Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies
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Soft and chewy Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies – made with wholesome oats, garden fresh zucchini, decadent chocolate chips, buttery walnuts and cinnamon spice. They’re a deliciously satisfying, old fashioned cookie just like what Grandma made!
These Zucchini Oatmeal cookies a packed with that nostalgic homestyle flavor we crave. Plenty of hearty oaty goodness, compliments of cinnamon spice, fair sweetness from the sugar, balanced nutty flecks throughout, and rich chocolate indulgence generously dotted among them.
They are a chewy, cakey, soft, lightly crisp and crunchy cookie all at once. Chewiness from the oats, cake-like fluffiness from the moisture of the zucchini, crispness along their oven toasted edges, bits of crunch from the walnuts, and buttery softness throughout.
Trust me, its practically impossible to stop at just one cookie. There’s so much satisfying flavor and texture in every bite!
It’s a great summer/ transitioning to fall cookie recipe, and one that you’ll turn to again and again. They are an excellent way to use up the fresh zucchini in season.
Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ingredients
All-purpose flour: This is a key ingredient for the structure of the cookies.
Oats: Old fashioned rolled oats are used here for a chewier cookie, though quick oats should be fine as well.
Cinnamon: Added for the sweet spice flavor we crave, it compliments the oats beautifully.
Baking soda: A leavening agent used to help the cookies rise, spread and brown a little.
Salt: This is a must to help bring out the flavors and balance the sweetness.
Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter on hand you can use that, just reduce the salt to a scant 1/4 tsp.
Granulated sugar and brown sugar: A key ingredient for cookies to sweeten and tenderize them.
Egg: This is a binder for the dough, holding the cookie ingredients together.
Vanilla: Added for extra flavor.
Zucchini: A unique ingredient to the cookies, added for moisture. Use fresh zucchini not frozen as it will be overly wet and mushy. I also recommend using small/medium zucchini vs. large as they usually have too much moisture.
Chocolate chips: I recommend semi-sweet chocolate chips so the cookies aren’t overly sweet (vs. using milk chocolate chips).
Walnuts: Adding nuts adds texture, body and flavor to the cookies, I don’t recommend skipping them (unless there’s an allergy of course). Pecans will work well here also.
How to Make Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies
Prepare oven and pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugars: In a separate large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer (or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy, about 1 minute on medium speed.
Mix in wet ingredients: Mix in egg and vanilla until combined. Scrape down bowl.
Cream together wet and dry mixtures: Add flour mixture to creamed butter sugar mixture and blend until combined. Scrape down bowl.
Add mix-ins: Pour in oats and add zucchini, mix until blended.
Add chocolate and nuts: Using the mixer or a spatula blend in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
Form dough into portions on pans: Using a medium cookie dough scoop, scoop dough out about 2 Tbsp at a time (near 40g or a golf ball) and drop onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake until set on edges: Bake one sheet at a time in preheated oven until edges are golden and set but centers are still slightly under-baked and puffy (they’ll continue to heat through a bit once removed from oven), about 12 to 15 minutes.
Cool cookies: Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storing Zucchini Oat Cookies
Container storage, with parchment: Zucchini Oatmeal cookies should be stored in an airtight container. You can keep parchment paper between layers if don’t want any sticking.
Fridge storage cookies: I recommend storing cookies in the fridge for better preserving and longer storage, they’ll keep for about 6 days.
Fridge storing dough: Unbaked zucchini oatmeal cookie dough will keep in the fridge for 24 hours, flatten cookie dough balls when you go to bake them so they’ll still spread out the same.
Freezing baked cookies: Baked cookies can be frozen up to 3 months. I don’t recommend freezing this dough because the zucchini will thaw differently.
Possible Variations
Gluten free: I have also had success making these gluten free with King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free flour and using other certified gluten free ingredients.
Less sugar: Sugar can be reduced to 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/3 cup brown sugar if you’d like them a bit less sweet.
Mix-ins: In place of chocolate chips try dried raisins or cranberries.
Spices: For a more spiced cookie add 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp ginger along with the cinnamon.
Quick oats: This recipe should also work just fine with quick oats you’ll just end with a softer more muffin-like cookie.
Helpful Tips for Success
Weight ingredients: Use a kitchen scale for the most accurate results when making baked goods.
Dry the zucchini: Squeeze some of the excess moisture from cookies so the cookie dough isn’t overly wet and the cookies overly cakey.
Runny cookie dough fix: If dough since on the wet side you can add in 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour or chill the dough for 1 hour.
Scape bowl: While you mix cookie dough scrape down the bowl occasionally using a spatula for even mixing.
Properly preheat oven: Don’t add cookies to oven before preheating or the cookies will spread too much and they may also burn on top depending on the oven model.
More Tempting Oat Cookie Recipes to Try
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Follow Cooking Classy
Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (176g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 10 Tbsp (141g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (136g) rolled oats*
- 1 cup (128g) shredded fresh zucchini, wrapped in paper towels and excess moisture squeezed out (to 114g)
- 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup (68g) walnuts, chopped into small bits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer (or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy, about 1 minute on medium speed.
- Mix in egg and vanilla until combined. Scrape down bowl.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture and blend until combined. Scrape down bowl.
- Pour in oats and add zucchini, mix until blended.
- Mix or fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Using a medium cookie dough scoop, scoop dough out about 2 Tbsp at a time (near 40g or a golf ball size) and drop onto prepared baking sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time in preheated oven until edges are golden brown and set but centers are still slightly under-baked and puffy (they'll continue to heat through a bit once removed from oven), about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in the fridge for longer shelf life (about 5 to 6 days). Enjoy cold or bring to room temperature whichever you prefer.