Vegan Zucchini Brownies | Easy, Healthy Chocolate Cake - Elavegan (2024)

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4.90 from 57 votes

Vegan zucchini brownies which are soft, moist, gooey, fudgy, and very chocolaty! The recipe is plant-based, gluten-free, easy to make, and delicious! Enjoy this vegan chocolate cake with your family and friends. Kids will love this healthy chocolate dessert.

Vegan Zucchini Brownies | Easy, Healthy Chocolate Cake - Elavegan (1)

Healthy Vegan Zucchini Brownies

Do you also love moist and gooey brownies, especially when they are pretty healthy? Well, I do for sure, because these vegan brownies don’t taste healthy at all and you won’t taste the zucchini, trust me! They taste like a rich and soft chocolate cake which will make your mouth water!

Some reasons, why I could never say no to these vegan zucchini brownies:

  1. They are vegan, gluten-free, and healthier than most other brownie recipes
  2. Kids will love these brownies because they taste chocolaty and yummy
  3. The recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients

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Zucchini Brownies Are Great For Kids

I love “hidingveggies and legumes in brownies and cakes because they aren’t noticeable due to the intense chocolate flavor. Also, isn’t it so much more enjoyable making desserts with healthier ingredients, instead of using the same boring (and not so healthy) ingredients over and over again?!

Kids won’t notice a difference either and you don’t even need to tell them that these brownies contain zucchini! 😀

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How To Make Vegan Zucchini Brownies?

This is a “throw it all together recipe” that everyone can easily make in a food processor.

  • Line a 6×9 (15×23 cm) loaf pan or a slightly bigger pan with parchment paper or grease it with vegan butter or oil.
  • Process all dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) in a food processor.
  • Add all wet ingredients and blend again until the batter is smooth.
  • Finally, add the chocolate chips and stir with a spoon.
  • Pour the batter into the loaf pan and add more chocolate chips on top.
  • Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes. For fudgy brownies, I recommend a baking time of 35 minutes or less. And for cakey brownies, I recommend a baking time of 40 minutes or a little more. You can also insert a toothpick in the center of a brownie after 30 minutes and if it comes out clean/slightly crumbly the brownies are done. If the toothpick comes out very sticky/wet, then the brownies need more baking time.
  • Let the brownies cool completely. They will firm up once they cool and taste even better on day two!

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Great For Breakfast Or Dessert

You can enjoy the vegan zucchini brownies for dessert or breakfast. They are also great on the go or for school, travel, work! If you want to make the chocolate cake brownies even healthier and furthermore oil-free, simply leave out the chocolate chips. You can add raisins or any other dried fruit as a substitute!

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Simple Ingredients

These easy zucchini brownies contain only simple vegan ingredients which are as follows:

  • Zucchini
  • Ground oats (gluten-free if needed)
  • Granulated sweetener of choice
  • Cocoa powder
  • Nut butter or seed butter of choice
  • Baking powder and baking soda
  • Salt
  • Dairy-free chocolate chips
  • Plant-based milk (I used canned coconut milk)
  • Vanilla extract
  • Instant coffee powder (optional)

Find the exact measurements below in the recipe card!

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Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

I used rolled oats for this easy brownie recipe which I processed in an electric coffee/spice grinder to make oat flour. You can use regular rolled oats or gluten-free oats and process them in a blender (or grinder). Of course, you can also use store-bought oat flour.

To make the zucchini brownies oil-free, simply leave out the chocolate chips. 🙂

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These Vegan Zucchini Brownies Are:

  • Plant-based (dairy-free, egg-free)
  • Gluten-free
  • Can be made refined sugar-free (by not using chocolate chips)
  • Can be made oil-free (by not using chocolate chips)
  • Rich
  • Moist
  • Soft
  • Chocolaty
  • A great breakfast or dessert
  • Easy to make with simple ingredients

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Should you give these vegan zucchini brownies a try, please leave a comment and rating below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes! 🙂

If you like healthy brownies and chocolate cake, definitely also check out the following delicious gluten-free & vegan brownie recipes:

  • Sweet Potato Brownies
  • Cheesecake Brownies
  • Caramel Chocolate Brownies
  • Best Vegan Brownies
  • Healthy No-Bake Brownies
  • Flourless Brownies

Vegan Zucchini Brownies | Easy, Healthy Chocolate Cake - Elavegan (10)

Vegan Zucchini Brownies

Author: Michaela Vais

Vegan zucchini brownies which are soft, moist, gooey, fudgy, and very chocolaty! The recipe is plant-based, gluten-free, easy to make, and delicious! Enjoy this vegan chocolate cake with your family and friends. Kids will love this healthy chocolate dessert.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Brownies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 302 kcal

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

Wet ingredients:

Instructions

  • I recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe. This recipe has a video for easy visual instructions (see below).

  • Line a 6x9 (15x23 cm) or a slightly bigger pan with parchment paper or grease it with vegan butter or oil and preheat the oven to 360 °F (182 °C).

  • Process all dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) in a food processor.

  • Add all wet ingredients and blend again until the batter is smooth.

  • Finally, add the chocolate chips and stir with a spoon.

  • Pour the batter into the loaf pan and add more chocolate chips on top.

  • Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes. For fudgy brownies, I recommend a baking time of 35 minutes or less. And for cakey brownies, I recommend a baking time of 40 minutes or a little more. The baking time also depends on the size of the pan! You can insert a toothpick in the center of a brownie after 30 minutes and if it comes out clean/slightly crumbly the brownies are done. If the toothpick comes out very sticky/wet, then the brownies need more baking time.

  • Let the brownies cool completely. They will firm up once they cool and taste even better on day two! Enjoy! Keep leftover zucchini brownies covered in the fridge. You can also freeze them!

Notes

  • Granulated sweetener: You can use coconut sugar, Erythritol, Xylitol* or regular sugar. *Desserts with Xylitol should be never given to dogs.
  • Oats: I used rolled oats for this recipe which I processed in an electric coffee/spice grinder to make oat flour. You can use regular rolled oats or gluten-free oats and process them in a blender (or grinder). Of course, you can also use 135 grams of store-bought oat flour.
  • Nut butter: You can use almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version. If you don't have nut butter, you could possibly use oil instead. Please note that I never made this recipe with oil, however, I would suggest about 1/4 of a cup (please report back if you give it a try).
  • Nutrition facts are for one of eight brownies (1/8 of the recipe).

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Zucchini Brownies

Amount per Serving

Calories

302

% Daily Value*

Fat

13.3

g

20

%

Carbohydrates

40.2

g

13

%

Fiber

5.3

g

21

%

Sugar

25.8

g

29

%

Protein

7.2

g

14

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically

Equipment

Food processor*

Kitchen scale*

Vegan Zucchini Brownies | Easy, Healthy Chocolate Cake - Elavegan (11) Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!

If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:

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Vegan Zucchini Brownies | Easy, Healthy Chocolate Cake - Elavegan (2024)

FAQs

Are vegan cakes healthier than normal cakes? ›

Some health benefits of choosing vegan cakes over regular cakes include: Plant-based products are healthier. Animal fats are definitely unhealthy and responsible for diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, etc. Plant-based fats have no cholesterol which is much healthier for you.

What is chocolate zucchini cake made of? ›

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add oil and eggs; mix well until just combined. Fold in zucchini and walnuts until they are evenly distributed; pour cake batter into the prepared pan.

What is the healthiest cake to eat? ›

Angel Food Cake

Angel food cake is healthy because It does not contain egg yolk and butter. Without egg yolk and butter these cakes are low on calories and fats. A single slice of Angel Food Cake contains just almost around 70 calories.

What is the unhealthiest type of cake? ›

Unhealthiest: Carrot Cake

Carrot cake does contain healthy ingredients, such as carrots and nuts, but it is also loaded with fat and sugar. Depending on the size of the cake, your piece could be anywhere between 300-600 calories.

Why is Portillo's cake so good? ›

The cake is made with high-quality ingredients. It includes cocoa powder, butter, and real chocolate, which gives it a rich, chocolatey flavor and a moist, tender crumb. The frosting is also made with real butter and cream, which gives it a velvety smooth texture and a decadent taste.

How many calories in a piece of chocolate zucchini cake? ›

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 369 calories, 13g fat (6g saturated fat), 37mg cholesterol, 330mg sodium, 59g carbohydrate (43g sugars, 3g fiber), 6g protein.

Do you peel zucchini before shredding for cake? ›

Do you peel a zucchini before grating? Zucchini skin is thin and edible, so there's no need to peel it before grating. That said, the peels will retain their green color, even after they're cooked.

Are vegan desserts healthier than regular desserts? ›

Vegan Bakes are Nutrient-Rich

Vegan baking may not be considered 'healthy,' but it is more nutritious than your standard non-vegan dessert. Vegan recipes rarely call for many processed ingredients or saturated fats.

Are vegan desserts more healthy? ›

Raw vegan desserts are typically made with more nutritious ingredients than those that tend to be found in regular desserts. They often don't contain any processed ingredients, such as refined sugars, which means you aren't taking in all of those unnecessary, empty calories.

What is the difference between vegan cake and regular cake? ›

To put it simply, a vegan cake is a cake that doesn't contain any animal-derived ingredients, most notably eggs, milk, and other dairy products. In 'regular' cakes, eggs and dairy products are among the key ingredients used to create the sponge and icing, and often decorations, too.

Does vegan cake have less calories? ›

In truth, vegan cakes might not even contain fewer calories than non-vegan ones. While they lack butter and other dairy products, it is not a given that they contain less saturated fats. In fact, some vegan substitutes for butter, like cocoa butter or coconut oil, can have similar amounts of saturated fats.

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