From the roundup: 24 Zucchini Cookies Recipes Easy Enough for Any Home Baker
These zucchini toasted coconut oat cookies are basically macaroons, and they come together in about 35 minutes with almost no mixing. The hardest part is squeezing the zucchini dry, and I mean really dry. The first time I made these I was impatient and skipped the second squeeze. They spread flat and turned soggy in the middle. Do the second squeeze.
Once that step is handled, the rest is simple: stir everything together, scoop, bake until deeply golden, and dip the bottoms in melted dark chocolate after they cool. The chocolate sets up firm and keeps them from sticking together in the container, which matters when you are trying to get 18 cookies through a week of lunches and after-school snacks.
The zucchini disappears completely into the coconut once baked. My kids have no idea it is in there, and I have stopped mentioning it. What they notice is that the outside is crisp and toasted and the inside stays chewy for days.
Why you will love this
- Squeezing the zucchini dry is the one real technique here, and the recipe tells you exactly what to look for so you do not have to guess.
- No flour means these are naturally gluten-free as long as your coconut is certified gluten-free.
- The dark chocolate dip looks like you put in extra effort, but it takes about 90 seconds in the microwave.
- They hold up for 3 days at room temperature without getting crumbly, so they actually survive the week.
- Makes 18 cookies from one medium zucchini, which is useful when the garden is going faster than you can keep up.
Tips for success
- Squeeze the zucchini twice. Wrap it in a clean kitchen towel, squeeze hard over the sink, then squeeze again. Wet zucchini makes the macaroons spread flat and stay soggy inside.
- Press each mound firmly before baking. Loose piles fall apart in the oven. A quick press with your fingers is enough to compact them so they hold their shape.
- Bake the full 18 to 20 minutes. Pull them when the tops and edges are a deep golden brown, not just lightly tan. Under-baked macaroons feel soft and wet rather than chewy.
- Let them cool completely before dipping in chocolate. Warm macaroons melt the chocolate right off. Give them at least 20 minutes on the rack, or set the tray in the fridge for 10 minutes if you are short on time.
If your macaroons fall apart or go flat
- Flat macaroons almost always mean the zucchini was not squeezed dry enough. More moisture than the egg whites can hold causes spreading.
- If they crumble when you pick them up, they were not pressed firmly enough before baking. The mounds need to be compacted, not just loosely dropped.
- Chocolate sliding off means the macaroons were still warm when you dipped them. Room temperature or slightly cool is what you need.
- If the bottoms are pale and the tops are golden, your oven runs hot at the top. Move the rack down one position for the next batch.
Substitutions
Semi-sweet chocolate works fine in place of dark chocolate if you want a sweeter finish, and the macaroons are also good plain with no dip at all. Unsweetened shredded coconut can replace the sweetened coconut for a less sweet cookie, though the exterior will not caramelize quite as deeply. A small splash of almond extract in place of vanilla gives a more classic macaroon flavor if that is what you are going for.
For egg-free, aquafaba works here: use 3 tablespoons per egg white. The texture is slightly less firm but still holds together after baking. Just make sure to press the mounds extra firmly before they go in the oven.
Make-ahead and storage
The zucchini can be shredded and squeezed dry up to a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. You can also scoop the mixed batter onto the lined baking sheet, cover it, and refrigerate overnight before baking. Store baked macaroons in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you need to stack them, put a sheet of parchment between layers to protect the chocolate.
These freeze well for up to 6 weeks in a zip bag. Thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving. The chocolate stays intact and the texture holds up better than most cookies after freezing.
Zucchini Toasted Coconut Oat Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Shred the zucchini on the fine side of a box grater. This is the most important step: wrap the shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly over the sink until no more liquid comes out. Then squeeze again. Wet zucchini will make the macaroons spread flat and they will not set up properly. You should have about 3/4 cup of very dry shredded zucchini after squeezing.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry zucchini, sweetened shredded coconut, egg whites, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stir everything together until well mixed and the coconut is evenly coated with the egg whites.
- Using a cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon, scoop mounds of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Press each mound gently with your fingers to compact it slightly so it holds its shape. Loose piles will fall apart.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the tops and edges are golden brown. The coconut should look toasted and the bottoms should be a deep golden color. Do not pull them early. Under-baked macaroons will be soggy rather than chewy.
- Transfer the macaroons to a wire rack and let them cool completely. They need to be fully cool before dipping in chocolate or the chocolate will melt off.
- When the macaroons are cool, melt the dark chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. This usually takes about 90 seconds total.
- Dip the flat bottom of each macaroon into the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Set them chocolate-side up on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Let the chocolate set at room temperature for about 20 minutes, or place the tray in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to speed things along.
Notes
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