These homemade soft and chewy chocolate chip zucchini bars are great for a healthy dessert or snack.
There’s NO oil required for these chocolate chip zucchini bars ♥
It’s a safe bet that if you invite me over, I won’t show up empty-handed.
The reality of being someone who makes desserts for a living is that I always have way too much food in my apartment, and there’s no possible way I can eat it all by myself (although I do a pretty good job!).
On Saturday morning, I made four batches of these chocolate chip zucchini bars, playing around with the ingredients until I came up with the perfected recipe that yielded bars with a deliciously soft and gooey blondie texture.
Leftover Zucchini? Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread
The zucchini adds moisture to the recipe, enabling one to cut back on the fat without sacrificing flavor.
With batches of zucchini bars now threatening to take over my kitchen, I was happy for an excuse to carefully package them and take some with me to a Halloween party.
Using up leftovers + finding a large group of taste testers for my recipe free of charge + making people happy with a homemade dessert = win win win.
This year I went as a biker chick, complete with a faux leather jacket, spikey stilettos that I grew to abhor as the night progressed, and an adorable chick hat handmade by a sweet lady on Etsy.
(And now I am just a little obsessed with Etsy…)
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because it involves three of my favorite things: puns, costumes, and eating copious amounts of chocolate.
Not that I don’t already do that last one every other day of the year…
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup finely shredded zucchini (I used a food processor) (120g)
- 1 cup almond butter or allergy-friendly sub
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp flour (I had success with spelt, white, sorghum, almond, and ww pastry)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar of choice or xylitol
- 1/4 cup or more chocolate chips
Instructions
- Zucchini Bars Recipe: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, gently heat the nut butter if it is not already stir-able, then stir in the zucchini and vanilla. Set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, sugar of choice, and chocolate chips. Pour dry ingredients into wet and keep stirring—it may seem dry at first, so be sure to break up the nut butter and stop occasionally to scrape it off your spoon. It will eventually get gooey like cookie dough. Transfer the batter into the pan, and smooth down evenly. Press chocolate chips into the top if desired. Bake for 10 minutes. When you take the bars out, the top will look set but underneath they will still be quite undercooked. This is good! Leave the bars to cool for at least 20 minutes, and they will firm up during this time. They taste even sweeter the next day!View Nutrition Facts
Notes
Have you made this recipe?
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Danielle @ Chits and Chats and Chocolate says
Ooh these look so rich and perfect! I love your Halloween costume, and I agree; Etsy is quite addicting!
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says
You had me at soft & gooey. These look perfect and I love the limited ingredients in this recipe too.
Rossi @ A Baking Girl says
Zucchini and peanut butter?! Sounds crazy, but I bet it totally works!
Carrie (This Fit Chick) says
I love the zucchini element to these babies!
Hailey says
Yummy! And great costume!
Lucy says
I’ve never baked with zucchini before- can you taste it in the finished bars? Thanks!
PS: Katie you should make granola! I bet I know what your first flavour would be XD
Chocolate Covered Katie says
You can’t… it’s like carrot cake in the way you don’t taste any veggies. Just dessert!
Cassie says
Sweet! Totally making this soon! <3
Jodi@prairiekuchen says
Took my 2 kids trick or treating and carved a pumpkin. I had good intentions of dressing up with them and making it a family ordeal – but I had all I could do with getting them dressed up 🙂
JoolryLane says
Definitely gonna make these !! Thank you 🙂
JoolryLane says
How do I add the picture to my post?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Google “how to avatar wordpress” 🙂
Unofficial CCK Helper says
Just google “how to make an avatar web” and many helpful tutorial links will pop up. Good luck!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
I’ve had zucchini chocolate chip muffins before, but not bars! Definitely making these 🙂
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
These look awesome! I need to use zucchini more often and this looks like a delicious way to do just that!
candace says
what kind of PB do you use?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I like Whole Foods 365 crunchy.
EVA says
I’m not gonna lie, I’m “goth” metalhead, and to me you look like an emo middleschooler! Ha! At least that’s what middle school around here looked like.
This year, I had a fever but wanted to sit outside and watch the wee ones in their costumes. UNFORTUNATELY Chicago was hit with high wind warnings and it was literally hailing every 15 minutes. So, I just ate on Halloween paper plates for dinner from the dollar store as my “celebrating”. So lame!
Anonymous says
Rude much, Eva?
EVA says
I don’t remember saying it was a bad thing, actually. It’s Halloween and that’s what I interpreted her costume to be; so what? It brings me back in time to my days of middle school! Back to the last years of my trick-or-treating! YEESH.
Olivia says
Hey Katie! These look delicious! Love your costume too. I went as a doctor this year! It was thrown together last minute, but I popped the lenses out of some really big, goofy reading glasses and added a fake fuzzy mustache so it looked pretty funny! I’m so glad to hear you shop on Etsy, I love it too because I love to support handmade art! I dont want to go advertising on your site but I got excited when you mentioned Etsy, I wanted to show you my own Etsy shop because it’s kind of related to your site – except instead of your passion for making edible food, my passion is making tiny (non-edible!) food! This is mine:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/livvylee
Also, have you seen the handmade insulated cloth food baggies that zip up? You can wash them and reuse them instead of wasting the disposable plastic baggies. Those are definitely my next Etsy purchase because they’re so cute!
Olivia
Diana says
You are BRILLIANT! I made them today because I had bought zucchini because it looked good at the store but I had no idea what to do with it. And then I came on your blog and saw this recipe and it was like it was meant to be!
And they came out just as good as I imagined. They are gooey and SO good. I followed the recipe to a to except using almond butter. ❤️❤️
Diana says
Oh and I used coconut sugar for my sugar of choice.
Ilona @ Ilona's Passion says
Perfect healthy zucchini bread, yum:)
Elizabeth says
These look great! Katie – after you shred the zucchini, do you squeeze the water out of it or use it as is?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Use as is, liquid and all! I used a food processor, so I really do mean to shred it finely.
Stephanie says
Mine were total goo…. I mixed it back up with one egg and baked again, now they’re like a real bar… ?? Did I do something wrong? I was surprised there wasn’t an egg on your recipe…
Jason Sanford says
Hmmm, I didn’t have that issue when I made these, but maybe you just got an extra watery zucchini or something? Also they do need time in the fridge to set. Happy you were able to fix yours with an egg, but if you ever don’t want to use an egg, you can also just try putting them only loosely covered in the fridge overnight so they’ll firm up that way 🙂
Brianna says
Okay so i just made these this afternoon and they turned out amazing! I made a couple changes however to make them grain free!!! First I substituted the 2/3 cup of sugar for 2/3 cup of maple syrup. Second, I used 1/4 cup of coconut flour instead of the 1/4 and 2 tbsp of regular flour. I also cooked it a bit longer, but didn’t track how much extra time it took. Anyway they were delicious! I will definitely make it again!
For halloween I re-used my costume from last year, I was a big-booty grandma. I’m pregnant this year so i went as a pregnant grandma, and used the butt padding i had as extra belly, to make me really pop out!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thank you for making them!
Sarah says
Have you used PB2 in any of your recipes? I am just wondering if it bakes the same as regular peanut butter…Thanks!
Emily says
Hi,
I was thinking of doing the same (substituting regular peanut butter with PB2) but then I thought about the oil in the regular peanut butter that the PB2 is lacking…I think the oil would probably be essential in this recipe (since the ingredients don’t contain any other oils) and especially because it’s going to be baked. The bars might come out too dry.
That’s my thought.
If you do try it, though, let me know how it goes 🙂
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I use it in the Peanut Butter Jelly Smoothie and the Peanut Butter Chips recipes… some others as well. Google “chocolate covered katie pb2” for all the places I have used it: https://www.google.com/search?q=chocolate+covered+katie+pb2&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS580US580&oq=chocolate+covered+katie+pb2&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64.3781j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=0&ie=UTF-8
Unofficial CCK Helper says
Here are some recipes where she uses pb2! 🙂
-homemade peanut butter chips
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2013/04/22/healthy-homemade-vegan-peanut-butter-chips/
-inside out pb cups
-peanut butter mug cake
-pb jelly smoothie
Jules @ WolfItDown says
Only eight ingredients?! Fantastic! 😀 x
Jordan @ The Balanced Blonde says
Sooo I guess I need to make these ASAP. Considering I love zucchini, chocolate chips, blondies and anything CCK approved. But the best part about this post is by far your biker costume!! Xox
Jenna says
I just made them. They are wonderful!
Xoxo
trajayjay says
You know those coloring book activities that are labeled 1, 2, 3, and so on. Then they ask you to color it according to the number. I dressed as one of those except gorier. I think lots of ppl loved it. I certainly did.
Brenda Johnston says
Thank you so much! Just made these–the dough tasted great–they are now in the oven and smell amazing!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thank YOU for making them!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Your hat is adorable! I love Etsy! I’m so pumped that there’s no oil in these bars… I have all the ingredients and I’m definitely making these soon 🙂
Katie Darvin says
Do you think that we could use a yellow zucchini so it is less noticeable? they look soooo good and I could trick my friends into eating healthy blondes! mwah-ha-ha-ha
Chocolate Covered Katie says
You can definitely sub yellow zucchini.
Kelly says
These look and sound amazing!
xx Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
Caralyn @ glutenfreehappytummy says
stilettos always seem like a good idea at the beginning of the night…i feel your pain sistah! 😀 cute outfit!
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says
YUM! I love how you snuck in zucchini into these treats! That means I can eat the whole batch at once, right?
Ana @ Ana's Rocket Ship says
Wow, I love that hat! And Halloween is just a reason to eat even more chocolate!
Sarah says
Saw this recipe and immediately made a batch! So yummy and definitely gooey! I used crunchy peanut butter which added a bit of a crunch also.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thank you for trying them!
Hannah says
This recipe is a keeper! They were really easy to throw together and the only thing I needed to buy was the zucchini. Your recipes always turn out fantastic and these bars were no exception. My daughter liked them too!
Hannah says
Oh and you look so beautiful in your costume. And great hat!
Laura says
Wow, these look so yummy!!
Definitely going to try these.
londonandlouboutins.blogspot.co.uk
Shannon says
These look yummy! Love your costume. I am all for costumes that don’t come out of a bag from the party stores!
sarah says
These look really yummy!!…but not as yummy as you in that costume. Sexaaay chick<3
Jennifer says
Just made these and they rose up about twice as high as yours. I imagine they’ll still taste awesome, though. I used honey instead of sugar. Should I have changed up the cooking temp/time any?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Unfortunately I can’t vouch for any substitutions I haven’t tried. You are always free to experiment… but at your own risk 😉
Lisa @bitesforbabies says
These look delicious! I love how you added the zucchini (a great idea for little ones who are anti-veg) and of course, chocolate makes everything better, lol!
Lia @ Luscious Living says
One thing I love about your recipes is how short and simple they are. These look great and your costume is very awesome! Love the chick hat!
tiffy says
RIP wayne 🙁
EVA says
Is this for Wayne Static?
Totally agree. SUCH a loss.
tiffy says
YES. i so sad 🙁
katie said she was into metal a while back… (plus he was a vegetarian!)
EVA says
Static X isn’t metal….but they DO help a lot of people transition into “harder” rock, and therefore he was an icon! I’m just happy to know it wasn’t drugs that did him in.
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
These chocolate chip zucchini bars sound wonderful – I cannot wait to try them! You make a super cute biker chick!!! Happy to hear you had a great Halloweeeeeen 🙂
Shaun Marsh says
OMG… this will be made this week!!!! This looks fabulous and perfect for the start of our winter. Thanks for posting it.
Jeff says
Tasty but I’d only go 1/2 cup xylitol or sugar next time
Roz says
These look delicious! Courgettes and chocolate are 2 of my favourite things.. so I can’t wait to try them 🙂
Just one question though, if I’m making them with Stevia instead of Sugar or Xylitol, how much do you think I should use? I know Stevia is much sweeter, just not sure how much sweeter! 🙂
Christina McCormick says
Hi Katie,
Just baked these bars and they are SO YUMMY!!!
Thanks for working so hard to create it.
I was curious though, in nutrition facts for this bar says it’s for one bar out of the 16. Did you mean out of the total 6?
Thanks!
Alyssa B says
What would some good subs for peanut butter be? Do you mean like a different kind of nut butter, or something else?
Anna says
Yes, any nut butter will do. I used almond butter with good results. If you can’t have nuts, then you can use sunbutter
Anna says
Delicious! I used spelt flour, almond butter and xylitol and it was awesome! 🙂
Sandi says
Made these today. Next time I will cut the sugar in half. But very yummy!!
Sally Walker says
Katie, I love your recipes. Thanks so much for sharing. I had to cook these a lot longer, 20 to 25 minutes. They are yummy though.
Tess Cavalieri says
Do you think apple butter would work as an alternative to the peanut?
Marie Peterson says
I need a receipt foe a eggless pumpkin pie do you have onespn
Unofficial CCK Helper says
Eggless Pumpkin Pie:
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2013/11/04/healthy-pumpkin-pie-recipe/
lori says
Made this yesterday for a party – huge hit! I am the only one who needed allergy-friendly and it’s a critical group but huge success!!! I did cook for extra10 mins to get them to firm up more. Fabulous recipe! Looking forward to experimenting with the sugar now to see how stevia would be….
Karla says
Hi Katie, I made these bars last week and they were soooo good. You don’t feel the zucchini at all. I think this recipe is great for kids :).
Thanks for sharing!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thank YOU for making them!
Vanitha G says
I must have mucked up the proportion of ingredients because I ended up with a gooey mess. It was delicious though. I doubled the quantity and baked it for quite a bit but something went wrong. I just couldn’t cut it in squares because it was just too soft. On a brighter note, I’ve purchased your book and waiting for it to be delivered.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Unfortunately some recipes just do not work correctly when doubled in exact quantities, especially if using the same baking time. But all is not lost for yours… just let them sit in the fridge overnight and they will probably still firm up. Be sure to report back with results if that works for you!
janice esposito says
Got your new book and love it. Have made a few things so far. Recipes are quick and easy to follow and I appreciate that I can make and eat something healthier since I don’t do dairy,refined sugar or gluten.
Thank you for your work of art.
Holly says
I made them today and they were fantastic! I used creamy peanut butter, all purpose flour, regular sugar and dark chocolate chips so probably not the healthiest way to make them but it’s what I had on hand and everyone loved them.
I squeezed the zucchini juice out prior to reading the comments about not doing that, but it worked fine.
Drumlessen Den Haag says
I bought all the ingredients…well only the zuchini and going to make them in a bit. I love how this recipe is so simple 🙂
Liz says
these look amazing! Do you like a low carb flour substitute would work? Like almond flour or coconut flour? And if so how much?
Thanks!
pamela says
I haven’t tried them yet, the pan is in the fridge until the oven is clear of a roast… Are they supposed to be super thin? I always end up doubling your recipes and, it still seems like not enough. I have a 9×11 pan and for the depth of blondie I am used to, only got 3/4 of the pan. Do they rise? Should I flatten it out to fill the pan?
pamela says
I also used oat flour. We’ll see!
Destiny says
Made these today and they turned out so good! I used some shredded zucchini I had in my freezer from last summer and it worked just fine?
Mary says
I am looking for the recipe for the regular choc chip zucchini bars, not the blonde choc chip zucchini bars. Somehow I can’t find it. Are they one and the same?
Unofficial CCK Helper says
Same recipe!
Linda says
Would it be possible to use coconut oil or butter in place of the peanut butter?
Briana says
Just made these today and they were delicious! I added some crushed walnuts on top which added a perfect crunchy element to these gooey bars. I have been loving all of your recipes and I’m so inspired to eat healthier:)
amy says
I made these bars, i love baking with zucchini, thought these were good, a little too underdone. Baked for 10 mins and after 40 minutes of cooling they are extremely too soft to cut into a bar, will make again but add few mins to baking time. Thanks for new recipe!
Unofficial CCK Helper says
If underdone next time, you can also place the tray in the fridge overnight and they’ll firm up!
Tori Huddleston says
Katie, I have followed your blog for a long time and have tried many different recipes by you! I have loved them all but last week I tried the zucchini blondie bars and was amazed at how delicious they turned out!!!! I used half peanut butter and half crunchy almond butter and it was amazing! My husband and I have made them three times in less than a week and have shared with friends who also loved them!!!
Lynnie says
Just wanted to let you know you have saved me. I have a garden full of zucchini and this recipe is going to help me use it up. What a great idea and super tasty, too. Thanks, CCK.
Madia says
Omg Katie, am itching to try out it out, it looks so mouth watering. I haven’t taste anything like it in long while.
Amber says
Which GF flour would you recommend?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Have had success with this recipe using buckwheat, oat, and Bob’s gf all purpose.
Beverley Tavio says
Can almond flour be used here? I’m always trying to cut carb content. This looks delicious and I want to try it – so if not almond flour, which flour is lowest in carb?
Unofficial CCK Helper says
I’ve made these successfully with almond flour!
Cassandra says
So excited to try a vegan version of these. Just bought vegan chocolate chips for the first time!
Florence says
Just made these and used coconut flour instead of grain flour. Awesome! It’s gluten free and soooo yummy! What a great recipe.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I haven’t tried but would think so… If you try, be sure to report back!
Regina says
Made these tonight and they came out AMAZING!! So chewy and gooey like brownies! Also added some walnuts and honey in place of sugar. Will definitely make this again 😉
Sue says
These are great! My only mistake was using demerara sugar, which is too coarse and it stayed crunchy (which is fine if you like that sort of thing). Next time I’ll use regular brown sugar, or break up the demerara sugar in the blender first.
Cassandra says
I saw a recipe for zucchini carrot coconut craisin cookies! Wondering how all these will go into your recipe? Also wondering if the recipe could be eaten raw like bliss balls?
Lola says
Hey Katie, these look amazing! Just a question – do you recommend substituting a liquid like maple syrup or honey for sugar? If so, how much ? Can’t wait to try them!
Kathy says
Just wondering if I were to use stevia in these brownies, how much would I use??? I am reading Stevia is sweeter than regular sugar, and I don’t have any Xylitol. Thanks
Sabrina says
Can I use splenda (sucralose) sweetener?
Kris says
Hi.. Zuchini is a very wet ingredient when grated, even if finely. I assume that you don’t want us to wring or squeeze the excess water? Thanks in advance for your reply– if anyone besides CCK has an opinion, please let me know. I’d like to make these soon!!!
Kathryn says
Hey, I know I might be too late, but to answer your question- use the shredded zucchini as is, with the liquid. I did and they are awesome! Plus, someone else asked too and Katie said she also kept the liquid 🙂
Tami says
I baked these today. They really seem very under cooked. I even left them in the oven for a few extra minutes too. The taste is great but it’s like eating raw peanut butter cookie dough. Not like there is anything wrong with eating cookie dough…but it would be the kind of dessert you serve with a fork or spoon…not like a bar or something you can hold and eat from your hands
Kathryn says
Did you let them firm up for a while before trying to cut? I let mine cool about 15 minutes, then I put them in the fridge overnight and they were perfect!
olivia says
Can white rice flour be used for the chocolate chip zucchini bars? Thanks in advance for your help 🙂
Kathryn says
Oh my goodness, Katie! Why did I wait so long to make these?? I just made them the other night for my son’s lunchbox (and I wanted some), and they are amazing! Literally amazing! I love them almost as much as your Gooey Chocolate Chip Brownie Bars and those are my absolute favorite, so…Thank you!
Bella says
This recipe, in my opinion was ok.. While the bars just completely taste like peanut butter (the zucchini seems to get lost in the recipe), they are very good. I followed the recipe to a “tee” and they just didn’t firm up enough. When you bite into them, it’s like eating a mouthful of gooey peanut butter. I think calling it a “blondie” is a stretch. They are more just like peanut butter bars.
tara says
I’m curious Katie, why do you use spelt flour? I was looking it up and it has less fiber and more sugar than whole wheat flour (hard red spring). I know it’s better than white flour/common wheat though.
Drumles Den Haag says
Made these for the second time already, cause they’re awesome!
Jenn says
I never leave comments but I HAD to for these. I had all the ingredients in the kitchen so I decided to give them a try and OMG…they are so SO delicious!!!! Decadent, soft and melt in your mouth…and you would never know there’s zucchini in them.
Thank you for this incredible recipe Katie??
Thale says
This tastes sooooo good. Love the recipe – so easy to make. I used palmsugar as sugar. Thanks!
Nisba says
Would it be possible to replace the sugar with honey? I don’t get stevia where I live (India), but I’d like to make this as healthy as I can. Thanks in advance!
Heather says
I just made these and they look and smell delicious. I’m concerned that they are not cooked enough. The top center of the bar still feel doughy. Did I do something wrong? Should I bake them longer?
Jason Sanford says
Some ovens take longer than others, so maybe yours need a little longer. But if you stick them in the fridge overnight, they should firm up to a good texture!
Ash says
I made these with 1/2-1 cup of oatmeal to turn them into breakfast-worthy bars. Not that I don’t find them to a fantastic breakfast as they are. I just have to downplay my chocolate obsession for the sake of my husband and toddlers.
“It has zucchini and oatmeal. OF COURSE they’re a healthy breakfast. And yes. It’s a healthy breakfast you could eat every day Dear. And it’s totally acceptable to eat a whole pan to yourself….. No, maybe I don’t need to be eating them in the kitchen pantry or hidden in the fridge….” 😉
Ash says
I should also add that the oatmeal makes a great addition if you want a firmer bar.
No waiting necessary, and you can spoon it straight out of the pan in all it’s melty-chocolaty peanut-buttery amazingness.
Vicky Lindsay says
Do you think I can substitute almond flour for the flour?
Thanks. They look yummy!
Phoebe says
These are my favorite recipe I’ve tried from CCK so far! They turned out a little undercooked – next time I will need to cook them maybe 5-10 minutes more, but they are still delicious! Hopefully they will firm up in the fridge overnight. Couldn’t help myself from eating a whole row.
Shannon says
Thank you so much for the recipe Katie…made these 3 times already. My son enjoys baking anything with “green sugar.” Just linked to you (hope you don’t mind) on my new blog!
Stephanie Phelan says
Can you use yellow squash in place of zucchini.
Jason Sanford says
Sure 🙂
Miranda Black says
What can I substitute instead of almond butter or peanut butter?
Jason Sanford says
Cashew, sunbutter, or even pecan butter.
Beth says
Do you think it would work to wrap individually and freeze them? I made these yesterday. They looked nice and fluffy when I took them out of the oven. When I checked them 20 minutes later, they had sunk and were really gooey. I put them back in the oven for 10 min. and they came out a little too dark and were still not set. This is when I went back to the recipe and realized I should have just put them in the fridge. Oh well, they did firm up over night and they still taste great. Do you normally store them in the fridge?
Jason Sanford says
I like to store mine in the fridge, but yes you can absolutely freeze them. I’ve done that too!
Michelle says
Could these be doubled and if so woukd e eryfjing including the baking g sods be doubled?
CCK Media Team says
They can, and yes! (It will also work just fine to double them but not double the baking soda if you prefer.)