Fudgy Zucchini Cake/Brownies

Happy weekend, all!

The weekends call for long, luxurious meals.  Laughter with friends.  Afternoons spent whiled away in bookstores.  Huge mugs of tea.  Brunching.  Walks outside (especially with this weather!).  And something decadent and delicious for dessert.

What if I told you I had the ultimate brownie recipe to hand over?  Fudgy, decadent, rich, and yet a generous slab only clocking in at 200 calories.  Excited yet??  You should be.  This is my new go-to chocolate recipe when I find myself craving something satisfying and delectable but without all the extra calories.

Behold.  Zucchini brownies with avocado chocolate frosting!!!  (The frosting is a separate recipe link).  Of course, you do not have to frost these with the avocado frosting.  One could use store brought frosting if preferred.  Nutella.  Cream cheese frosting.  No frosting.  The possibilities are endless (though this may change the calorie count, bringing it up much higher depending on what you choose).

This recipe is lactose-free.  However it isn’t gluten-free.  I use coconut sugar as opposed to refined sugar, so its a bit better for you.

Fudgy Zucchini Cake/Brownies

2 cups of grated zucchini (I used a cheese grater to do this)

1 cup coconut sugar

1 1/3 cup applesauce (I used unsweetened)

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2/3 cup flour (wheat flour or oat flour are both great)

1 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Optional add-ins:

About a cup of chocolate chips and/or nuts (I used bittersweet dairy free chocolate chips)

1.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Grease a 9×13 inch pan. 
2. Mix together the zucchini, sugar, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla in a medium sized bowl.
3. Stir together the remaining (dry) ingredients in a separate bowl. 
4. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until combined. 
5. Stir in the chocolate chips and/or nuts if using. 
6. Bake for about 40-45 minutes.  Frost with the avocado frosting if desired.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Store the brownies in the fridge inside an airtight container.  They will stay fresh for up to about four days.  I recommend these served cool, just out of the fridge.  They are SUPER yum with fruit on top.