When you have extra zucchini on hand, transform it into these fudgy Vegan Zucchini Brownies! This delicious dessert recipe is a sneaky way to eat your veggies. This is a vegan recipe with a gluten-free option.

a pan of zucchini brownies

These clean brownies are super delicious! If you love fudge brownies but want a sneaky healthier version, these Vegan and Gluten-Free Brownies are for you. Grated zucchini keep them moist, but you won’t even know it’s there.

Brownies are one of the best places to hide veggies because of the rich and overpowering flavor of the chocolate. No need to tell the kids or the husband that these are healthy.

Contents hide
1 Why You Need This Recipe
2 Key Ingredients
3 Recipe Steps
4 Recipe Tips & Substitutions
5 Recipe FAQs
6 More Vegan Chocolate Recipes You Might Like
7 Don’t Miss These Zucchini Recipes!
8 Vegan Zucchini Brownies (Gluten-Free Option)

Why You Need This Recipe

  • These are healthier than regular brownies without zucchini. These brownies contain no butter, dairy, or eggs, but they’re still moist and gooey. Some vegan brownie recipes can be dry or flat, but these are not that.
  • This vegan brownie recipe is easy! Once you grate the zucchini and make the chia egg, all you have to do is stir everything together. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool so you can dig in and enjoy these rich vegan zucchini brownies.
  • This Vegan Zucchini Brownie recipe uses both coconut sugar and maple syrup to sweeten. Both of these sweeteners are considered unrefined and slightly healthier than white sugar. The end result is the best vegan brownies you’ve ever had!

Key Ingredients

ingredients for vegan zucchini brownies.

Zucchini makes these fudge brownies super moist. Zucchini (also called courgette) is naturally sweet and once grated tastes delicious in breads and brownies.

Make sure to squeeze out the excess liquid from the zucchini or the brownies will be too wet.

Almond butter gives the brownies its moist and dense texture, very similar to that of a traditional brownie. Since almond butter is high in healthy fats, it works much like butter does in this recipe.

Maple syrup & coconut sugar sweeten up the brownies.

Cocoa powder is what gives the brownies their rich chocolatey flavor. It’s also naturally unsweetened and full of antioxidants. You can also mix in vegan chocolate chips for even more chocolate.

Chia seeds mixed with water thicken up and act as a binding agent for the brownies much like an egg would.

Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.

Recipe Steps

how to make vegan zucchini brownies

Step One

Preheat the oven and spray your baking dish then set aside. You can also line a baking dish with parchment paper if you prefer.

Combine the chia seeds and water then set aside to thicken to make your chia egg. You can also make a flax egg, if you prefer.

Step Two

Grate the zucchini and then place it into a clean towel and press out as much liquid or excess moisture as possible. You can use either a food processor or a large cheese grater for the zucchini.

Measure out one cup of grated zucchini.

Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.

Step Three

Place the grated zucchini and all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir together.

You can use regular all purpose flour or a gluten-free baking flour.

Step Four

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together all the brownie batter wet ingredients including the almond butter, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in the large bowl and stir well.

Use a spatula to scrape the batter into the greased baking dish and spread around evenly. Bake the brownies for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let the brownies cool for at least ten minutes before slicing. These can also be chilled or served at room temperature.

I hope you agree that this vegan zucchini brownies recipe is one of your new favorite desserts. Enjoy!

vegan zucchini brownie served on a plate.

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

  • You can use any type of nut butter for this recipe instead of almond butter. Peanut butter or sunflower seed butter are also good options.
  • If you want a double chocolate version of these brownies, sprinkle the top of the batter with 1/3 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips before baking.
  • If you want the brownies to cut nicely, you will need to refrigerate the baked brownies for at least 1-2 hours before slicing.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 forays. Or, freeze your healthy zucchini brownies in plastic wrap or a ziptop bag for up to 2 months.
  • You can use all-purpose flour, gluten-free flour (I like the Bob’s brand), or almond flour in this recipe.
  • You may also like this recipe for Brownie Cookies!

Recipe FAQs

What makes brownies fudgy?

Fudgy brownies have less than flour than cakey ones. They also have a high amount of fat in them. For this recipe I used almond butter and coconut oil to achieve a gooey and fudgy texture.

Can I freeze these vegan zucchini brownies?

Yes! It is much easier to cut them into bars once they are cool or refrigerated. Once cut into bars place them into a freezer safe container and freeze for later. You can also freeze the bars on a sheet pan first and then put them into a freezer safe bag. This keeps the brownies from getting smooshed.

Can I use almond flour in this recipe?

Yes! You can use almond flour to make this recipe grain-free. You can also use oat flour or your favorite type of flour (I would not use coconut flour).

a stack of brownies on a plate

More Vegan Chocolate Recipes You Might Like

Or, check out my entire index of clean eating desserts.

Don’t Miss These Zucchini Recipes!

How to Freeze Zucchini Noodles (Without Getting Soggy)

Zucchini Strawberry Smoothie

Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Instant Pot Zucchini with Tomatoes

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

And, consider following me on social media so we can stay connected. I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube!

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vegan zucchini brownies in pan.

Vegan Zucchini Brownies (Gluten-Free Option)

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5 from 2 reviews

Print Recipe

When you have extra zucchini on hand, transform it into these fudgy Vegan Zucchini Brownies! This delicious dessert recipe is a sneaky way to eat your veggies. Vegan recipe with a gluten-free option.

  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • Nonstick cooking oil
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flax seeds
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 medium zucchini squash or 1 cup grated zucchini with the water squeezed out
  • 1/2 cup flour (I used Bob’s 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour; if you aren’t gluten-free just use all-purpose flour)
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Place 1 tablespoon of chia or ground flax seeds in a small dish. Add 3 tablespoons of water, stir, and set aside to thicken.
  3. Cut the ends off both the zucchini squash. Then, grate both zucchini using a cheese grater or using the shredded disk on a food processor.
  4. Place the grated or shredded zucchini in a clean tea towel and press out as much of the liquid as you can. Measure out one cup of the grated and squeezed zucchini.
  5. Place one cup the squeezed zucchini in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking soda, and sea salt. Use a spatula to stir the ingredients together.
  6. Then, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the chia or flax mixture, almond butter, coconut oil, vanilla, and maple syrup. Stir to combine.
  7. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
  8. Pour the batter into your baking dish and place it in the oven.
  9. Bake the brownies for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the dish comes out clean.
  10. Let the brownies cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

  1. You can use any type of nut butter for this recipe instead of almond butter. Peanut butter or sunflower seed butter are also good options.
  2. If you want a double chocolate version of these brownies, sprinkle the top of the batter with 1/3 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips before baking.
  3. If you want the brownies to cut nicely, you will need to refrigerate the baked brownies for at least 1-2 hours before slicing.
  4. The total cooking time for this recipe includes 10 minutes for the brownies to cool.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 257
  • Sugar: 20 g
  • Sodium: 240.7 mg
  • Fat: 13.5 g
  • Saturated Fat: 4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 32.9 g
  • Fiber: 4.5 g
  • Protein: 5.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition. She is a top wellness and food blogger with nearly 10 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.