Bite into the ultimate chocolate chip cookie experience with these soft and chewy gluten free zucchini cookies — yes, zucchini in a cookie, and yes, they’re that good. Loaded with oatmeal, chocolate chips, and a touch of maple syrup and cinnamon, they’re hearty, perfectly sweet, and a sneaky way to use up that garden zucchini. Easy dairy free adaptations included.
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Gluten-Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
While typically cooking with zucchini brings side dishes to mind, there are plenty of gluten free zucchini recipes and desserts with a perfect mixture of green veggies and indulgence.
Recipes like zucchini cookies, fluffy and moist gluten-free zucchini bread and muffins benefit from shredded zucchini’s moisture, while taste testers wouldn’t suspect veggies hidden inside.
These cookies are reminiscent of breakfast cookies’ soft oatmeal texture. However, the maple syrup and absence of banana gives a chewy rather than cakey bite, with the slightest bit of crisp edges, they are right up there with my viral gluten-free chocolate chip cookies as some of the best I’ve ever made!
Free Guide! 5 easy tips for baking like a gluten-free pro!
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Ingredient Tid Bits
- Gluten-Free Quick Cooking Oats – I recommend using quick-cooking oats because the cookie dough binds together and holds shape. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oatmeal.
- Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour – I use and recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour because the added cornstarch in the blend makes the cookies nice and soft.
- Zucchini – While larger zucchini may be used in baking recipes, such as chocolatey moist gluten-free zucchini cake, I recommend a smaller one for cookies. There will not be as much water content, keeping the cookies chewy. Also blot excess water with a towel before stirring in grated zucchini.
- Maple Syrup – Use a tad more pure maple syrup than the original recipe to help with spread and coat the gluten-free starches.
- Chocolate Chips – When making chocolate cookies, I recommend using a mixture of miniature chocolate chips and semi-sweet baking chips. The mini chips disperse throughout to ensure chocolate in every bite!
Let’s Make This Together!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Secret for success – blot the zucchini
Begin by grating the zucchini. Using a box grater releases less moisture, which is key to not having the cookies spread too much. Then use paper towels to soak up excess moisture and gently blot. I just set it aside in the paper towels while the cookie dough is made.
Cream butter and sugar
An easy mistake beginner bakers make is not beating together the butter and sugar long enough. It will take a minute or two after blending. You are looking for the mixture to be smooth and fluffy. Then addin in the egg, maple syrup, and vanilla.
Remaining cookie dough goodness – oats, zucchini, and chocolate chips
Add the dry ingredients – gluten-free flour, oatmeal, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. I like how the oats in the recipe adds structure and absorbs some of the moisture. Then it’s time to stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips until evenly dispersed.
Remaining cookie dough goodness – plus more mix-in ideas!
Add the dry ingredients – gluten-free flour, oatmeal, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. I like how the oats in the recipe adds structure and absorbs some of the moisture. Then it’s time to stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips until evenly dispersed.
Besides chocolate chips, feel free to add in more tasty mix-ins, like chopped nuts, raisins, dried cranberries, coconut, or even butterscotch chips (just be sure to read label for gluten-free).
Scoop and bake
Use a medium cookie scoop (or heaping 1 ½ tablespoons) to parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake in a 350ºF oven for 13-15 minutes, turning sheets halfway through. The cookies will be pretty soft after baking, so let them sit on the baking sheets about 15 minutes before transferring them. Enjoy!
Refrigerate Dough Or Not?
The recipe was tested both ways – refrigerating the dough for an hour first and baking right away. With either way there was no difference in spread or a more cohesive, chewy texture.
The only difference slightly detected was a little softer bite on the chilled cookies. This is due to gluten-free baking recipes benefiting for resting time to soften starches, plus the oats had more time to hydrate.
However, the difference was so negligible, I left the extra chilling step out of the recipe. To give a slight elevated texture nudge, chill for 1 hour before baking.
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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Soft & Chewy Gluten-Free Zucchini Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated zucchini, blotted dry
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups quick cooking oats, certified gluten-free
- 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour, I recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, (I use ¼ cup mini chocolate chips and ¾ cup semi-sweet chips)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or use silicone baking mats.
- Begin by grating the zucchini. Transfer to a paper towel or clean dish towel to gently blot and soak up excess moisture. Set aside.1 cup grated zucchini
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup packed light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Beat until well combined.1 large egg, 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix in the oatmeal, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Once it is well mixed, stir in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips.2 cups quick cooking oats, 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Use a medium cookie scoop (or heaping 1 1/2 tablespoons) to distribute heaping scoops about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway though, until the edges are set and middles just start to set. Cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Dairy-Free Adaptation
Substitute a vegan butter stick for the softened butter and reduce salt to 1/4 teaspoon. Use dairy-free chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life, for the baking chips. Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
Great flavor. Soft and chewy, just as the recipe states. I did use the Cup4Cup gluten-free flour. I will definitely make them again. I will blot the zucchini a little more since the batter seemed a bit too moist, but we loved them!
Thank you so much for sharing! And yes, a good squeeze of the zucchini should take care of that problem!
Best,
Melissa
I made these cookies today because a friend I was going to visit is gluten-free. I followed the recipe to a T. Squeezed all the moisture out of the zucchini with a tea towel. I even chilled the batter before the 2nd batch went in the oven and made no difference. However, the batter was still way too loose and the cookies are too fragile. I would not make this recipe again without major changes.
Sorry to hear this. Can you tell me what GF flour you used? I tested the recipe with Cup4Cup, which contains cornstarch. That binds the mixture together more, but I have also had good results with Bob’s and King Arthur.
Best,
Melissa
Can you use Almond flour?
Hi Lynette,
I wouldn’t recommend it with this recipe since almond flour contains so much moisture, as well as the zucchini. However, if you are looking for almond flour cookie recipes, I have a few others on the site! You can find them all here – Gluten-Free Almond Flour Recipes
Best,
Melissa
So so easy to make and the zucchini makes these amazing cookies so moist! Couldn’t resist topping with a few more chocolate chips! Loooove!
More chocolate is never a bad thing, Lori! Thanks for writing!
Best,
Melissa
Great cookies. Ended up shredding the zucchini a couple days before and refrigerating in a bag. Was able to squeeze out most of the liquid so that they weren’t too wet (my first batch I processed the zucchini same day and they were a bit moist). Looking forward to using this recipe a lot to get rid of my excess zucchini.
Thanks for sharing and great tip about storing shredded zucchini in the fridge!
Best,
Melissa
wonderful cookies everyone loved then no one even knew they were gluten free
Yay, love to hear that!
Best,
Melissa