I’m not going to say “you’ll never know it’s there!” because clearly, if you look at the cookie, well, you’ll see it’s there. If you eat it in the dark or blindfolded, though, it’s true. You might not know it’s there.
My veggie-averse (sigh) toddler doesn’t know it’s there. Or she doesn’t care. She loves, loves, loves these cookies.
I’m talking about zucchini, friends. Zucchini, you ask? Zucchini chocolate chip cookies?! Heeeeck yes. And yes again.
I never thought I’d be a mom that sneaks veggies into things, but, yeah. Here I am.
This is more than just a Trojan horse cookie, though – more than a gimmick to get my kid to eat some veggies already. As it turns out, this is just a darn good cookie, and one I’ll be making every summer probably until the end of time.
These zucchini chocolate chip cookies aren’t just plain old chocolate chip cookies that happen to have green flecks, though. Out of the oven, they’re similar, but after awhile, the moisture in the zucchini gives these cookies a soft, cakey texture. So they are a departure from your average chewy, crisp-around-the-edges chocolate chip cookie. They’re almost more reminiscent of a muffin top than a cookie. If you’re down with that, I think you should try these. Whether you eat them with your eyes open, closed, or both, I think you’ll like.
This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies – and, yeah, that’s a lot! If you don’t need quite so many, try freezing the dough. Set scoops of dough side by side on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze until firm, then transfer the balls to a zippered freezer bag and keep in the freezer until a craving hits. Bake the frozen dough at 350 degrees for about 10 – 12 minutes and voila! Instant fresh-baked cookies.
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour*
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (can substitute 2 cups all-purpose flour for 4 cups total (can substitute your favorite gluten-free flour blend)*)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 large or 2 medium zucchini)
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one until completely blended, and mix in the the vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat on low (or stir by hand) just until the ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be stiff.
- Add the zucchini and chocolate chips and mix just until incorporated.
- Scoop the cookies in approximately 2-tablespoon increments, about 2 inches apart, onto an ungreased non-stick cookie sheet or cookie sheet lined with silicone mat. (I recommend a cookie scoop for this step.)
- Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until the cookies seem set and light golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a vegetarian home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m married to an enthusiastic carnivore, and my mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen – one tasty recipe at a time. These days, with a name like mine, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
Just made these…they are GLORIOUS and I am a RUBBISH cook, so I can only imagine how good someone else can make them!
Is it amazing how great a vegetable can taste in a baked good?? Zucchini bread/muffins are one of my favorite baked goods. I need to try it in cookies now, too!
Ooh, I love these! Zucchini bread can get a little boring after a while, so cookies are a nice change of pace. 🙂
I love new ways to use zucchini, and I can never get enough cookies – these look perfect!
yuummm! these are fantastic!
Yum! I’ve had chocolate chip zucchini bread, but I’ve never had zucchini in cookies. Gota try these soon. Great blog by the way, I’ll def. be following 🙂
These look so incredible! We see zucchini a lot in quick breads, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in a cookie form! It looks delicious 🙂 pinned!
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I’m just about to make these – they look delicious, but do I need to squeeze out the juice from the zucchini if it’s too moist?
Thanks!
Hi Pohlin, I’m way late in commenting (so sorry) but I don’t squeeze out the water, I just grate the zucchini and toss it in. Hope your cookies turned out fab either way!
I have so much zucchini! I will be making these tomorrow to take to a bbq tomorrow afternoon.
🙂
I just made these, following the recipe exactly, though I did have to do 4-cups of all-purpose flour as I didn’t have any wheat flour on hand. DELICIOUS! My 2 and 4-year olds had to be cut off after a few cookies each! I must have made mine a little smaller than the 2-Tbsp size, I got 6 1/2 dozen, but was able to put half of the dough in the freezer for later! Thanks so much for the delicious recipe! Will definitely be making these again!!
Hi Cheri, so glad you and the little ones liked them! I love freezing the balls of dough – I’ve been pulling them out and making a half-dozen or so of these at a time (and they’re usually gone that day)! I’ll have to check the yield again just to be sure. Excellent excuse to make them again!
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Just made these and they are fantastic! To make sure my kids wouldn’t cry about green in their cookies (I love it but they are picky) I peeled my zucchini and grated it super fine. Worked great! Thanks!!
I made these last week in my attempts to be more “domestic”. My 9year old daughter loved them so much she was telling everyone about Mom’s homemade cookies that were the best cookies ever! Had to search the Web to find you again to make today! Thanks for the recipe & reputation with my daughter!
Ha, that is adorable. So glad she loved them so much – you made my morning. 🙂
Just made these (they literally just came out of the oven) and they look and smell wonderful! I froze about half the dough for latter- thanks fot the idea and tip about how to freeze and then bake. They were super easy to make and will be way better then a pre-made mix (I am a Mom to a 6 yo and 3 1/2 yo and work full-time so I am usually pressed for time and energy!). Thanks so much!