A little bit cake… a little bit brownie… a whole lotta chocolate! That’s how I would describe these delicious gluten-free zucchini cake brownies!
You can’t taste the zucchini in baked goods like this – it just lends the moisture needed to make these have a great texture and also be a little healthier. These gluten-free dairy-free egg-free brownies are a hit wherever I bring them every summer!
We currently are harvesting several HUGE zucchini every week so I’m often in the kitchen making new gluten-free zucchini recipes to help use it up. My family would be happy if I made my gluten-free zucchini bread every week, but I like to change it up a bit!
In developing this recipe, I searched online and found that pretty much everyone uses the exact same zucchini brownie recipe, some with frosting, some without. I started with the obviously tried and true zucchini brownie recipe that I found all over the internet, making substitutions to make it be gluten-free, healthier and tastier! The result is a super moist, very chocolatey, cake-like gluten-free zucchini brownie! I’ve now made this more than a dozen times.
The first time I made these, I used an 11″ x7″ glass pan. This made for a gluten-free chocolate zucchini cake with tall and delicious pieces, but very hard to cut nicely and make for a nice presentation. If I cut carefully, I could get some pieces that looked like this:
So if you want yours more like a cake and don’t mind if they’re messy when cut, then feel free to use an 11×7″ pan or similar. If you use a 9×13″ pan then they will be much thinner and will bake quicker.
The second time I made these, I decided to use my new brownie bar pan from Pampered Chef. My hope was that the brownies would turn out just as tasty, but would be in perfect servings that would be easy to get out of the pan. It worked beautifully! Now I always use the brownie pan for making these chocolate zucchini brownies.
This Wilton Brownie Bar pan is very similar and a much cheaper alternative to the Pampered Chef pan. And this champagne gold brownie cake pan is so pretty and would definitely work well for this too!
Here’s a look at them before baking:
And here’s a look after they bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees:
I use my brownie pan for making these gluten-free baked oatmeal squares also. My friend Kim just used that same pan to make my gluten-free carrot cake in and it worked very well too for individual cakes. I’m sure many more of my recipes can be adapted for pampered chef brownie pan recipes too.
Tips for shredded zucchini:
If you want to make sure no one can detect the zucchini by sight, you’ll want to peel the green part off the zucchini before shredding. I wasn’t trying to hide all evidence of it, so I didn’t care that you could see just a few specks of green here and there in them. Again, you can’t taste it either way, but if you are trying to hide it from a picky eater, I thought I’d let you know how to do that!
If you are using large zucchini, cut it into wedges and discard the seedy center before shredding.Â
For ease, I usually shred several zucchini at one time, or just a huge one at once. I use my food processor with the shredding attachment to do it quickly and easily. I then measure out what I need for this recipe and save the rest for other recipes. You can keep the shredded zucchini in fridge for up to a week or you can freeze the rest in portioned bags.
If your shredded zucchini is dripping wet, then dab with paper towels. Some have said theirs was very wet. I have never had that happen for me, so it must be a variance in varieties of zucchini.
If using frozen shredded zucchini, let thaw and discard the excess liquid but don’t squeeze it all totally dry.
Here’s a look at what you’ll need for this recipe:
Notes on ingredients and substitutions for these gluten-free zucchini brownies:
Gluten-free flour blend: Any good quality gluten-free flour blend should work in this recipe. I’ve tested with both gfJules all-purpose gluten-free flour blend, King Arthur Measure for Measure flour and Gluten Free Mama’s All-Purpose Almond Flour Blend with great success. I do not recommend Namaste Flour, Pillsbury GF Flour, or using any blend with coconut flour or bean flour or using all almond flour.Â
Xanthan gum: Remember that if your flour blend already contains xanthan or guar gum, you’ll skip adding the xanthan gum called for in this recipe. If your flour blend does not contain those, then you’ll add just 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum to help bind these together.
Applesauce: I have replaced some of the oil with some applesauce. Use plain, unsweetened applesauce. If you don’t have applesauce, you can use an equal amount of oil in place of the applesauce. You can also use melted butter.
Cocoa Powder: I like to use Saco cocoa powder, Hershey’s cocoa, or Guittard Cocoa Rouge. I often will use half of one of those regular cocoas that I listed and half of Hershey’s dark cocoa. That’s how to get a deeper brown color.
Chocolate Chips: I like Guittard semi-sweet morsels or Ambrosia semi-sweet chocolate (yes I buy the 10 lb bags of it!) If you need this to be dairy-free, make sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips like Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chocolate chips or Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips.
While these do have a decent amount of sugar and chocolate in them to make them sweet and yummy, the zucchini and applesauce is enough I think to justify calling them healthy zucchini brownies. If you’d like to play around with sugar substitutes to replace the white sugar, feel free to experiment and come back and tell me of any successful substitutions you made.
I hope you can make this soon and enjoy! Happy gardening, harvesting and baking!
If you make these and love them, please come back and give this recipe a 5 star rating in the recipe card! Feel free to comment with tips or to share any successful substitutions you made.
A little bit like cake... a little bit like brownies... a whole lotta chocolate in these gluten-free zucchini brownies! Shredding the zucchini is the hardest part of making these - and that's made easier with a food processor that has the shredding attachment.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Additional Time5 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups good all-purpose gluten-free flour*
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (*see note)
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter or margarine, or canola oil
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups shredded zucchini (unpeeled, or peel to avoid green flecks. If large zucchini, discard seeds)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (dairy-free use Enjoy Life semi-sweet chips)
Additional 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips for topping
Instructions
Before you begin - shred the zucchini and set aside. See blog post for tips! Peeling is optional, but I do recommend removing the seedy center of the zucchini.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (if needed), baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat sugar, applesauce, butter/margarine/oil, and vanilla extract for 30 seconds.
Add flour mixture and continue beating for about 1 minute, until mixture resembles wet sand.
Add the shredded zucchini, then the cocoa powder, and mix on low until combined.
Stir in the 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Pour brownie batter into greased 7x11 pan or use a large cookie scoop/ice cream scoop to scoop into each cavity of a brownie pan.
Sprinkle extra 1/3-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips over the top of brownie batter.
For best results, use a brownie pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. If using brownie pan, bake brownies at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until brownies are set. Let them cool in pan about 4-5 minutes, then gently use a spatula to remove.
If using a greased 7"x11" pan to make it more like cake, then bake at 350° for 25-32 minutes, or until brownies are set. (Due to chocolate chips in batter, it is hard to get a toothpick to come out entirely clean).
Cool on wire rack. Serve at room temp or warm for about 10 seconds for a truly melty, gooey dessert!
Notes
*I've tested this with King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour, gfJules Flour, and Gluten Free Mama's Almond Flour Blend and all worked well. *If using a flour blend that already includes xanthan or guar gum, then omit the xanthan called for in the recipe.
*If you want yours to be dark like mine, use a mixture of part Hershey's Dark Chocolate, and part regular cocoa powder.
If you need these gluten-free zucchini brownies to be dairy-free, make sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips like Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips , or omit the chocolate chips.
Please see blog post for ingredient suggestions and substitutions.
Can I use butter on the individual brownie pan? A lot of sprays have wheat in them. Or could you use extra virgin olive oil spray? Please advise making them this week.
Thanks!
These were amazing! I used MiYoko’s European Style Cutured Vegan Butter Unsalted. I also reduced sugar by using half Xyla and half organic coconut sugar. This is a must make recipe.
Delicious! I cut the recipe in half and they still turned out fine. This is a keeper and a healthy one too. I used gfJules flour, have always had good results with it. Thanks for a great recipe.
Baking in a toaster oven is tricky. And baking in a smaller pan like an 8×8 would mean they’d be much thicker and need more baking time than 35 for sure. If you’re going to do that, keep on baking longer until they are done.
The batter was super dry once I mixed everything together. I tossed in three free range organic eggs and the batter looked about the right consistency. I baked for 45 min they turned out amazing!
My daughter has celiac and she misses out a lot on treats made with wheat. These will become a staple in our house.
These turned out great – super moist and nice flavor but not too sweet. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour and baked them in a mini bundt pan. No trouble getting them out of the pan either. Will definitely be making these again with our abundance of zucchini from the garden this year!
I just finish baking mine, waiting for them to cool. In the meantime, I tasted it with the spoon I used to flatten it down a bit in my glass pan. These brownies are AMAZING! I made a few adjustments: used Arthur Kings Flour, used coconut oil to grease pan, used just 1 cup of sugar (sugar in the raw) instead because my apple sauce was sweet. I baked for an extra 10 minutes. I also added pecans (can’t eat brownies without them). Thanks sooooo much! By the way, I also made your gf chocolate chip cookies and those left me speechless! Your baking is incredible!
After the flour mix and sugar mix are blended to resemble sand, the zucchini and cocoa powder are added. At this point, is it still supposed to resemble sand? Mine is barely starting to clump and certainly does not resemble a batter. Given the mixed success of repliers, I wonder if this is the sticking point? If the batter is still crumbly, should a baker add some water, oil, or more egg substitute until it resembles a batter?
Tried this recipe today, made everything according to the recipe and it was a total disaster. Baked for 40 mins and it is still raw inside. Had to throw everything to the garbage. The sides which baked does not taste like browny anyway… They were more like a muffin, rather than chewy browny. Happy others have more success with this one.
Same issue here. It was not good. Cooked on the outside and was cake like and the middle was raw. Gritty taste. I think it was the flour I used. Pillsbury GF. Waste.
I made this recipe for my husband’s boss who was recently in town and he thought that my chocolate concoction was amazing. He has Celiac’s disease and isn’t able to eat wheat flour. I used Pillsbury’s GF flour made with pea and rice flours plus tapioca and potato starch with xantham gun already added. Our garden has been producing a ton of zucchini, so I have trying lots of recipes to use it. I know this recipe was to be egg free, but went ahead and added 2 eggs. I used some dark chocolate mini chips and some milk chocolate chips to the mix, too. I bake GF for friends and have been successful with several recipes. I will do some research to see if I can substitute regular wheat flour to make this again for my family. Great recipe!
I was not sure about this recipe but did it turn out wonderfully! Used 1/4 c yogurt for applesauce and Carol Fenster’s flour blend and less sugar,about a cup. We put less chips in the batter then sprinkled more on top to melt into a chocolate “frosting”. Warmed up with frozen yogurt…too yummy! Thank you sooo much for this recipe. My GF son is beyond happy as he needs this large amount of zucchini for good digestion.
I’ve made this recipe now maybe a dozen times. Sometimes I use an egg if I don’t have applesauce on hand. It turns out amazing every time! People now ask me to make this for them. Thank you for the recipe!
Just made these! Was searching for a good gf recipe That’s also dairy free for a friend. Amazing!! After reading info/posts I did them in muffin tins & grabbed some gf King Arthur flour at the store & I had great results! (Never tried that kind before) I only had the namaste brand on hand from costco. Look forward to trying it again when I get more gf mamas almond blend flour ????
I made these yesterday and they were really yummy. Thank you! I made them in the 7×11 glass pan, and after baking for the max time, they were still quite gooey in the middle. We ate a couple of them and then put the rest back into the oven for another 15 minutes, and they set up better after that. I think next time I’ll try making them in cupcake pans. The zucchini I used was large and somewhat mealy – maybe that’s why they were so gooey? I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flout Mix. Thanks again for this recipe!
This was my first attempt at gluten free. AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!!! I used 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of applesauce. Next time I will use 1/2 cup of sugar and 3/4 cup of applesauce. My goal is also sugar free. I used Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix. It was even expired! I didn’t realize that when I bought it but I didn’t feel like returning it. I’m not a stickler for dates. I baked it as directed. The outer edges were to die for but the middle was not done. I cut the edges off, spread it out, baked it for 15 more minutes, and it was done! I baked it in 5 min intervals. VERY, VERY IMPRESSED!!!!
I just made these tonight. I don’t have a GF flour blend so just used what I had (1/2 cup each of buckwheat, coconut, almond and amaranth flours). I used coconut sugar instead of the white stuff and didn’t even measure out my zucchini, just eye balled using a med size one (with skin on!). I did not have the correct size of pan noted so simply scooped some into muffin tins and the balance into a mini loaf pan. I’m pretty sure I only cooked for 15 mins and then let them set for a bit in the warm pans. They turned out great – half gone already! Not sure what the complaints are for as I’m not even sure I followed the recipe but they turned out great!
I’m upping my rating LOL… These are the best brownies I have ever tasted! They are soooo good. Super moist. I made them in a cupcake pan and they only took 20 minutes to cook. They were perfect. Came out of the pan nice and easy. They didn’t fall apart and they definitely weren’t dry 🙂 Also, I mentioned the zucchini not being as small as I would have liked, but when cooked can even tell it is in there. Now just not to over-eat them 😉
I made these and the middle of most of the brownies fell? I used the brownie pan. Idk what happened??
Can I use butter on the individual brownie pan? A lot of sprays have wheat in them. Or could you use extra virgin olive oil spray? Please advise making them this week.
Thanks!
These were amazing! I used MiYoko’s European Style Cutured Vegan Butter Unsalted. I also reduced sugar by using half Xyla and half organic coconut sugar. This is a must make recipe.
Delicious! I cut the recipe in half and they still turned out fine. This is a keeper and a healthy one too. I used gfJules flour, have always had good results with it. Thanks for a great recipe.
I baked it in the toaster oven for 35 minutes in an 8×8 pan and it still did not bake in the centre. Very disappointing.
Baking in a toaster oven is tricky. And baking in a smaller pan like an 8×8 would mean they’d be much thicker and need more baking time than 35 for sure. If you’re going to do that, keep on baking longer until they are done.
The batter was super dry once I mixed everything together. I tossed in three free range organic eggs and the batter looked about the right consistency. I baked for 45 min they turned out amazing!
My daughter has celiac and she misses out a lot on treats made with wheat. These will become a staple in our house.
These turned out great – super moist and nice flavor but not too sweet. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour and baked them in a mini bundt pan. No trouble getting them out of the pan either. Will definitely be making these again with our abundance of zucchini from the garden this year!
I just finish baking mine, waiting for them to cool. In the meantime, I tasted it with the spoon I used to flatten it down a bit in my glass pan. These brownies are AMAZING! I made a few adjustments: used Arthur Kings Flour, used coconut oil to grease pan, used just 1 cup of sugar (sugar in the raw) instead because my apple sauce was sweet. I baked for an extra 10 minutes. I also added pecans (can’t eat brownies without them). Thanks sooooo much! By the way, I also made your gf chocolate chip cookies and those left me speechless! Your baking is incredible!
After the flour mix and sugar mix are blended to resemble sand, the zucchini and cocoa powder are added. At this point, is it still supposed to resemble sand? Mine is barely starting to clump and certainly does not resemble a batter. Given the mixed success of repliers, I wonder if this is the sticking point? If the batter is still crumbly, should a baker add some water, oil, or more egg substitute until it resembles a batter?
Thanks!
Tried this recipe today, made everything according to the recipe and it was a total disaster. Baked for 40 mins and it is still raw inside. Had to throw everything to the garbage. The sides which baked does not taste like browny anyway… They were more like a muffin, rather than chewy browny. Happy others have more success with this one.
Same issue here. It was not good. Cooked on the outside and was cake like and the middle was raw. Gritty taste. I think it was the flour I used. Pillsbury GF. Waste.
I made this recipe for my husband’s boss who was recently in town and he thought that my chocolate concoction was amazing. He has Celiac’s disease and isn’t able to eat wheat flour. I used Pillsbury’s GF flour made with pea and rice flours plus tapioca and potato starch with xantham gun already added. Our garden has been producing a ton of zucchini, so I have trying lots of recipes to use it. I know this recipe was to be egg free, but went ahead and added 2 eggs. I used some dark chocolate mini chips and some milk chocolate chips to the mix, too. I bake GF for friends and have been successful with several recipes. I will do some research to see if I can substitute regular wheat flour to make this again for my family. Great recipe!
I was not sure about this recipe but did it turn out wonderfully! Used 1/4 c yogurt for applesauce and Carol Fenster’s flour blend and less sugar,about a cup. We put less chips in the batter then sprinkled more on top to melt into a chocolate “frosting”. Warmed up with frozen yogurt…too yummy! Thank you sooo much for this recipe. My GF son is beyond happy as he needs this large amount of zucchini for good digestion.
I’ve made this recipe now maybe a dozen times. Sometimes I use an egg if I don’t have applesauce on hand. It turns out amazing every time! People now ask me to make this for them. Thank you for the recipe!
Just made these! Was searching for a good gf recipe That’s also dairy free for a friend. Amazing!! After reading info/posts I did them in muffin tins & grabbed some gf King Arthur flour at the store & I had great results! (Never tried that kind before) I only had the namaste brand on hand from costco. Look forward to trying it again when I get more gf mamas almond blend flour ????
I made these yesterday and they were really yummy. Thank you! I made them in the 7×11 glass pan, and after baking for the max time, they were still quite gooey in the middle. We ate a couple of them and then put the rest back into the oven for another 15 minutes, and they set up better after that. I think next time I’ll try making them in cupcake pans. The zucchini I used was large and somewhat mealy – maybe that’s why they were so gooey? I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flout Mix. Thanks again for this recipe!
Just made these and they are in the oven I used Krusteaz gluten free flour mix the batter was yummy so Im hoping to the brownies are too
This was my first attempt at gluten free. AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!!! I used 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of applesauce. Next time I will use 1/2 cup of sugar and 3/4 cup of applesauce. My goal is also sugar free. I used Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix. It was even expired! I didn’t realize that when I bought it but I didn’t feel like returning it. I’m not a stickler for dates. I baked it as directed. The outer edges were to die for but the middle was not done. I cut the edges off, spread it out, baked it for 15 more minutes, and it was done! I baked it in 5 min intervals. VERY, VERY IMPRESSED!!!!
I just made these tonight. I don’t have a GF flour blend so just used what I had (1/2 cup each of buckwheat, coconut, almond and amaranth flours). I used coconut sugar instead of the white stuff and didn’t even measure out my zucchini, just eye balled using a med size one (with skin on!). I did not have the correct size of pan noted so simply scooped some into muffin tins and the balance into a mini loaf pan. I’m pretty sure I only cooked for 15 mins and then let them set for a bit in the warm pans. They turned out great – half gone already! Not sure what the complaints are for as I’m not even sure I followed the recipe but they turned out great!
I’m upping my rating LOL… These are the best brownies I have ever tasted! They are soooo good. Super moist. I made them in a cupcake pan and they only took 20 minutes to cook. They were perfect. Came out of the pan nice and easy. They didn’t fall apart and they definitely weren’t dry 🙂 Also, I mentioned the zucchini not being as small as I would have liked, but when cooked can even tell it is in there. Now just not to over-eat them 😉