Thick and Soft Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
These zucchini chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are thick, with golden brown crispy edges and super soft, chewy, cake-like centers…
- Prep
- 25 mins
- Cook
- 16 mins
- Total
- 41 mins
- Makes
- 14 servings
These Zucchini Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies come out thick, with golden, crispy edges and soft, chewy, cake-like centers. They're flavored with cinnamon and a little nutmeg, then studded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, shredded zucchini, and old-fashioned oats! The dough doesn't need to chill, so these are a great last-minute treat for your next get-together!
Why You'll Love These Zucchini Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- They're super soft and moist, with chewy centers.
- All the goodness of a classic chocolate chip cookie combined with an oatmeal cookie. Yum!
- A great way to use up zucchini from your garden!
- Cinnamon and a little nutmeg in every bite.
- The cookie dough can be frozen for later.
- Loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Makes 14 cookies, 3-4 inches in diameter, which is perfect for a small crowd.
Recipe Ingredients
Here is everything you'll need to make these zucchini chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.
- Shredded Zucchini
- All-Purpose Flour
- Almond Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Unsalted Butter
- Light Brown Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- An Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Traditional Rolled Oats
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Substitutions
All-Purpose Flour. You can swap out the 1/2 cup of almond flour for 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour. I don't recommend replacing all of the all-purpose flour with almond flour, since the cookies will spread out too thin.
Nutmeg. I add nutmeg for a little extra warmth without going overboard. It's only 1/4 teaspoon. If you're not a fan, you can leave it out.
Granulated Sugar. You can swap out the 1/ cup of light brown sugar for 1/2 cup of granulated sugar (or pure cane organic sugar). I don't recommend using only light brown sugar.
Chocolate Chips. You can trade the semi-sweet chocolate chips for chocolate chunks or milk chocolate chips.
I didn't test this recipe with any egg substitutes, and I don't suggest swapping quick oats for old-fashioned ones. Rolled oats, however, work. I believe those are basically the same as old-fashioned oats.
The Best Baking Tools
Here are the recommended baking tools for making these zucchini chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.
Let's Make the Cookies!
Here's a quick overview of how to make this easy zucchini chocolate chip oatmeal cookie recipe. Keep scrolling for the detailed version!
Shred the zucchini. Start here so the other ingredients don't sit in the bowl too long. After shredding, pat away most of the excess liquid, but not all of it. Paper towels or a mesh sieve both work for this.
Whisk the dry ingredients. Combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well blended and there are no big clumps from the almond flour. If you like, you can sift the almond flour into the bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients. The recipe calls for a stand mixer or hand mixer, but honestly, the hand mixer is the easiest. Let the unsalted butter come to room temperature so it blends more easily with the light brown and granulated sugars. Add the egg, then the vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet. This is also when you add the shredded zucchini. Once that's well combined, mix in the old-fashioned oats. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula so they don't get broken up in the dough.
Scoop, then bake. This recipe doesn't need chilling, so scoop the zucchini chocolate oatmeal cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake! I used a 3.4 tablespoon cookie scoop, which yields cookies 3-4 inches across once baked. For smaller cookies, cut the baking time to 10-12 minutes.
Leave 2-3 inches between the cookies, since they will spread out, though not so much that they turn out thin.
The recommended bake time is 14-16 minutes at 350ºF. They should have a nice medium golden brown edge, stay on the thicker side, and have a soft, cake-like texture.
Cookie Recipe FAQs
What size cookie scoop did you use?I used my 3.4 tablespoon cookie scoop.
Do I need to chill the cookie dough?No, not for this recipe.
Why do I need to drain the shredded zucchini?You need to drain the excess liquid from the shredded zucchini for this cookie recipe. Otherwise the dough will be too runny and the cookies will spread out a lot! Aim to remove most of the liquid, but not all of it. A little left behind is perfect!
Can I use quick 1-minute oats in place of old-fashioned oats?No, I don't recommend using those in this recipe.
What grater do I use to shred the zucchini?I shredded my zucchini with a medium Microplane grater.
Is the metric weight for the zucchini before or after it’s been drained?The metric weight listed is for the zucchini before most of the liquid has been drained off.
Can I make these cookies smaller?Of course! If you use a smaller cookie scoop, reduce the baking time to 10-12 minutes. Since every oven is different, start checking them at the earliest recommended bake time.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?Yes, absolutely. Scoop the dough onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until almost solid, then move the dough balls into a well-sealed freezer bag or food container. When it's time to bake, don't thaw them first. Just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes to Try!
Thick and Soft Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
These zucchini chocolate chip oatmeal cookies come out thick, with golden brown crispy edges and super soft, chewy, cake-like centers. They're flavored with cinnamon and a little nutmeg and packed with semi-sweet chocolate chips, shredded zucchini, and old-fashioned oats! They're absolutely delicious, and since the dough doesn't need chilling, they're a great last-minute treat for your next get-together!
- Prep
- 25 mins
- Cook
- 16 mins
- Total
- 41 mins
- Makes
- 14 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Shredded Zucchini, measure/weigh, then drain liquid
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Almond Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Old-fashioned Oats
- 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Method
- Move the oven rack to the 2nd position from the top (just above center), preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shred the zucchini into a small bowl, then press out most of the liquid with a paper towel or a mesh sieve. A little liquid left behind is okay!
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well blended.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light in color and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, and keep mixing until they're fully incorporated into the dough.
- Drop the mixer to low and add the whisked dry mixture, followed by the shredded zucchini and old-fashioned oats, mixing until just combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips. The dough will be thick but easy to scoop. It doesn't need to be refrigerated.
- Using a 3.4 tablespoon cookie scoop, place 4-6 dough balls on the parchment paper, leaving about 2-3 inches between them. They'll spread as they bake, though not so much that they become thin.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the edges are a medium golden brown. The cookies will be on the thicker side and roughly 3 to 4 inches across. If you want them all the same round shape, shape each cookie with a round cookie cutter right after they come out of the oven. For extra garnish, you can press a few more semi-sweet chocolate chips onto each cookie.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- The cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To freeze them, double wrap them in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag or food container. Make sure the cookies have cooled fully before freezing.
Baker’s notes
- The amount and weight listed for the shredded zucchini are measured before the excess liquid is drained. Measure or weigh the shredded zucchini first, then pat off the excess liquid before adding it to the batter with the whisked dry ingredients. For perfectly round cookies, you can use a round cookie cutter right after they come out of the oven. To learn how, check out my Salted Brownie Cookies recipe. I don't always do this, but it does give them a nice round shape. A smaller cookie scoop yields more cookies, and you'll need to lower the baking time to 10-12 minutes.
