These Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and loaded with oats and chocolate chips for the perfect bite. Zucchini is a surprise ingredient that adds moisture without affecting the flavor, making these cookies easy to enjoy year-round! You don't even need a garden to make them.
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 35 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 18-24
- 🍫 Flavor Profile: Sweet, soft, chocolatey with a hint of cinnamon and mild zucchini
- ☕️ Best Served With: Milk, coffee, or as a sweet treat on its own
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, can be stored for days or frozen for up to 2-3 months
Summarize and Save This Content On
I once made these for a potluck, and they were a huge hit. No one had any idea they were made with zucchini! I love that there's no chill time, which makes them perfect for busy bakers like me. They're also genuinely delicious, not just a way to sneak in vegetables.
If you love to bake treats with zucchini, you should make pumpkin zucchini muffins and zucchini chocolate chip muffins.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No chilling required for the dough: You don't need to chill the cookie dough before making these cookies. They're perfect to make and bake right when you want them.
- It's kid-approved: Even though they contain zucchini, they are still so tasty. Even kids and picky eaters can't get enough of them.
- The cookies are perfectly soft and chewy: They have plenty of moisture to keep them soft and chewy, which complements the rich chocolate chips.
Ingredients
The most important items needed for this zucchini cookies recipe are listed below. They are what give these cookies flavor, texture, and structure.
- Zucchini: Ensure that your fresh zucchini is firm, bright green, and free of wrinkles for the best result. Measure your shredded zucchini after you drain it for accuracy. Use extra zucchini to make this eggplant zucchini casserole for dinner later in the week.
- Rolled oats: Old-fashioned oats are best for this recipe, as they provide the best texture. I also use them in these no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies.
- Brown sugar: You'll notice that the ratio of brown sugar to white sugar is much higher. This is because the chewiness and deep caramel flavor come from the brown sugar.
- Chocolate chips: I use semi-sweet chocolate chips for the perfect balance of sweet and bitter. Milk or dark chocolate works, depending on what you want the final flavor of the zucchini cookies to be.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Make them spiced: Add other warm spices like ¼ teaspoon nutmeg and/or ¼ teaspoon of ginger. It plays well with the cinnamon and complements the zucchini perfectly.
- Add raisins and nuts: Fold in ¼ cup of raisins and ¼ cup of nuts, like chopped walnuts, to add some more texture to the cookies.
- White chocolate chip: Swap the semi-sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chips. They are sweeter and richer than other chocolates!
How to Make Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Start by preheating your oven to 375°F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper before making the cookie dough.
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Step 2: Mix the butter and sugar. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on high speed until smooth, using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. This takes about 2 minutes.
Step 3: Beat the wet ingredients. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat another 2 minutes.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat until just combined.
Step 5: Add the mix-ins. Add in the zucchini, oats, and chocolate chips.
Step 6: Stir the dough. Fold them into the cookie dough until they are well distributed.
Step 7: Scoop the cookies. Scoop the dough into the prepared pan, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Take some extra chocolate chips and gently press them into the top of each one.
Step 8: Bake and cool the cookies. Place the pan into the oven and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Then, enjoy one with a cinnamon hot chocolate once they have cooled completely.
Expert Tips
- Drain the zucchini well: Use a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth to squeeze as much liquid out of the zucchini as possible. Excess water and moisture can cause soggy or flat cookies.
- Chill wet dough if needed: If the cookie dough seems too wet, cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This can help it firm up and dry a bit, making it easier to work with.
- Use room temperature eggs: Allow your eggs to sit on the counter for about 30 minutes or so before you start mixing your chocolate chip zucchini cookie dough. It makes them much easier to mix, resulting in a perfectly smooth dough, free of lumps.
- Storage directions: Place the cookies into an airtight container and store them at room temperature for 3-4 days. Include a piece of paper towel to soak up any condensation so the cookies remain nice and chewy.
- Freezing the cookies: Keep the zucchini and chocolate chip cookies in a freezer bag with layers of parchment paper frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature.
If you're looking for more recipes that feature zucchini and chocolate chips, you'll love chocolate chip zucchini bread.
Serving Suggestions
- Ice cream sandwich: Use these zucchini cookies to make a delicious ice cream sandwich. Try a scoop of Oreo ice cream or your favorite vanilla.
- Hot drink pairings: Prepare a cup of hot chocolate using one of the best hot chocolate bombs, or brew a cup of hot coffee.
- Healthy meal options: Enjoy a tasty dinner featuring crispy salmon bites with a side salad, and enjoy the cookies after.
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe FAQs
No, zucchini has a neutral flavor, and with the small shredded pieces, it disappears into the cookies as they bake. These cookies taste just like a chewy brown sugar chocolate chip cookie.
Yes, you can. It must be fully thawed and drained before you measure it. Frozen zucchini contains a lot more moisture than fresh zucchini.
Avoid overmixing the ingredients when you make the cookie dough. Fold in the zucchini and chocoalte chips until they are just combined. Overmixing incorporates too much air, making them puff up too much, and it also develops too much gluten, preventing them from spreading properly.
You don't need one, but I highly recommend using one! They help you scoop the dough evenly so all of your cookies are the same size and bake at the same rate. If you don't have one, you can use a tablespoon measure instead.
More Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheet
- stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour 5.3oz, 150g
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 4oz, 115g
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 1.8oz, 50g
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed 5.3oz, 150g
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats 5.3oz, 150g
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips 9.3oz, 263g
- 1 cup zucchini 4.8oz, 135g, shredded and drained
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie with parchment paper.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk the flour with the cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside for just a second.
- In the bowl to your stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue beating on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Hold back approximately 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips and add the remainder to the bowl with the rolled oats and shredded zucchini. Fold the ingredients together until everything is evenly distributed through the batter.
- Use a cookie scoop (or an ice cream scoop if you want bigger cookies - no judgement here) to scoop the dough into balls and place on your prepared cookie sheet leaving about 2 inches between each one.
- Press a few of the reserved chocolate chips into the top of the batter balls. This step is completely optional but I find that it makes the cookies look so much prettier.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. The outside of the cookie will be browned but the inside will still appear soft and unset. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool until slightly warm. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- You can use frozen zucchini, just make sure it's fully thawed and well drained before measuring. It holds more moisture than fresh, so removing the excess liquid is key.
- Let your eggs sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before mixing the dough. This helps them blend more easily, creating a smooth, lump-free cookie dough.
- Avoid overmixing the dough. Gently fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips just until combined. Overmixing adds too much air and develops excess gluten, which can make the cookies puff up and keep them from spreading properly.
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