:: Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Brownies ::

It’s Summer, I’ve got a never ending supply of zucchini and squash from my garden to eat, but my kids don’t like anything ‘green’. This recipe is perfect for healthy snacks or dessert, they don’t even know it is healthy and you can't see anything 'green' in it. It can be made gluten free (GF), or not. You could also use macadamia or light olive oil, but coconut oil is good for you and adds a nice flavour.

{Gluten Free} Chocolate Zucchini  Brownies

Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut oil
• ½ cup honey
• 2 free range eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups finely shredded/ grated zucchini (about 2 medium or 1 large zucchini), not squeezed
• 1½ tsp GF baking powder
• 1½ cups GF plain, ‘all-purpose’ flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup rapadura sugar, or coconut-palm sugar 

Optional

• ½ cup of fresh raspberries

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to moderate, about 180degreesC, or put your solar oven out in the sun for full exposure.
2. Grease and line a glass baking dish, 20cm x 20cm.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the coconut oil, honey and eggs until combined.
4. Add the grated zucchini and mix well.
5. Add the baking powder and mix well.
6. Add the flour, cocoa powder and sugar. Mix until combined.
7. If using raspberries, gently fold them into the mix now.
8. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
9. Bake until set, about 30 to 45 minutes in moderate oven, or 1 to 1 ½ hours in a hot solar oven. (This recipe is a fudgy cake texture, but will still spring back when lightly touched when it is done. Of course, you can also poke a skewer in, to check if it is cooked through).
10. Allow to cool before lifting from baking dish. Slice and feed to hungry children. You could ice it with a chocolate frosting for a special occasion, or serve warm with berry coulis and double cream as dessert!

Notes

• I use Nuigini Organic Coconut Oil, which is organic and unrefined, as well as supporting vulnerable communities and farmers in Papua New Guinea. You could also use macadamia or light olive oil, but coconut oil is good for you and can handle the high temp's of baking.
• I use local, raw honey, which can be warmed slightly, if is too thick to mix easily.
• I have been experimenting with unrefined sugars, and rapadura is an unrefined, whole, cane sugar, full of its natural minerals. You could use brown sugar instead.
• I use Orgran brand gluten free flour, which contains vegetable gum which helps with gluten free recipes.