Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cookies Recipe

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This easy chocolate zucchini cookies recipe is a healthy way to satisfy a chocolate craving. The cookies are so rich and delicious, no one will ever guess there’s a veggie in them!

Have you ever tried baking with zucchini? If you have, you know this vegetable is the secret to giving baked goods a soft, moist texture. If not, you should try making these cookies!

These cookies are so easy to throw together. Once you grate and wring out your zucchini, you simply mix together the ingredients, form the dough into small flat circles, and bake! Prep is done in 15 minutes or less.

Everyone loves the rich flavor of these healthy chocolate zucchini cookies. And I love that they include a little veggie in each bite!

Try these cookies if you’re craving chocolate, need to use up a summer crop of zucchini, or just want to sneak in some healthy vegetables.

Instructions

These cookies come together in a few simple steps. 

1. Prepare the zucchini. Grate or shred the zucchini, then wrap it in a towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Leave the zucchini in the towel so it continues absorbing liquid as you move on to the next steps.

2. Mix dry ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, cacao powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, then set aside.
3. Make the batter. Melt the coconut oil or ghee in a large glass mixing bowl. Whisk in the sweetener first, then the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Stir in the zucchini.  Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Fold in the chocolate chips (if using).

4. Form the cookies. Form the dough into balls then place on a lined baking sheet. Gently press each dough ball to flatten it into the shape of a cookie. Top each with a few pieces of chocolate (if desired).
5. Bake the cookies. Place the uncooked cookies in the oven and bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Make sure to give your cookies time to cool. Otherwise, they can turn out crumbly! Cooling helps give them the perfect soft and fudgy texture.

If you’re making chocolate chip zucchini cookies, you can use my recipe for sugar free chocolate chips or any other kind of dark chocolate pieces.

Baking with zucchini

So why do so many people like to bake with zucchini?

I’m sure it all started because zucchini grows like crazy in the summer. I know I’m always looking for new ways to cook the crop from my garden.

This vegetable is great to throw on the grill, cut up for stir fry, make into zucchini fries, and so much more! There are tons of great recipes out there.

But why is it used in baking?

Actually, zucchini is like a secret weapon for baked goods! It gives them a nice texture, adds some bulk, and helps keep them moist. The taste is also very mild and easy to mask with other flavors. 

When cooking with zucchini, it’s important to squeeze out as much water as you can. This vegetable is 95% water, and you don’t want too much seeping out into your recipe.

That’s why I recommend wrapping the grated or shredded zucchini in a towel, squeezing it out, then letting it sit in the towel while you prep the other ingredients. The towel will continue to pull out moisture.

Also, when you’re measuring the grated zucchini, it should be pressed down gently but not tightly compacted. This will help you get the right amount for my zucchini cookies recipe

Keto Flours

For the best texture, I prefer to use a mix of almond and coconut flours. That way, you get the best of both worlds.

You could make these cookies with only almond flour, but they might be more crumbly. To make them with all coconut flour, you would need to increase the amount of eggs and liquid used.

Once you mix your dough, you want to make sure it has the right consistency. This will depend on how much liquid the low carb flours absorbed.

It should be dry enough to form the dough balls between your hands. However, if it’s too dry, consider adding more coconut oil.

If it’s too wet, you may not have gotten enough water out of your zucchini. You can try adding a little more almond or coconut flour to absorb some of the liquid.

Other Recipes

Looking for more keto friendly baked goods that use zucchini? Check out a few of these favorites:

• Keto German Chocolate Cake is sugar free, gluten free, and absolutely delicious!
• Zucchini Apple Bread is a tasty warm bread that uses zucchini to keep the carbs low.
• Chocolate Zucchini Brownies are super moist and topped with sugar-free frosting for an irresistible treat!
• Zucchini Blueberry Muffins combine two summer staples into one tasty recipe you can enjoy for a quick breakfast or snack.
• Keto Chocolate Cake Recipe is one of my most popular desserts and uses zucchini as the secret ingredient!

Chocolate Zucchini Cookies Recipe

These rich cookies are a guilt-free way to knock out any chocolate craving. In fact, if you make two dozen chocolate zucchini cookies, each one is only 1 net carb and 70 calories! I usually enjoy two as a tasty keto treat.

And you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that your delicious dessert includes a healthy vegetable. It’s a win-win!

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Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cookies (Gluten-Free, Paleo)

Author: Lisa MarcAurele

5 from 3 votes

Need a new low-carb dessert? Try these healthy double chocolate cookies. They’re a delicious way to sneak in more veggies or use up a garden crop.

Recipe Video (Click on Image to Play)

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time12 mins

Total Time27 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Print Pin Review Recipe

Servings 12 people

Calories 140

Ingredients

• 1 cup zucchini grated or shredded 1 cup zucchini grated or shredded
• 1 cup almond flour1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder1/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter flavored coconut oil or ghee1/3 cup butter flavored coconut oil or ghee
• 1/2 cup Lakanto Golden Monk Fruit Granular Sweetener or raw honey for paleo1/2 cup Lakanto Golden Monk Fruit Granular Sweetener or raw honey for paleo
• 1 large egg yolk1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sugar free chocolate chips or dark chocolate pieces (optional)1/4 cup sugar free chocolate chips or dark chocolate pieces (optional)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Grate or shred zucchini. Wrap in a towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Keep wrapped in towel to continue absorbing liquid.
• In small mixing bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, cacao powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In large glass mixing bowl, melt the coconut oil or ghee. Whisk in the sweetener. Then whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla extract.
• Stir the zucchini into the sweetened mixture. Then stir in the dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate if using.
• Form dough into 1 tablespoon sized balls by rolling in hand. Flatten each ball out and top each with a few pieces of chocolate if desired.
• Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until browned.

Notes

Recipe makes approximately 2 dozen cookies with each serving being 2 cookies.

When measuring the grated zucchini, it’s pressed down gently but not tightly compacted.

We prefer using a mix of almond and coconut flours. However, all almond flour will likely work as well. For an all coconut flour cookies, other changes are needed.

The chocolate chips can be replaced with chopped nuts if desired. 

Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

Nutrition

Serving: 2cookies | Calories: 140 | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Additional Info

Net Carbs: 2 g | % Carbs: 5.8 % | % Protein: 8.8 % | % Fat: 85.4 % | SmartPoints: 6

Values

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    [protein] => 3
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    [saturated_fat] => 7
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    [potassium] => 77
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Note on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

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First Published: October 15, 2018… Last Updated: July 23, 2020