Zucchini Brownies

Gluten-free

Adapted from King Arthur Flour recipe 

Last year I saw this recipe while I was researching what I could do with all the zucchini sitting in my fridge. I mean there are only so many bowls of zucchini noodles that one can eat. One of the reasons that I was drawn to this recipe is because it was another way for me to eat veggies. 

When I got my Ostomy about 2 years ago, my diet drastically changed. Before the ostomy, I pretty much lived off of fruits and veggies. I could eat 3 apples without even thinking. I had a huge plate of veggies (with a wee bit of protein) for dinner most nights. Then I got the ostomy. They said that I would be able to eat the same way. My doctors said that I could eat whatever I wanted after I got it. That is not what happened. 

After the ostomy, I pretty much could not eat any fibrous anything without being completely blocked for the next 24 hours. One time I even ended up in the emergency room after being blocked for 36 hours.  From that point on, I pretty much ate all my veggies in purred or juiced form and even then it was tricky. Zucchini is one of the only veggies that I can eat without too many consequences so I tend to eat quite a lot of it (aside from the oodles of root veggies) and it can get a little boring. 

The idea that I could put zucchini in a brownie was like a giant, cartoon lightbulb lit up above my head. And I just got a new food processor so, double win. I had an excuse to use it. 

There are a couple things that I changed from the original recipe: sugars, flour and the amount of cocoa powder. The original recipe called for cane sugar, which I am trying to pare back, so I swapped it for my favorite combo of coconut sugar and maple syrup. Maple syrup is great because it also adds some necessary moisture and depth of flavor. 

The other change is the butter. Instead of using all butter, I like a mix of tahini and butter. Butter has a flavor that can’t be beat, but the tahini gives you a bit more protein. If you would prefer to make these dairy-free, use oil instead of butter (and omit the milk powder). 

When I first made this recipe, the chocolate flavor wasn’t as intense. I upped the cocoa content slightly (original called for 2/3 cup cocoa) to give a richer chocolate flavor. 

And of course, I made it gluten-free with my favorite flour: oat flour. I love oat flour. You get added fiber, good flavor and chew all without the gluten. 

These little guys are a great snack or treat that are worth a try. 

Recipe

8oz zucchini (one 6-7 inch long zucchini), cut into medium-sized chunks (230g)

1 tbsp butter (12g)

2 tbsp tahini (32g)

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup (72g) coconut sugar

1/4 cup (65g) maple syrup 

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp espresso powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup oat flour

1 tbsp nonfat dry milk powder (if you don’t have it, don’t worry just leave out, but it adds to the tenderness of the brownie)

1/2 cup chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 8inch baking pan with tin foil and grease well with oil or butter. 

In a small, microwave safe bowl, combine the butter and tahini. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute until the butter is melted. Stir together to combine. Set aside. 

In the bowl of a food processor or high power blender, throw in the zucchini, butter-tahini mixture, eggs and vanilla and blend until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Add the coconut sugar, maple syrup, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt, oat flour and baking powder and blend again for another 3 minutes or until smooth. 

Add the chocolate chips (saving some to sprinkle on top before baking) and blend again for 2 minutes. 

Pour batter into 8in square baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. These brownies are super fudgy so let them cool completely before cutting. They are the perfect not-so-sweet treat for after dinner or a topped with almond butter and pomegranate seeds (a la Padma Lakshmi) for a snack.