Our Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies
These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies are soft, chewy, packed with flavor, and surprisingly easy to whip up. They have a secret ingredient (zucchini!) that adds amazing moisture and makes them extra special.
Equipment
- Oven Preheated to 375°F (190°C)
- Baking sheets Lined with parchment paper
- Parchment paper
- Medium bowl
- larger bowl
- Whisk
- Spoon Or cookie scoop
- Cookie scoop
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 2 cup quick oats Make sure they're quick oats, not old-fashioned, for the best results.
- 0.67 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon
- 0.5 cup packed brown sugar Pack it firmly into your measuring cup!
- 0.5 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled Let it cool for a few minutes so it doesn't scramble the egg!
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1.5 cup grated zucchini Gently squeeze out excess moisture using a paper towel or clean kitchen towel after grating.
- 1.5 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided 1 cup for the dough, 1/2 cup for pressing on top.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Go ahead and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the quick oats, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a larger bowl, combine the melted butter and packed brown sugar. Beat them together until they're nicely combined and look smooth.
- Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract. Mix until they're just incorporated.
- Add the bowl of dry ingredients (from step 2) to the wet ingredients (from step 4). Mix gently until everything is just combined. Stop mixing as soon as you don't see any dry flour spots.
- Stir in the grated zucchini and 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Fold them in gently until they're mixed throughout the dough.
- Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared baking sheets. Leave a little space between them for spreading.
- Press the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips right onto the tops of each cookie dough ball.
- Pop the baking sheets into your preheated oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges should look set and slightly golden, but the centers still look a tiny bit soft.
- Once they're out of the oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for just a few minutes. Then, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Tips for Success:
- Squeeze the Zucchini: After grating, gently squeeze out the excess moisture using a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel. This is crucial for preventing soggy cookies.
- Don't Overmix: Mix the dry and wet ingredients until just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, leading to tougher cookies.
- Cookie Scoops are Your Friend: Using a cookie scoop helps you get evenly sized cookies, which means they'll bake more uniformly.
- Watch Your Oven: Oven temperatures can vary. Start checking your cookies at the 10-minute mark. Substitutions & Additions:
- Flour: You can try using whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour. Gluten-free all-purpose blends might work.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar will result in a less chewy texture. Dark brown sugar gives a richer, moister cookie.
- Chocolate Chips: Swap semi-sweet for milk, dark, white, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips.
- Add-ins: Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) or dried cranberries. Storage:
- Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Freeze cookie dough balls on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding an extra minute or two. FAQs:
- You don't need to peel the zucchini; just wash it well.
- Quick oats are recommended for texture, but old-fashioned oats give a chewier cookie.
- If zucchini is wet, squeeze out moisture after grating.
- Yes, you can freeze the cookie dough.
- Squeeze the Zucchini: After grating, gently squeeze out the excess moisture using a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel. This is crucial for preventing soggy cookies.
- Don't Overmix: Mix the dry and wet ingredients until just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, leading to tougher cookies.
- Cookie Scoops are Your Friend: Using a cookie scoop helps you get evenly sized cookies, which means they'll bake more uniformly.
- Watch Your Oven: Oven temperatures can vary. Start checking your cookies at the 10-minute mark. Substitutions & Additions:
- Flour: You can try using whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour. Gluten-free all-purpose blends might work.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar will result in a less chewy texture. Dark brown sugar gives a richer, moister cookie.
- Chocolate Chips: Swap semi-sweet for milk, dark, white, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips.
- Add-ins: Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) or dried cranberries. Storage:
- Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Freeze cookie dough balls on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding an extra minute or two. FAQs:
- You don't need to peel the zucchini; just wash it well.
- Quick oats are recommended for texture, but old-fashioned oats give a chewier cookie.
- If zucchini is wet, squeeze out moisture after grating.
- Yes, you can freeze the cookie dough.