Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
These zucchini chocolate chip cookies with chopped walnuts and a hint of cinnamon are a delicious late-summer twist on the classic! They’re soft and chewy and full of delicious flavor.
Who else is in denial that September is here and summer is almost over? Thankfully summer produce is still going strong and I plan to make the most of it as long as I can. Like, last week I bought way too much zucchini at the market and now I’m wondering what I can do with it all!
Do you have an excess of zucchini too? These zucchini chocolate chip cookies are the perfect solution! They’re everyone’s favorite classic buttery cookie with a garden twist— shredded zucchini in every bite. It gives these cookies a soft and chewy texture, and the addition of walnuts and a pinch of cinnamon makes them the perfect treat for the transition from summer to fall.
Even my veggie-averse kids gave these cookies two big thumbs up!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients you'll need
- How to make zucchini chocolate chip cookies
- My best cookie tips
- More zucchini recipes
- Get the recipe
Ingredients you’ll need
How to make zucchini chocolate chip cookies
- Shred zucchini and squeeze out extra liquid. Use a box grater to shred the zucchini, then transfer to a large paper towel or tea towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Too much liquid from the zucchini will make the cookies misshapen and soggy.
- Cream butter and sugars. Beat butter with sugars on high speed for 3-5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl once or twice, until mixture is pale in color, has increased volume and sticks to the sides of the bowl.
- Add egg, vanilla and zucchini. Add one a time, mixing after each, and scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add dry ingredients. Add flour, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon and mix on low speed until almost combined but a few streaks of flour remain.
- Add mix-ins. Add chocolate chips and walnuts and mix until incorporated.
- Place on sheet pan. Drop by rounded tablespoons (I like to use a #40 cookie scoop) onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. I fit 8 cookies to a sheet, about 4 inches apart. If desired, add more chocolate chips or walnuts on top before baking for a prettier cookie.
- Bake. Bake at 375°F for 9-11 minutes, until cookies are just starting to turn golden around the edges and tops appear dry. Let cookies cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy! And I’m sure you will.
baking tip:The importance of creaming butter and sugar when making cookies
When you beat butter and sugar together in a cookie recipe, you’re not just combining ingredients. You’re aerating the dough, creating tiny pockets of air that puff up once the cookies hit the oven. When not done properly, your cookies will end up dense and flat, and no one wants that! Here are a few things to remember to ensure you’re creaming the right way:
- Make sure your butter is at at a cool room temperature, and not too warm.
- Use an electric mixer and make it easier on yourself.
- Beat for 4-5 minutes. You’re looking for a pale, fluffy mixture.
- Don’t forget to scrape down the bowl, 1-2 times during creaming and 1 more time after adding the eggs. This way you’ll have a consistent dough.
- Use cold eggs to bring the temperature of the butter back down after it’s been creamed with the sugar.
My best cookie tips
- Starting with butter at the right temperature is key! Butter should be soft enough that a pressed finger will leave an indent, but not soft enough that your finger can press all the way through. If it’s shiny or melty at all, the butter is too warm and your cookies may spread.
- If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment as that’s the best tool for creaming butter and sugar.
- Be sure to measure flour correctly! All of my recipes are tested using the spoon and level method (more info through that link). For even more accuracy, use a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients.
- Use pre-cut parchment sheets for easy cookie baking.
- If cookies come out slightly misshapen, use a spatula to press them back into a circle right after they come out of the oven. See more of my tips for how to bake pretty cookies.
- Garnish with flaky sea salt for a sweet and salty combo and extra flair.
- How to store and freeze cookies. I love these cookies best the day they are baked. Store cookie dough in the fridge for a week or more and bake as needed. Cookie dough also freezes really well.
More zucchini recipes
Get the recipe
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 grams) salted butter , softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (213 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (130 grams) shredded zucchini , see Notes (about ½ medium zucchini)
- 2 ½ cup (330 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (170 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup (56 grams) chopped walnuts , optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Squeeze the shredded zucchini to remove excess liquid. I prefer to put it inside a paper towel or a clean tea towel, then wrap it and squeeze hard with my hands.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy, 3-5 minutes. Stop to scrape down then bowl once or twice.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and squeezed zucchini, beating after each and scraping down the bowl at least once.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix until almost combined. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and mix briefly until incorporated.
- Portion equally (I use a #40 1½ Tbsp scoop) and roll into rounds. Space evenly about 4 inches apart on prepared sheet pan.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are golden and top is set but not at all browned.
- Let cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- You must remove the excess water from the zucchini before adding it to the cookie dough, otherwise the cookie dough will be too wet and the cookies won’t hold their shape during baking.
- Make sure you measure flour correctly. All recipes are tested measuring flour with the spoon and level method. Or for most accurate results, use a kitchen scale and weigh in grams.
- Cookie dough can be stored in the fridge for at least a week, so bake cookies fresh when you want them! Cookie dough can also be stored in the freezer.
Disclosure: This recipe was created in partnership with Go Bold With Butter. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands I love and believe in, which make Completely Delicious possible. All opinions are always 100% my own. To learn more about Go Bold With Butter, you can visit their website. You can also find them on facebook, instagram, and pinterest.
I have a lot of zucchini freshly grated. Do I measure first and then squeeze the excess liquid out? Doesn’t it change the measurement?
Measure first, then squeeze. I’m sorry for the confusion! I’ve fixed the recipe.
So good! Turned out great! Will totally make these again and I think I will add a bit more walnuts!
Thanks for the feedback Kristin! So happy to hear you enjoyed these cookies.
I have used this recipe for the past few years and they are always a big hit. Everyone asks me for the recipe. I like cinnamon so I definitely use the 1/4+ tsp. The only question was when freezing the batter what do you wrap it in? I tried parchment and it was a mess. I now bake the cookies before freezing. I also substitute pecans for walnuts.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoy these cookies so much! For freezing, I always portion the cookie dough and place on a parchment lined pan and freeze till solid, about 30ish minutes. Then transfer to a ziplock bag. This way they don’t stick to each other. But baking the cookies and freezing them that way works great too! 🙂
I made these cookies to directions as best as I could. Read notes and hints. It was generally easy enough. Basic ingredients.
Good thing I used the parchment. My cookies all stuck! After the cool off period, it was having chisel them off the paper, breaking up most of the cookies. I hope you have better successful. Crumbs were delicious though. I like a more substantial cookie, these were fragile until later. Maybe too much sugar? Not enough flour?
Hi Jennifer! I’m sorry you had trouble with this recipe. Cookies sticking to parchment paper is something I have NEVER had happen, so something definitely went unexpectedly wrong. I have no idea what, and there’s too many options to just throw out in this comment, but I would love to troubleshoot with you if you choose to try them again. Feel free to email me anytime at completelydelicious@gmail.com.
And these cookies definitely are a little on the softer side because of the zucchini, that’s just how it’ll be because of the extra moisture. They should still hold up fine on their own once cooled completely.
Delicious cookies! I did the recipe as is, and they were perfect.
Awesome! I’m so happy to hear that, Ariane. Thanks for the comment and review!
Our 9 year old and I made these together using zucchini from our garden. Used a mesh strainer to push shredded zucchini against to drain. Perfect cake-like cookies. Delicious!
This chocolate chip cookie recipe with zucchini is really fun! The zucchini not only adds moisture but also gives the cookies a unique flavor