These brownies are so rich and moist - no one will ever realize the key ingredient is zucchini. These have no added oil, and they are paleo-friendly!
Cooking this past week was like an episode of Iron Chef or Chopped in my kitchen because I got my first CSA box!!! A CSA, or community supported agriculture, is a way for local farms to deliver seasonal produce to right your house. Usually I would go to farmer’s markets on the weekends, but there isn’t one close to my apartment which is open on the weekends, so I signed up for my first CSA box. Cost me $40 for a TON of amazing, seasonal produce (and pasture raised eggs) to be delivered right to my house! They choose which produce goes in the box..hence an episode that should have been on the Food Network occurred in the DCC kitchen.
I wasn’t sure if I would use up all of the produce, but I ended up using it all over the weekend. It was awesome because they (Greenhearts Family Farms if you’re local to the bay area) stocked me with exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for - lots of different greens, broccoli, carrots, celery, cabbage, blueberries, eggs, etc. And three gigantic zucchini. Everything else I knew I was going to use up, but the three monster zucchini? I used one in a pasta dish that I can’t wait to share with you all, but the two other zucchini were morphed into something awesome. These Extra Fudgy Paleo Zucchini Brownies.
Zucchinis have a TON of moisture. If you’ve ever tried slicing zucchini and salting it to dry them out a bit, those things turn into faucets. Once time I tried to make zucchini fritters and I was wringing water out of zucchini shreds for a solid thirty minutes. Given their high level of water and their very mild flavor, they make amazing replacements in baking to add texture, fudginess, bulk, and - oh, yeah - a vegetable boost!
The majority of the ingredients in these brownies are - you guessed it- zucchini. I shredded it and pureed it in the food processor to get a smooth, non stringy texture. Then you add a little almond meal, and egg, lots of unsweetened cocoa powder, a little maple syrup and lots of chocolate chips.
These sneaky zucchini brownies are insanely crowd-pleasing, and even Nate (who has once characterized my healthy baking as “rough” before) said “you did good, D”. Those are the kind of approvals I go for all of the time in my kitchen. I hope my trials and tribulations only bring success to yours!
- 2 medium sized zucchinis, pureed
- 3 heaping tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 egg
- ½ cup almond meal
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips (use Enjoy Life for paleo)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Preheat to 375 degrees F
- Use a food processor to puree your zucchini
- In a mixing bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients in with the zucchini
- In a square baking pan (greased) pour in your batter
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick/knife comes out clean
- Allow to cool completely before cutting and removing from the pan
- Store in the fridge
If you like this, you’ll love: Flourless Triple Chocolate Nutella Cookie Sandwiches
Thanks for stopping by! 
