VEGAN ZUCCHINI BROWNIES RECIPE

(Scroll below in the post for step-wise instructions/pictures and printable RECIPE CARD  is below too).

VEGAN ZUCCHINI BROWNIES - moist, fudgy, addictive and finger licking good, these eggless brownie delights get their moisture from zucchini and that chocolaty hit is totally elevated by a dash of coffee powder (optional but recommended)!

With coconut sugar and whole wheat flour, this is surely going to be your go to from here on for brownies when you are craving for one and need something healthy too!

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Rest assured, no one will be able to guess that you have added a “vegetable” in it! And once you take a bite, you will be reaching out for more! We did.

One bowl, no beaters needed and totally eggless and vegan (uses oil), it is so easy, with a little help from you, even your kids can make these scrumptious, chocolaty bites!

VEGAN ZUCCHINI BROWNIES WITH WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR:

Although I have a lot of recipes in my draft folder (like at least 100) that I need to share with you, this brownie which I just made had to go on the blog ASAP as you all should make it immediately too.

Totally addictive, fudgy, oeey, gooey, scrumptious,chocolaty and absolutely finger licking kinda treat…(trust me, you will do it); these are brownies that will make you go out to get some zucchinis just to make them again and again!

I just did; yes, really!!!

Any other reason why you should make it? Well:

• It has whole wheat flour (no refined flour), so a tad bit healthier than most brownies.
• It is refined sugar free - I have used coconut sugar here; you can use regular sugar too or even jaggery (unrefined cane sugar).
• A vegetable is hidden in the pores of this brownie – zucchini; a great way to sneak veggies in you and your family’s diet! I love using bottle gourd too or Lauki as we call in India, a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
• It is eggless/egg free; most Indians and vegans will like it.
• Uses oil instead of butter, so the brownie stays moist even when refrigerated.
• Needs no beaters or mixers; just a wooden spoon, spatula or spoon and a bowl, so even non bakers can make it easily!

Once ready, cooled and sliced, you will not be able to resist or stop only at one as they are fudgy, super moist and super delicious!

Well, I keep repeating myself as they are that good!

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE THESE VEGAN ZUCCHINI BROWNIES:

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR– yes, no refined flour here; if you like, you can use all-purpose flour (maida) instead too. I like to make my bakes with whole wheat flour or even multigrain sometimes; makes it a bit healthier and almost guilt free and feel good.

SWEETENER– you can use white sugar or even raw, turbinado sugar, but I have used coconut sugar as although it is still sugar, because of its low glycemic index, this will not spike you blood sugar as fast as regular sugar does. Also, it has additional minerals as compared to plain white sugar.

If you love the flavor of jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) as do most Indians, you can use that too.

COCOA POWDER– Duh! Brownies, so you definitely need these.

COFFEE POWDER – this one is optional but a dash of instant coffee powder in any chocolate treat sort of enhances the flavor of cocoa powder making any bake more chocolaty! If making brownies for kids, you can choose to omit it.

BAKING SODA– needs a bit for that lift or rise. Makes it a bit cakey (the way I like it) although you will still get to enjoy the fudgy texture that brownies are to make them endearing and addictive!

SALT – just a bit as this also adds to the final flavor.

ZUCCHINI – the main must have ingredient in this bake and which adds moistness and nutrition multifold! Just grate and use….no need to squeeze out water or drain the water.

If using LAUKI or bottle gourd, then you may have to squeeze some moisture out before adding to the batter. But do use that nutritous liquid to adjust the consistency of the brownie batter.

OIL – no butter here; just plain cooking oil. I have used vegetable oil.

VANILLA EXTRACT/ESSENCE – all sweet bakes need this to enhance the aroma.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS – This one is again optional but we love more chocolate in anything! You can omit and use walnuts instead too or leave it out altogether.

Here is the one I made again but with walnuts instead of chocolate chips in them.....so totally refined sugar free too!

VEGAN LAUKI/BOTTLE GOURD BROWNIES:

I love using the highly nutritious lauki or bottle gourd (called Calabash in the USA) in my daily diet and as it comes form a the same family of plants like zucchini, decided to make some fudgy, cakey brownies using this wonder vegetable.

The only step needed is to squeeze out excess moisture from grated lauki before adding to the batter. You can use the strained liquid to adjust consistency of batter....no wastage here!

Don't they look super delicious?

STEP-WISE INSTRUCTION TO MAKE VEGAN ZUCCHINI BROWNIES:

Mix the dry ingredients together – 1 cup whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup coconut sugar (or sweetener of you choice), 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder if using, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Add 1/4 cup neutral oil, 1 cup grated zucchini, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (leave some to top if preferred or use walnuts; totally optional).

If using lauki/bottle gourd, then squeeze through a sieve or through a cheese cloth to remove the extra moisture. Save the liquid collected (highly nutritious!) to add to batter later.

You can do this with grated zucchini too if preferred.

Fold gently adding some water (1/4 cup to 1/2 cup) as needed to make the batter flowy yet thick.

Using whole wheat flour in any cake or brownie as it is here, makes the batter a tad thicker than using plain flour so you may need to stir in some water. Each flour is different, so add accordingly.

Transfer to parchment paper lined (with a overhang for ease of removing from pan) baking tin (8X8 inch pan)

Sprinkle some chocolate chips (or chopped walnuts on top if using) and bake in preheated 350 F or 180 C oven for about 25 minutes or so.

Do not over bake or the brownies will become too dry and dense.

A toothpick inserted in center should come out moist with brownie crumbs sticking to it for moist, fudgy, gooey brownies; check at 23-24 minutes if you want. Bake a few minutes more if you want cakey brownies.

Or if you prefer using walnuts then just top with some chopped walnuts on top and bake.

This one is a brownie using grated lauki or bottle gourd!

Cool completely before daring to cut into it! If you cut it when warm, it will be slightly sticky.

Just lift the brownie using the parchment paper and place on a cooling rack until totally cool.

Once cool, cut using a sharp, large knife.

(I found that using a plastic knife makes clean cuts to the brownie without any brownie bits sticking to the knife)!

Enjoy as a snack, after dinner dessert or plonk a dollop/scoop of ice cream on top and indulge!!!

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days depending upon the temperature of the room.

Try and place some parchment paper in between layers to avoid any sticking.

At the time of posting this (1 day after baking it), they were all gone!

For longer storage, store in the fridge and enjoy chilled or brought to room temperature.

Happy Baking/Eating foodie friends!

If you do happen to try this, I would love to hear about it. You can share your thoughts in the comment box below (do not forget to give a rating) and/or on Instagram (#curryandvanilla16/@curryandvanilla16) and my Facebook page.

IF YOU LOVE BROWNIES, THEN DO CHECK OUT THESE TOO:

• Double Chocolate Brownie Bars
• Best Fudgy Brownies with Whole Wheat Flour
• Eggless Single Serve Fudgy Brownies
• Ultimate No-bake Date Brownies

Now, here is the recipe I promised:

PIN here for later: