Fudgy Keto Zucchini Brownies (Paleo, Vegan)
These healthy chocolate zucchini brownies are low carb and keto friendly dessert recipe that is super gooey and fudgy! Made with almond flour and loaded with chocolate flavor, these paleo and vegan zucchini brownies are a game changer!
Fudgy Zucchini Chocolate Brownies
Flourless zucchini brownies are thick, chewy and gooey in one, and the perfect keto and vegan chocolate dessert recipe. Made without eggs and without grains, these fudgy brownies are secretly healthy, but you’d never tell!
We love our brownies recipes here. We’ve had the best almond flour brownies, flourless fudge brownies, and my favorite 3 ingredient Nutella brownies.
With zucchini season in full swing, adding shredded zucchini to brownies HAD to happen!
Zucchini Fudge Brownie Ingredients
Almond Flour
Almond flour is a fantastic low carb and keto friendly flour, which provides a light and airy texture. Although it is made from ground almonds, they do not have a strong almond flavor.
You can use either blanched almond flour or superfine almond flour for these brownies. You can use almond meal, but the texture will be more gritty.
Ground Flaxseed
Ground flaxseed is combined with water to produce a flax egg. The flax egg used to replace any need for eggs and helps thicken and hold together the brownie batter.
Cocoa Powder
A good quality cocoa powder provides a delicious, rich and decadent chocolate flavor. Dutch-processed cocoa powder is used, but for a richer and darker flavor, use dark cocoa powder.
Monk Fruit Sweetener
Granulated monk fruit sweetener is a keto, low carb and paleo sweetener that is 100% sugar free and contains zero calories. This particular brand also ensures a glossy, crinkly top on the brownies, which we adore!
Almond Butter or Sunflower Seed Butter
Adding a nut or seed butter replaces butter and oil, typically found in brownies. Smooth almond butter and sunflower seed butter are my favorites, as they have a mild flavor. Peanut butter can also be used, but it will no longer be paleo friendly.
Vanilla Extract
Adding vanilla extract really helps bring out the rich, chocolate flavor. You can substitute this for almond extract but use half the amount.
Shredded Zucchini
Shredded zucchini adds a little extra moisture and of course, some nutrition. Be sure to remove any excess moisture from the zucchini, otherwise, the brownies will fall apart and be soggy in the center.
How to make zucchini brownies
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2: Prepare your flax egg by combining your ground flaxseed with your water. Allow sitting for 15 minutes, until a gel forms.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients and mix well. In a seperate mixing bowl, add your flax egg, vanilla extract and almond/sunflower seed butter and mix well. Combine your wet and dry ingredients and mix until combined. Gently fold in your shredded zucchini until fully incorporated.
Step 4: Transfer your brownie batter into the lined pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out ‘just’ clean.
Step 5: Allow zucchini chocolate brownies to cool in the pan completely, before slicing into pieces.
Are zucchini brownies healthy?
Just because you add zucchini to a recipe doesn’t mean that it is healthy. However, these brownies are healthy AND delicious.
Packed with protein, super low carb and grain free, they are a healthy chocolate dessert recipe to enjoy anytime.
The calorie and nutritional profile of one fudgy zucchini brownie are as follows- 175 calories, 3 grams net carbs, 12 grams of fat and a whopping 8 grams of protein.
Do zucchini brownies need to be refrigerated?
Zucchini brownies are super fudgy and moist and need to be stored in the fridge. Either place them in the sealed container or on a plate covered in plastic wrap.
Refrigerated brownies will keep for at least 5 days.
Can you freeze zucchini brownies?
Fudgy keto zucchini brownies are freezer friendly and can be stored in the freezer.
Ensure each brownie is individually wrapped in parchment paper, and placed in a ziplock bag or shallow container.
To enjoy brownies from the freezer, allow to thaw at room temperature completely, or overnight in the fridge.
Tips and Tricks for perfect Fudgy Zucchini Brownies
Do not overbake the zucchini brownies, as they continue to cook in the pan while cooling. The brownies are eggless and flourless, so enjoying them super gooey is fine.
I only tried a flax egg as an egg substitute. I cannot vouch for other egg substitutes. If you don’t follow a vegan/eggless diet, you can replace it with 3 large eggs (or 4 medium ones).
To take these zucchini fudge brownies up a notch, add a handful of keto chocolate chips.
For the ultimate gooey, fudgy brownies, store in the fridge before slicing.
More chocolate dessert recipes
Fudgy Keto Zucchini Brownies (Paleo, Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sweetener of choice
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter can sub for almond butter or another nut/seed butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup zucchini shredded and excess moisture removed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prepare your flax egg by combining your ground flaxseed with water. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, for a gel to form.
- In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients and mix well. In a seperate mixing bowl, add your sunflower seed butter, vanilla extract, and flax eggs and mix well. Combine your wet and dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Fold in your shredded zucchini.
- Transfer your brownie batter to the lined pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out just clean from the center.
- Allow brownies to cool in the pan completely before slicing into pieces.
Notes
Nutrition
you bake these in a bread loaf pan not a square pan?
I used an 8×8 pan and they came out great. If you baked these in a loaf pan it would come out like bread.
Thanks, Theresa that was an error in the post, it has been amended.