Let’s Chat: Why I Keep Baking Zucchini Cookies (Spoiler—It’s Not Because I’m a Health Nut)

Listen, if you’ve ever stared at a mountain of zucchini from the garden (or—ok—bought one too many at the shop in a fit of optimism), you’re my kinda person. Funny story, I started making these zucchini cookies one rainy Saturday when my kids—bored, hungry, slightly feral—were eyeing me suspiciously across the kitchen. I figured, why not try hiding vegetables in dessert? Worst case: I eat them myself. Best case: they love ’em. I love how baking sometimes feels like a mad scientist experiment—except these, shockingly, never explode. Unless you count the time I tried to double the recipe and forgot the baking powder… yikes.

Why I Come Back To This Recipe (Okay, My Family Demands It)

I make these pretty much every time someone brings zucchini by (cheers, neighbor Bob). My husband swears he despises “veggie desserts,” but somehow these vanish—even when I stick half the batch in the freezer “for later”. Honestly, my youngest once asked if it counts as a salad… I let it slide. I’ll admit: grating the zucchini is mildly annoying (and messy, if you’re me), but the payoff is there in chewy, not-too-sweet cookies that never last as long as I think they will. And I’ve definitely learned: don’t try to skip squeezing out the zucchini, unless you want a tray of little green hockey pucks. Oh, and if I’m really honest, eating the dough when nobody’s looking is half the fun.

What Goes In, Or What I Scramble For When I Can’t Find Stuff

1 heaping cup grated zucchini (roughly 1 medium zucchini; squeeze out the extra water! It matters.)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (actually, salted works in a pinch, just skip the extra salt)
3/4 cup brown sugar (or white, but brown gives lovely chewiness)
1 large egg (on a mad dash, I’ve used two small ones)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (my gran swears by the fake stuff, honestly, it’s fine)
1 1/4 cups plain/all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (sometimes I go wild and add a pinch of nutmeg or ginger—depends on my mood)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup rolled oats (instant will do in crisis-time, they just bake up a bit softer)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (or leave ’em out if there’s an allergy scare looming)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I sometimes do raisins or nothing at all, depends how “healthy” I want to feel)

How To Actually Make These—With All The Wobbles

First, preheat your oven to 350°F (or about 175°C); I always wait for it to beep, even though I’m forever impatient.
Grab a big bowl, beat the butter and sugar together till it’s kind of fluffy—don’t fret, I sometimes use a wooden spoon instead of my mixer and it’s still fine.
Toss in the egg and vanilla, give it a real good mix. Honestly, if it looks a bit curdled, keep going. It sorts itself out with the flour.
In another bowl (or straight on top, I get lazy), whisk up the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add that to the wet mix—go gently now, don’t overmix. I did once, and the cookies were more like tiny bricks.
Squeeze every last drop of water you can from the grated zucchini—I literally use a (clean!) tea towel. Stir the zucchini and oats into the dough. Feel free to sneak a taste here (no regrets).
Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips or whatever you’re feeling.
Scoop blobs onto a lined tray. I use tablespoons, but sometimes just freehand it with my fingers if I can’t find a scoop—no shame.
Bake for about 11 to 14 minutes, or till the edges look golden but the tops are still a little soft. They firm up as they cool. Don’t wait too long or they dry out. I always burn my tongue on the first one, so, uh, patience is important.

Some Notes I Learned The Hard Way

Let the cookies cool fully on the tray—if you try to move them too early, you’ll get crumbles (ask me how I know).
If your zucc is super watery, give it an extra squeeze. Seriously, too much liquid and these cookies spread like wild gossip.
I’ve swapped in half whole wheat flour and while they’re a bit denser, the kids don’t even notice—proven, science-y fact (by me).

I tried grated apple once instead of zucchini—tasted oddly like breakfast, and honestly, I’d rather stick with zucchini for cookies.
Coconut flakes? Yes! Toasted is even better, if you’ve got time to faff around with a skillet.
Tried subbing honey for the sugar, but the dough got strangely sticky; might need to work out the ratios better one day… or not.

Equipment: What I Use (Or Don’t)

A box grater (if you’ve only got a food processor, it’s much faster, but cleaning it is my nemesis)
Mixing bowls—any ol’ size, I’m not picky, just don’t use your fanciest glass if you’re a clutz like me
Hand mixer (but honestly, a sturdy spoon does pretty well, if you’re in the mood for a workout)
Baking tray and some parchment, unless you love chipping burnt cookie bits off with a knife (I do not)

How Long Do They Last? Depends Who’s Home

Supposedly these keep up to three days in a container, but in my house, 24 hours is seriously pushing it. They freeze well—just pop in a zip bag and they thaw in half an hour. If you hide some for yourself and forget about them, they’re actually amazing cold with coffee.

Serving It Up—My Way (Or My Gran’s, If She’s Over)

Hot with tea is classic, but I personally love dunking them in (don’t judge) a big glass of milk. Gran used to serve them with lemon icing, which is lush if you’re in the mood for extra faff. One time we made ice cream cookie sandwiches and, not to oversell it, but: life-changing.

Things I Wish I’d Known—So, Pro Tips-ish

Do NOT skip squeezing the zucchini—I tried once because I was in a rush and, well, soggy sadness.
I used to let the dough sit on the counter while the oven heated. Turns out, that makes for thicker cookies. Actually, I like them both ways, so try both and see?
If you want crispier cookies, just a touch longer in the oven. But watch out—they go from golden to burnt faster than you’d believe.

Okay, So People Actually Ask Me…

Is it sweet, or more healthy-ish?
Sort of both? It’s a cookie, so don’t expect kale vibes, but you can adjust the sugar if you prefer. I mean, it’s not a salad, but it’s certainly not a doughnut, either!
Can I make them gluten free?
Sure! I used oat flour and Bob’s Red Mill one-for-one mix once—pretty solid results. Maybe next time I’ll try almond flour, but the dough might need something extra to hold together.
How much zucchini is too much?
I tried throwing in an extra half cup once—cookies turned out a bit muffin-like, but still tasty. Don’t go wild, though; trust me, less is more in this case.
Can you taste the zucchini?
Barely! Maybe if you squint your taste buds. Mostly it just keeps everything moist… and *technically* counts as eating your veggies.
What if I don’t have parchment?
Grease up that tray really well. Or, just accept you might spend an extra minute with the spatula scraping up the crispy bits (snack tax; chef’s privilege).
Got a video version?
No fancy filming here, but this home cook’s YouTube video is pretty close to how I make mine—not that there’s a single way!
Other resources?
Honestly, Serious Eats’ zucchini ideas are spot on if you get stuck with more than you bargained for.

One more little detour: I swear by listening to old episodes of The Splendid Table while I bake. Makes the kitchen feel like a friendlier place, which is saying something with kids, cats, and a mountain of dishes waiting for me.

Anyway, that’s my best (slightly chaotic but always tasty) zucchini cookie recipe. Let me know if you make ’em—or if you manage not to eat half the dough raw. That’ll be a first, honestly.