Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies
Updated May 08, 2026
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These chocolate chip zucchini cookies with oatmeal ore soft and chewy with perfectly crisp edges, a rich vanilla cinnamon flavor, and lots of chocolate chips in every bite. They’re easy to make with fresh shredded zucchini – no chilling required, and they are truly the best zucchini cookies you’ll ever taste!
If you’re looking for the best zucchini cookies recipe – this is it (no chilling required)! They’re perfectly spiced with lots of chocolate chips – or you can add your favorite mix-ins instead – and a delicious way to sneak vegetables into dessert!
These zucchini oatmeal cookies are one of my favorite ways to use fresh summer zucchini (along with my recipes for zucchini bars, zucchini brownies, zucchini cake, and zucchini bread) because they taste just like a bakery-style oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, but with shredded zucchini mixed into the dough.
Why You’ll Love These Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft & chewy (not cakey)!
- No chilling (fast & easy)
- Great way to use zucchini from your garden or farmer’s market
- Ready in under 30 minutes!
See what Danielle says:
I couldn’t review this fast enough! These are AMAZING and delicious!!! I cannot say enough good things. (Eating them warm is heaven…) Pardon me while I go eat another one…
– Danielle
Zucchini Cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour. Use gluten-free all-purpose baking flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter is a good substitute.
- Oatmeal: For the perfect, chewy texture use old-fashioned (or rolled) oats. You can use quick oats, just be aware it will change the texture of the cookies.
- Light Brown Sugar. If you like a little bolder, molasses taste use dark brown sugar.
- Granulated Sugar. white sugar, organic cane sugar, and coconut sugar are all good choices.
- Sea salt. I bake with pure, fine sea salt. If you are using iodized salt I recommend decreasing the amount of salt by half.
- Chocolate chips. Adding chocolate chips is optional, but of course recommended. You can use 1 cup of total of different mix-ins such as white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, dried fruit, nuts, etc.
How to Make Zucchini Cookies
Let’s walk through this zucchini cookies recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
How to Shred Zucchini for Cookies
The first step in this recipe is to shred the zucchini. I suggest using a box grater and using the larger “grating “grating side” which has the larger holes. However, if you want thinner zucchini pieces you can use the smaller “shredding” side.
You do not need to peel the zucchini, I actually would advise against it because the skin helps the zucchini stay in tact while baking.
Then squeeze out the water with your hands. I often put the zucchini in a thin tea towel or heavy-duty paper towel and wring the water out. This step is critical for chewy cookies that aren’t caky or too wet.
Next, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl. Then set it aside.
Then, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, until light and fluffy (about 60 seconds)
Next, add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until the mixture is light (about 30-60 seconds).
Then, add the dry ingredient mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
Slowly beat in the oatmeal on low speed until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Lastly, add the zucchini and chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed in the dough.
If you don’t prefer chocolate chips, you can add 1 cup of your favorite mix-ins! Here are some suggestions:
- white chocolate chips
- raisins
- dried fruit (cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.)
- cinnamon chips (YUM)
- nuts (walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds, etc.)
Bake
Once the dough is ready, use a 1 ½ to 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out the dough for the zucchini cookies.
Then, roll the dough into balls and place them on the prepared cookie sheet about 1 ½ inches apart. Repeat until all the dough is used.
Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the top is just set.
Let sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Freeze Cookie Dough
Instead of baking, you can also freeze the zucchini cookie dough balls to bake them later.
- Place the measured and rolled cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until firm.
- Once firm, transfer the dough balls to an airtight, freezer-friendly container (I recommend either a glass storage container or a freezer-friendly ziplock bag).
- Freeze for up to 2 months.
- To bake: remove dough from the freezer and let it come to room temperature. Then bake according the the recipe instructions.
How to Store Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies
Store these oatmeal zucchini cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Zucchini Cookies Recipe FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about these zucchini cookies! If you have other questions I did not address in this post, please leave a comment and I will answer them!
Yes, I often freeze and shred zucchini in the summer to use all year long. to use frozen, shredded zucchini:
1. Thaw the zucchini in a colander in the sink to drain the water that’s released while thawing.
2. Use a tea towel to ring out any excess water.
3. Use the zucchini in this recipe.
1. Shred the zucchini.
2. Use a tea towel or heavy-duty paper towel and put the shredded zucchini inside.
3. Fold the towel over the zucchini and wring it out to squeeze out the water.
4. Repeat until the water is out!
Nope! Wash and dry the zucchini thoroughly, then trim the ends and peel it with the skin on.
No! Old fashioned (or rolled) oats are whole-grain oat kernels that have been rolled flat. Quick-cooking oats are also rolled, but the oat kernel is cut into smaller pieces so it can cook faster.
Yes, you can, just be aware that it will change the texture of the cookies and they will be less chewy and more “fluffy” or cakey.
They stay fresh at room temperature for 2 days, but if you want them to last for up to a week, store them in the refrigerator.
Yes, freeze baked cookies for up to 1 month in an airtight container, then thaw at room temperature or reheat in the microwave.
If you have cakey cookies, you probably didn’t squeeze out enough water.
More Zucchini Recipes
If you love baking like zucchini like I do – you’ll want to try these recipes
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- The best zucchini bread
- Zucchini Brownies
- Zucchini Bars
- Moist Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup salted butter (softened)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oatmeal
- 1 cup zucchini (shredded, water squeezed out)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Shred the zucchini, then squeeze out the water with your hands. (I often put the zucchini in a thin tea towel or heavy-duty paper towel and wring it out).
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on high speed in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer for 1 minute, until light and fluffy.
- Then, add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed for another 1 minute.
- Add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter mixture and beat on medium-high speed until just combined.
- Slowly beat in the oatmeal on low speed until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Add zucchini and chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed in the dough.
- Use a 1 ½ to 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out the dough.
- Roll the dough into balls and place them on the prepared cookie sheet about 1 ½ inches apart. Repeat until all the dough is used.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the top is just set.
- Let sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Thaw the zucchini in a colander in the sink to drain the water that’s released while thawing.
- Use a tea towel to ring out any excess water.
- Use the zucchini in this recipe.
- All-purpose flour. Use gluten-free all-purpose baking flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter is a good substitute.
- Oatmeal: For the perfect, chewy texture use old-fashioned (or rolled) oats. You can use quick oats, just be aware it will change the texture of the cookies.
- Light Brown Sugar. If you like a little bolder, molasses taste use dark brown sugar.
- Granulated Sugar. white sugar, organic cane sugar, and coconut sugar are all good choices.
- Sea salt. I bake with pure, fine sea salt. If you are using iodized salt I recommend decreasing the amount of salt by half.
- Chocolate chips. Adding chocolate chips is optional, but of course recommended. You can use 1 cup of total of different mix-ins such as white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, dried fruit, nuts, etc.
- Place the measured and rolled cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until firm.
- Once firm, transfer the dough balls to an airtight, freezer-friendly container (I recommend either a glass storage container or a freezer-friendly ziplock bag).
- Freeze for up to 2 months.
- To bake: remove dough from the freezer and let it come to room temperature. Then bake according the the recipe instructions.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love the flavor of these cookies, but they always turn out very flat. I substitute cranberries for the chips but otherwise follow the instructions as posted. I’m using new baking powder, thought that might be the problem, but evidently not. Any suggestions? Should I chill the dough before baking? Any help would be greatly appreciated! They’re still good and we eat them without complaint but I feel I’m missing something.
Are you weighing your flour in grams using the metric measurements in the recipe card? I suggest doing that as a next troubleshooting step if you have not tried that. The dough should not need to be chilled, but if your kitchen is hot or humid then chilling will help with the spreading problem for sure.
Delicious. I had a giant zucchini from my garden. I love oats I did mine with pecans.
Thank you Kris!
These are delicious. I did substitute half of the butter with applesauce and used less sugar and they were still plenty sweet.
Thank you Tabatha!
ImI’m not much of a cookie baker but these turned out great! I added dried cranberries and extra cinnamon (because you can never have too much cinnamon!) and then followed the directions as stated. Going to try freezing the dough to use in the future!
I added a cup of chopped walnuts to it, best cookies ever
These are so delicious! I left quite bit of moisture in the zucchini and they were sooooo soft!
I couldn’t review this fast enough! Holy hell, these are AMAZING and delicious!!!
The instructions are perfection. I cannot say enough good things. (Eating them warm is heaven…) Pardon me while I go eat another one…
I’m so glad you love them Danielle!!!
These were amazing, (almost) exactly as posted here, except I used vegetarian butter and maybe 1/4 cup less sugar, and also whole wheat pastry flour instead of white AP. I still give it 5 stars since I’m sure my changes didn’t change the flavor or texture, which were perfect! I don’t yet know how they keep, since we ate them all!