Look, these gluten free zucchini brownies are the kind of recipe that makes you feel like you’re getting away with something. They’re intensely chocolatey, almost obscenely fudgy, and somehow contain an entire zucchini that completely vanishes into thick, dark brownie heaven. No weird aftertaste, no “healthy” texture, just really good brownies that happen to be gluten-free and vegetable-enhanced.
They come together in one bowl, bake in half an hour, and store beautifully. Make a batch on Sunday and you’ve got dessert sorted for the week, or freeze them for those emergency chocolate situations we all have.
What Makes These Brownies So Damn Good
✾ Actually fudgy with that shiny, crackly top and dense center
✾ One bowl, minimal cleanup because who wants to wash five bowls for brownies?
✾ Zucchini completely disappears into chocolate—zero vegetable flavor
✾ Naturally gluten-free using almond flour (no gritty gluten-free flour blends)
✾ Ready in 35 minutes from deciding you need brownies to pulling them from the oven
✾ Freezes perfectly for up to 3 months
What Goes Into These Fudgy Squares
• 1½ cups grated zucchini, squeezed dry (about 1 medium zucchini)
• 2 cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal—there’s a difference)
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (use the good stuff)
• ¾ cup coconut sugar (or regular brown sugar if that’s what you have)
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil (or any neutral oil)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips (plus extra for the top because why not)
Quick Notes: Squeeze that zucchini like your brownie success depends on it—because it does. Grate it, wrap it in a clean dish towel, and twist hard over the sink. You’ll get rid of 2-3 tablespoons of liquid that would otherwise make your brownies gummy. The drier the zucchini, the fudgier the brownies.
Blanched almond flour matters here. Almond meal (the kind with brown flecks from the skins) will make these taste slightly bitter and look speckled. Blanched almond flour is finely ground from skinless almonds and creates that smooth, brownie texture you’re after. Bob’s Red Mill and Costco’s Kirkland brand both work great.
Let’s Bake These Brownies Together
1 Deal with the zucchini first.
Grate your zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Grab a clean kitchen towel, dump the grated zucchini in the center, gather the edges, and twist it over the sink like you’re wringing out a wet swimsuit. Seriously squeeze hard—you want to get out as much liquid as possible. Set the squeezed zucchini aside. This step is non-negotiable for fudgy (not soggy) brownies.
2 Get your oven and pan ready.
Preheat to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on two opposite sides—this becomes your handle for lifting out the brownies later. Give the parchment a light spray or brush with oil so nothing sticks.
3 Whisk the dry stuff together.
Dump your almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk it all together until it’s one uniform color with no streaks or lumps. If your almond flour has clumps (it happens), break them up with your fingers. This ensures you won’t bite into a pocket of raw almond flour later.
4 Mix the wet ingredients.
In another bowl, whisk together eggs, melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla. Whisk for about 30 seconds until it looks smooth and glossy. The sugar doesn’t need to completely dissolve, but everything should be well combined.
5 Combine everything.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until you barely see any dry flour—some streaks are fine. Now fold in your squeezed zucchini and chocolate chips. Mix just until everything’s incorporated. The batter will be thick, almost like cookie dough. That’s exactly what you want. Overmixing makes tough brownies, so stop as soon as it looks combined.
6 Get it in the pan.
Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Since it’s thick, it won’t level itself—use your spatula to push it into the corners and smooth the top. Throw a few extra chocolate chips on top if you’re feeling fancy.
7 Bake until just set.
Bake for 28-32 minutes. The edges should look set and dry, and a toothpick poked in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter, but not totally clean either). The top might crack slightly, which is actually a good sign. For maximum fudginess, pull them at 28 minutes. For a slightly firmer texture, go to 32 minutes.
8 Cool completely—this is important.
Let the brownies sit in the pan for 15 minutes, then use your parchment handles to lift the whole thing onto a cooling rack. Now wait at least 30 minutes before cutting. Gluten-free brownies need this cooling time to firm up since they don’t have gluten holding them together. For the cleanest cuts, refrigerate for 20 minutes, then slice with a sharp knife, wiping it clean between cuts.
Avoid Rookie Mistakes: Do This Instead
✾ Temperature matters with almond flour. Store it in the fridge or freezer to keep it fresh. Rancid almond flour tastes bitter and will ruin your brownies. If it smells off or like old oil, toss it.
✾ For extra chocolate intensity, stir 1 teaspoon of espresso powder into the dry ingredients. It won’t taste like coffee—it just makes the chocolate flavor deeper and more complex.
✾ Don’t overbake these. They’ll continue cooking in the pan after you pull them from the oven. Slightly underbaked gluten free zucchini brownies firm up perfectly as they cool. Overbaked ones get dry and crumbly.
✾ Storage is easy: Room temperature in an airtight container for 3 days, refrigerated for 5 days, or frozen for 3 months. To freeze, wrap individual brownies in plastic wrap, then toss them all in a freezer bag. Pull one out whenever you need a chocolate fix.
✾ Make them nut-free by swapping almond flour for sunflower seed flour in the same amount. They’ll have a slightly different flavor and might turn greenish (a harmless reaction with baking soda), but they’ll still be delicious.
Curious About the Numbers?
• Calories: 165
• Total Fat: 12g
• Carbohydrates: 13g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 9g
• Protein: 4g
• Sodium: 95mg
✾ Nutrition information is estimated and will vary based on specific ingredients and brands used.
Questions Everyone Asks About These Brownies
➲ Will these taste like zucchini?
Not even a little bit. Once baked with cocoa and chocolate, the zucchini is completely undetectable. It’s there for moisture and texture, not flavor. Even people who claim to hate zucchini won’t know it’s in there.
➲ Can I substitute regular flour for the almond flour?
Not in a direct swap, no. Almond flour and wheat flour behave completely differently—different absorption, different fat content, totally different structure. If you need a wheat-based version, you’d be better off starting with a traditional brownie recipe and adding zucchini to that.
➲ Do I really need to squeeze the zucchini that hard?
Yes. The liquid in zucchini will make your brownies dense and wet in a bad way if you don’t remove it. Think of it this way: you’re concentrating the zucchini’s flavor and texture while ditching the water that would mess up your brownies.
➲ Can I make these in a 9×13 pan?
The batter will spread too thin in a 9×13 and you’ll get thin, crispy brownies instead of thick fudgy ones. Stick with an 8×8 or 9×9 for the right texture. If you want more brownies, double the recipe and use the 9×13.
Final Bite: Why You’ll Keep Coming Back to These
These gluten free zucchini brownies are proof that you can sneak vegetables into dessert without anyone being the wiser. They’re genuinely delicious—the kind of brownies you’d make even if they didn’t have hidden vegetables, even if you didn’t need them to be gluten-free. The fudgy texture, the chocolate intensity, the satisfying thickness—it all works.
✾ Homemade Gluten Free Bagels in 2 Hours (Finally!)
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✾ Homemade Gluten Free Graham Crackers in 30 Minutes
✾ Vegan Blueberry Muffins With Crumble That Fool Everyone (30 Min!)
Made these? Let me know how they turned out in the comments below. Did anyone guess the secret ingredient? Rate the recipe if you loved it, and feel free to share photos on Instagram and tag us @hdrecipe.co nothing makes my day like seeing your baking successes.
Table of Contents
Fudgy Gluten Free Zucchini Brownies
Ingredients
- 1½ cups grated zucchini squeezed dry
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides.
- Grate zucchini and squeeze dry using a clean kitchen towel. Remove as much liquid as possible. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- In another bowl, whisk eggs, melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Fold in squeezed zucchini and chocolate chips.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Top with extra chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake 28-32 minutes until edges are set and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Cool completely before slicing.
