Tahini & Zucchini Fudgy Brownies
Brownies that are so fudgy, gooey, and chocolatey, you won’t even know there is zucchini hidden in them! You won’t be able to just eat one, it’s pure decadence.
Description
These brownies are so insanely good, I have to hide them in my fridge to avoid eating several at once. I prefer a thick, fudgy brownie and these are it. The zucchini keeps them moist, and you really can’t taste them at all. I also love tahini, because it adds a different kind of saltiness than a nut butter would, and pairs perfectly with the chocolate. Baking them in a smaller baking dish is key to achieving the thick and fudgy consistency. As always, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top really takes them to another level.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Finely Shredded Zucchini (About 2 zucchini's, excess water squeezed out)
- 1/2 cup Tahini
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 cup Lakanto Maple Flavored Sugar-Free Monk Fruit Syrup (See notes below)
- 1/2 cup Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener (See notes below)
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup Almond Flour (See notes below)
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tbsp Coconut Oil (Melted)
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup Lily's Mini Dark Chocolate Chips
- Flaky Salt for the top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350* F.
- Prepare an 8x8 baking dish by spraying with non-stick spray and placing parchment paper in to make it easier for removal after baking.
- Shred the zucchini using a box shredder or an attachment on your food processor. Make sure to use the smaller size to ensure it is finely shredded.
- Using a towel, or paper towel, squeeze the excess water out as much as possible into a bowl. You do not want any additional moisture in the batter, as it will become runny, and the brownies will not turn out as fudgy. Measure out the prepared zucchini shreds until you have 1 cup worth.
- Add zucchini to a bowl with the tahini, egg, syrup, sweetener, and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined.
- Stir in the cocoa powder, baking soda, melted coconut oil, and salt. The mixture will begin to become thick, which is good.
- Now add in the almond flour, and the batter should be very thick.
- Pour into prepared baking dish, top with the chocolate chips and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Check with a toothpick in the center to ensure it is cooked through. You will know it is done when the toothpick removal is clean or has small crumbs versus wet batter. Sprinkle flaky salt on top to ensure it sticks.
- Let cool in the baking dish for 15-20 minutes, then remove from the dish using the parchment paper sides and place on a cooling rack for another 15-20 minutes. You want to ensure it is fully cooled before cutting into these, so they keep their shape. You can also pop them in the fridge afterwards to help them become even more fudgy.
- Cut into 12 squares for serving. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge up to 5 days.
Notes
- Baking dish: You could also use a 9x9 pan. If you use anything larger, take note that the brownies will be much thinner, and likely won’t have the same fudginess as the thicker brownie in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.
- Maple Syrup and Sweetener: While I personally prefer the Lakanto brand which is a Monk fruit natural sweetener, you could sub out real maple syrup and sugar, or any other sugar substitute that you wish. As long as it is a 1:1 ratio sugar replacement.
- Flour: The almond flour helps the brownies obtain that fudgy texture we are looking for. Because of the lack of gluten in the almond flour, it makes the brownies denser. You could sub for all-purpose flour or coconut flour, however, it likely won’t be as fudgy.
Dessert, Brownies, Chocolate, Tahini, Fudge, Fudgy, Sweet, Zucchini