From the roundup: 24 Zucchini Cookies Recipes Easy Enough for Any Home Baker
Day-old zucchini almond paste pinwheel cookies are worth saving because they firm up slightly overnight and hold their spiral shape even better than when they first came out of the oven, making them an easy grab for a packed lunch or an after-school snack that does not require any reheating. When I first made these, I did not squeeze the shredded zucchini nearly dry enough, and the centers came out gummy and flat, so now I wring out that kitchen towel twice before the zucchini ever touches the dough. The almond paste filling is subtle but rich, and it disappears into the swirl so naturally that three of my five kids ate these without once asking what the green flecks were. One batch gives us about two dozen cookies, which sounds like plenty until you have a family of seven and someone discovers the container before dinner.
How this one actually started
I made these for the first time because my garden produced about four zucchini in the same week and I had already made two loaves of zucchini bread. My youngest had a friend coming over after school and I needed something that looked intentional, not desperate. These came together fast enough that the cookies were cooling by the time the kids walked in.
The friend asked for the recipe to give to her mom. That was enough for me to write it down properly and stop winging it every time.
Why you will love this
- Ready in about 30 minutes with no chill time required before baking
- Uses one bowl for the dry ingredients and one for the wet, so cleanup is quick
- Naturally gluten-free with blanched almond flour, no baking blends needed
- The zucchini keeps the centers soft without any detectable vegetable flavor
- Stores well for several days, so one batch covers school lunches and after-school snacks
Tips for success
- Squeeze the zucchini harder than you think you need to. Wrap the shreds in a clean kitchen towel and twist firmly over the sink two or three times. Damp zucchini is the main reason these cookies come out gummy.
- Measure the zucchini after squeezing, not before. One cup of firmly packed raw shreds yields much less than one cup once the water is out, and the ratio matters here.
- Press each dough mound down gently with your palm before baking. These cookies do not spread on their own, so whatever shape they go in is roughly the shape they come out.
- Pull them from the oven when the edges are set and the tops look just barely dry. They will feel underdone, but they firm up on the pan during the five-minute rest. Overbaking dries out almond flour cookies quickly.
If your cookies turn out gummy or flat
- Gummy centers almost always mean the zucchini was not squeezed dry enough. Next batch, squeeze until you can wring out no more liquid at all.
- If they spread flat and thin, the coconut oil may have been too warm when you mixed it in. Let it cool to room temperature before adding.
- Almond meal (the kind with the skins still ground in) behaves differently than blanched almond flour and will produce a denser, grainier cookie. Use blanched almond flour specifically.
- If the dough feels very wet and loose, refrigerate it for 15 minutes before scooping. Almond flour dough can vary depending on how much moisture is left in the zucchini.
Substitutions
Coconut sugar works in place of granulated sugar at the same amount. It gives the cookies a slightly deeper flavor and a darker color, which some people prefer. Unsalted butter can replace coconut oil one-for-one if that is what you have on hand. If anyone in your house has an egg allergy, I have not personally tested this with a flax egg, but almond flour cookies tend to be forgiving with that swap.
For the chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or pecans work well if you want crunch instead of chocolate. If you want a stronger almond flavor throughout, swap the vanilla extract for half a teaspoon of almond extract, not a full teaspoon or it gets sharp.
Make-ahead and storage
You can shred and squeeze the zucchini up to a day ahead and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge. The mixed dough can also be refrigerated overnight before scooping, which can actually make portioning a little easier since it firms up slightly. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate them for up to 6 days. They firm up a bit when cold but come back to a softer texture after sitting out for about 10 minutes.
To freeze, arrange cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a zip bag. They keep well for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, not in the microwave, or the centers get a little rubbery.
Zucchini Almond Paste Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Grate the zucchini on the fine side of a box grater. Pile the shreds onto a clean kitchen towel, wrap them up, and squeeze firmly over the sink until almost no more liquid comes out. You want the zucchini as dry as possible or the cookies will spread and be gummy. Measure 1 cup after squeezing.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the blanched almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, melted coconut oil, egg, and vanilla extract together until smooth and slightly pale, about 1 minute.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir with a spatula until a soft dough forms. Fold in the squeezed zucchini and mini chocolate chips if using. The dough will feel slightly sticky, which is normal.
- Use a cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the mounds about 2 inches apart. Press each one down gently with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly since these cookies do not spread much on their own.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are set and the bottoms are lightly golden. The tops may look just barely dry. They will feel soft when you pull them from the oven but will firm up as they cool.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Eating them warm is fine, but they slice and stack better once fully cooled.
Notes
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