These zucchini cookies have crispy edges & soft & chewy centers. They’re infused with vanilla & cinnamon and are easy to make – no chilling required! They are the best zucchini chocolate chip cookies you’ll ever taste!
I'm always creating new recipes to enjoy the abundance of fresh summer zucchini - and these Zucchini Cookies are one of our favorites (along with this zucchini bread & chocolate zucchini cake).
These zucchini oatmeal cookies are crispy on the outside with soft and gooey centers. They're richly flavored with vanilla & cinnamon and packed with freshly shredded zucchini!
If that's not enough to entice you to make them, this zucchini cookies recipe is easy - no chilling required!
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.
Shred & wring out the zucchini
Begin by shredding 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 squeeze it out that way.
Make the zucchini cookie dough
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.)
Portion/roll dough & bake
Once the dough is ready, use a 1 ½ to 2 TBS 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.
To freeze the 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.
To store:
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.
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.
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Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oatmeal
- 1 cup zucchini shredded water squeezed out
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Shred 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 squeeze it out that way.
- 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 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)
- Then, add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until the mixture is light (about 30-60 seconds).
- Add 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.
- Add zucchini and chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed in the dough.
- Use a 1 ½ to 2 TBS 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.
Video
Notes
To use frozen zucchini:
- 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.
To freeze the 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.
Store:
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.Nutrition
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Patti
Absolutely the most delicious cookie ever! Moist and so full of chocolate flavor. My grandsons asked me to make them again! I followed the recipe exactly. Thanks for the recipe. I will take a picture next time. This batch vanished!
Amy-Sun
Wow, these were delicious! Brilliant idea. My kids devoured them, and so did I. I didn't have enough butter, so I subbed half coconut oil, which added a nice, subtle coconut flavor. Will make these again!