Zucchini Bars with Brown Butter Frosting

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Zucchini Bars with Brown Butter Frosting are so deliciously moist and absolutely heavenly. This is one of the best ways to use up those extra summer zucchini!

Browned butter is an easy trick to create incredible flavor. I use it in so many delicious recipes. You can try browned butter in these delicious Cookies, on this Shrimp, and on these amazing carrots.

Zucchini bars cut into squares.

Zucchini Bars Recipe

Right about this time, the gardens start to be taken over by zucchini. There are so many great recipes to make zucchini with. Zucchini is my favorite vegetable in the garden. I love them sautéed as a side, I love them in quick bread, and I especially loved them in these bars. If you don’t have a garden full of zucchini, go to the store right now and buy some. These zucchini bars are so worth it!

These zucchini bars were so moist and perfect. Packed with two whole cups of zucchini. The best part of these dessert bars was watching my picky eater, who hates all foods, devour them. It just puts a smile on my face to sneak veggies into recipes. This zucchini bars recipe was originally inspired by these banana bread bars. Browning the butter is just one extra step that takes boring old frosting to insanely delicious. It gives it a nutty flavor and complements the bars perfectly.

Ingredients For Brown Butter Zucchini Bar

Zucchini bars are so simple to make with pantry staple ingredients! It all comes together quickly and easily with just a few steps. For complete ingredient listing and measurements, see the recipe card below.

  • Granulated sugar: Adds the sweetness to the zucchini.
  • Vegetable oil: Add moisture and lightness to the cake.
  • Eggs: Have the eggs at room temperature for better mixing.
  • All-purpose flour: The flour provides structure for the bars.
  • Baking powder: This is the rising agent to help them be fluffy.
  • Salt: The salt balances the sweetness.
  • Ground Cinnamon: Cinnamon is the perfect spice for zucchini.
  • Shredded Zucchini: Even extra-large zucchini will work for this recipe.
  • Pecans chopped: These give the zucchini bars extra texture and crunch.

Brown Butter Frosting

  • Butter: You have to use real unsalted butter for the flavor.
  • Powdered sugar: Gives the frosting its sweetness.
  • Vanilla: Adds flavor that goes with the zucchini bars.
  • Milk: Add more or less to thin it out to desired consistency.

How to Make Zucchini Bars with Browned Butter

In three simple steps, you will have the perfect combination of sweet and savory for the best dessert. Feed a crowd with this summertime dessert!

  1. Prep and mix: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 15x10x1 inch pan. In a medium mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
  2. Wet ingredients: In a mixer, add sugar, oil, and eggs and mix until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until incorporated.
  3. Bake: Stir in zucchini and chopped pecans. Spread evenly in the prepared pan. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Let the bars cool completely.
  4. Make Frosting: Heat a medium-sized saucepan to medium heat to make the brown butter frosting. Add butter and whisk until it turns brown. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Stir together until smooth. Spread over cooled bars.
The process of making zucchini bars.

The Best Zucchini Bars Tips

These are decadent, luscious, and easy-to-make dessert bars. Zucchini is so easy to shred and prepare for this simple zucchini bar recipe. Add in nuts or chocolate chips even to make it a variety of zucchini bars!

  • Zucchini: When shredding your zucchini, do it finely, especially if you are worried about kids figuring out what’s hiding in their dessert. The smaller, the easier it is to hide. You can also peel the zucchini, but it isn’t necessary. Do not to squeeze out any extra liquid. You want the moisture to create the best bars ever.
  • Pecans: If you do not like pecans, you can leave them out or use walnuts.

Taking a slice out of zucchini bars.

How To Brown Butter

Don’t be scared by browning butter. It is super simple and foolproof if you follow these tips. To get the best-browned butter, make sure to use unsalted butter.

  • Use a light-colored pan:  You want to be able to see the brown bits form at the bottom of the pan. Using a dark-colored pan will prevent you from seeing when those have formed, and this is a key clue to when your butter is done. Those dark specks are the toasted milk solids that bring the flavor, so don’t leave them behind.
  • Don’t Stop Stirring: This will make sure your butter cooks evenly and will help prevent it from going from brown to burnt too fast, which can happen.
  • Cut the butter into pieces: Again, you want it to cook evenly, and cutting it will help it do so.
  • Remove from heat and pan: Once your butter has foamed, turned golden brown, and the brown specks form, you want to remove it from the heat. Transfer the butter to a different pan as well, or as in this case, add something to the pan. This will help the butter stop cooking so it doesn’t go from browned to burnt.
  • Smell: It should have a buttery, nutty, rich smell as well.

Using a fork to cut the zucchini bar.

Storing Leftovers

  • Room Temperature: Zucchini bars with butter frosting will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  • In the Refrigerator: They will last even longer in the fridge, up to 10 days.
  • In the Freezer: You can also freeze them. Refrigerate the sheet pan first, then cut them into bars and place them in freezer-safe bags. They will last about two months.

More Zucchini Recipes to Try

Zucchini grows in plethora, anyone with a garden who has grown any knows this. And if you are neighbor of someone with zucchini plants, you have probably been the recipient of those extra zucchini. They are a great vegetable and because of it’s mild flavor you can do so many things with it!

Brown Butter Frosting:

To make the Brown Butter Frosting

  • Heat a medium-sized saucepan to medium heat. Add butter and whisk until it turns brown. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Stir together until smooth. Spread over cooled bars.
Updated on August 2, 2023
Originally Posted on July 27, 2014

Serves: 24

Calories292kcal (15%)Carbohydrates52g (17%)Protein3g (6%)Fat9g (14%)Saturated Fat3g (15%)Cholesterol28mg (9%)Sodium85mg (4%)Potassium95mg (3%)Fiber1g (4%)Sugar43g (48%)Vitamin A149IU (3%)Vitamin C2mg (2%)Calcium26mg (3%)Iron1mg (6%)

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword bar recipes, zucchini bars, zucchini recipes

Published by Staff Reporter