Chocolate Chip Coconut Zucchini Cookies
This Zucchini Cookies recipe is soft, cakey, and studded with sweet chocolate chips in every bite! A better-for-you cookie, they’re secretly full of nutrients, lower in fat and sugar than other varieties, and are ready to eat in under 30 minutes.
We don’t know about you, but when summer comes around we find ourselves with more zucchini than we know what to do with! We add it to casseroles, use it to make stuffed zucchini, and even incorporate it into smoothies.
But we still have more than enough. So, we decided to start putting it into desserts, too. It might sound strange, but don’t knock it ‘till you try it!
These zucchini cookies are inspired by classic chocolate chip cookies but are healthier and easier to make, too. The best part? With gooey chocolate in every bite, the kids don’t even realize they’re eating their veggies.
Make a big batch for afternoon snacks, holiday parties, and weekend gatherings. Basically failproof, these zucchini chocolate chip cookies are always a hit!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is an overview of the ingredients and instructions to make this recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom for the complete details!
- Applesauce – Use unsweetened applesauce to reduce the amount of fat needed while keeping the cookies tender and moist.
- Butter – Use salted butter to add rich flavor and help the cookies puff up as they bake.
- Sweetener – We like to use monk fruit sweetener to keep the recipe low in sugar, but granulated sugar works as well.
- Egg – This adds structure and enhances the flavor.
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract to add rich flavor and enhance the rest of the ingredients.
- Zucchini – You’ll need 1 small to medium-sized zucchini.
- Coconut Flakes – We use unsweetened coconut flakes to add a chewy texture without making the cookies overpoweringly sweet.
- Flour – All-purpose flour forms the base of the dough, but you can use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour if needed.
- Baking Powder – This is key to creating the light and fluffy consistency we want with this recipe.
- Chocolate Chips – We love dark chocolate chips, but semi-sweet and white chocolate chips taste incredible, too!
How to Make the Best Zucchini Cookies Recipe
- Prepare. Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with a Silpat liner or parchment paper.
- Whisk the wet ingredients. Add the applesauce, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla to a large bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- Grate the zucchini. Use a cheese grater to grate the zucchini until you have one cup. Transfer the shreds to a cotton kitchen towel, cheesecloth, or clean paper towels. Wring out the excess liquid.
- Add the dry ingredients. Stir the shredded zucchini and coconut flakes into the bowl of wet ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, and chocolate chips, and stir just until well combined.
- Portion. Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough, and place each scoop on the prepared baking dish.
- Bake. Transfer the cookies to the oven, and bake until the tops are set and bounce back when gently pressed. This zucchini cookie recipe is super forgiving! Unlike other cookies, it’s best to overbake than to underbake. Underbaked cookies will just crumble and fall apart!
- Cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan slightly. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, and enjoy!
Zucchini Cookies Common Questions
Absolutely! Feel free to mix and match any ingredients you like best. Chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans make great additions. Or, try adding dried fruit like raisins or craisins.
Stored in an airtight container, leftover cookies will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Yes! Freeze baked cookies or unbaked cookie dough for up to 3 months. If freezing the dough, portion the cookie dough balls out as usual. Then, arrange them on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid before transferring them to an airtight container. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes as needed when you’re ready to eat!
Chocolate Chip Coconut Zucchini Cookies Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup monk fruit sweetener or sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely shredded zucchini with as much liquid removed as possible
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat liner or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the applesauce, butter, monk fruit sweetener, egg, and vanilla. Whisk until combined.1/4 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup salted butter, melted, 1/2 cup monk fruit sweetener, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Grate the zucchini finely with a cheese grater until you have 1 cup. Place the zucchini shreds on a cotton kitchen towel. Gather the corners of the towel together to make a pouch and twist to squeeze the liquid into the sink. There will be about ⅓ to ½ cup zucchini to add to the batter.
- Stir the shredded zucchini and coconut shreds into the wet ingredients.1 cup finely shredded zucchini, 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
- Add in the flour, baking powder, and chocolate chips. Mix until combined.1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- Using a 1 1/2 Tablespoon cookie/batter scoop, place the dough on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until the tops of cookies are set and bounce back when you press gently on them. These cookies are very forgiving and it will be best to over-bake them than under-bake as they hold onto the moisture of the zucchini.
- Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze them to enjoy later.
These are like soft little muffin tops! So so yummy and they freeze really well. We always make a bunch of cookies when our zucchini comes in to enjoy into the fall. 🙂