These taste like a cross between oatmeal cookies and zucchini bread! They’re supremely chewy, moist, and soft with lots of oats and spices. These Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies have a sweet and cozy flavor. They’re made with common ingredients and come together quickly, so they’re simple to whip up any day of the week — or whenever you start craving cookies! Leftover cookies will keep for at least a couple of days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature (or closer to a week or more if refrigerated). The fully baked and cooled cookies freeze really well too!
Healthy Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Grater
- Baking sheet
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Mat
- Spatula
- Oven
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup instant oats gluten-free if needed, measured correctly
- 0.75 cup whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour, measured correctly
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
- 0.25 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.5 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cup freshly grated zucchini patted dry
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, egg, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Stir in the maple syrup.
- Add in the oat mixture, and stir until just incorporated. Fold in the zucchini. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C), and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Using a spoon and spatula, drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet. Flatten to ⅜”-thick using a spatula.
- Bake at 325°F for 11–14 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten free if necessary and measured like this)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
- 1 cup (90g) freshly grated zucchini, patted dry (see Notes!)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, egg, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the oat mixture, and stir until just incorporated. Fold in the zucchini. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Using a spoon and spatula, drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet. Flatten to ⅜”-thick using a spatula. Bake at 325°F for 11-14 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and flour correctly using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them cakey, bready, or dry, instead of soft and chewy.
IMPORTANT ZUCCHINI NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Measure the zucchini before patting it dry. You must thoroughly pat it dry to remove the excess moisture because that excess moisture will make the cookies flimsy and fall apart. To pat the zucchini dry, lay a double-thick layer of paper towels onto a cutting board, and arrange the freshly grated zucchini on top. Place another double-thick layer of paper towels on the zucchini, and firmly press down until the top towel layer turns completely wet. Continue to repeat with a fresh set of double thick paper towels on top until you can’t press any more moisture out of the zucchini.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- Texture: Incredibly soft and chewy with tender oats
- Flavor: Sweet and comforting with cozy spices
- Healthy: Made with whole wheat flour, no refined sugar, and packed with zucchini
- Easy: Simple ingredients you likely already have
Key Ingredients
Oats: Use instant oats (also called quick-cooking oats) for the best texture. If you only have old-fashioned oats, pulse them in a blender until they’re ¼ to ⅛ their original size.
Flour: Whole wheat flour works great, but you can substitute with white whole wheat, oat flour, or all-purpose flour.
Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg create the perfect cozy flavor reminiscent of zucchini bread.
Sweetener: Pure maple syrup (honey or agave work too).
Zucchini: 1 full cup of freshly grated zucchini adds moisture and nutrition.
Essential Tips for Success
- Measure correctly: Don’t scoop flour or oats directly from containers – this leads to dry, cakey cookies.
- Dry the zucchini: Spread grated zucchini on double-thick paper towels, cover with more towels, and press firmly to remove excess moisture. This prevents soggy cookies.
- Chill the dough: The dough will be loose like thick muffin batter – that’s normal! Chilling helps the oats absorb moisture and makes the dough easier to handle.
- Don’t overbake: Remove cookies when centers still look slightly soft – they’ll finish cooking on the warm pan.
Quick Method
- Grate and dry zucchini thoroughly
- Mix dry ingredients in one bowl
- Whisk wet ingredients (including zucchini) in another
- Combine wet and dry ingredients
- Chill dough in fridge
- Scoop onto baking sheet and flatten slightly
- Bake until edges are set but centers are still soft
- Cool on pan before transferring
Pro Tips
- Use a mini spatula to shape sticky dough instead of your hands
- Flatten dough mounds slightly before baking for even spreading
- For perfectly round cookies, gently smooth edges with a butter knife immediately after removing from oven
- These cookies taste even better the next day as flavors meld together
These healthy zucchini oatmeal cookies prove that nutritious treats can be absolutely delicious!
More Zucchini Inspirations
Expand your zucchini repertoire with these favorites:
- Cinnamon Zucchini Coffee Cake
- Zucchini Pancake Recipe: Fluffy Green Pancakes in 15 Minutes
- Healthy 5-Ingredient Zucchini Bars
- Crispy Korean Zucchini Pancakes (Hobak Jeon)