Healthy Courgette & Hazelnuts Brownies
These rich and fudgy brownies are the ultimate healthy treat—chewy, gooey, and full of deep chocolate flavour. Made with courgette for extra moisture (don’t worry, you won’t taste it!), they’re naturally sweetened, oil-free, and totally plant-based.
Prep
15 mins
Cook
30 mins
Total
45 mins
Makes
9 squares
Ingredients:
Wet ingredients:
1 Tbsp of ground Flaxseeds
3Tbsp of filtered Water
100 gr of Hazelnuts
80 gr of dark Chocolate (min 70%)
160 gr of pitted dates (8-12 Dates)
200 gr of grated Courgette
50 ml of espresso coffee shot (or decaf)
30 gr of dark Chocolate Chips (to be folded in)
Dry ingredients:
90 gr of Wholemeal Flour, Spelt or Gluten free
50 gr of ground Almond
30 gr Cocoa powder
1 tsp of Baking powder
1/2 tsp of Baking Soda
Topping ingredients:
1 handful of Hazelnuts
1 handful of dark Chocolate Chips
Instructions step by step:
Step 1 – Start by mixing the ground Flaxseeds with 3 Tbsp of filtered Water in a little bowl and put aside for 15 mins. Roast the Hazelnuts in a pre-heated oven at 170C for 12-14 mins or until lightly golden. If your nuts are already roasted you still need to lightly roast them for 6 mins to help release their natural oils.
Step 2 – While the Hazelnuts are roasting, grate the Courgette and melt the dark Chocolate in a bain-marie (heatproof glass bowl in a saucepan with simmering water) or microwave. Take the roasted Hazelnuts out of the oven and let them cool down for 5 mins.
Step 3 – Add the still warm but not hot, roasted Hazelnuts to a food processor and blend to a butter. Add the pitted Dates and process again to break down the dates until you have a kind of crumbly texture.
Step 4 – To the melted Chocolate add the Flaxseed mixture, Hazelnut butter with the Dates, and Coffee shot. Mix and fold with a spatula until well combined.
Step 5 – Fold in the grated Courgette and put aside. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven at 175C.
Step 6 – In a separate bowl mix together all the dry ingredients, Wholemeal Flour, ground Almond, Cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
Step 7 – Sift the dry mix ingredients into the wet Chocolate mix with a fine meshed strainer by holding the handle with one hand and tapping gently with the other. You may need to use a spoon to help the last bits. Discard the big bits left in the strainer.
Step 8 – Mix the strained flour well but be careful not to overmix. Fold in the Chocolate Chips keeping some for topping. Line a 8×8 cm baking tray with parchment paper making sure there is some overhang on the sides. This will make it easy to lift the brownies out of the tray. Pour in the mixture.
Step 9 – Top with some Hazelnuts and remaining Chocolate Chips. Bake at 175C for 30-35 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some moist crumbs. Using the parchment paper as handles, carefully lift the brownies out of the pan and onto a wire rack. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Why You’ll Love These Healthy Courgette & Hazelnut Brownies
Courgette season is in full swing—if you grow your own, you probably have more than you know what to do with! These brownies are a delicious and creative way to use them up, especially if you’re looking for a healthier twist on the classic treat.
Here’s what makes this recipe special:
- No oil, no butter, no refined sugar – Unlike many other vegan courgette brownies, this recipe skips the processed ingredients without sacrificing taste or texture.
- Hazelnut butter magic – I use homemade hazelnut butter for a rich, nutty base. Don’t worry if you don’t have time to make your own—store-bought almond butter or other mild nut butters work too. I’d avoid peanut butter as its strong flavour can overpower the chocolate.
- Naturally sweetened with dates – Dates add just the right amount of sweetness while creating that irresistible gooey texture we all love in brownies.
- Courgettes for moisture – You won’t taste them at all, but they make these brownies incredibly moist and help everything hold together beautifully. A perfect sneaky way to get more veg into little ones!
- Flax egg as a binder – Keeps the recipe fully plant-based while helping everything stick together.
- A touch of coffee – Enhances the deep chocolate flavour and adds a little extra moisture. Feel free to use decaf—same delicious result!
- High-quality dark chocolate – The star of the show. Use the best dark chocolate you can find or afford. Life’s too short for bad chocolate, right?
These brownies are pure indulgence—rich, fudgy, chocolatey goodness that just happens to be gluten-free, vegan and nourishing. You won’t believe they’re actually good for you!
About these ingredients:
Ground Flaxseeds (aka Linseeds): I usually grind whole flaxseeds at home, but flaxseed meal or milled flaxseeds work just as well. When mixed with water and left to sit for 10–15 minutes, they form a gel-like texture—perfect for replacing eggs in vegan baking.
Hazelnuts:
Hazelnuts are my favourite pairing with chocolate, but you can easily swap them for almonds, walnuts, or any nut you prefer. If you’re short on time, nut butters like almond butter work well too. Just make sure to choose a rich, fatty nut, as this is the only source of fat in the recipe.
Dark Chocolate: Choose a good quality dairy free dark Chocolate min 70%, I’m using a 75% dark Chocolate. This is the most important ingredient and can make or break your Brownie. Dark chocolate typically contains some sugar but the amounts are usually small and the darker the chocolate the less sugar it will contain.
Dates: I use Medjool dates in this recipe—8 large ones are enough, but since dates vary in size, I’ve listed the weight in grams for accuracy. If your dates are a bit hard, just soak them in boiling water for 20 minutes before blending. They’re a great natural sweetener and a healthier alternative to sugar. If your chocolate is extra bitter or you have a sweet tooth, feel free to add a few more!
Grated Courgette: Courgettes are packed with nutrients and add natural moisture to these brownies. They help create that rich, gooey texture—no need for butter or oil!
Espresso coffee shot: I love the combination of Coffee and Chocolate and think they are made to be together. If you are doing this brownie for little people or for a dinner party then use decaffeinated.
Ground Almonds:Rich in healthy fats, fibre, and protein, ground almonds add moisture and nutrition to these brownies. I use pre-ground almonds, but you can grind your own—just stop before it turns into almond butter!
Wholemeal Flour: I use wholemeal flour for its extra fibre, vitamins, and minerals. You can swap it for white, spelt, or gluten-free flour—the texture may change slightly, but the brownies will still turn out delicious.
Healthy Courgette and Hazelnuts Brownies
Equipment
- blender
- grater
- 20x20 cm tin
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 1 Tbsp ground Flaxseeds
- 3 Tbsp filtered Water
- 100 gr Hazelnuts
- 80 gr dark Chocolate (min 70%)
- 160 gr pitted dates (8-12 Dates)
- 200 gr grated Courgette
- 50 ml espresso coffee shot (or decaf)
- 30 gr dark Chocolate Chips (to be folded in)
Dry ingredients
- 90 gr Wholemeal Flour, Spelt or Gluten free
- 50 gr ground Almond
- 30 gr Cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
Topping ingredients
- 1 handful Hazelnuts
- 1 handful dark Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Start by mixing the ground Flaxseeds with 3 Tbsp of filtered Water in a little bowl and put aside for 15 mins. Roast the Hazelnuts in a pre-heated oven at 170C for 12-14 mins or until lightly golden. If your nuts are already roasted you still need to lightly roast them for 6 mins to help release their natural oils.
- While the Hazelnuts are roasting, grate the Courgette and melt the dark Chocolate in a bain-marie (heatproof glass bowl in a saucepan with simmering water) or microwave. Take the roasted Hazelnuts out of the oven and let them cool down for 5 mins.
- Add the still warm but not hot, roasted Hazelnuts to a food processor and blend to a butter. Add the pitted Dates and process again to break down the dates until you have a kind of crumbly texture.
- To the melted Chocolate add the Flaxseed mixture, Hazelnut butter with the Dates, and Coffee shot. Mix and fold with a spatula until well combined.
- Fold in the grated Courgette and put aside. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven at 175C.
- In a separate bowl mix together all the dry ingredients, Wholemeal Flour, ground Almond, Cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
- Sift the dry mix ingredients into the wet Chocolate mix with a fine meshed strainer by holding the handle with one hand and tapping gently with the other. You may need to use a spoon to help the last bits. Discard the big bits left in the strainer.
- Mix the strained flour well but be careful not to overmix. Fold in the Chocolate Chips keeping some for topping. Line a 8×8 cm baking tray with parchment paper making sure there is some overhang on the sides. This will make it easy to lift the brownies out of the tray. Pour in the mixture.
- Top with some Hazelnuts and remaining Chocolate Chips. Bake at 175C for 30-35 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some moist crumbs. Using the parchment paper as handles, carefully lift the brownies out of the pan and onto a wire rack. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- protein pack |
- healthy dessert |
- chocolate |
- vegan |
- courgette
Did you make this recipe?
Please tag us on @fromplantswithlovekitchen
Brownie land is calling! 🤤
Ok firstly I have to say I am not vegan but this recipe looked so interesting I had to give it a go. Oh my…. It absolutely delicious. I usually feel sick after indulging in more than one slice of typical brownies (ok perhaps I shouldn’t) but this is not your typical brownie it’s sugar free oil free dairy and egg free. So definitely didn’t feel bad after having couple of slices.
I slightly adjusted the recipe
to my taste, I’ve added bit of coffee liqueur in addition to espresso and a bit of vanilla beans.
Thank you so much for sharing this amazingly delicious recipe with us Marisa.