From the roundup: 24 Zucchini Cookies Recipes Easy Enough for Any Home Baker
These zucchini honey drop cookies came out of a summer where I had more zucchini than I knew what to do with and a jar of culinary lavender sitting in my spice drawer going mostly unused. The combination sounds fancier than it is. The dough takes about 15 minutes to pull together, the cookies bake in 11, and the honey drizzle goes on the second they come off the pan. Start to finish, you are looking at under 30 minutes.
The shredded zucchini is the quiet workhorse here. You squeeze out the moisture first (do not skip that step, I have the sad, flat cookies to prove it), and then it folds into a soft sugar cookie base that stays tender for days. The lavender is light, not soapy. If you have had a bad experience with lavender-heavy baked goods before, this is a gentler version.
The honey drizzle goes on while the cookies are still warm so it soaks in just slightly instead of sitting on top in a sticky pool. Mild clover or wildflower honey works best here. Save the strong buckwheat honey for something else.
How these actually ended up on the site
My daughter had a school tea party last spring and I volunteered to bring something that was not chocolate chip cookies. I made these, slightly nervous, because I was not sure a room full of eight-year-olds would go for lavender anything. Half of them had seconds. One kid told me they tasted like flowers in a good way, which I think was a compliment.
I made them again the following week just for us, and my husband ate four before I told him there was zucchini in them. He was suspicious but not upset, which is about the best outcome you can hope for with hidden vegetables in dessert.
Why you will love this
- Ready in under 30 minutes with no chilling required
- The zucchini keeps the cookies soft for 2 to 3 days without drying out
- Lavender flavor is subtle, not perfume-y, so even skeptics tend to like them
- The honey drizzle takes about 90 seconds and makes them look like you put in real effort
- Makes 24 cookies, which is enough to bring somewhere and still have some left at home
Tips for success
- Squeeze the zucchini thoroughly. Wrap the shreds in a kitchen towel and twist hard over the sink. If you skip this, the dough gets too wet and the cookies spread thin and gummy in the center.
- Crush the lavender between your fingers before measuring. You want it broken up to release the oils, but not ground into powder. Powder-fine lavender can turn bitter in the oven.
- Pull the cookies at 10 to 11 minutes even if they look underdone on top. The edges should be just barely set and the tops should look dry but not golden. They firm up as they cool, and overbaking makes the lavender taste sharp.
- Drizzle the honey immediately after the pan comes out of the oven. If you wait until the cookies cool completely, the honey just sits on the surface and makes them tacky instead of soaking in.
Common questions about this recipe
- Can I taste the zucchini? No. It disappears completely into the dough and just adds moisture.
- My cookies came out flat: the most likely cause is zucchini that was not squeezed dry enough, or butter that was too warm when you started mixing.
- Can I make these without lavender? Yes. A half teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest gives a similar floral brightness without the herbal note.
- Do these work for a school event? They do not contain nuts. Check your specific school policy on honey for very young children.
Substitutions
If culinary lavender is hard to find, swap it for half a teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest. The flavor is brighter and more citrusy but works well with the honey drizzle. For a dairy-free version, use refined coconut oil in place of the butter and any plain unsweetened plant-based milk in the dough. The texture is slightly less tender but still good. A 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend also works here without any other adjustments.
Any mild honey is fine for the drizzle: clover, wildflower, or orange blossom all work. Avoid anything strongly flavored like buckwheat, which can overpower the lavender.
Make-ahead and storage
You can scoop the dough into rounds, place them on a parchment-lined sheet, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. Bake straight from the fridge and add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Because of the honey drizzle, they can get a little sticky if stacked, so tuck a small piece of parchment between layers.
To freeze, skip the honey drizzle before freezing and store the plain baked cookies in a zip bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and add the honey drizzle once they are fully thawed. The drizzle does not freeze well and gets grainy if you try to freeze it on the cookie.
Zucchini Saffron Honey Drops
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Wrap the shreds in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you can over the sink. Measure out 1 cup of the pressed zucchini and set it aside.
- Lightly crush the dried lavender between your fingers before measuring. You want it broken up enough to release the aromatic oils without turning it into powder. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and crushed lavender.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk, and beat for another 30 seconds until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the squeezed zucchini and stir gently until the shreds are evenly mixed through the dough. The dough will be soft.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Lightly flatten each with your palm or the back of a spoon. They will not spread very much on their own.
- Bake for 10 to 11 minutes until the edges are just barely set and the tops look dry but not golden. Pull them from the oven right at this point. Over-baking will make them dry and the lavender flavor less pleasant.
- Immediately after pulling the pans from the oven, drizzle a small amount of honey over each cookie using a spoon. The warmth of the cookie helps the honey soak in slightly. Let them sit on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
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