Nearly every time my grandma flew to California to visit us, she packed along two large loaves of homemade zucchini bread in her carry-on suitcase. Since we almost always finished off the entire first loaf before she boarded her return flight, she baked the second one so we’d still have something left to enjoy after her visit!
One time, the day after Grandma flew home, Mom cut slices for our snack. She placed mine on a pink plastic plate and handed it to me, so I immediately took a big bite. As I chewed, I watched as she returned the foil-wrapped loaf to the fridge and grabbed…
A tub of cream cheese. She dipped a knife in and slathered it across her own zucchini bread slice. I must have made a face because she laughed and replied, “It tastes good—I promise! Do you want to try a bite?”
I quickly shook my head. That combination sounded strange to a picky eater like me… Cream cheese was for bagels, not my sweet slice of zucchini bread!
Yet as an adult, I’ve changed my mind… Mom was totally brilliant! That pairing of creamy, ever-so-slightly tangy cream cheese with the moist, cozily spiced zucchini bread truly tastes incredible!
And I think of Mom every time I bake these Healthy Zucchini Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting. Soft sugar cookie bars with lots of warm spices and zucchini + luscious sweet cream cheese frosting = Mom’s winning combination all over again, just as a guilt-free dessert! Because these cookie bars contain no refined flour or sugar and just 78 calories, including the frosting!
Does life get any better??
Let’s talk about how to make these healthy zucchini cookie bars with cream cheese frosting!
You’ll start with the sugar cookie base. It begins with white whole wheat flour (this kind!), just a hint of baking powder (we don’t want them to rise too much… or else they won’t turn out as chewy!), cinnamon (this kind is my favorite!), and nutmeg (like this!). My grandma always added nutmeg to her zucchini bread, so I sprinkle it into all of my zucchini treats too!
Now I know “white whole wheat flour” sounds like an oxymoron… Usually white flour (aka all-purpose) and whole wheat flour two separate things! However, white whole wheat flour actually comes from finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits, but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture—which lets the chewy texture of these healthy zucchini cookie bars shine!
Unlike traditional sugar cookie recipes that call for an entire stick or two of butter (yikes!), these low-calorie healthy zucchini cookie bars only require 2 tablespoons. Such a relief, right??
Then the rest of their buttery flavor comes from vanilla extract! I’ve found that adding a touch more vanilla extract enhances butter’s rich flavor and makes your healthy zucchini cookie bars taste just as rich and buttery as traditional recipes.
Healthy low calorie zucchini cookies + lots of rich buttery flavor = YUM!
You’ll sweeten your healthy zucchini cookie bars with a combination of honey and vanilla stevia (this kind!). If we used pure honey, we’d have to add so much that the cookie bars would have a bready muffin-like texture from all that liquid… But if we only added enough honey to give the healthy zucchini cookie bars the correct texture, they wouldn’t taste sweet.
So that’s where the vanilla stevia comes in! Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!), and it’s also highly concentrated. You just need 1 teaspoon! This is the kind I use because I love its warm flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products. Although you can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, I buy mine online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Time to add the freshly grated zucchini! But before you do, remember to thoroughly squeeze out the moisture by pressing it between sheets of paper towels. If you forgot this step, then the zucchini would release that water into the cookie dough as it baked… Which would result in healthy zucchini cookie bars with a bready muffin-like texture—instead of the perfectly chewy texture that we want!
While your healthy zucchini cookie bars bake, it’s time to make the healthy cream cheese frosting! It’s a combination of Greek yogurt (surprise!), light cream cheese, instant pudding mix (this one), a bit more vanilla stevia (this kind), and a hint of cinnamon (remember, this is my favorite!). You simply beat those together with an electric or stand mixer for 2 minutes and then chill it for 2 hours. Easy as pie!
The instant pudding mix actually thickens this healthy cream cheese frosting so it’s the same consistency as traditional cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting. Without it, your healthy cream cheese frosting would be a bit on the runny side because of the Greek yogurt. Such a neat trick, right??
Once your healthy zucchini cookie bars have completely cooled, spread your healthy cream cheese frosting on top, slice them into squares, and…
Yum! Thanks for the idea, Mom! ???? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ????) I’d love to see your healthy zucchini cookie bars with cream cheese frosting!
| Healthy Zucchini Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting | Print |
- for the cookie bars
- 1 cup + 6 tbsp (165g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60mL) honey
- 1 tsp vanilla stevia
- ¾ cup (68g) freshly grated zucchini, thoroughly patted dry (see Notes!)
- for the frosting
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 4oz (113g) neufchâtel or fat-free cream cheese
- 1 serving (8g) fat-free, sugar-free cheesecake instant pudding mix
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅜ tsp vanilla stevia, or adjusted to taste
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and coat an 8”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the cookie bars, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together butter, egg white, and vanilla extract. Stir in the honey and vanilla stevia. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the zucchini.
- Using a spatula, gently press the cookie dough into the prepared pan in a thin, even layer. Bake at 325°F for 9-12 minutes or until the center feels firm to the touch. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan.
- While the cookie bars bake, prepare the frosting. Beat the Greek yogurt, cream cheese, instant pudding mix, cinnamon, and vanilla stevia together using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer for 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with foil, and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Once the cookie bars are completely cool, spread the frosting across the top. (I highly recommend an offset spatula like this to do so!) Slice them into 16 square bars.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
Be very careful when measuring the flour! Use this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour will make your cookie bars turn out dry or cakey, rather than soft and chewy.
This is the vanilla stevia that I use. I buy it online here, and you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too! You cannot substitute additional honey for the vanilla stevia because the cookies require a precise balance of wet and dry ingredients. However, you may substitute ¾ cup (144g) coconut sugar (or brown sugar or granulated sugar, if you aren’t concerned about keeping these cookies clean eating friendly) for both the honey and stevia, but the cookies will appear “speckled” if using coconut sugar because it doesn’t dissolve as well.
Pure maple syrup or agave may be substituted for the honey.
Measure the zucchini before patting it dry. You must pat it dry to remove the excess moisture because that excess moisture will cause the muffins to collapse while cooling. To pat the zucchini dry, lay a double-thick layer of paper towels onto a cutting board, and arrange the freshly shredded zucchini on top. Place another double-thick layer of paper towels on the zucchini, and firmly press down until the top towel turns completely wet.
If you prefer not to use the vanilla stevia in the frosting, then substitute 1 teaspoon of this powdered stevia OR 2-3 tablespoons of Truvia or granulated sugar.
This is the instant pudding mix that I use. You just need the dry instant pudding mix—don’t prepare it according to the package directions! You may omit it, but you’ll need to increase the vanilla stevia (and just mix the ingredients together until incorporated—not for 2 full minutes!). Without the instant pudding mix, the frosting will be a bit runny and may slightly drip down the sides of your cookie bars. You can also use this cream cheese frosting recipe of mine instead (no pudding mix required!).
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Mini Muffins
♡ Healthy Chai Spice Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ Healthy Fudgy Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies
♡ Healthy Morning Glory Zucchini Bread
these zucchini cookie bars with cream cheese frosting looks so yummy and healthy, great for anyone to snack on without feeling guilty!
You’re so kind — thanks Monika! 🙂
Hello, I am from India and we don’t get white whole wheat flour here. What can be substituted instead ?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Radhika! I’ve actually given quite a few alternatives in the Notes section, located directly underneath the Instructions. I know it can be easy to miss that part! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookie bars!