Vegan Espresso Zucchini Brownies

{Vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, corn-free, soy-free}

I love adding zucchini to baked goods because it’s a great way to sneak veggies into your desserts without anyone else knowing. Especially for those picky little eaters who will “ABSOLUTELY NOT” eat that green stuff. The good news is they will never know with these Vegan Espresso Zucchini Brownies. Not only that but they are so good they’ll be asking for more than one and you won’t mind if they do.

This recipe is so easy to make and only requires one bowl! We use a stand mixer because we like the way it incorporates the ingredients so well, but you can mix the ingredients by hand.

We’ll tell you a secret….

After you add the zucchini, let the batter sit for 10 minutes so the juices from the zucchini and the sugar can do their magic. This will add more moisture to the batter to help bind the ingredients. Don’t skip this!!

FLAVOR – Cocoa powder is used for its rich, velvety flavor but we bumped up the flavor by adding espresso powder. It gives the brownies an even richer chocolate flavor. Toss some vegan chocolate chips at the end and you’ll have a mouthful of chocolate flavor with each bite.

TEXTURE – These Vegan Espresso Zucchini Brownies are light, cake-like in texture and so moist! That’s from the zucchini, oil, and applesauce which go so well together.

I know what you are thinking, you’ve tried so many vegan brownies that are so crumbly and just fall apart in your hands that there is no way you can make brownies without eggs. I’ve tried so many versions too!

The good news is that the eggs in traditional brownie recipes are not used for binding but for adding moisture to the brownies; you really don’t need them. Instead, the zucchini combined with oil and a fruit puree are all you’ll need. Here are some egg options for you to try:

Fruit puree – applesauce or mashed bananas are good fruit to use.

Oil – Canola or vegetable oil can be used but only to substitute 1 egg or the brownies will be too oily.

Nut butter – This also helps bind but because of our nut allergies, we could only recommend a nut-free version like sunflower butter.

BROWNIE INGREDIENTS:

Flour – We used all-purpose flour, but this recipe is easy to make gluten-free by swapping the regular flour with your 1:1 gluten-free flour of choice. We like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Mix.

Sugar – Any granulated sugar can be used for this recipe.

Cocoa Powder – Rodelle baking cocoa is our favorite cocoa to use when baking. It has a great taste and comes in a 25 oz. bag, so you won’t run out any time soon.

Espresso Powder – Espresso intensifies the chocolate flavor. If you don’t have espresso powder, you can increase the cocoa powder to ½ cup or add 3 teaspoons of coffee crystals. We like the Illy Classico espresso powder best but go ahead and pick your favorite espresso to use.

Baking Soda – We are using 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda in this recipe because we need more leavening than you would use in a cookie recipe. It will also make your brownies less dense and more cake-like.

Salt – We always use fine sea salt in our baking because it has a stronger flavor. Regular table salt would also work.

Canola Oil – Any brand of canola oil would work in this recipe but feel free to substitute vegetables if you prefer.

Applesauce – You can use any brand of applesauce but unsweetened works best in this recipe.

Vanilla – Pure vanilla makes everything taste better. We used the Whole Foods 365 vanilla.

Zucchini – Grate the zucchini so they are in smaller pieces and will mix well into the batter. Chop the zucchini if you want a chunkier brownie. The zucchini adds moisture but also helps bind the batter together without using eggs.

Chocolate Chips –The more chocolate the better! You can use the Enjoy Life brand of dark chocolate chips here as well or add their mini semi-sweet chocolate chips for additional flavor.

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

Prepare the Baking Pan –Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray or grease with vegan margarine. Add parchment paper if you would like to remove them before cutting.

Shred Zucchini – Shred the zucchini and set aside. Try not to remove the moisture from the zucchini because you are going to need the added moisture since you are not using eggs.

Brownie Batter – Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, add the sugar, oil, applesauce, and vanilla and beat on low until the ingredients are all combined. Slowly add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, espresso, and salt and mix again.

Add the Zucchini – Add the shredded zucchini to the wet batter and beat on medium speed until all ingredients are combined. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to get all the ingredients together.

Let Batter Sit – Let the zucchini do its magic and let it sit for 10 minutes before adding the chocolate chips.

Add Vegan Chocolate Chips – Stir in ¾ c vegan chocolate chips to the batter and save the remaining chips to sprinkle on top.

Pour into Prepared Pan – Pour batter into the 9×13 pan and spread the mixture.

Bake Brownies – Place brownies in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool before cutting into squares.

Storing – Normally we would store these Vegan Espresso Zucchini Brownies on the counter for a few days. We have found that the chocolate flavors intensify if we put the brownies in the refrigerator. So go ahead and put them in and enjoy that deep, rich chocolate flavor!

 

More Popular Recipes

If you are looking for other chocolate recipes, here are some of our most popular recipes.

Vegan Chocolate Date Bars

Vegan Dark Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread with Pepita Streusel

Chocolate Chunk Zucchini Muffins

 

Other Zucchini Recipes:

Vegan Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread

Vegan and GF Date and Zucchini Bread

Vegan Zucchini Fritters