Fudgy Zucchini Brownies With Fresh Milled Spelt Flour
These fudgy brownies prove you don’t have to choose between real food ingredients and rich dessert. Freshly milled spelt flour adds a subtle nuttiness, zucchini keeps every bite incredibly moist, and just a small amount of sugar lets the rich chocolate be the star of the show. Topped with a maple syrup-sweetened cream cheese frosting, they’re a decadent dessert made with simple, real ingredients.
Equipment
- 1 Grain mill
- 1 box shredder or regular cheese grater
- 1 9x9 baking pan
- Parchment Paper
- stand mixer or hand mixer with whisk attachment
- 1 Large glass bowl
- Whisk
- 1 Small saucepan
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 1 stick salted butter
- 1 bag dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup finely grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup fresh milled spelt flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp unrefined salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
For the Frosting
- 3 oz softened cream cheese
- 4 tbsp softened butter
- 3 tbsp real maple syrup
- 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2-3 tbsp half & half or cream
Instructions
Make the Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°, and line a 9x9" baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Heat a small saucepan over low heat, and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the bag of dark chocolate chips. Stir gently until the chocolate is melted and it is a smooth consistency. Stir in the vanilla extract & set aside.
- Mill the spelt berries on your grain mill's finest setting. Set aside.
- Using a box shredder, grate the zucchini using the finest side. Squeeze out a little bit of the extra moisture, but some is ok! You don't want the zucchini to be dry.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs.
- Add the sugar and the chocolate sauce to the eggs, stirring until fully combined. Mix in the zucchini.
- Add the spelt flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Stir until just combined.
- Gently fold in the 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips to the brownie batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, and bake the brownies for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean.
Make the Frosting
- While the brownies cool, make the frosting by whipping together the softened butter & cream cheese in a stand mixer using the whisk attachment.
- Add the maple syrup, and whip the frosting until it is smooth and creamy.
- Add the cocoa powder, and keep mixing the frosting while gradually adding the half and half or cream until the frosting is a nice, spreadable consistency.
- Frost the brownies. You can either slice and enjoy them warm, or chill them in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. My favorite is to enjoy them cold!