My friend brought a pan of brownies to our weekly playdate last month, and within minutes, all the kids were reaching for seconds. When I complimented her on how moist they were, she leaned in close and whispered, "There's a cup of spinach in there." I laughed, thinking she was joking. She wasn't. These spinach brownies had fooled six kids under eight and three adults who should've known better.I went home obsessed with the idea. Could I really hide vegetables in chocolate and have Emma actually enjoy them? After begging for her recipe and then testing it five different ways in my own kitchen, I finally cracked the code.

Spinach Brownies Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl to eliminate lumps. Once mixed, add baking powder and whisk again. Set aside.

Why You'll Love These Spinach Brownies

Back testing these on Emma, his friends, and even bringing them to a potluck without mentioning the secret ingredient, I can tell you this: nobody guesses there's spinach brownies inside. They're fudgy, chocolatey, and stay moist for days longer than regular brownies. The spinach adds moisture that makes them nearly impossible to overbake, which means even if you're new to baking, you'll get great results.

What really sold me on this spinach brownies recipe is how it handles the picky eater problem. You're serving real brownies that taste great they just happen to have iron, fiber, and vitamins mixed in with the chocolate. Plus, they work with gluten-free flour if you need that, and the texture is so rich that one square fills you up instead of leaving you wanting more. These brownies make you feel pretty smart.

Jump to:

Ingredients for Spinach Brownies
How To Make Spinach Brownies Step By Step
Storing Your Spinach Brownies
Spinach Brownies Variations
Equipment For Spinach Brownies
Smart Swaps for Spinach Brownies
Top Tip
FAQ
Time to Bake the Brownies Everyone Will Love!
Related
Pairing
Spinach Brownies

Ingredients for Spinach Brownies

The Chocolate Base:

Dark cocoa powder
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Brown sugar
Granulated sugar
Large eggs
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Salt

Beat the eggs and sugars together until the mixture becomes thick and creamy, ensuring the perfect base for your brownie batter.

The Secret Ingredient:

Fresh baby spinach
Water

Optional Add-Ins:

Walnuts
Chocolate chunks

See recipe card for quantities.

The base ingredients for a rich chocolate flavor—dark cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips. These add depth and sweetness to the brownies

How To Make Spinach Brownies Step By Step

Prep Your Spinach:

Pack 2 cups fresh baby spinach into blender
Add ¼ cup water
Blend on high for 2 full minutes
Should look like green smoothie with no chunks

Fresh baby spinach leaves packed into a blender to make a nutrient-rich spinach puree.

Mix Dry Ingredients:

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt
Add baking powder
Set aside
Don't skip the whisking - it gets rid of lumps

Bake at 350°F for 25-28 minutes. Insert a toothpick to check for doneness—there should be moist crumbs, not wet batter.

Combine Wet Ingredients:

Beat eggs and both sugars until thick
Stir in spinach puree
Add melted chocolate chips
Mix in vanilla extract

Pour the batter into a greased 9x9 pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Ensure the batter is smooth across the top before baking

Bring It Together:

Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients
Fold gently with spatula
Mix just until no flour streaks remain
Batter will be thick and dark green

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined, being careful not to overmix. The batter should be thick and dark green

Bake:

Toothpick should have moist crumbs, not wet batter
Pour into greased 9x9 pan
Spread evenly with spatula
Bake at 350°F for 25-28 minutes

Beat the eggs and both sugars together until thick. Stir in the spinach puree, followed by melted chocolate chips. Add vanilla extract and mix well

Storing Your Spinach Brownies

Counter Storage (3 days):

Cool completely first
Airtight container
Parchment between layers
Room temperature only

Fridge Storage (1 week):

Sealed container
Gets extra fudgy
Tastes great cold
Warm slightly if you prefer

Freezer Storage (3 months):

Tastes fresh when defrosted
Wrap individually in plastic
Freezer bag with date
Thaw at room temperature

Spinach Brownies Variations

Mint Chocolate:

Add peppermint extract
Top with chocolate ganache
Crushed candy canes
Green looks natural here

Peanut Butter Swirl:

Swirl in peanut butter
Add peanut butter chips
Chopped peanuts on top
Emma's favorite version

Double Chocolate:

Extra chocolate chips throughout
White chocolate drizzle
Chocolate chunks mixed in
For serious chocolate fans

Protein Boost:

Add protein powder
Mixed nuts
Chia seeds
Hemp hearts

Equipment For Spinach Brownies

High-speed blender
9x9 metal baking pan
Mixing bowls
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Measuring cups/spoons

Smart Swaps for Spinach Brownies

Flour Options:

All-purpose → Gluten-free 1:1 blend
Regular → Almond flour (use less)
White → Whole wheat (denser texture)

Sugar Swaps:

White sugar → Coconut sugar
Brown sugar → Honey (reduce liquid)
Regular → Maple syrup (less sweet)

Chocolate Changes:

Semi-sweet chips → Dark chocolate
Chips → Cocoa powder only
Regular → Sugar-free chocolate

Greens Alternatives:

Spinach → Kale (stronger taste)
Fresh → Frozen (thaw and drain first)
Baby spinach → Regular spinach (chop well)

Dietary Needs:

Regular → Vegan chocolate chips
Eggs → Flax eggs (texture changes)
Butter → Coconut oil

Blend fresh baby spinach into a smooth, nutrient-packed puree. Add water to blend easily. The result should be a vibrant green mixture ready for your recipe!

Grandma's Hidden Recipe: A Family's Legacy

My Grandma Ruth had been making what she called "special brownies" for years before I finally got the recipe from her. She'd bring them to every family gathering, and they were always the first dessert to disappear. When I asked her what made them so good, she'd just smile and say "a little garden magic." I thought she meant she used fresh ingredients or something like that.

It wasn't until I was in her kitchen one afternoon, watching her make a batch, that I saw her pull out a massive bag of spinach. My jaw dropped. She'd been sneaking vegetables into dessert for decades, feeding spinach brownies to my dad, my uncles, and eventually all us grandkids without anyone catching on. "Your grandfather hated vegetables," she told me, rinsing the spinach in her old colander. "But he'd eat three of these brownies in one sitting and never knew."

Top Tip

Emma and I stumbled onto the best version of these spinach brownies completely by accident. One Saturday morning, I was making a batch and Emma was "helping" by standing on his stool at the counter. I turned around to grab the vanilla, and when I looked back, he'd dumped a handful of mini marshmallows into the spinach puree in the blender.

I almost started over, but something made me just blend it all together anyway. Those marshmallows melted into the puree and created this crazy creamy sweetness that made the brownies even fudgier. The marshmallow flavor disappeared completely, but they added extra moisture and a chewiness that regular spinach brownies don't have. Now I deliberately add about ¼ cup of mini marshmallows to the spinach before blending every single time.

Our other discovery came from pure laziness. One night I was too tired to melt chocolate chips separately, so I just threw them into the hot spinach puree right after blending. The heat from the blender motor was enough to start melting them, and stirring them into the warm puree finished the job. It saved a step and mixed more evenly than my old method. As Emma says, "Sometimes the best cooking happens when you mess up first!"

Why This Spinach Brownies Works

Back making over 40 batches of these spinach brownies while testing, I've figured out exactly what makes them work every time. The spinach puree replaces some of the liquid you'd normally use, but because spinach is mostly water, it keeps the brownies moist without making them taste like vegetables. The key is blending it completely smooth - any chunks or texture will show up as green flecks, and Emma will spot them immediately.

The chocolate does more than just hide the spinach flavor. Dark cocoa powder has such a strong taste that it completely takes over, and when you add melted chocolate chips on top of that, there's no way any veggie flavor can come through. I learned this after my first attempt where I used less cocoa to be "healthier" - big mistake. You need that full chocolate punch to make the spinach disappear. The brown sugar also helps by adding moisture and a deeper flavor that goes better with spinach than white sugar does on its own.

FAQ

Can I add spinach to brownies?

Yes, spinach works great in brownies when blended into a smooth puree. The chocolate flavor covers any veggie taste completely, and the spinach adds moisture that keeps brownies fudgy for days. Use baby spinach for the mildest flavor and blend it completely smooth before mixing into your batter. I've tested this with regular spinach too, but baby spinach has less of that earthy taste and blends smoother without any visible green specks.

Should you cook spinach before baking?

No, you don't need to cook spinach before adding it to brownies. Raw baby spinach blends smooth and bakes fine in the brownie batter without any weird texture or taste. Cooking it first adds extra steps without any real benefit to the final brownies. Just blend fresh spinach with a bit of water until completely smooth, then mix it right into your wet ingredients.

What vegetables can you hide in brownies?

Beyond spinach, you can hide zucchini, sweet potato, avocado, and beets in brownies. Zucchini is probably the most popular - it adds tons of moisture and has almost no flavor. Sweet potato brings natural sweetness and a cake-like texture. Avocado creates an incredibly creamy, fudgy texture and adds healthy fats. Beets give brownies a deep chocolate color and earthy sweetness that pairs well with cocoa.

What is the tastiest way to eat spinach?

Hiding spinach in chocolate brownies ranks pretty high on the tasty scale, especially if you have picky eaters at home. But spinach also tastes great sautéed with garlic and olive oil, wilted into creamy pasta dishes, blended into fruit smoothies where berries mask the color, or baked into cheesy spinach dips with lots of cream cheese and parmesan. The key is pairing it with strong flavors that balance its earthy taste - garlic, cheese, chocolate, and citrus all work well.

Time to Bake the Brownies Everyone Will Love!

Now you have everything you need to make spinach brownies - from blending that bright green puree to watching it disappear into rich chocolate batter. This isn't just about sneaking vegetables into dessert. It's about making really good brownies that happen to be packed with nutrients. The fact that kids (and adults) can't tell the difference? That's just the bonus.

Craving more chocolate desserts that wow people? Try our 7 Ways to Make Perfect Boston Cream Cupcakes for a bakery-worthy treat that's easier than you think. Love that fudgy chocolate texture? Our Delicious Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe delivers the same rich flavor with a gorgeous crackled top. Or explore our Easy Homemade Pecan Tassies Recipe for bite-sized sweetness that's great for gatherings!

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