Paleo Cacao Powder Zucchini Brownies

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
― Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

I can't just tease you with the previous post about the health benefits of raw organic cacao and then not share a recipe, now can I? Zucchini always seems to be plentiful in the month of September and it usually makes its way into every meal these days. Our freezer is loaded with zucchini bread, zucchini waffles and even just frozen zucchini that will eventually make its way into a dish. But there is something about pairing zucchini and chocolate together that appeals to most palettes. This green courgette is a summer squash that is very subtle in taste, hence why it works so well in desserts or sweet treats. But don't be fooled by the mild flavor, zucchini is packed with vitamins and minerals. It contains manganese, folate, potassium, copper, and phosphorus. It also has a high content of omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, niacin, and protein. Not to mention that the vitamin B1, vitamin B6, vitamin B2, and calcium in zucchini assure optimal health. So don't hold back on your summer squash!

Cacao Powder Zucchini Brownies
yield: 12-16 brownies, depending on how they are cut
Paleo, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-free

INGREDIENTS:
3 eggs
4 Tbs ghee or butter, melted
1/3 c honey
½ cup cacao powder
1 ½ cups almond flour
2 Tbs coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp Himalayan salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup shredded zucchini

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a square 9 x 9 inch pan OR a brownie pan with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment. If using a brownie pan just grease and skip the parchment.
2. Using a mixer, mix the eggs until well combined. Add the honey, melted butter, cacoa powder, flours, baking soda and salt. Mix together and then add the vanilla, making sure not to over stir the batter.
3. Fold in the zucchini.
4. Transfer the batter to your baking pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.
6. Enjoy with a glass of almond milk!

*We recently discovered Malk products and are thrilled to have an almond milk that doesn't contain starches, gums and preservatives. This is a great substitute to homemade almond milk. These opinions are my own. This post was not sponsored or in partnership with Malk.