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Butterscotch Zucchini Bars

Butterscotch zucchini bars are thick, golden dessert bars with a glossy top and caramel-butterscotch chips pooled throughout. Grated zucchini adds moist, tender blondie-style texture without making the bars cakey—bake, cool, then slice clean squares.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
Wet ingredients
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.75 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
Mix-ins
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips (divided)
  • 0.5 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking pan.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Mix the batter
  1. Beat brown sugar, packed, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  2. Stir in the grated squeezed zucchini until evenly distributed.
  3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, then fold in 1 cup butterscotch chips and walnuts if using.
Bake
  1. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and scatter the remaining butterscotch chips on top.
  2. Bake for 28–32 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, with the top looking set and lightly golden.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool completely before cutting into bars, until the surface is firm and the chips look glossy rather than molten.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated zucchini very dry for a thicker, gooier bar instead of a looser, cake-like crumb. Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze baked bars for up to 2 months. For a dietary swap, replace vegetable oil with an equal amount of melted unsalted butter (or vegan butter) for a richer flavor while keeping the bake time the same.