Low Fat Zucchini Brownies are dark, fudgy chocolate squares with no butter and no oil in the batter. Yogurt and grated zucchini keep them moist, cocoa and chocolate chips make them rich, and they are the perfect way to use up a garden zucchini on a summer afternoon or bake a lighter treat for a lunchbox.
How to make low fat zucchini brownies: whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla and yogurt, stir in flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, fold in grated zucchini and chocolate chips, then bake in an 8×8 pan at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- No butter, no oil. Yogurt does the job fat usually does in the batter.
- Ten minutes of prep. Two bowls, one spatula, no mixer needed.
- Fudgy, not dry. The zucchini melts into the crumb and keeps every square soft.
- Uses up zucchini. Up to 2 cups of it disappear into one small pan.
Ingredient Notes
Zucchini. Peel it and grate it on a box grater. You need 1 1/2 to 2 cups.
Yogurt. Plain yogurt replaces the butter or oil. Greek yogurt works too.
Sugar. Regular granulated sugar or coconut sugar both work.
Cocoa. Natural or Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa both work here. Sift it if it has lumps.
Chocolate chips. Use semisweet chips, and save a few to scatter on top before baking.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt or unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups zucchini, peeled and grated
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, plus a few extra for the top
How to Make Low Fat Zucchini Brownies
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
2. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, vanilla, sugar and yogurt until well combined. Let the bowl sit for 5 minutes so the sugar dissolves.
3. Mix the dry ingredients. In a second bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt until no lumps remain.
4. Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir only until just combined, with no dry streaks left.
5. Fold in zucchini and chips. Fold in the grated zucchini and the chocolate chips.
6. Bake. Spread the thick batter in the pan, scatter a few extra chips on top and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with sticky crumbs but no wet batter.
7. Cool and cut. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan, then lift them out by the parchment and cut into 12 squares.
Fudgy, Not Cakey: Where It Is Won or Lost
Without butter or oil, the line between a fudgy brownie and a dry chocolate cake is thin. Three moments decide which side you land on.
The 5-minute rest. Let the sugar dissolve into the eggs and yogurt for 5 minutes before the flour goes in. Do not skip it.
The mixing. Once the flour is in, stir only until it disappears. Then fold in the zucchini and chips gently.
The bake. This is the big one. Overbaking is what turns these cakey. Start checking at 20 minutes.
| Toothpick in the center | What it means |
|---|---|
| Wet, shiny batter | Not done; bake a few more minutes and check again |
| Moist, sticky crumbs | Done; take them out now |
| Completely clean | Gone a little long; they will be more cakey |
Then wait. Cut them only once they have cooled completely in the pan; a 30-minute chill makes them even fudgier.
Tips for Success
Why are my brownies gummy in the middle?
They came out while the center was still wet batter. Check with a toothpick: you want sticky crumbs, not wet streaks.
Why is my batter full of cocoa lumps?
Cocoa powder clumps in the bag. Sift it if it looks lumpy, and mix the dry ingredients in their own bowl until no lumps remain before they meet the wet ones.
Which Pan to Use
Bake this batter in an 8×8-inch pan. Grease it and line it with parchment paper so you can lift the whole slab out once it has cooled and cut neat squares on a board. If you want a 9×13 pan of brownies, use the egg-free version below, which is built for that size.
Variations
- Add walnuts. Fold 1/2 cup of walnut pieces in with the chocolate chips.
- A hint of spice. Whisk 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon into the dry ingredients.
- Egg-free version. Swap the eggs and yogurt for 1/2 cup of applesauce and 2 small mashed bananas, and bake in a 9×13 pan at 350°F for about 25 minutes, until the top springs back when touched.
Storage & Reheating
Keep the brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. They are good straight from the fridge.
What to Serve With It
Serve these with a cold glass of milk, or cut them small for a lunchbox treat. When you want the full-butter version of chocolate comfort, try the brownie bread, the banana bread brownies or the French silk pie brownies, or bake a chocolate brownie cake for a birthday. Still have zucchini to use up? Make baked zucchini fries or skillet zucchini and mushrooms for dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use applesauce instead of yogurt?
Yes. Use the same 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce, which also makes the brownies dairy-free. The method stays exactly the same.
How do I store zucchini brownies?
In an airtight container in the fridge, where they keep for up to 1 week.
Can I use whole wheat flour?
Yes. Use 1 cup of whole wheat flour in place of the all-purpose flour, measured the same way.
Final Notes
I always start checking at 20 minutes, because a few extra minutes is the difference between fudgy and cakey here. If you bake a pan, tell me in the comments how they turned out and how much zucchini you hid in them.
Low Fat Zucchini Brownies
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Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt or unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted if lumpy
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups zucchini peeled and grated
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips plus a few extra for the top
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Mix the eggs, vanilla, sugar and yogurt until well combined. Let sit 5 minutes so the sugar dissolves.
- In a second bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt until no lumps remain.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir only until just combined.
- Fold in the grated zucchini and the chocolate chips.
- Spread in the pan, scatter a few extra chips on top and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with sticky crumbs but no wet batter.
- Cool completely in the pan, then lift out and cut into 12 squares.
Notes
Nutrition
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