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Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Chocolate zucchini brownies that bake up ultra-fudgy with a shiny, crinkled top and a dense, moist interior. Grated zucchini is squeezed dry and folded into a deep chocolate batter for fudgy zucchini brownies that look classic but include a hidden veggie.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
Chocolate
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted (mixed into batter)
  • 0.5 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (fold in at the end)
Topping
  • 0.25 tsp flaky sea salt for top (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and mix the dry ingredients
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking pan so the batter releases easily after baking.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together until evenly combined with no cocoa streaks.
Make the chocolate mixture
  1. Melt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and let them cool slightly so they blend in without scrambling the eggs.
Mix wet ingredients and form the batter
  1. Beat granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes, for a thicker brownie base.
  2. Stir in the melted chocolate and the grated, squeezed-dry zucchini until glossy and well distributed.
  3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined, then fold in the remaining 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips at the end.
Bake and cool
  1. Spread the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle with flaky sea salt if using, then bake 25–30 minutes at 350°F until the top is set and shiny but the center still has a slight jiggle.
  2. Cool for 20 minutes before cutting, so the brownies firm up as they cool and hold dense, fudgy squares.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated zucchini very dry so your brownies stay thick and fudgy instead of cakey. Store airtight at room temperature for 2–3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze for up to 2 months (thaw in the fridge overnight). For a simple swap, use gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour to keep the fudgy texture while accommodating gluten-free diets.