Harvest Gold Zucchini Oat Cookies
Discover a delicious secret for your garden zucchini bounty. These wholesome cookies are wonderfully tender, spiced with warm cinnamon, and studded with rich dark chocolate.
Servings 22
Calories 253kcal
Equipment
- Two large, heavy-bottomed baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone mats
- Box Grater
- Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer
- Silicone Spatula
- 3-tablespoon cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 125 g
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour 120 g
- 2 ¾ cups old-fashioned rolled oats 220 g
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar 134 g
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar 147 g
- 1 ½ cups dark chocolate chunks 255 g
- ¾ cup 1 ½ sticks / 170 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 extra-large egg approx. 56 g, shelled
- 1 ⅓ packed cups finely shredded zucchini approx. 200 g
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Zucchini : Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a box grater, shred the zucchini onto a clean kitchen towel. Gather the towel ends and wring out as much excess moisture as possible over a sink. Set the dry zucchini shreds aside.
- Create the Creamed Base : In a large bowl, combine the room-temperature butter with the granulated and light brown sugars. Using an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed, beat the mixture for about 4 minutes until it becomes pale, light, and fluffy.
- Enrich the Dough : Add the extra-large egg and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture. Beat on medium speed for another minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, until everything is fully incorporated and smooth.
- Integrate the Dry Elements : Add the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Start the mixer on its lowest speed to avoid a mess, then gradually increase to medium, mixing just until the dry ingredients are barely combined and some flour streaks remain.
- Fold in Key Ingredients : Switch to a spatula. Add the squeezed zucchini and the dark chocolate chunks to the dough. Fold gently until the zucchini and chocolate are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Do not overmix.
- Shape and Chill the Dough : Using a 3-tablespoon scoop, portion the dough into mounds and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches of space between each. Gently press down on each mound with your palm to flatten it to a thickness of about ½ inch. Transfer the sheets to the refrigerator to chill for 45 minutes, which helps prevent spreading.
- Bake to a Golden Finish : Place the chilled cookie sheets in the preheated oven. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, swapping the sheets between racks and rotating them 180 degrees halfway through the bake time. The cookies are ready when they are firm and appear golden at the edges.
- Cool and Set : Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the pans for 10 minutes; this helps them set. Afterwards, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely for at least 25 minutes before enjoying.
Notes
Storage:
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Their moisture content from the zucchini keeps them soft. Ingredient Swaps:
For a nuttier flavor, replace ½ cup of the rolled oats with ½ cup of toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans. You can also substitute dark brown sugar for light brown sugar to achieve a richer, more caramel-like taste. Troubleshooting:
If your dough feels overly sticky, it may be because the zucchini retained too much water. Ensure you squeeze it thoroughly. The chilling step is crucial for this recipe; skipping it will result in cookies that spread too thin during baking.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Their moisture content from the zucchini keeps them soft. Ingredient Swaps:
For a nuttier flavor, replace ½ cup of the rolled oats with ½ cup of toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans. You can also substitute dark brown sugar for light brown sugar to achieve a richer, more caramel-like taste. Troubleshooting:
If your dough feels overly sticky, it may be because the zucchini retained too much water. Ensure you squeeze it thoroughly. The chilling step is crucial for this recipe; skipping it will result in cookies that spread too thin during baking.
Nutrition (per serving, approximate)
Serving Size: 1 cookie- Calories: 253
- Total Fat: 11.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 29 mg
- Sodium: 98 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 35.1 g
- Dietary Fiber: 3.1 g
- Total Sugars: 18.2 g
- Includes: 15 g Added Sugars
- Protein: 3.7 g
- Vitamin D: 0.2 mcg
- Calcium: 31 mg
- Iron: 1.8 mg
- Potassium: 164 mg