Chocolate Zucchini Brownies (vegan, gf)

reading time: 3 min



These brownies are FUDGY
in a BIG way
Not too sweet, and full of rich chocolate flavor.


And yep, I'm smuggling vegetables into desserts again, and nobody noticed!!

After making Cauliflower Brownies, Sweet Potato Brownies, Kidney Bean Brownies, Avocado Brownies, and Zucchini Oatmeal, it was just a matter of time before I would make zucchini brownies.

It's still zucchini season, so I decided to make these beauties for my 25th birthday. And you know what? They were everyone's favourite!! Even after I told my guests what the main ingredient was ;)

Be assured that these brownies do not taste like zucchini at all. I would even say, these are my personal favourite so far! They are super soft, fluffy, fudgy, sweet, and chocolaty. So so good. And secretly healthy of course. But shhh, don't tell...!


CHOCOLATE BROWNIES made with zucchini

Inspired by The Baker Chick

Preparation time: 35 mins
Main ingredients: zucchini, cacao, spelt
difficulty level: easy
makes: about 30 brownie squares
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, wheat-free, soy-free

Ingredients

Brownies
630g raw zucchini
250g wholegrain spelt flour (or a gluten-free flour)
60g vegan unsweetened cacao powder 
1 tsp baking soda
1 package (8g) vanilla sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt 
220g raw cane sugar
60ml sunflower oil
2 tsp plant-based milk of your choice 

Glaze
150g vegan dark chocolate + 3 tbsp margarine


Instructions

Start by finely grating your zucchini. For this recipe, you will need raw zucchini.

Preheat oven to 350°F or 175°C.

Sieve spelt flour and cacao powder into a large mixing bowl. Add baking soda, salt, sugar and vanilla sugar, and whisk. Then add the grated zucchini to the mixing bowl, as well as oil and 2 tablespoons of plant-based milk.

Use a spatula or a big spoon to combine everything into a semi-smooth dough. This may take a while - at first it will feel and look like it needs more fluid, but just keep stirring and combining, and everything will come together nicely.

Grease a 10 x 10 baking pan and pour the batter into it. Spread evenly, using a spatula. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes. The batter will still be a little soft, but that's okay. Remove and allow to cool while you prepare the chocolate glaze.

I was a bit lazy (this was only one of many recipes I had to prepare for my birthday party), so I used store-bought vegan dark chocolate and margarine for the glaze. However, feel free to make your own glaze by combining cacao powder, coconut oil and plant-based milk or maple or agave syrup!

To melt the chocolate, I use my "homemade" double boiler: a glass bowl set over a pot of lightly steaming water. Break chocolate into pieces and place into the glass bowl, frequently stirring as it begins to melt. Because chocolate is very easily scalded, be careful not to leave the room or stop stirring for too long. When it has almost fully melted, add your margarine (or oil), and give it another good stir until it is evenly combined.

Switch off the heat and pour the warm chocolate glaze on top of the slightly cooled brownie dough. Spread, using a spatula.

Allow to cool completely before cutting. Enjoy!

Scroll down for the Vegan PB & J Layer Cake that my boyfriend made me and a few more pictures of my birthday! :) 



x

BTW: my family birthday menu consisted of these zucchini brownies, homemade iced tea, roasted sweet potato & pumpkin soup, apple almond raisin cake, leek & carrot quiche, spinach quiche, Mediterranean potato salad and Snow White Cake that was also made by my boyfriend.

Other secret vegetable desserts you might enjoy:

http://be-alice.blogspot.com/2015/03/fudgy-chocolate-sweet-potato-brownies.html
Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies (vegan & gf)




Maisy

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