These dome-shaped lemony zucchini cookies are so tender they make me think of little bites of cake. They're super easy to make and a great way to use your garden zucchini!
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There are so many ways to use zucchini and folding them into cookie dough is one of my favorite zucchini recipes. Cookies are a great home for fruits and veggies. I make these zucchini cookies in the summer months and pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips in the fall. When winter arrives with fresh fuyu persimmons I make persimmon cookies with dried figs.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- No fancy ingredients.
- Fun way to use zucchini from the garden.
- These cookies are easy to make and there's no need to peel the zucchini before adding to the wet ingredients.
- These zucchini cookies are seriously addictive.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to many dishes often lies in the ingredients. For example, some ingredients make a huge difference to the flavor and/or texture of the finished recipe. And purchasing the right ingredients can save you valuable time in the kitchen.
This list only covers ingredients that require some notes. For all of the ingredients, measurements, and directions for making these easy zucchini cookies, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Fresh zucchini - Medium zucchini is best for this recipe. Small zucchini will include more skin as a ratio to the "meat" of the zucchini. Large zucchini may be too watery.
- Lemon zest - The lemony flavor is what makes these cookies special, so use fresh firm lemons without blemishes. Firm lemons are easier to zest than softer ones.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
- Cookie sheets - natural aluminum color
- Kitchen scales - to measure the flour.
- Whisk
- Hand electric mixer or standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
- Zester
- Box grater
- Rubber spatula
- Cookie scoop
- Cooling rack or other wire rack
👩🍳 Tips for Success
- When creaming the butter and sugar, use a high speed for either type of electric mixer. When folding the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, always use a low speed or do it by hand using a rubber spatula.
- The grated zucchini should be very moist but not pooling in excess liquid. If your zucchini is too wet as you grate it, roll it in a paper towel, and gently squeeze out some of the liquid.
- Using a cookie scoop instead of a spoon ensures the cookies are all the same size and will all bake in the same amount of time.
🧊 How to Store Zucchini Cookies
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 - 5 days.
- Freeze in a freezer safe container for 2 - 3 months.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- Spread the cookies with a lemon glaze when completely cooled.
- Make zucchini chocolate chip cookies by eliminating the lemon zest and adding ¾ cup of chocolate chips to the batter after the dry ingredients are incorporated.
🏔️ Making This Recipe at High Altitude
Even though this zucchini cookie recipe calls for baking powder, you don't need to adjust the amount for baking these at high altitude.
Don't have time to run to the grocery store? Order the ingredients for this recipe using Instacart (affiliate link). Just click on the Instacart button in the recipe card below, and the ingredients will all be organized for you on their site. Plug in your zip code, choose the store you prefer, and select the ingredients you want delivered to your home.
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Best Lemony Zucchini Cookies (So Easy!)
Equipment
- Kitchen scales to weigh the flour
- hand mixer or standing mixer
- zester
- box grater
- medium ice cream scooper 1 ½ - inches in diameter
Ingredients
- 2 cups (9 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks) at room temperature
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (2 large lemons)
- 1 cup shredded zucchini (no need to peel it first)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Pro tip: I do not use a dark cookie sheet. If you do, start the cookies at 375˚F but lower the temperature to 350˚F for the final 3 minutes of baking.
- Weigh the flour and whisk it together with the baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. It's best to start on a medium-low speed on your electric mixer to keep the sugar and pieces of butter from flying across the counter. As the sugar is incorporated into the butter, move the mixer to a high speed. This beats more air into the butter, making it fluffy and a lighter color. Both a hand mixer and standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment work fine for this. Add the egg and lemon zest and beat until they are completely incorporated into the butter.
- Grate the zucchini using the largest holes on a box grater. Fold the zucchini into the batter using a rubber spatula. Continue folding it in until it's evenly dispersed.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold it in with a rubber spatula. Add the remaining dry ingredients and continue folding into the batter until completely mixed in. There should not be any dry ingredients left at the bottom of the bowl.Pro tip: Once the dry ingredients are mixed into the batter, stop. Overworking the batter can result in tougher cookies.
- Use the ice cream scooper (sometime called a cookie scoop) or a spoon to scoop out the cookie dough onto the parchment lined cookie sheets. Space the mounds 1 ½ inches apart as the cookies will spread a little during baking.You can also use a larger scooper that's 2 inches in diameter for larger cookies.
- Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies turn a light golden brown.For larger cookies, bake for 15-16 minutes.
Dawn
Howdy, Just wondrerin' how many eggs?!?! to use and if flax/chia seed could be substituted instead of the eggs These cookies sound refreshing yet light. Thanks-
Susan Pridmore
I am so sorry! I see that I left it out of the ingredients list. It’s 1 large egg. I’m sorry I don’t know how much chia/flax seed substitute to use.