Fudgy Zucchini Brownies with Chocolate Frosting
There is nothing better than a extra fudgy zucchini brownie with whipped chocolate frosting! The added zucchini makes these extra moist, with a healthy twist that stays perfectly hidden from the most particular of kids. Add a light and fluffy whipped chocolate frosting to the top for a little something extra in these zucchini brownies!
Here I am, luring you to the blog with brownies today, and taking a decidedly different tone in the writing to talk about something a little more serious. No, no, it’s not bad. And you still get brownies! But I’m just opening up. World Mental Health Day was yesterday, and I thought on it a little more, how do I open up and not alienate people who are here solely for the happy and cheery, or here for just the recipe, when I want to also balance being honest and open as well?
So I’m taking a chance, opening up, being honest, in a space that I feel should allow me that freedom, but also shying away from the same thing because we inadvertently want to just see the happy. I know that I have a habit of scrolling right past the sadder things in life, to focus on the “happy and pretty”, but to brush aside the struggles of others or to pretend like these rougher, harder, and darker things don’t exist is equally a disservice to those who need the most help.
And here it is. I suffer from post-partum anxiety and depression. There, I said it. Can we still be friends?
In the last year, with the blog posts of Emmett, with my usual stories of life, I know I have alluded to the fact that the transition to motherhood has been full of ups and downs, full of victories and challenges. If you read his birth story you would have known what we went through to bring him into our lives, and my subsequent birth story and how I struggled with the physical aftermath of delivery, and how it might have weighed on me and been truthfully – traumatic.
But beyond that, and getting back to the day to day shift of my life from being an independent human being, to being a mom became daunting, scary, and at times, dark. Knowing who I am, and that I love to have people around me was a big challenge when I felt like so much of my time was spent in isolation with just Emmett. My husband working nights exacerbated that isolation, when I would come home from work, kiss him and spend probably 20 total minutes of quality time with him, because I put Emmett down for bed, and had 2 to 3 hours by myself a night with just me and the dog. While I enjoy the quiet that solitude can provide, I was never able to unload my day and process it with someone else, feeling like I was alone in so much.
My anxiety increased, fearing the worst out of the most mundane and common of everyday situations, and my isolation left me feeling depressed, getting further and further into my own head with no one to unload or decompress with. After my first anxiety attack with Emmett in my arms, I knew I needed help and sought counseling to help me learn to cope. And it helped immensely.
But, even after that, there were periods that negative self talk, intrusive thoughts and depression took over, especially when I was alone. I knew I needed more help. I let people in, told them my struggles, and that I needed more support, more help, and I am so lucky that I have friends who rallied around me. When I was traveling I told one friend in particular, that I didn’t like being alone, and asked if I could call her and stay in her hotel room with her, just so I was with someone else. Her words, “Of course, friend!” were what I needed to hear.
With consultation with my health care provider, I started on medication to help me through this period. Coming to that decision was so frought with deep consideration, as I was still nursing and pumping at the time, and how would it effect Emmett, would the side effects make things worse? But in the end, I needed to try. Being my best self, also means being my best self for Emmett, and I chose to begin medication. Now while I know that some paths are not for everyone, I open myself up to you today, to share that while what I experienced is COMMON, it doesn’t mean that it is NORMAL. At least to me. Anxiety and withdrawn me, is not the “normal” me. I need quiet time like most people, and solitude at times. But withdrawing from my life and feeling disconnects from those I love is not “normal”. So while PPA and PPD are common to many mothers, many times we think that it is “how every mom feels”. It doesn’t have to be. I struggled for far too long under that same rationale, and finally said that enough was enough.
I needed more than standing alone, thinking I was the only one. You’re not alone. You’re not the only one. And YOU are worth it. So, in an effort to end the stigma around mental health, to help someone feel less alone in their struggle, I wanted to share mine with you.
Today, I am feeling more “myself” than I have in a year. I am more confident again, more engaged, happier, and balanced in who I am as a woman, mother, blogger, project manager, and human. Being my best self means I can be the best mom to the light of my life, and raise him to be kind, conscious, and cognoscente of who he is and help him know that no matter what he faces, I am here for him, and when he is struggling that I will always be here for him.
And I hope, beyond hope, that if you too are struggling, you can take a step to tell someone. You never know who will find relief themselves in knowing that they are not alone, too.
Okay, if you made it to this point, you definitely deserve a brownie.
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This recipe for fudgy zucchini brownies with whipped chocolate frosting was given to me by my mother in law. When we visited last summer she had a whole pan ready to go upon our arrival, with zucchini fresh from her garden. These were fluffy and cakey, so my addition of one egg transformed them into a fudgy zucchini brownie that was perfect for topping with ice cream! I hope you love them! And no, don’t worry, you won’t even know there is zucchini in them!!
Ingredients for Zucchini Brownies
- Vegetable Oil
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Egg
- Flour
- Unsweetened Cocoa
- Salt
- Shredded Zucchini
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
Fudgy Zucchini Brownies with Whipped Chocolate Frosting
- Prep Time: 20 MInutes
- Cook Time: 25 Minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
There is nothing better than a extra fudgy zucchini brownie with whipped chocolate frosting! The added zucchini makes these extra moist, with a healthy twist that stays perfectly hidden from the most particular of kids.
Ingredients
Fudgy Zucchini Brownies
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 1/4 cup Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 1 Egg
- 2 cups Flour
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 cups Shredded Zucchini
Whipped Chocolate Frosting
- 6 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa
- 1/4 cup Butter, room temperature
- 2 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 C). Grease and flour a 9×13 baking pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the vegetable oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well mixed. Fold in the zucchini. Spread into the baking pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the brownies spring back when gently touched.
For the frosting, in a bowl, whip together the cocoa and butter. Beat in the powdered sugar, and slowly add in the milk and vanilla. Beat the entire bowl together until the chocolate frosting is light and fluffy – about 3-4 minutes. Spread onto completely cooled brownies. Slice and serve.
Keywords: Brownie, Chocolate, Dessert, Frosting
I’m one of those people always reading blogs but never posting comments. But, in this case, I need to.
I admire you for your bravery in writing about such a deeply personal subject.
Yes, we can still be friends.
Melissa, well I am so touched that you left a comment. That helps continue to lift me up that it was the right decision to be open and vulnerable, because clearly it has resonated with several people and I am SOOOOO appreciative. Thank you, thank you!! It means so much to me.
I know we don’t know each other but I have to say how proud I am of you for writing this post. The more people talk about mental health issues, the less stigma will be associated with these issues. We need more people to understand that there’s nothing wrong with seeking help. It doesn’t mean you’re weak, broken or less than anyone else. It just means you’re smart enough to know when you don’t feel right and are brave enough to do something about it. Kudos to you for sharing your story with others.
Jana, THANK YOU so much!! I just woke up that morning and decided I needed to write it, be damned with worry and what people might say! I hope that my being open and vulnerable (and it was scary, but also empowering!) will help others be open about how they are feeling and that there is support out there. Thank you, Thank you!!
I’m sorry you have had to go through this and thank you for sharing your story!
Thank you Lori!! I’m just glad I was able to get the help and support I needed. I hope anyone struggling can be strong enough to be open, and have others there for them to help them unload their burden.
I’m really glad you shared your story. When we keep things like that to ourselves, others get the impression that it’s not “normal” for people to have serious struggles. In turn, that makes hard times even harder. I’m glad you reached out to friends, and also glad that you got help.
Thanks, Jeff!! I’m glad I was able to get help too. I’ve got a wonderful support system, and II hope that any one struggling can reach out to those close to them for support.
Zucchini brownies? Curious. I saw a couple of avocado brownies that I didn’t think would be good, but they turned out delicious. I’m looking forward to taste this zucchini one as well.
I can assure you these are AMAZING!!
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First, these brownies are wonderful!! I made a batch of gluten-free brownies (increasing the oil to 3/4 cup because gluten-free is usually very dry), and I decided that we “needed” a second pan of them to use up the rest of my zucchini. Since half of my family can’t have gluten and the other can, this second batch uses regular flour (which doesn’t cost an arm and a leg!) and the 1/2 cup oil you list in your recipe. The second pan is still cooling, but it looks and smells just as good as the first! I was sad to not be able to make the frosting for these, so I added a cup of chocolate chips to the batter to help make up for the lost chocolate. Being the chocolate lover that I am, I wouldn’t argue with frosting too, but that might overwhelm my family. 🙂
When hunting for recipes online, I always try very hard to skip blog posts and just get to the recipe. (I’d love to read them, but one of my kiddos needs insanely close supervision, so I need to just get the recipe and move on.) But I accidentally started reading yours.
And I couldn’t stop.
I don’t often tell my story because I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining. However, I want to share the short version here to 1) let you know that you are SO not alone in that journey and 2) hopefully let another mama know that she isn’t alone in hers either.
After an amazingly easy pregnancy, I had a rather traumatic birth experience (fourth-degree tear). Followed by a traumatic first week with a baby (his tongue-tie and my severe sleep deprivation–20 minutes in a 24 hour span for a couple days in a row). Followed by a difficult first year with him (we were seeing a speech pathologist because he couldn’t latch properly or even drink from a bottle, and once he started on solids I had to teach him how to bite and chew his food because of misalignments in his mouth). Followed by a rollercoaster of life with him to this point (Asperger’s and impulsive type ADHD–he’s almost eight).
Before he was 9 month old, I was crying in a psychiatrist’s office, trying to weigh out the risks and benefits of anti-depressants while I was still providing breastmilk for him. Fighting to continue pumping for him (because people had been trying to talk me into formula since he was six weeks old since he couldn’t latch anyway and because he had major reflux issues).
I chose medication. It was low-risk for him and high-benefit for me. I took those meds faithfully for a couple years until we moved out of state, and I weaned off them after our move. About a year later, Hubby and I decided to try for a second baby.
Although I didn’t struggle as much the second time around, I still struggled. A lot. And I eventually got back on medication. These meds (which I’m still on) allow me to engage with my kiddos and be the best mama I can be to them. It isn’t perfect, but there are more good days (and moments) than bad ones at this point.
I know that this is REALLY long, but this truly is the short version! I shared in hopes that somebody can find some encouragement from my story. Blessings!
Ms. K! I am literally crying reading your story – and feeling so seen! I hope that you are, too. Thank you so much for sharing your story here, with me, and whomever else might stumble onto this post and need to see if just as much as I did. All of my love to you and what you have gone through. I’m 5 weeks away from our second baby’s arrival and I’m equal parts more equipped to handle it, and equally nervous about history repeating itself. But I think knowing more now, I will be better prepared. I can not tell you how much your story meant to me, and I am so so thankful that you were able to spend a few extra minutes here to read the story – and share your own. Truly, truly, thank you. XOXOXO