If soft, cakey, chocolatey brownies are your thing, say hello to what could be the healthiest brownies you might ever eat. They are not just low carb with one gram of sugar in each brownie; each of these luscious squares has just 120 calories and four grams of fiber. And that surprise ingredient? Zucchini, which adds a burst of moisture and healthfulness and makes these brownies so much more tastier. I tried these vegan keto brownies a couple of times and while my earlier versions tasted fine, I was rather unsatisfied with the texture. They were a bit dry and sandy, which is understandable given that there are no eggs here, as regular keto brownies would have, nor any sugar, which, as you know, acts as a “wet” ingredient in baking. Applesauce was out because it has too many carbs, and after much brain-racking I came up with the idea of adding zucchini, a keto-friendly veggie, into the mix. Zucchini is no stranger to desserts, and it is known for adding amazing moisture to them. In these vegan brownies it does that job amazingly well while keeping the carbs low and even reducing them by adding more fiber to the recipe. The zucchini disappears into the batter, so no one will know it’s in there unless you tell them.
Why you’ll love these vegan keto brownies
They are delicious. These brownies are amazingly perfect–moist and cakey and soft, with tons of chocolate flavor infused in every bite. I have an optional but tasty topping suggestion for you, which will make them even more chocolatey, and you can strew almonds on top if you like nuts in your brownies. They are healthy. So, so healthy. Just 120 calories and three net grams of carbs, and the goodness of cacao and veggies and almond flour! There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t eat one of these miracles. They are easy. The recipe needs just seven ingredients, and you put it together in one bowl in under 15 minutes. They are suitable for most diets. The recipe is friendly to keto and low-carb eaters, of course, but it is also gluten-free and soy-free.
Where can I find vegan keto chocolate chips?
Time was when vegan chocolate chips (and vegan white chocolate chips) were hard to find but luckily those times are far behind us. But now vegan keto chocolate chips? The chocolate chips in these brownies are optional, but I recommend adding them for more heavenly chocolateyness.
How to make vegan keto brownies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 by 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang so you can easily lift out the brownie when baked. Place the grated zucchini with any juices in a bowl. Stir in the melted vegan butter, flax egg and vanilla into the zucchini.
Stir in the erythritol or any keto approved sweetener. Add the almond flour and cacao powder and mix with spatula until everything is moistened.
Stir in the keto chocolate chips, if using. Mix until they are dispersed throughout the batter. The batter will look rather dry at this point but don’t worry–the zucchini will express moisture as it bakes. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. I hold back a few chocolate chips and strew them on top.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the top feels firm. Don’t overbake as you might end up drying the brownies too much. Let the pan cool thoroughly on a rack before lifting the brownie from the pan and slicing it. Optional topping*: To make the optional topping, melt the chocolate chips with the butter in the microwave or over a double boiler. Use a spoon to pour it over the baked brownie. Strew the sliced almonds on top, pressing them into the chocolate. Let the chocolate harden before slicing.
*Adding the optional topping will increase calories to 164 per brownie and net carbs to 4 grams. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
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