Recipe: Chewy Zucchini Brownies (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between chewy and fudgy brownies? ›

The chewy brownie (center in the photo) is likely the one you know and love. It has—you guessed it—a thick and chewy outer crust with a rich chocolate center. A fudgy brownie (far left in the photo) is slightly underbaked and is very gooey and dense. It is for true chocoholics.

Chewy brownies must be slightly under-baked. One of the top mistakes to avoid when making brownies is waiting until there's no more crumbs on the toothpick to pull the pan from the oven. By that point they're close to over-baked, and you will lose out on that chewiness you want.

These brownies use very simple ingredients, a whole cup of zucchini, and no oil, refined flour or sugar. They are SO YUMMY! We use the natural moisture of zucchini instead of adding liquid. No need to squeeze the water out of the zucchini–we're using it.

Airtight Containers

Use parchment paper to layer brownies into an airtight container for best results. Tip: When storing brownies in an airtight container, add a slice of bread in with them. The moisture from the bread will help keep your brownies fresh and soft for a couple more days.

Ghirardelli's brownies weren't too sweet and had a denser, more fudgelike texture. They had the most intense flavor of the bunch, which I think came from the chocolate chips and the darker chocolate used in the batter. These were also fudgy, which is my personal preference for a brownie.

Duncan Hines Dolly Parton's Fabulously Fudgy Brownie Mix

And if you're looking for fudgy, this is the best brownie mix for you. Even the fully cooked brownie was like chewing brownie batter. And it doesn't end there.

What Does Zucchini Replace in Baking? Zucchini acts as a wet ingredient in baking. It doesn't necessarily replace a fat like oil or a binding ingredient like eggs, but it does add moisture and volume.

Note that while some brownie recipes do call for melted butter instead of oil, the butter can aerate the batter, altering the texture of the brownies and making them cakey rather than fudgy. So, while you can substitute butter for oil and vice versa, remember that it might alter the texture.

Yes, you can use olive oil in brownies!

In addition, it's an incredible preservative, so the brownies stay moist for longer! Olive oil has been gaining popularity in recent years as a substitute for butter and other vegetable oils in baked goods.

Do Brownies Need to Be Refrigerated? Brownies don't need to be refrigerated, but they'll hold up a few more days if they are. Unless your brownies include more perishable ingredients like fresh fruit or cream cheese frosting, they'll be fine at room temperature as long as they're stored in an airtight container.

Why do my brownies get hard after they cool? ›

If your brownies are turning out dry, it's for one of two reasons - either you've overcooked the brownies or there is too much flour in your recipe. Overcooked brownies?

If your self-control will allow it, we highly recommend eating your homemade brownies the day after you've baked them. Unlike most baked goods, chocolate brownies actually taste better the next day. It's thought the cooling time allows the flavours to meld together and lock in.

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

Fudgy brownies are moist, dense and gooey, with almost the texture of fudge, but not quite as compact. Chewy brownies are dense (like fudgy brownies), but have a little more “bite” to them or elastic texture when you chew them. Personally, I think that a fudgy brownie is the only way to go.

Achieving a fudgy brownie is all to do with the ratio of fat to flour. A fudgy brownie recipe will use more fat than flour. Generally this is achieved by adding more butter or real chocolate to your brownie recipe. A cakey brownie recipe on the other hand will call for more flour in the ratio of fat to flour.

Brownies contain flour and are more similar to cake. Fudge does not contain flour and is more like candy.