From the roundup: 24 Zucchini Cookies Recipes Easy Enough for Any Home Baker
These zucchini cardamom orange cookies started as a way to use up the zucchini that kept appearing on my counter every August. I wasn’t expecting much, but the orange zest and cardamom turn what sounds like a vegetable cookie into something that actually disappears fast. The dough mixes up in about 15 minutes, bakes for 11 to 13 minutes, and the orange glaze takes maybe 5 more minutes to pull together.
The one thing I’d warn you about: squeeze the zucchini really dry. I skipped that step the first time and ended up with cookies that spread into sad, flat puddles. A clean kitchen towel and some patience makes a real difference in how they hold their shape.
Cardamom is the flavor that surprises people here. It’s warm but not sweet, and it pairs with the orange zest in a way that feels a little unexpected for a cookie. If you’ve never baked with it, the recipe notes suggest starting with just 1/4 teaspoon, which is smart advice.
Why you will love this
- Uses up fresh zucchini without tasting like a health food compromise
- The dough is ready in 15 minutes with basic pantry ingredients
- Cardamom and orange zest do the heavy lifting on flavor, no fancy extract needed
- The glaze sets firm enough to stack the cookies with a sheet of parchment between layers
- Makes 22 cookies, which is enough for a cookie tray without a double batch
Tips for success
- Squeeze the grated zucchini as dry as you can get it. Roll it in a clean kitchen towel and wring it hard. Wet zucchini is the main reason these cookies spread and turn out soft in a bad way.
- Start with 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom if you’re new to it. Taste the dough before you add the full 1/2 teaspoon. It’s a bold spice and more is not always better.
- Flatten each scoop of dough slightly before baking. These cookies don’t spread on their own, so a gentle press with your fingers helps them bake evenly all the way through.
- Pull them at 11 minutes if your oven runs warm. The centers will look underdone, but they finish on the hot pan during that 5-minute rest. Overbaked, they go dry quickly.
If your cookies turn out flat or wet
- Flat cookies almost always mean the zucchini wasn’t squeezed dry enough. There’s no fix after baking, but the next batch will be better.
- If the dough feels very sticky and loose, refrigerate it for 20 minutes before scooping. This can help if your kitchen is warm.
- Glaze that won’t set usually means the cookies weren’t fully cool. Give them another 10 minutes on the rack before drizzling.
Substitutions
Lemon zest and lemon juice swap in directly for the orange if you want something a little more tart. The flavor profile shifts but the cookies still work well. If cardamom is hard to find at your store, a mix of 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger gets you into similar territory. Melted coconut oil can replace the butter at the same amount, though the texture comes out slightly less rich.
The glaze is optional. A light dusting of powdered sugar over the cooled cookies is a faster finish that still looks nice on a plate. For anyone avoiding gluten, a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works here since the zucchini keeps the cookies moist.
Make-ahead and storage
You can bake these a day ahead and store them unglazed in an airtight container at room temperature. Mix the glaze fresh and drizzle it the day you’re serving them. Glazed cookies keep at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container, layered with parchment if you need to stack them. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, though the glaze softens a bit.
Unglazed cookies freeze well for up to 2 months. Freeze them in a single layer first, then transfer to a bag. Thaw at room temperature and glaze just before serving.
Zucchini Cardamom Orange Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Grate the zucchini on the fine side of a box grater. Transfer it to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you can. The drier the zucchini, the better your cookies will hold their shape. Set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. If you have never baked with cardamom before, start with just 1/4 teaspoon and taste the dough before adding more. It is a bold spice that can sneak up on you.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with a hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and orange zest and mix until combined. The batter should smell wonderful at this point.
- Fold the squeezed zucchini into the butter mixture with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
- Add the flour mixture and stir gently until a soft dough comes together. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see dry flour. Overmixing will make the cookies tough.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Press each one down lightly with your fingers. These cookies do not spread much, so a gentle flatten helps them bake evenly.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are just set and the tops look dry. The centers will still look slightly underdone, and that is fine. They finish cooking on the hot pan. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, make the orange glaze. In a small bowl, stir together the sifted powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest if using. The glaze should be thick enough to coat a spoon but still drizzle easily. If it is too thick, add orange juice a teaspoon at a time. If it is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, drizzle or spread a thin layer of orange glaze over each one. Let the glaze set for about 10 to 15 minutes before stacking or storing.
Notes
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