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Zucchini Cookies are a surprising way to use up your summer zucchini harvest! These sweet cookies are a bit cakey and infused with plenty of lemon for a bright citrus flavor.

Two white plates on a marble countertop, each holding two zucchini cookies

I cannot garden to save my life. Seriously, I kill mint. Those of you who garden know that mint is often deemed “unkillable,” if that’s even a word. 

Mint is definitely not unkillable. I‘ve killed it – several times. 

But for some reason I always think my black thumb will turn a pretty shade of green every single spring – that I’ll miraculously transform into some kind of amazing farmer. 

Well, folks that doesn’t happen – ever.

So despite my best efforts year after year, I’m pretty much gardenless and have to rely on veggies from our friends or the farmers market.

Thankfully, I still always end up with plenty of zucchini because it seems to grow like mint for everyone but me.

Ingredients for zucchini cookies arranged on a marble countertop

ZUCCHINI IN COOKIES? REALLY?

Yes, really. 

Look, if you’ve had your friends drop bags of zucchini on your porch ding-dong-ditch-style, you know that you’ll do anything creative to use it up.

After making Lemon Zucchini Bread, Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, Lemon Zucchini Cake, Zucchini Bread Pancakes and Chocolate Zucchini Cake, I wondered if it was possible to put zucchini in cookies.

Spatula about to fold raisins into the dough for zucchini cookies

I’ve got news, folks. You can!

Just like with any other baked good made with zucchini, let me go on record as saying that the zucchini flavor in these cookies is subtle and sweet. Delectable even.

And because we love lemon and zucchini together, they’re infused with a bit of lemon zest and drizzled with a lemon glaze. 

These cookies are a little bit cakey, a little bit chewy from the raisins, and bursting with sunny citrus flavors. I think you’ll love them!

Spatula stirring together zucchini cookie dough in a metal mixing bowl on a marble countertop

HOW TO MAKE ZUCCHINI COOKIES

The ingredients for these Zucchini Cookies are pretty similar to what you might use to make zucchini bread or zucchini muffins:

  • Unsalted butter
  • Granulated sugar
  • Egg
  • Finely shredded zucchini
  • Finely grated lemon zest
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Kosher salt
  • Raisins
Zucchini cookie dough in a whoopie pie pan, ready to bake

Start by beating the butter and sugar together with a stand mixer until light and fluffy, then add the egg, zucchini, lemon zest, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add this to the wet ingredients until just combined, then fold in the raisins.

freshly glazed zucchini cookies on a wire rack over a piece of parchment paper. A bowl of glaze and unglazed cookies are next to the rack

To make sure the cookies are perfectly round, we’ll bake them in a whoopie pie pan. Grease the pan and drop the dough into the center of each well with a medium cookie scoop. 

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. Once the cookies have cooled on a wire rack, drizzle them with the lemon glaze.

Close-up of freshly glazed zucchini cookies set on a wire cooling rack

DO I HAVE TO USE A WHOOPIE PIE PAN?

If you don’t have a whoopie pie pan, you can bake them on a regular parchment-lined baking sheet instead. The shape just won’t be as perfect!

Drop the dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet with a medium cookie scoop. Make sure to leave a few inches of space between the cookies as they will spread quite a bit. 

Glazed zucchini cookies set on a wire rack on a marble countertop

CAN YOU FREEZE THESE COOKIES?

Just like your favorite zucchini breads and muffins, Zucchini Cookies freeze really well. 

I like to freeze cookies in airtight containers with a layer of parchment paper or waxed paper between each layer of cookies. This keeps the cookies from sticking together once they freeze, so you can grab as few or as many cookies as you want at a time.

Two zucchini cookies stacked on a white plate. A bite has been taken out of the top cookie
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Zucchini Cookies

By: Jamie Lothridge
4.41 from 20 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 24 -30 cookies
Zucchini Cookies are a surprising way to use up your summer zucchini harvest! These sweet cookies are a bit cakey and infused with plenty of lemon for a bright citrus flavor.

Ingredients

For the Cookies

  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup finely shredded zucchini
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup raisins

For the Lemon Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar sifted
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a whoopie pie pan with nonstick cooking spray or line a regular baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg, zucchini and lemon zest and vanilla.
  • In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir flour mixture into wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in raisins.
  • Use a medium cookie scoop (1 ½ tablespoons) to drop dough into the center of each whoopee pie well or simply drop them directly onto the prepared cookie sheet. If you are using a cookie sheet, be sure to leave a few inches between each cookie.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
  • Make the glaze by mixing together the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Drizzle the glaze over cooled cookies.

Notes

  • If you are using a regular a regular sheet, your cookies will be a bit thinner than the ones pictured above.
  • Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  • Recipe adapted from allrecipes

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 137kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 104mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 15g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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61 Comments

  1. Susan says:

    So easy and yummy. Just a hint of lemon in the cakelike cookie. Thank you for sharing your recipe. We have so much zucchini in our garden. I’ve already canned zucchini relish and given so much away. Will definitely make these again.

    1. Jamie says:

      So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Susan! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
      -Jamie

  2. Brenda says:

    Can almond flour be used instead of all purpose flour?

    1. Jamie says:

      Hi Brenda-
      I don’t think the consistency will be the same. If you give it a try, let me know.
      -Jamie

  3. Jlbvk says:

    Could a person use a donut pan? Thanks!

    1. Jamie says:

      I think that would work, the baking time may vary a bit though. Enjoy!