Thick, rich and insanely indulgent – these paleo zucchini brownies are easy to make and stay moist for days! Prepped all in one bowl, these brownies whip up in very little time with very little equipment. Just mix, bake and enjoy! |Gluten Free + Paleo
Last week I shared a recipe for some vegan zucchini brownies – this week it’s all about these paleo zucchini brownies. I couldn’t decide on what type of flours and sweeteners I wanted to use so now here we are. Brownies for days weeks and one very happy spouse. Good thing you can never have too many brownie recipes!
How to Make these Paleo Zucchini Brownies
All you need is one bowl and 10 ingredients to make these super moist, dark and decadent paleo zucchini brownies. To make, simply whisk together your dry ingredients, stir in the wet (adding the zucchini last) before finally adding a few chocolate chips. Then just pour, bake and let cool and that’s it!
A Few Zucchini Notes
- You need one lightly packed cup of zucchini. If you have a kitchen scale just measure out 4 ounces and you’re good to go.
- Don’t squeeze out the extra moisture from the zucchini because it’s needed in the batter.
- Don’t worry about peeling the zucchini – it all goes in.
Quick Questions
What’s the difference between almond meal and almond flour?
Though almond flour and almond meal are made from essentially the same thing (ground almond) there are a couple of key differenced between the two.
- Almond flour is typically made with blanched (skinless) almonds into a more fine flour.
- Almond meal is usually made with un blanched (skin on) almond into a more coarse flour.
Can I use almond Meal instead of almond flour?
Yes! In many cases you cannot swap out almond meal/almond flour interchangeably but with these cookies you can.
Can I use another type of flour?
Maybe. I adapted these zucchini brownies from this recipe from King Arthur Baking. That recipe uses regular all purpose flour. While these two recipes do differ quite a bit I think you would still be able to use a standard gluten free (or non gluten free) all purpose flour. That being said, I have not tested these brownies using a different type of flour so I can’t say for sure.
How should I store these?
- Keep the brownies covered at room temperature for a day. Beyond a day, keep them in the fridge for a week.
Can I freeze the leftovers?
- Yes! Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Can I use a different type of sugar or low carb sweetener?
- You can use all white sugar, brown sugar or a mixture of the two so long as it equals one cup. Basically any granulated sugar sub should work.
- Low Carb Options: Unfortunately I can’t test many low carb sweeteners because they aren’t easily available to get where I live. The low carb options I do get just aren’t very good and often leave strange after tastes. That being said, I do think you can successfully use a granulated low carb sugar. Something like like swerve or monk fruit should work. Just make sure that the sweetener is one that can be used as an exact substitute for granulated sweeteners.
Paleo Zucchini Brownies
Thick, rich and insanely indulgent - these paleo zucchini brownies are easy to make and stay moist for days! Prepped all in one bowl, these brownies whip up in very little time with very little equipment. Just blend, bake and enjoy! |Gluten Free + Paleo
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated zucchini (4 oz)
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil (40 g)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10 ml)
- 1 cup coconut sugar (180 g)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (59 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup almond flour (96 g)
- 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips (85 g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and grease or line an 8x8 inch baking pan. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl combine the almond flour, sugar, cocoa powder, coffee powder (if using), baking powder, salt.
- Whisk in the eggs, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract until a thick batter forms.
- Stir in the shredded zucchini - the batter should thin out and look more moist. Stir in the the chocolate chips.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and spread out to an evenly layer. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. To check if the brownies are done: insert a toothpick or a knife into the centre of the brownies. If the pick/knife comes out almost completely clean then you're done. A few crumbs left behind are alright.
- Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting into squares.
Notes
- Make your own paleo baking powder by mixing: 1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot starch + 1 teaspoon cream of tartar. The recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon baking powder so you will end up with a bit extra here.
- You can use white or brown sugar in place of the coconut sugar.
- You can use melted butter in place of coconut oil
Bianca says
Hello! Can I use gf 1:1 flour instead of almond flour? We have nut allergies in our house.
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Bianca! You might be interested in checking out this recipe from King Arthur Baking – it’s the recipe I used kind of as a framework for making this recipe. That one uses regular all purpose flour, but you should be totally fine using a 1:1 gf flour instead. The main difference you’ll find is that the original recipe uses only 1/2 cup all purpose flour and 3 eggs while this recipe uses 1 cup almond flour and only 2 eggs to account for the different fat & protein amounts in almond flour. Hope this helps!
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/zucchini-brownies-recipe
K Clermont says
These brownies are excellent! Just the right amount of deep chocolate sweetness. My family have been gobbling them up! Suggestion: Make a double batch!!!
Sarah Nevins says
So happy to hear you guys enjoy them so much – thanks for coming back to let me know what you thought of them! 🙂
Yuna says
Very good! I am wondering though, what are the nutritional values of the brownies?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Yuna! Each brownie is about 180 calories | 9 grams fat | 25 grams carbs | 4 grams protein. If this didn’t cover the particular info you wanted you can find more in depth nutritional info in the recipe card now at the bottom. I used myfitnesspal to calculate the calories etc, but you might find that your exact amounts could vary based on what type of chocolate chips use use, etc.
Hope that helps! Glad you enjoyed the brownies 🙂
Judy says
The recipe lists 1/2 tsp baking powder, but your notes about subbing says the recipe call for 1.5?!?
Sarah Nevins says
My mistake! I copied the baking powder recipe from a different recipe I had and forgot to delete that last sentence – thanks so much for point that out to me!
Dani says
Can I sub butter for the coconut oil?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Dani – I haven’t tried this with butter yet so I can’t say for sure but I do think that butter will work!
Rebecca says
Yummy! I didn’t add the coffee and used avocado oil instead of coconut oil and they are really good! I tried to undercook them a little because I prefer a fudgy brownie and I think I could have left them in for a few more minutes, but they’re still great! 🙂
Sarah Nevins says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them – good to know about the avocado oil as well! Thanks Rebecca!
Kris says
Loved these!
Sarah Nevins says
Thanks Kris!