Vegan Peanut Butter Zucchini Brownies

These healthy Vegan Peanut Butter Brownies are gooey, decadent, and perfectly sweet--made with only one bowl and seven ingredients. They're gluten-free, too!

The best recipes come to me when I'm out of all the ingredients.

Raise your hand if you remember my Almond Butter Zucchini Bars from three million years ago. CRICKETS. Thank God I redid the photos.

Over three years ago, I was out of flour and thus made said bars out of almond butter. It was quite the life-changing day. So what's a food blogger to do when she's out not only of flour, but also of almond butter?

She uses peanut butter. Mainly because it was 10 for $10 at Kroger, but that's besides the point.

We're talking the drippy kind, my friends. The kind where you open in at there's a pool of occurring oil at the top that either nauseates you or excited you.

If you're thinking more the former, than know this. Commence the tirade!

Why Does Natural Peanut Butter Have Oil at the Top?

If it's not natural peanut butter and the company wants to get rid of this separation, they'll blast oil with hydrogen (hence the word "hydrogenated") to make the oil solid. This forms trans fats, AKA partially hydrogenated oil. Not the most fabulous thing now is it?

I like to buy drippy peanut butter. I store it upside down and then I mix in the oil with a knife once I open it and store it in the refrigerator. I store nuts and seeds in the refrigerator long term but let's be real, a jar of nut butter isn't lasting too long in this girl's pantry.

The good news is that peanut butter with just peanuts and salt as the ingredients is often very similar in price to regular peanut butter, like Kroger's natural peanut butter which is $1.86.  I buy Costco's Kirkland peanut butter because it's my favorite.

Key Ingredients

Guess what? You're only seven ingredients away from these flourless peanut butter zucchini brownies! They may be vegan and free but the best part is how EASY they are. One bowl. ONE BOWL. At this point it's like who even cares how they taste? I kid.

Jeff made them yesterday all by himself. This post was originally published three years ago and I wanted to give it a little refresh. You can make them in a loaf pan or an 8x8 inch pan but note that they have different cooking times.

Now lettuce chat about are what you need to whip up these wholesome brownies:

• natural peanut butter: the drippy kind with peanuts and salt as the ingredients.
• pure maple syrup: honey or agave would also work.
• ground flax: you could replace with an egg.
• shredded zucchini: the one and only. Don't squeeze the water out!
• cocoa powder: I use cacao, a more nutrient-dense version of cocoa powder, but any 100% cocoa is fine.
• baking soda: rise!
• chocolate chips: Costco and Trader Joe's have my favorite affordable chocolate chips.

Storage Tips

Let the brownies cool completely on a wire rack. I like to place the pan in the fridge once it's cool as this makes slicing foolproof. From there, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Microwave for a few seconds before eating for those melty chocolate chips!

Please let me know how this flourless peanut butter zucchini brownies recipe turns out for you by leaving a star rating and/or comment! Your house is about to smell soooooo good.

CRAVING MORE CHOCOLATEY GOODNESS? DON’T MISS MY OTHER GO-TO BAKING RECIPES:

• One Bowl Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread
• The Best Vegan Brownies Recipe
• Fudgy Vegan Raspberry Almond Butter Brownies
• Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Dark Chocolate Raspberry Black Bean Brownies

Flourless Peanut Butter Zucchini Brownies

★★★★★ 4.9 from 42 reviews

• Author: Alexis Joseph | Hummusapien
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 10 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

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Description

These healthy Flourless Peanut Butter Zucchini Brownies are gooey, decadent, and perfectly sweet--made with 1 bowl and 7 ingredients! They're free of refined sugar, flour, butter, and oil.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• ¾ cup natural peanut butter (I used salted)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup shredded zucchini (don't squeeze out water)
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ¼ cup chocolate chips (I like mini), plus more for sprinkling
• Optional: splash vanilla extract, pinch of salt if using unsalted peanut butter

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8inch baking dish or loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large bowl. Stir until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Dump mixture into loaf pan and use a spatula to spread evenly in pan (you can also wet your hands and pat it down). Sprinkle top with a handful of chocolate chips, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes.
4. Allow brownies to completely cool (I like to refrigerate mine overnight in the pan once cool) before slicing.

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Notes

• I find that natural drippy peanut butter works best,  not the hard kind. Look for the kind where the only ingredients are peanuts and salt. Can sub almond butter and omit sweetener for a paleo version.
• Feel free to replace flax with an egg instead if you're not vegan.
• Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Microwave for a few seconds before eating for those melty chocolate chips!