Chocolate Zucchini Brownies
Gluten Free/Paleo
I’m sure most of you have tried zucchini bread before, but have you ever had zucchini in a brownie? The concept itself seems weird to have a vegetable in your dessert. It just seems wrong, doesn’t it?
When trying to lighten up baked goods, there’s often the issue of having a finished product that is either dry, crumbly, or too dense. Adding the zucchini in this recipe helps keep the moisture in the brownie because they are so high in water content.
You’ll also see that there’s tapioca starch in this recipe. What the heck is that? Like pudding? Well yes, but no. Tapioca starch, similar to cornstarch helps bind the brownie together along with the egg, so it doesn’t crumble in your hands.
There’s no flour in this recipe whatsoever! So it’s completely gluten free for all of you out there who are either allergic or eliminating it from your diet.
This recipe also showcases a paleo chocolate. I used unsweetened 100% baking chocolate and melted it down with coconut oil and vanilla, adding pure organic maple syrup to sweeten it up a little, so it doesn't have a disgustingly bitter taste.
If I could give you any advice, make these! They’re even good as a pre-workout or snack if you’re on the go!
Ingredients
250 g unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 c heaping of coconut oil
2 eggs
1/2 tbsp pure vanilla bean paste
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tbsp tapioca starch
1/2 c finely grated zucchini
3/4 c maple syrup
⅓ c dark chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 9”x9” pan with a piece of parchment paper and lightly spray with olive oil and set aside. In a bain-marie (double-boiler), melt down the chocolate and coconut oil until smooth and let cool for at least 20 minutes. Pour the chocolate into a large mixing bowl and stir in the eggs one at a time. Add in the maple syrup and vanilla and combine. Next, add the cacao powder, tapioca starch, and combine. In another bowl, squeeze the excess water out of the grated zucchini until it looks like a 1/4 c sized ball and stir it into the batter. Pour batter in the pan with parchment and spread it into one even layer with your spatula. If you’d like, sprinkle some chocolate chips on top or another topping of your choice like raw nuts or dried fruit. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when stuck into the brownies. Let cool on a rack for at least a half hour so they firm up. Slice and enjoy!
,
When trying to lighten up baked goods, there’s often the issue of having a finished product that is either dry, crumbly, or too dense. Adding the zucchini in this recipe helps keep the moisture in the brownie because they are so high in water content.
You’ll also see that there’s tapioca starch in this recipe. What the heck is that? Like pudding? Well yes, but no. Tapioca starch, similar to cornstarch helps bind the brownie together along with the egg, so it doesn’t crumble in your hands.
There’s no flour in this recipe whatsoever! So it’s completely gluten free for all of you out there who are either allergic or eliminating it from your diet.
This recipe also showcases a paleo chocolate. I used unsweetened 100% baking chocolate and melted it down with coconut oil and vanilla, adding pure organic maple syrup to sweeten it up a little, so it doesn't have a disgustingly bitter taste.
If I could give you any advice, make these! They’re even good as a pre-workout or snack if you’re on the go!
Ingredients
250 g unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 c heaping of coconut oil
2 eggs
1/2 tbsp pure vanilla bean paste
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tbsp tapioca starch
1/2 c finely grated zucchini
3/4 c maple syrup
⅓ c dark chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 9”x9” pan with a piece of parchment paper and lightly spray with olive oil and set aside. In a bain-marie (double-boiler), melt down the chocolate and coconut oil until smooth and let cool for at least 20 minutes. Pour the chocolate into a large mixing bowl and stir in the eggs one at a time. Add in the maple syrup and vanilla and combine. Next, add the cacao powder, tapioca starch, and combine. In another bowl, squeeze the excess water out of the grated zucchini until it looks like a 1/4 c sized ball and stir it into the batter. Pour batter in the pan with parchment and spread it into one even layer with your spatula. If you’d like, sprinkle some chocolate chips on top or another topping of your choice like raw nuts or dried fruit. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when stuck into the brownies. Let cool on a rack for at least a half hour so they firm up. Slice and enjoy!
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