I don’t know about you, but it seems like when it comes to zucchini, when it rains, it pours! I don’t even have a garden (I’ve tried in the past, but all I usually end up doing is killing the plants that I am hoping will feed me later in the year). I have learned that I am better off hitting the farmers markets or relying on friends to supply me with tasty summer fruits and veggies.
This is the second year that I have opted to join the CSA craze (Consumer Supported Agriculture) and signed up with a local farm to get a weekly delivery of fresh fruits, veggies and so much more. We just picked up week 2’s crate on Wednesday and once again, there was more zucchini! I didn’t even end up using all of what I got last week (much of it is currently hanging out in my freezer to be used in the cold winter months). I had plans to do some more baking this weekend and those plans turned into “must do” activities after a coworker brought me MORE zucchini on Friday!
So it was time to whip up some favorites from last year and try a few new recipies! First up? Zucchini Brownies I found this recipe here (Zucchini Brownies) last year and it quickly became a household favorite. I even had friends asking me when I was bringing more to the ballpark so they could get their share of the treats.
These are by far some of the best brownies I have ever made and most people don’t even realize they are made with zucchini, are Gluten Free, Paleo Friendly, and with a few extra tweeks (noted below) even safe for me eat with all my currently dietary restrictions!
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond butter
- 1 1/2 cup grated zucchini
- 1/3 cup raw honey
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp baking soda
- i tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks
Preheat oven to 350
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
Pour into a greased 9×9 baking pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
As I mentioned, I have had to make a few minor tweaks to the recipe since I first made these last year, but it’s nothing that has changed the flavor, texture or YUM factor of these brownies.
Since I can’t have almonds right now, I have had to switch over to using cashew butter. Honestly, any nut butter will probably work, so feel free to experiment! I also am on a dairy free ( specifically free of cow and goat milk) diet, so I have had to change up the chocolate that I use. My favorite dairy free chocolate alternative is the Enjoy Life chocolate morsels. They taste and melt just like any other chocolate when I have used them in recipes!
Other than that, I really have not done anything to this recipe! Next time instead of the vanilla, I may try using either Mint or Caramel extract, just to see what it does to the flavor… just to kick it up a notch!
ENJOY!