Soft and chewy Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies are made with wholesome oats, garden-fresh zucchini, decadent chocolate chips, buttery walnuts, and cinnamon spice. They’re a deliciously satisfying, old-fashioned cookie just like what Grandma made!
These zucchini oatmeal cookies are packed with that nostalgic homestyle flavor we crave. Plenty of hearty oaty goodness, compliments of cinnamon spice, fair sweetness from the sugar, balanced nutty flecks throughout, and rich chocolate indulgence generously dotted among them.
They are a chewy, cakey, soft, lightly crisp and crunchy cookie all at once. Chewiness from the oats, cake-like fluffiness from the moisture of the zucchini, crispness along their oven-toasted edges, bits of crunch from the walnuts, and buttery softness throughout.
It’s practically impossible to stop at just one cookie — there’s so much satisfying flavor and texture in every bite!
It’s a great summer-to-fall cookie recipe, and one that you’ll turn to again and again. They are an excellent way to use up fresh zucchini in season.
Ingredients
All-purpose flour: A key ingredient for the structure of the cookies.
Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats are used here for a chewier cookie, though quick oats should be fine as well.
Cinnamon: Added for sweet spice flavor — it complements the oats beautifully.
Baking soda: A leavening agent used to help the cookies rise, spread, and brown a little.
Salt: A must to help bring out the flavors and balance the sweetness.
Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use that — just reduce the salt to a scant 1/4 tsp.
Granulated sugar and brown sugar: Key ingredients for sweetening and tenderizing the cookies.
Egg: A binder for the dough, holding the cookie ingredients together.
Vanilla: Added for extra flavor.
Zucchini: A unique addition that provides moisture. Use fresh zucchini, not frozen, as frozen will be overly wet and mushy. Small or medium zucchini is recommended over large, as larger zucchini typically contain too much moisture.
Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are recommended so the cookies aren’t overly sweet compared to using milk chocolate chips.
Walnuts: Adding nuts contributes texture, body, and flavor. They’re worth keeping in unless there’s an allergy — pecans also work well here.
How to Make Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies
Prepare oven and pans: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugars: In a separate large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer — or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment — cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy, about 1 minute on medium speed.
Mix in wet ingredients: Mix in the egg and vanilla until combined, then scrape down the bowl.
These cookies come together quickly and reward you with a batch of warmly spiced, satisfying treats that make the most of fresh summer zucchini.
