Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Well it’s official, my husband and I do not have green thumbs.  We planted a wonderful garden this summer consisting of tomatoes and zucchini.  We bought cages for the tomato plants to ensure they would have the proper support to grow nice and tall.  We even took extra precaution, making sure there wouldn’t be any nutrient stealing, spacing the plants just right.   In short we gave our garden the plush comforts it would need to produce bountiful produce.

We had hoped to have plentiful tomatoes and zucchini.  In our daydreams we had so much that we had to give them away to friends and family.  But reality was far from that.  Unfortunately a mysterious animal, we think a deer, had a feast each night while we slept.  Due to our garden massacre I instead found myself at the farmers market stocking up on local produce. 

I always find myself making traditional zucchini bread, but EVERYONE has tried zucchini bread.  That’s when I discovered zucchini brownies on Pinterest!  WOW, who knew you could make chocolately goodness out of zucchini?!  There were quite a few recipes, but one in particular by Yummy Life stood out.  Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies!  Not to mention they’re egg free which intrigued me.  AND they include greek yogurt which I love.

I love chocolate.  And I love dark chocolate even more.  If you don’t care for dark chocolate, don’t worry as you can still make these.  Simply substitute regular cocoa powder for dark cocoa.    And before you begin, you’ll want to make sure you have your food processor handy.  Unlike many recipes that call for shredded zucchini, this one calls for pureed zucchini.   For that reason alone I was excited to try it, as my parents bought me an amazing Cuisinart food processor for my birthday that I wanted experiment with.

The brownies came out great.  They were extremely moist and very chocolately.  I couldn’t taste the zucchini, but I think it’s the key ingredient to ensure these brownies are exactly the opposite of dry.  Plus, if you have kids that aren’t fond of veggies, it’s a great way to sneak in some nutrients without them knowing.  These do have a different taste compared to traditional brownies.  I don’t quite know how to describe it, except to say that I liked it.  Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Adapted from Zucchini Brownies by Monica, Yummy Life blog

Serves: 20 – 24

Prep Time: 10 mins.

Total Time:  1 hour 5 mins. (includes 25 minutes of cooling)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw zucchini, chopped
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (such as Fage)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 

Frosting:

•     1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
•     1/4 cup canned evaporated milk
•     2 tablespoons butter
•     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•     1 cup powdered sugar
•     1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. In a food processor puree: zucchini, coconut oil, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, & salt. Use a whisk to mix.  Add wet ingredients and stir until well combined and evenly mixed.
4. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan.  Pour brownie batter into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.  When brownies are done, an inserted toothpick will come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.   Cool for 25 minutes before frosting.
5. While brownies cool, make the frosting by combining chocolate chips, evaporated milk, butter, and vanilla in a small saucepan.  Heat on the stovetop over low-medium heat.  Stir constantly as chocolate begins to melt (approximately 5 to 8 minutes).
6. After chips have melted and mixture is smooth add the powdered sugar.  Whisk until smooth.
7. Spread frosting evenly over brownies and top with chopped nuts.