! I even skimped on the chocolate chips (basically because I’m more of a mild chocolate fan…I know…we probably can’t be friends because of it…but it’s true.) I have some chilling in the fridge now and I’m excited to try them cold! Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Haha, we can still be friends!
Any tips on making these gluten free?
I’m not sure, Grace – if you have a gluten-free flour blend you like, you might try subbing in that for the flour.
I have had luck with some recipes by subbing out the flour with Cup4Cup all purpose gluten free flour. Sometimes using slightly more than the original amount. I tried Mel’s amazing pumpkin chocolate chip cookies this way and they worked fabulously.
Thanks for the input, Anna!
Fabulous, Mel! My 16 year old daughter who loves to bake made these this evening and they are delicious! Because she knows what chocolate junkies we all are here, she added frosting (and calories, sigh….). She also used my new kitchenAid mixer that they bought me for my birthday. Thank you for helping inspire that beautiful red mixer on my cupboard!
Your daughter is amazing! And frosting is NEVER a bad idea. 🙂
Made these today with my little girls for an after school treat. We loved them!! We couldn’t wait until they had cooled before digging in and they were delicious while still a gooey warm mess, but I just tried a cooled one and wow, so yummy! I had only 7.5 oz zucchini after wringing but still seems to have turned out well. Thanks for another great recipe!
Yay! So happy you loved them!
Mel, these are a HIT. They fulfill all the brownie criteria. I enjoyed making them for our harvest crew, they’re such good guinea pigs for new recipes. This time I sampled them,and they were so deadly, I made sure I put some aside for me to munch,when I’m home in the late evenings without my husband. We all know chocolate is one of the best companions. 🙂
Haha, so true! Chocolate is my truest friend. 🙂
All I can say is is make these. Yesterday they were the perfect ending to my wave to summer supper of BBQ pork sandwiches & Boston baked beans. I used a mix of bittersweet & semi sweet chips on top, b/c it was what I had on hand, & the result was breathtaking! I’m absolutely giddy over the fact that there are choc chips that I crunch into on the top-I only used a half cup there, but it seems to b plenty. If these r crumbly, do not let that deter u. Just as another commenter said, they r still uber moist. The fridge was my friend here. I did a final chill down there before pulling out the foil out of the pan, which I placed on my cutting board for easy slicing. I put a container of brownies in my freezer & one in my fridge! After hanging out in the fridge all night, these r even better, if that’s possible. I love these! The little choc chip crunch & not to sweet taste has me feeling like a kitchen rock ⭐️.
So happy you love these, Lauren! I agree about the time-makes-all-things-better in regards to the brownies. I pulled one measly leftover brownie piece out of the fridge yesterday (so, it had been in there 2-3 days?) and it was soooo decadent and delicious. Thanks for your comment!
I’m very intrigued by zucchini in brownies! Definitely going to try it soon! My absolute favorite way to use zucchini is in this coconut lime zucchini bread: http://jamiecooksitup.net/2013/09/coconut-lime-zucchini-bread/
It’s amazing!! And one of the very few non-Mel recipes I use! I feel like the lime in the glaze is a little too much though and use milk instead of lime juice, just for the glaze.
Sounds delicious!
I made the brownies today and didn’t have enough zucchini so filled in the gap with summer squash. These are amazing!!! SO good!
Thanks for reporting back, Misty – glad you loved them!
Super easy to put together, turned out perfectly, and everyone loves them. I had to bake for around 32 minutes to get moist crumbs using a nonstick, dark pan and spray.
I had just under a cup of granulated sugar, so I added enough light brown sugar to make a cup and I also used 1/3 of a cup of cocoa powder instead of 1/4.
Lindsay – you win all the points in the universe for making these so fast! Thanks for including your notes.
Can I redeem these points for a recipe of my choice? I would love some more strawberry desserts from you, especially ones on the healthier side! If you get the chance to experiment any time soon, I’d be ecstatic. I made the cobbler recently and it was very well received.
I meant to add before that the brownies are the slightest bit crumbly, but they’re perfectly moist crumbs and easy to ignore–I assume they’re due to the added cocoa.
Sure! I’ll definitely add some strawberry desserts to my list of make-soon recipes!
this is not food related- but what is a beardie? lizard? dog?
Probably a bearded dragon, a lizard.
Yep, it’s a bearded dragon lizard.