Go Back

Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Chocolate zucchini brownies with an ultra-fudgy, shiny crinkled top and an impossibly dense, moist center. This easy brownie recipe folds in squeezed-dry zucchini and melted chocolate for deep chocolate flavor in every bite.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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: 260
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
Brownie batter
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry Squeeze very dry so the brownies stay ultra-fudgy.
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted Melt 1 cup and mix into the batter.
  • 0.5 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Fold in the remaining chips at the end.
  • 0.02 tsp flaky sea salt for top (optional) Optional—add right before baking for a salty contrast.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking pan. This ensures the brownies bake evenly from the start.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Whisk until the cocoa is evenly distributed with no dry streaks.
Melt the chocolate
  1. Melt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and let cool slightly. Aim for warm and pourable so it won’t cook the eggs when mixed.
Mix the wet ingredients
  1. Beat granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes. The batter should look lighter and smoother.
Combine batter
  1. Stir in melted chocolate and grated zucchini, squeezed dry. Mix until the batter looks uniformly dark.
Combine and fold in chips
  1. Fold dry ingredients into wet until just combined, then fold in the remaining semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stop when you no longer see dry flour for a dense, fudgy texture.
Bake
  1. Spread batter into the greased 9x13 pan and sprinkle with flaky sea salt if using. Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes until the top is set and shiny but the center still has a slight jiggle.
Cool and cut
  1. Cool for 20 minutes before cutting. They firm as they cool, giving clean, dense squares.

Notes

For the fudgiest center, squeeze the grated zucchini very dry and pull the brownies when the middle still jiggles slightly—overbaking will make them cakier. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze baked, cooled squares up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, use dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips in both places without changing the bake time.