This Gluten Free Zucchini Brownies recipe is perfect for healthy snacks or dessert, goes great in school lunch bags, and uses up an abundance of zucchini. But you can’t see anything resembling a vegetable in it!

In Summer, and even into Autumn, I’ve usually got a never ending supply of zucchini and squash from my garden to eat. Zucchini are one of my favourite vegetables to grow, and I always end up planting too many (one year I had 8 plants in).

I like to plant Black Beauty (dark green), Golden Zucchini (yellow), Lebanese or Cocozelle Zucchini (pale green) as well as Yellow Button Squash, and occasionally Crookneck Squash for fun!

Sadly, my kids are zucchini-phobic. I don’t know if it is something they were born with, or developed at daycare, but my kids generally don’t like to eat anything obviously ‘green’. (Personally, I love green foods, they are my favourites! So they didn’t get it from me).

Little do they know, that does not deter me from planting eight zucchini plants each Spring. It just makes it an interesting challenge to me, to see how many recipes I can hide zucchini in without them knowing.

I mean, I tell them after they eat it, and they usually shrug their shoulders, nonchalantly like they knew all along.

zucchini brownie

MAKES

One dish 25cm x 25cm

INGREDIENTS

• 300gm of whole zucchini, which is about 2 medium or 1 large zucchini (should make about 2 cups once ends are chopped off & they are finely grated)
• 2 free range eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (or 125gm organic butter, melted)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup organic, raw sugar
• 2 tbsps muscovado or brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla powder, or extract
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1/2 cup maize flour
• 2 tsps gluten free baking powder
• ½ cup organic, raw cocoa powder

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS

METHOD

1. Pre-heat oven to moderate, about 180degreesC
2. Grease and line a baking dish, about 20 to 25cm square.
3. If using flaxseed, in a food mill, grind your flaxseed, set aside for now.
4. In a food processor, finely grate or shred the zucchini in a food processor. There is no need to squeeze out any juices.
5. Add the coconut oil (or butter), sugars and eggs to the food processor, and blend until combined (it’s OK if the grated zucchini gets further chopped up, it will just blend into the mix that way).
6. Add the flours, baking powder, cocoa powder, and ground flaxseed (if using). Mix or blend until just combined
7. If using raspberries, choc chips or nuts, blend them into the mix now (or you can add them on top of the batter once it is poured into the dish)
8. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
9. Bake until set, about 30 to 40 minutes in moderate oven. (Note: this recipe is a fudgy cake texture, but will still spring back when lightly touched when it is done. Of course, you can also poke a skewer in, to check if it is cooked through and comes out with no wet batter on it).
10. Allow to cool before lifting from baking dish. Slice and feed to hungry, unknowing children.
11. The gluten free zucchini brownies can be stored in an airtight container for several days, up to a week, though you may need to transfer it to the fridge in very humid or warm weather

NOTES

• The recipe can be made as muffins, makes about 12 regular sized muffins, baking for 20 to 25 minutes.
• You can use 1 1/2 cups of a bought gluten free plain flour mix (instead of the three flours I have listed in the recipe) but these often have vegetable gums in them, which can make for a better rise, but the gums can soak up moisture and your end result may vary, or be dry by the next day.
• Learn more about Low FODMAPs here