Easy Fudgy Zucchini Cookies (Lower Sugar, Egg Free)
These zucchini cookies are rich, fudgy chocolate treats studded with chocolate chips and so indulgent you’ll hardly believe there’s zucchini hiding inside. Made with lower sugar and egg free, they’re a healthy twist on a classic favorite you’ll feel great about baking (and eating). In about 30 minutes you can enjoy them warm, share with friends, or stash a few for an afternoon treat.
✩ What readers are saying…
“Thank you extremely much for these!…Everyone in my family enjoyed them, even those that don’t usually like such chocolatey things. Even after a few days they were still delightfully, surprisingly soft. Very well done to you for coming up with and sharing this!” -Rene(e)
I hope you have some zucchini on hand to make these incredible cookies! If not, you’ll want to pin, print, or somehow bookmark this recipe for fudgy zucchini cookies for when you do, because they are so good you won’t believe it, full of dark chocolate brownie-like goodness.
I’m always looking for ways to use zucchini when it’s producing in the garden. We look forward to our first loaf of zucchini bread and I have to make this surprising white zucchini cake at least once (so moist, tender, and delicious). I crave it in savory dishes, too, like zucchini fritters with feta, too, but chocolate and zucchini? They seem to go together like salt and pepper.
Think chocolate zucchini cupcakes or chocolate zucchini bread sweetened with honey. So more options for zucchini and chocolate are always a good thing in my book!
But zucchini in cookies? Really?
Yes! The green zucchini flecks you may see in the cookies are the only clue, and most people have no idea that zucchini is a major ingredient. The grated zucchini adds just the right amount of moisture, and combined with the absence of eggs (yes, this is a really good eggless cookie!) is what helps them tip the scales toward fudgy vs. cakey in texture.
Recipe Ingredient Notes
- Zucchini: I used green zucchini for these and find that yellow zucchini/summer squash produce a drier dough. TIP: if you’d like to see even less of the zucchini, you can peel it first so there would be no green flecks.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter, if using unsalted you may want to increase the salt by 1/4 teaspoon. To make dairy free, use a butter substitute.
- Chocolate chips: Use your favorite chips to top these cookies – I love dark chocolate, but peanut butter chips are also fun.
- Cocoa powder: You can use any type of cocoa powder you have.
- Sugar: The best texture comes from using an equal amount of white and brown sugar.
- Yogurt (or sour cream): You can use either regular and Greek yogurt, but if it’s really thick as some can be, add a teaspoon or so of milk to thin it a bit.
- Flour: Using whole wheat pastry flour makes the cookies whole grain, but you can substitute all-purpose flour if you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour. Do not use regular whole wheat flour, though, as it will make the dough too dry. If you’d like gluten free, I’d suggest a 1:1 flour as these haven’t been tested with any other flour an 1:1 is made to replace regular flour.
Let’s make zucchini cookies
Step 1: Prep zucchini. Grate the zucchini and then use a knife to chop it up smaller (I found this makes it less noticeable for those who think zucchini in cookies is weird -imagine!). Then transfer the zucchini to a tea towel to soak up the moisture while the dough is being made. Do not press or wring it, just let it release some juices.
Step 2: Make dough. Melt butter and chocolate chips in the microwave 30-45 seconds, stirring until all the chips are melted (alternately use a saucepan over low heat). Mix in sugars and cocoa powder, then the yogurt and vanilla, and finally the flour, soda and salt. The dough will be very thick.
Step 3: Finish dough. Scrape the zucchini from the towel into the bowl and gently stir until it’s completely incorporated.
Step 4: Shape cookies. Use a tablespoon scoop to portion the cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add chocolate chips to the tops, pressing down a bit to spread the cookies some.
Step 5: Finish cookies. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes only – they will still look shiny. Let sit on the baking sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.
TIP: If using parchment-lined sheets, you can simply slide the cookies on the parchment from the sheet to a metal rack to cool.
Storage
In all types of storage options it’s best to keep these cookies in one layer or with parchment between the layers as the moistness of the cookies will make them stick together.
TIP: Tear off pieces of the parchment you used to line the sheets with to separate the layers!
- Room Temperature: Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two.
- Freezer: Like all cookies, these freeze wonderfully and are my preferred way to store them for up to 6 months.
By this time you may have guessed that my favorite cookies in general are any that are moist, fudgy and chewy. And these zucchini cookies score on all three points!
I hope you like these zucchini cookies as much as I do – please leave a rating and review so I (and others) can know!
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Fudgy Zucchini Cookies Recipe (Lower Sugar, Egg Free)
Equipment
- medium bowl
- Wooden spoon
- tablespoon cookie scoop
- large baking sheet
- Parchment Paper optional
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shredded zucchini finely shred onto a towel to soak extra moisture while proceeding with the recipe
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips dark or semi-sweet, plus more for topping
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup yogurt or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour (or use all-purpose flour)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a large cookie sheet with parchment (or grease a pan).
- Chop the shredded zucchini even smaller (optional) and transfer to a tea towel to soak extra moisture while proceeding with the recipe (do not wring or press, just let it release moisture).
- Melt butter and chocolate chips in microwave 30 to 45 seconds, stirring until all the chips are melted (or use a saucepan over low heat just until melted, whisking to smooth).
- Stir in brown sugar, white sugar, and cocoa powder until combined.
- Add yogurt or sour cream and vanilla, stirring well.
- Mix in flour, soda, and salt until no streaks remain – the dough will be thick.
- Then add the shredded zucchini, stirring until it's all incorporated.
- Using a tablespoon sized cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Add a few chocolate chips to the top of each cookie, pressing lightly as you do.
- Bake for 8 minutes only. Let cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container or freeze for longer storage.*
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you extremely much for these! I am a person with rather intense food aversions so trying to get fruits and vegetables into my diet is rather hard, and unfortunately taking a toll. I started looking up hidden fruit and veggie recipes to see if that would help. Many still don’t seem too attractive but this one caught my attention and WOW!! It was rather easy to make overall, thankfully, since I deal with low energy much of the time and tripped me up every time I ate some. How in the world was I eating Zucchini and not feeling/tasting it?!! I kept being convinced that in the next bite I would taste and feel it but nope! As much as I love chocolate chip cookies, they are not too nice for my blood sugar levels but these will be a lovely, healthier alternative option and I am so deeply thankful. Everyone in my family enjoyed them, even those that don’t usually like such chocolatey things. Even after a few days they were still delightfully, surprisingly soft.
Very well done to you for coming up with and sharing this! I will be sharing this more often too now and love that it is a safe, yummy option for those who can’t have egg.
Sending well wishes your way
I’m SO very glad you like these and they provide an option for you!!
Honestly, I came up with it because I had a glut of zucchini and had made all the other things, lol. But I love that it helps you get more veggies.:)
Have not made these yet, but wondering if almond flour or coconut flour can be substituted for the whole wheat pastry flour? Looking for a mostly gluten free alternative. Thanks!
I haven’t tried other flours, Jan, so you’d have to experiment with that (though I think the best result would probably come from a gluten free flour mix meant to substitute for flour…).
I don’t have whole wheat flour . I only have white flour .. can I use it instead ?
Yes – you may need to add a tablespoon or so more if you think the dough is a bit soft.
How is it you always read my mind? I’ve been trying to find ways to hide veggies for my daughter. This is a brilliant idea!
I’ve read that great minds think alike, Leslie… 😉
I just made these and they didn’t turn out either. I didn’t have whole wheat pastry flour so I just used whole wheat (probably not a good idea) but they didn’t spread when cooked, they just stayed in big balls. They still taste good, but don’t look like cookies.
Oh, yes if you used regular ww flour it absorbed more of the moisture and caused the dough not to spread. Substitute all-purpose for the pastry flour instead.
These cookies didn’t turn out the way I thought they would. Too dry so I added more yogurt and chocolate chips. Made it better but I probably won’t make them again.
Wow, I’m sorry, Miranda! Ours are always so incredibly moist…I wonder if your zucchini was a drier variety? I’ve noticed that yellow zucchini is a lot drier than green so I don’t use it in baking, maybe there’s a difference in some of the green varieties, too?
You had me at dark chocolate.
Oh…I am so making these today! Need to get some yogurt. My zuc. plants are still going….very slowly but I picked 5 yesterday and one is a little bigger than I like for sauteing but perfect for this! Thanks!!