Frosted Zucchini Brownies (without eggs!)

Recipe adapted from BlogChef

I promised you that I was working on a fabulous new recipe - and here it is!! Anyone that has tried to make "egg-less" brownies knows that it is hard to do. They never seem to work out right - one way or another something goes wrong. Of course, there are always the black bean brownies using a box of cake mix and a can of black beans. Or you can use a box of cake mix and a can of coke. But, for those of us who don't like using boxed mixes or soda in our cooking, good brownies are hard to make.

When I saw this recipe on pinterest, I knew I had to try it. Imagine - a brownie recipe with no eggs! And with zucchini - so they will be a little bit healthy. Or we can think that way, right?  Of course, I had to tweak these to my liking. I changed a few things to make them even healthier and I think they turned out fabulous!! So did the family.

Now, if you are looking for brownies that you can cut into perfect squares to be served at your very elegant event, these are not it. They are a bit gooey and fell apart slightly when cut. To remedy that, I stored them in the refrigerator. The second day, they came out of the pan much better. But I still wouldn't consider them a "pretty" brownie. Just very tasty!

Here are the ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut oil*

1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar (I used half turbinado sugar and half regular sugar)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups wonder flour**

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups shredded zucchini

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (these are optional - I chose to leave them out.)

You can find walnuts that have not touched peanuts at Costco, but they have been manufactured at the same facility as other tree nuts. Just an FYI)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray (or use parchment paper).

In a large bowl, mix together coconut oil, turbinado sugar and vanilla extract until well blended. In another bowl, combine the wonder flour,  cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. A little at a time, stir into the sugar mixture. . Fold in zucchinis and walnuts (if using).  The batter will be dry and crumbly, don't worry.  *My only complaint with the brownies (which might have been my fault) was that there were a few spots were the batter was still dry, even after cooking. To remedy this, you might want to add another tablespoon or 2 of coconut oil. Or just make sure you mix very well to ensure that all the batter gets coated with the "wet" ingredients. After it is mixed to your liking, spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the brownies spring back when gently touched. Remove from oven and allow them to cool.

** If you are new to my blog and are wondering what wonder flour is, check out this video on how to make it. It can be purchased already milled, but it is super easy and more cost-effective to make it yourself. 

Chocolate Frosting:

6 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup butter

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup non-dairy milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt together cocoa powder and butter. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend confectioner's sugar, non-dairy milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Stir in the butter/cocoa mixture. Spread over completely cooled brownies and cut into squares - or refrigerate until set for easier cutting.