Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars
Tender, buttery, sweet, and absolutely bursting with freshly shredded veggies, these Zucchini Bars are a summertime delight! They're made in a few quick and easy steps with better-for-you ingredients, making them a lip-smacking treat the family will adore all season long.
Servings: 16 bars
Calories: 234kcal
Cost: $5.44 or $0.34/bar
Equipment
- 1 8x8-inch baking pan
Ingredients
- 11 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or ¾ cup each of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup shredded zucchini (measured after squeezing)
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter on low heat. Whisk in the brown sugar, maple syrup, and peanut butter until smooth.
- Add the egg and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Stir in the flour and salt until about halfway combined. Set aside.
- Shred the zucchini. Place the zucchini in several layers of paper towels, wrap it up, and squeeze it to remove excess moisture. Measure out 1 cup of the squeezed zucchini and add it to the batter along with ½ cup of the chocolate chips. Stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer. Top with the remaining chocolate chips and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack and allow it to cool completely. Slice into bars and serve!
Notes
Storage Directions
- Refrigerating — Once cooled to room temperature, keep the bars covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing — For extended storage, transfer the cooled bars to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost them at room temperature for about 30 minutes or until thawed through.
- Melting the butter. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch pieces and melt it in the microwave on low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is fully melted. High heat will cause the butter to splatter, creating a mess. Don't have a microwave or prefer to use one? Just melt the butter on the stovetop over low heat.
- Don't use overgrown zucchini. Though large zucchini can be impressive, their flavor is usually not. They can be woody, tough, and bland. Use smaller zucchini whenever possible!
- Measure the zucchini after squeezing. Quite a bit of moisture can be expressed from the shredded veggies, making it crucial to measure the zucchini after removing the excess moisture. You will need 1 cup of squeezed, shredded zucchini, so shred at least 1 1/2 cups of zucchini before squeezing.
- Don't overmix. Stir in the flour and zucchini just partially before adding the chocolate chips. Overworking the batter develops the flour's gluten, making the zucchini squares dense or tough, which is no fun! Instead, stir the batter until just combined — a few streaks of flour are just fine!
- Cool completely before serving. Once transferred to a cooling rack, let the chocolate chip zucchini bars cool for at least an hour, or until they are cool to the touch. Though it's hard to wait (the aroma in your kitchen will be heavenly!), the bars firm up as they cool, making them easier to serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Sodium: 55mg | Fiber: 2g
