Zucchini Pineapple Macadamia Cookies

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These zucchini pineapple macadamia cookies started as a way to use up two bananas that were past the smoothie stage and a zucchini I kept moving to the front of the fridge and ignoring. The dough comes together in one bowl with a fork, no mixer, and you are pulling cookies off the sheet in about 23 minutes total. They are soft, lightly sweet, and sturdy enough that I have packed them in lunch boxes without them turning into crumbs.

The banana does most of the work here. It binds the dough, cuts the amount of added sugar you need, and keeps the cookies moist for a couple of days after baking. The shredded zucchini blends right in once it is squeezed dry, and the chocolate chips or pecans at the end are really just personal preference at our house. My kids split down the middle on that one.

Squeezing the zucchini is the one step that actually matters. The first time I made these I skimped on it and the cookies spread into flat, sticky discs that stuck to the parchment. Ten seconds of wringing in a kitchen towel makes the difference between a cookie that holds its shape and one that does not.

Why you will love this

• One bowl, no mixer, and ready start to finish in under 25 minutes
• Uses overripe bananas and garden zucchini so nothing sits on the counter until it is trash
• Less added sugar than most drop cookies because the ripe banana carries the sweetness
• Soft enough for younger kids but hold together well enough for a lunch box
• Flexible mix-ins: chocolate chips, pecans, or half of each depending on who you are feeding

Tips for success

• Squeeze the zucchini harder than you think you need to. Wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and wring it firmly over the sink until almost no liquid drips out. Wet zucchini is the main reason these cookies spread flat.
• Pull the cookies at 10 minutes if you want a soft center. The tops will look slightly underdone and matte, but they firm up on the pan during the 5-minute rest. Going to 12 minutes gives you a more set edge if that is what your family prefers.
• Spoon and level the flour rather than scooping directly from the bag. Because the dough is already soft from the banana, too much flour is the one thing that will make these dense instead of tender.
• The dough is looser than a standard drop cookie and that is normal. Do not add extra flour trying to fix it. Just scoop, space them 2 inches apart, and give the tops a gentle press with your fingers if you want a flatter shape.

Common questions

• Can I taste the zucchini? No. Once it is shredded fine and squeezed dry it disappears into the dough completely. Even my most suspicious eater has not noticed it.
• Can I use frozen zucchini? Yes, but thaw it completely first and squeeze out every bit of liquid before measuring. Frozen zucchini holds more water than fresh.
• My bananas are not very ripe. Will that work? Barely ripe bananas will not mash as smooth and the cookies will be less sweet. If you are in a hurry, roast unpeeled bananas at 300 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until the skins turn black, then cool before using.
• Can I double the batch? Yes. Mix in two bowls or in batches and bake as directed. The dough holds in the fridge for up to 24 hours if you want to stagger the baking.

Substitutions

For the mix-ins, chopped walnuts or raisins work in place of pecans or chocolate chips. A mix of mini chocolate chips and shredded coconut is popular at our house too. For a gluten-free version, a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend swaps in without changing anything else. Coconut oil can replace the melted butter in equal measure. For a dairy-free cookie, use dairy-free chocolate chips alongside the coconut oil swap.

To make these egg-free, a flax egg works: stir 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding it with the wet ingredients. The texture will be a little denser but they still hold together. Brown sugar can be swapped for coconut sugar if you prefer, though the cookies will be slightly less soft.

Make-ahead and storage

You can mash the bananas and shred and squeeze the zucchini up to one day ahead, storing both covered in the fridge. The full dough can also be mixed, covered, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Scoop and bake straight from the fridge and add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time. Cooled cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. By day two they can get a little tacky on the bottom from the banana moisture, so a small piece of parchment between layers helps. Refrigerating them extends freshness to about 5 days.

These freeze well. Arrange cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes. I would not microwave them from frozen since the banana makes them soft enough that they turn gummy with too much heat.

Brittany Stage

Zucchini Pineapple Macadamia Cookies

Soft drop cookies made with mashed ripe banana and shredded zucchini, lightly sweetened and finished with chocolate chips or pecans. A one-bowl recipe that works as a snack cookie or simple breakfast treat.

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Prep Time 12 minutes mins

Cook Time 11 minutes mins

Total Time 23 minutes mins

Servings: 20 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 105

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 very ripe medium bananas lots of brown spots, mashed smooth, about 3/4 cup mashed
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup shredded zucchini moisture squeezed out, from about 1 small zucchini
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped pecans or half of each

Equipment

• large mixing bowl
• fork or potato masher
• box grater
• clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth
• cookie scoop (2 tablespoon size)
• two rimmed baking sheets
• wire cooling rack

Method

 

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Wrap it tightly in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly over the sink until most of the liquid is out. Measure 3/4 cup of the squeezed zucchini and set it aside. The drier it is, the better your cookies will hold their shape.
3. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until as smooth as you can get them. A few small lumps are fine. Add the brown sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla and stir everything together until combined.
4. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon directly to the bowl. Stir until just combined and no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
5. Fold in the squeezed zucchini and your chocolate chips, pecans, or a mix of both. The dough will be soft and a little looser than a standard drop cookie dough because of the banana moisture.
6. Scoop the dough by rounded 2-tablespoon portions onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. These cookies spread only a little, so you can fit about 10 per sheet. Gently flatten the tops just slightly with your fingers if you like a more uniform cookie.
7. Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 10 to 12 minutes, until the bottoms are golden and the edges look set. The tops will look soft and slightly matte when done. Pull them at the low end of the time range for a softer center.
8. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. They firm up as they cool. Cool completely before storing, since the banana makes them a little more delicate when warm.

Notes

Use the ripest bananas you have, ideally ones with lots of brown spots all over the peel. They are naturally sweeter and their flavor carries through the finished cookie. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

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