#Recipes >> Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

These brownies are healthy though - with a few hidden ingredients and the use of substitutes for the usual butter and sugar & eggs, combined with the use of wholemeal flour; these brownies are actually good for you! I had some courgettes in the fridge that needed using up and I thought of the many times online I'd seen zucchini used in baking. I also found out that apple sauce (yes, you read that right) can be used in place of oil for a lower calorie alternative and I used chia seeds as the egg replacer.

The best thing about baking is the beautiful smell that fills the house, this recipe had a way of drawing my housemates to the kitchen and had them waiting by the oven, with facial expressions like it was Christmas when the timer finally went off. I mentioned that the brownies were healthy and did in fact contain vegetables, the response? "I don't care, they smell amazing", when you can convince students (without even trying) that vegan brownies containing vegetables are a great idea, you can definitely convince anyone!

After removing the brownies from the oven I then had to break the news that they needed to cool down slightly before I could cut into them and I also needed to take pictures first too. We compromised though, the edges are allowed to be consumed whilst photographing - to help the creative process of course!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp ground chia seeds + 3 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup dairy free milk
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup wholewheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup grated zucchini (2 small)
• 50g dark chocolate (I used 70%)

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and line a 8x8 baking tray with grease proof paper.
2. In the large bowl add the ground chia seeds, water, milk, apple sauce, vanilla & maple syrup and stir together.
3. In the medium bowl add the cocoa powder (sieve if needed), flour & baking powder & mix together. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet.
4. Peel, the zucchini, grate and squeeze the water out and add to the brownie batter. Then roughly chop the chocolate and add half of this into the bowl, fold the zucchini & chocolate into the mix.
5. Transfer the brownie mix into the baking tray, top with the rest of the chocolate and bake for 25 mins. 
6. Remove the brownies from the oven when cooked through and leave to cool before cutting. Then serve up and enjoy! Cassidy
7. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for a few days after making.

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