Whip up a batch of these Zucchini Bread Breakfast Cookies to tuck into lunch boxes or for a quick and healthy breakfast on the go. They are quick and easy to make and come out soft, lightly sweetened and delicious!
Healthy zucchini cookies
Raise your hand if you’re always looking for easy and healthy snack options for the kids… That don’t come out of a package. But these Zucchini Bread Breakfast Cookies? They are really saving my butt this summer, with three hungry kids to feed.
- The cookie dough is so incredibly easy to make – just throw everything into a bowl and stir until fully mixed. Even my toddler can help with this recipe!
- The cookies are full of healthy ingredients like oats, zucchini and applesauce. They are sweetened with honey and do not taste overly sweet – although you are welcome to add a few tablespoons of sugar to the recipe if you prefer a sweeter breakfast cookie.
- The soft texture of the cookies makes them perfect for younger children, too. They are not crunchy, more like a cross between a soft oatmeal cookie and a muffin top. My children (aged 2, 4 and 6) all go crazy for them! I do chop the walnuts very finely when I give the cookies to my youngest, though.
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Oats: Yes, I know it’s a lot of different oat types… But the cookies do really get the best texture from using both old fashioned and rolled (or quick-cooking) oats.
- If you only have old fashioned oats on hand, I highly recommend to slowly pulse some of them 3-5 times in a food processor to create your own 1.5 cups of “quick cooking oats”.
- If you only have quick cooking oats on hand, you will need to add around ¼ – ⅓ cup extra to the dough, otherwise it will come out too wet.
- The oat flour is made by simply blending oats into a powder – use a high-power blender, a food processor or even a strong immersion blender for this. You can also purchase oat flour at some stores. Feel free to use whole wheat flour instead if you prefer.
- Ground flax: I highly recommend sticking to ground golden flax for the best taste/texture. Chia seeds work, too.
- Honey: I recommend a mild, runny honey for best results.
- Walnuts: Feel free to leave out the nuts, or substitute chopped pecans if you prefer.
How to make zucchini breakfast cookies
Start by shredding and squeezing the zucchini. You may be wondering if it’s necessary to really squeeze it…
Fellow moms in the thick of the early years: I know every little step can feel like an overwhelming mountain. But yes, you have to squeeze the excess water out of the shredded zucchini, or you’ll end up with soggy cookies.
How to shred and squeeze zucchini:
shred zucchini place in clean towel squeeze extra liquid measure after squeezing
Then, stir all ingredients together, scoop 2-tablespoon sized cookies on a lined cookie sheet and lightly flatten/shape them into rounds about ½ – ⅔ inches thick and 2 – 2.5 inches in diameter.
combine dry ingredients place wet ingredients on top combine into cookie dough and scoop cookies flatten and shape with back of spoon
Bake at 360°F for 12-14 minutes, until tops look dry. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Recipe tips
- if you don’t have any oat flour and don’t want to bother with making your own, you can use regular whole wheat flour instead
- instead of the zucchini, you can use grated apple or carrot. Add 1 extra tablespoon of oil if using carrots.
- try adding mini chocolate chips in place of the nuts for an extra treat!
Storage tips
On the counter: Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
In the freezer: Place the cookies in a freezer friendly bag or container, label with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months). To defrost, remove the cookies from the container and place on a rack on the counter for 1-2 hours.
My favorite kitchen tools
(These are affiliate links and I earn a commission for purchases made after clicking through.)
Box grater: My Microplane box grater makes it super easy to shred any fruit and veggies in seconds – one of my most loved kitchen tools.See which one I have here on Amazon!
Silicone baking mats: I’ve been using Silpat mats for years now (and I still have the same ones after over 4 years!) and love them because I don’t need to use a new sheet or baking parchment every time I bake something. Click here to order Silpat mats on Amazon – just make sure you’re picking the right size!
Cookie scoop: I love using a cookie scoop for even and mess-free cookies! I have a cookie scoop similar to this one on Amazon!
Watch the recipe video
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Zucchini Bread Breakfast Cookies
Recipe details
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 ½ cups quick oats
- ¾ cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup oat flour OR whole wheat flour OR ground grain of your choice
- ¼ cup ground golden flax OR chia seeds
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Wet ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup honey
- 4 tablespoons oil OR melted butter OR melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded zucchini excess moisture squeezed out (measured after squeezing)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 360°F. Line two cookie sheets.
- Make cookie dough: Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Add all wet ingredients on top and stir together until cookie dough forms.
- Shape cookies: Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon sized cookies, place spaced 2 inches apart on lined cookie sheets. Slightly flatten and shape cookies into rounds about ½ – ⅔ inches thick and 2 – 2½ inches in diameter (they will not change during baking).
- Bake: Bake cookies, one batch at a time, for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Do not skip squeezing the zucchini, else your cookies will turn out too soggy.
- If you only have old fashioned oats on hand, I highly recommend to slowly pulse some of them 3-5 times in a food processor to create your own 1.5 cups of “quick cooking oats”.
- If you only have quick cooking oats on hand, you will need to add around ¼ – ⅓ cup extra to the dough, otherwise it will come out too wet.
- The oat flour is made by simply blending oats into a powder – use a high-power blender, a food processor or even a strong immersion blender for this. You can also purchase oat flour at some stores. Feel free to use whole wheat flour instead if you prefer.
- This recipe is lightly sweet. For sweeter cookies, add 4-6 tablespoons granulated sugar or light brown sugar.
- If cookies need to be gluten free for dietary reasons, please check all of your ingredients to ensure they are certified gluten free – especially your oats! (do not use whole wheat flour as a substitute if gluten free)
Nutrition
More recipe information
Recipe first published on 07/13/2019. Updated with new photos, better text and slight improvements to recipe on 06/07/2021.
Jess says
love the idea of this recepie and want to make for my 10 month old daughter. I need to substitute both honey (can’t have under 1 yr, no sugar either) and egg (is allergic), what would you suggest to use?
also would half zucchini, half carrots work?
Nora says
Jess, half zucchini/half carrot should work just fine. You could try mashed banana to replace the honey. Just add about 1/2 cup to the cookie dough – they will probably be less sweet but should be sweet enough for a 10 month old. For the egg, try using a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp water). Together with the sticky banana, I’d assume it would provide enough stability to hold the cookies together. No guarantees, though! But these are the substitutions I would personally try in your situation. Hope this helps!
Kim says
Yum, they taste great and not too sweet.
My garden is producing loads of zucchini and this uses one medium sized zucchini. I’m looking forward to trying more of your zucchini recipes.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Kim!
Angelique says
Delicious!!! I used almond flour, mixed the chia and flax and a bit more walnuts… HusBunny and I loved them. Thank you!!!
Marissa says
Yum! Great way to use up that extra zucchini in the summer. Did take a lot of ingredients, but worth it. Love that they’re dense and not loaded with sugar.
Dawn says
These were so yummy, you hardly knew there was anything nutritional in them!
Smilarider says
Made this according to recipe, alot of ingredients to gather but came out delicious! Next time I will add some raisins to add a little sweetness but otherwise 5 stars!!
Deb says
Hi Nora,
Thank you for sharing your recipes. This one was especially great. I live in rural Mexico and don’t have access to some ingredients but the recipe was still excellent. I used pepitas instead of chia seeds (yum!) and what I call Mexican zucchini-maybe called summer squash? which is so nice for bread because it has a mellower flavor. No parchment paper, etc., here so put a dab of olive oil under each cookie. In retrospect, probably should have used coconut oil.
Thanks, again!
Kelli says
Can’t wait to make these! Was planning on making them for my 2 year old and 10 month old. And me of course 🙂 I wanted to take out the honey since the baby shouldn’t have that until 1 year. What could I sub for it? Thank you!!
Nora says
Hi Kelli, you could try maple syrup instead, or use mashed banana or mashed dates if you want to stay away from more refined sweeteners completely. Hope that helps!
Elizabeth L says
I don’t have any instant oat – only old fashioned. Can I just use only that?
These look SO amazing!!
Nora says
Hi Elisabeth, yes. If the cookie dough seems too dry with all old fashioned, you might need to add a tablespoon or two of milk or applesauce. And the cookies can be a little more delicate – but still delicious!
Liz says
Made these and they are delicious especially if you don’t like or want something healthy. I didn’t have two different ists so I increased the amount of the old fashion oats. A regular in our house ?
Gerrie Wodicka says
Second time making these & they were a hit! Great recipe thank you for sharing this! Tried your tip of squeezing the zucchini in paper towels & it worked great ! Also the cookie scoop was a time saver & so easy . This time added some mini chocolate chips @ my 3 year old grandson’s request . Nice to have some healthier home baked goodies for him .
Megan says
I love you for so many reasons. You don’t write a novel before getting to the recipe, no scrolling for days here! And you include the nutritional breakdown! I can’t thank you enough!???
Nora Rusev says
Thank YOU for your lovely comment, Megan!
Niki says
I don’t have any applesauce on hand. What could I sub?
Nora Rusev says
Mashed banana or yogurt would both work! You could also try shredded apple, if you have that on hand.
Mandy says
My family and I love these so much that make these weekly now! We freeze them individually for a wholesome grab and go addition to lunch or snack during the work day. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Beverly says
Hi I put paper towels over my tea towel or kitchen towel then I squeeze the zucchini.
Brooke says
Really like this recipe, I cooked mine for 14 min and they’re a little underdone, may have just made them a little too big! Taste is great, especially with added chocolate chips ?
Anne says
What can I substitute for honey?
Nora says
Anne, you could use maple syrup. You could also use brown sugar, but then increase the apple sauce by 2 tablespoons. Hope that helps!
Connie says
I really liked these cookies. Do you have a version with protein powder in them? I am trying to get more protein into my diet and would love a breakfast cookie that had more protein.
Joanna says
There is a kodiak pancake mix that has 14 grams of protein per cup. You can use this for baking many recipes, I do and I love it! Plus they make delicious pancakes
Jill Hagen says
I use the protein powder I put in my smoothies.Sometimes the batter needs a little more liquid though. 24 grams in 1/4 cup.Jill
Michelle says
I made these tonight and added 4 scoops of generous nonflavored protein powder.
I think the next time that I make them I will either add vanilla or chips ahoy protein powder. 🙂
Suzanne says
I’ve been looking for some healthy make-ahead breakfast ideas now that school is starting. I can’t wait to give these a try!
Pam says
Could you use all regular oats?
Nora says
Yes! They’ll just have a less hearty texture, but will be perfectly fine.
Beckie says
These are so yummy! My second batch made we had warm with a poached egg for brunch! My daughter wouldn’t dream of eating courgettes for breakfast ? these are a ĺovely alternative. Going to try with Carrots next!
Nora says
Yay, so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Beckie! And I love the idea of eating them with a poached egg, yum. You’ll love them with carrots, my kids call them rabbit cookies and devour them by the dozen, haha!
Mimi says
I’m going to try with craisins!
Nora says
That sounds so good, too, Mimi! Adding to my list of variations I have to try.
Alison says
Made them for kid’s summer camp, came out perfect! Going to try with choc chips like a previous commenter said next
Nora says
Glad to hear it, Alison! I’m going to make them with the chocolate chips this week, too – such a great idea!
Sue says
Absoluely perfect! We added chocolate chips as an extra treat! Thanks for the recipe!
Nora says
Now I want to make them with chocolate chips – what a great idea! Thanks for the review Sue, I appreciate your time.
Dara says
What do you think about carrots instead of zucchini (I have those in the fridge right now)
Nora says
Dara, yes! Absolutely. You might want to add a tablespoon of extra liquid to the recipe because carrots are a little drier than zucchini. And I prefer the carrots shredded quite small. I’ve made these with shredded carrots before and they’re delicious!
Anne says
trid A batch for the freezer pre-baby, but already ate them all!! So good and healthy, going to make more
So I can actually freeze any
Nora says
I’m happy to hear the cookies went down so well you didn’t get a chance to freeze any, Anne! Hope your next batch makes it to the freezer ?