For those looking for healthier treats, these chewy Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies are made flourless, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free and vegan! Plus, fair warning, they are just so tasty you’ll have a difficult time stopping at one!
Six basic ingredients is all you need to make these simple and delicious zucchini oatmeal cookies!
The best part about this recipe, aside from the fact that these things are addicting, is the fact that they’re so easy to make.
We simply mix everything up in one bowl, scoop dough onto a baking sheet and bake.
There’s no need for a stand mixer, chilling the dough, or using multiple bowls or an electric mixer.
Novice bakers, this recipe is a guaranteed win!
While adding grated zucchini to oatmeal cookies may sound silly to some, I absolutely adore it for a number of reasons.
First, zucchini treats are always some of my favorite treats, and secondly we’re adding veggies so this is basically health food, right?
In all seriousness, I do like the hidden vegetable idea especially for picky eaters as it can be tough for some kids to get a good source of vegetables.
Similar to carrots, zucchini can be incorporated into all sorts of baked goods so that we’re getting a little boost of nutrients. Every little bit counts!
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this healthy cookie recipe.
Ingredients for Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies:
Ripe Banana: A portion of the sweetness in these cookies comes from ripe mashed banana.
While the banana flavor isn’t overpowering, you can get hints of it, which I think actually compliments the cookies quite nicely.
Unsweetened Almond Butter: Used as the fat and the glue that holds everything together, almond butter is a crucial ingredient here.
Replace it with sunflower seed butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, or any nut or seed butter you prefer as long as it is thick, well-stirred, and sticky.
Pure Maple Syrup: In addition to the ripe banana, we use pure maple syrup to sweeten the cookies.
Rolled Oats: Old fashioned rolled oats, instant oats, or quick oats provide that iconic nutty oatmeal flavor here and take the place of all purpose flour.
Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need the cookies to be gluten-free. I use gluten-free sprouted oats.
Ground Cinnamon & Sea Salt: Cinnamon brings warm flavor to the cookies and a pinch of sea salt enhances all of the individual flavors so that the cookies taste rich in flavor.
Fresh Zucchini Squash: the unsung hero here, we use grated zucchini squash to add a little whacky fun to our cookies. There is no need to drain the excess water form the zucchini with a paper towel, as I have built the excess liquid into the recipe.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Replace the ripe banana with ⅓ cup of unsweetened applesauce for a banana-free version. If you’re going this route, I also recommend adding a tablespoon or two of brown sugar.
- Add up to 1 cup of chocolate chips for delicious zucchini chocolate chip cookies. Semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips and white chocolate chips are all great.
- If you love nuts in your cookies, add ⅓ to ⅔ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Use agave nectar or coconut nectar instead of pure maple syrup. While honey can be used, I don’t recommend it because it has a low burn temperature which causes the cookies to brown up quickly. Plus, the honey flavor can be a bit overpowering.
- If you have vanilla extract on hand, add one teaspoon.
Now that we’ve covered the basic wholesome ingredients and some options for these healthy oatmeal cookies, let’s bake oatmeal zucchini cookies!
How to Make Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the tip and tail off of the zucchini and use a box grater or a food processor with the grating attachment to grate one cup worth of zucchini.
You can save any extra zucchini for a stir fry or a different baking project. Set the grated zucchini aside until ready to use.
Mash the ripe banana in a large mixing bowl until it’s nice and creamy.
Add in the almond butter (or peanut butter or nut butter of choice) and the pure maple syrup. Mix everything well until combined (wet ingredients).
Note: If your almond butter has been in the refrigerator or is very cold, microwave it for 10 to 20 seconds to soften it up so that it is easier to mix.
Add in the dry ingredients (oats, ground cinnamon, and sea salt) into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until a thick, sticky dough forms.
Mix in the shredded zucchini until it is evenly distributed throughout the oatmeal cookie dough.
Drop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. The cookies won’t spread, so be sure the dough is in the same form you want it to look like once the cookies are baked. I typically press it into little circles.
Bake cookies for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they appear set up and the edges are slightly golden brown. For large cookies, bake for 15 minutes, or for smaller cookies, bake 10-12 minutes. I make 12 cookies and bake them for 12 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the cookie sheet and enjoying. If you’d like to move the cookies to a wire rack after cooling for 10 minutes, you can.
Store the cookies in an airtight container or a zip lock bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freeze any leftover cookies in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
You can also store these vegan zucchini cookies at room temperature for up to 2 days on the counter since they don’t contain butter or eggs.
Bake a batch of zucchini cookies the next time the craving for a chewy cookie strikes, especially if you have an abundance of zucchini in your garden. These lovely soft zucchini cookies are perfect for the summer months or any time of year.
I hope you and your family love these healthy zucchini oatmeal cookies! If you enjoy zucchini dessert recipes, also try out some of these gems.
More Zucchini Recipes:
- Almond Flour Zucchini Crumb Cake
- Oatmeal Banana Zucchini Muffins
- Flourless Zucchini Fudge Brownies
- The Best Almond Flour Zucchini Bread
- Paleo Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Oatmeal cookies with veggies forever!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe banana, mashed (about 1/3 cup)*
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2/3 cup unsweetened almond butter
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup grated zucchini
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the tip and tail off of the zucchini and use a box grater or a food processor with the grating attachment to grate one cup worth of zucchini. You can save any extra zucchini for a stir fry or a different baking project. Set the grated zucchini aside until ready to use.
- Mash the ripe banana in a large mixing bowl until it’s nice and creamy.
- Add in the almond butter (or peanut butter or nut butter of choice) and the pure maple syrup. Mix everything well until combined (wet ingredients). Note: If your almond butter has been in the refrigerator or is very cold, microwave it for 10 to 20 seconds to soften it up so that it is easier to mix.
- Add in the dry ingredients (oats, ground cinnamon, and sea salt) into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until a thick, sticky dough forms.
- Mix in the shredded zucchini until it is evenly distributed throughout the oatmeal cookie dough.
- Drop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. The cookies won’t spread, so be sure the dough is in the same form you want it to look like once the cookies are baked. I typically press it into little circles.
- Bake cookies for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they appear set up and the edges are slightly golden brown. For large cookies, bake for 15 minutes, or for smaller cookies, bake 10-12 minutes. I make 12 cookies and bake them for 12 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the cookie sheet and enjoying.
Notes
Nutrition
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Susan
Sunday 28th of January 2024
These are sooo good I did add chocolate chips but next time I will add less
Julia
Tuesday 30th of January 2024
Ooh, I love the idea of adding chocolate chips! Thanks for sharing, Susan! xo