Fudgy Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Close up of a chocolate zucchini brownie with frosting on a metal spatula in front of the pan of brownies.

5 from 1 vote

Rich, fudgy brownies with two full cups of shredded zucchini hiding inside, finished with a thick chocolate frosting. Nobody will guess there are vegetables in here!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: Servings

Calories: 369kcal

Author: Meredith

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Brownies

½ Cup salted butter, melted and cooled
¾ Cup brown sugar (light or dark)
¾ Cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 + ¼ Cup all-purpose flour
½ Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Cups grated zucchini (do NOT drain!)
1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Frosting

½ Cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
1 + ½ Cup powdered sugar
⅓ Cup cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons heavy cream (or milk)

Instructions

For the Brownies

Prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9 metal baking pan and set aside. If desired, line the greased pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
Combine the butter, sugars, and oil. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted and cooled butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil.
½ Cup salted butter, melted and cooled, ¾ Cup brown sugar, ¾ Cup granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons neutral oil
Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and fully combined.
2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
Add the flour and cocoa powder. Slowly mix in until about 75% combined. You will still see streaks of flour at this point, and that is what you want.
1 + ¼ Cup all-purpose flour, ½ Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Fold in the chocolate chips and zucchini. Gently fold until the batter is JUST combined, being careful not to overmix. The batter will be very thick, which is normal.
2 Cups grated zucchini, 1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Spread into the pan. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread it into the corners in an even layer.
Bake for 28 to 32 minutes. The brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. The center should be just set to the touch and should no longer jiggle or look wet.
Cool completely before frosting. Let the brownies cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes (1 to 2 hours if you have time) before frosting. If desired, you can remove them from the pan after the initial cool time.

For the Frosting

Beat the butter. Using a hand mixer, beat the room temperature butter on medium speed until creamy.
½ Cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
Add the remaining ingredients. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and heavy cream. Start on low speed and increase to high once the dry ingredients begin to work in. If it looks crumbly, or isn't incorporating well, add another small splash of cream (or milk).
1 + ½ Cup powdered sugar, ⅓ Cup cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons heavy cream (or milk)
Frost and serve. Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies in an even layer, then slice and serve.

Notes

Storage: Store these in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. If stacking them, put a sheet of parchment or wax paper between the layers so the frosting does not stick to the brownies above it. Option to freeze as well (see details above in the blog post).

Variation Ideas:

Skip the frosting. If preferred, these are still great as a plain brownie if you would rather keep things simple.
Dust with powdered sugar instead. If you want something lighter than frosting but not totally bare, a dusting of powdered sugar over the cooled brownies is a nice middle ground.
Add nuts. Fold in chopped walnuts or pecans along with the chocolate chips for some crunch.
Change up the chips. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate chunks, or a mix all work.

Nutrition