Zucchini Cookies

My zucchini cookies are soft and chewy, and they’ve quickly become my family’s favorite oatmeal cookie! They’re naturally sweetened and bake in 15 minutes!

If you’re looking to sneak more veggies into your favorite desserts, try my sweet potato brownies, avocado cake, or no-bake carrot cake bars next!

Table of Contents

1. Why I love this recipe
2. Key ingredients
3. How to make zucchini oatmeal cookies
4. Arman’s recipe tips
5. Frequently asked questions
6. Zucchini Cookies (Recipe Card)
7. More zucchini recipes

Adding zucchini to our favorite desserts is nothing new. I’ve been doing it for years, and I’ve kind of mastered this art of deception. 

Similar to my zucchini bars, I wanted to keep this recipe simple and to the point where you can ALMOST taste the zucchini, but not quite. Instead, the zucchini adds moisture, richness, and of course, tons of fiber. 

Why I love this recipe

• Made with 4 pantry staples. If you have oats, peanut butter, zucchini, and banana, you can get to baking. 
• Very healthy. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and made with no added sugar. 
• Breakfast-worthy. Each cookie is low in calories and filled with fiber and healthy fats. 
• Ready in 15 minutes. Like oatmeal breakfast cookies, you don’t need to chill the dough, and they bake quickly. 

Key ingredients

• Rolled oats. AKA old fashioned oats. I prefer these over regular flour since oats have more fiber and yield a chewy texture. Quick oats will also work, but the cookies will be softer. 
• Peanut butter. To bind the dry ingredients and add richness. I like the flavor of peanut butter, but you could use almond butter or any nut or seed butter. 
• Banana. Mashed banana keeps the cookies soft while also adding sweetness. The riper the banana, the sweeter the cookies will be. 
• Shredded zucchini. They should be finely grated with the excess moisture thoroughly squeezed out (I use a cheesecloth or a handful of paper towels). 
• Mix-ins. I used chocolate chips to make zucchini chocolate chip cookies, but you could also use pecans, walnuts, raisins, you name it!

How to make zucchini oatmeal cookies

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Prep. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven. 

Step 2- Mix. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients until it forms a dough.

Step 3- Shape and bake. Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough balls onto the lined sheet. Top with additional mix-ins and bake until they’re slightly firm and golden on the edges. 

Step 4- Cool. Let the cookies cool on wire racks before enjoying. 

Arman’s recipe tips

• Make sure the zucchini is VERY dry. It’s very important that you remove as much excess liquid as possible, or else the cookies will be too moist and fall apart. 
• Use a stand mixer. If you don’t mind the cookies being more uniform in texture, you can make the cookie dough in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. 
• Don’t have bananas? Use 1 ¼ cups of unsweetened applesauce. 
• Avoid overbaking. These cookies can feel soft even when they’re done baking, but don’t worry; they will firm up as they cool. 

Frequently asked questions

More zucchini recipes

• Healthy zucchini bread
• Chocolate zucchini cake
• Zucchini brownies
• Healthy zucchini muffins

Originally updated June 2023, updated and republished January 2025