Healthy Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies
These taste like a cross between oatmeal cookies and zucchini bread! They’re supremely chewy, moist, and soft with lots of oats and spices, and they 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!
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.
Do NOT add more zucchini! Just like not thoroughly drying your zucchini, additional zucchini will also make the cookies flimsy and fall apart.
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These cookies spread some — but not excessively. Flattening the cookie dough before baking helps give them a spreading “head start.”
Do not over-bake these cookies! They’re ready to come out of the oven when the centers still feel slightly soft and underdone. The residual heat from the warm baking sheet will continue to cook the centers all the way through while you let the cookies rest for 10 minutes after pulling the pan from the oven.
OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also called “quick cooking” or “one-minute” oats. They’re smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats, so they soften faster (which gives these cookies their soft and chewy texture!). They only include one ingredient — oats! — just like old-fashioned rolled oats. You can find instant oats right next to the traditional old-fashioned rolled oats at the grocery store. (They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal!)
In a pinch, to make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour. Oat flour (gluten-free if needed) may also be substituted, but be very careful when measuring it because it tends to be more absorbent than wheat-based flours!
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. Regardless of which you use, make sure it’s at room temperature. If chilled, it will re-solidify the melted butter or coconut oil.
I generally don't recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. It's often water-based, which makes your oatmeal cookies turn out more cakey or bready.
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: Use certified gluten-free instant oats and certified gluten-free oat flour. Alternatively, for a non-oat-flour version, use the following: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will also work, if measured like this.
NUT-FREE VERSION: Use the unsalted butter option or stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one).
DAIRY-FREE VERSION: Use the coconut oil option or stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one).
HOW TO STORE: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container. If left at room temperature, they’ll keep for a couple of days. If refrigerated, they’ll last closer to a week (if not longer!). Once baked and fully cooled, these oatmeal cookies also freeze really well!
For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page.
{gluten-free, dairy-free, clean eating, low fat, nut-free}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.