Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies
gluten-free | tree nut free | refined sugar free
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | August 24, 2023
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These fantastic gluten-free chocolate chip zucchini cookies are the best zucchini cookies I have ever made! They have the perfect soft texture and are bursting with flavors such as cinnamon and chocolate, with a subtle hint of zucchini. Even non-zucchini lovers better give these cookies a try! I like to think of these gluten-free zucchini cookies as being healthy and wholesome. They have oats in them which are a great source of fiber, they have a vegetable in them, they use organic maple sugar as the sweetener, and they have allergy-friendly chocolate chips in them. What more could you ask for? Better give these cookies a try!

Modern Pioneer Recipe

These gluten-free chocolate chip zucchini cookies are a delicious modern pioneer recipe! You may ask, what makes them a modern pioneer recipe? Well… they are allergy-friendly and made with wholesome ingredients! Not to mention the early pioneers probably did make cookies, they just might not have been chocolate chip zucchini cookies.

Anyhow, as modern pioneers, we like to cook and bake with produce that is in season. Right now, zucchini is an abundant vegetable! While I’m not a huge fan of eating zucchini plain, I absolutely love baking with zucchini. Over the years I have come up with some go-to zucchini recipes and these chocolate chip cookies happen to be one of them!

These cookies are made with wholesome ingredients that are meant to be beneficial for you so you can enjoy a sweet treat without guilt. The whole oats provide some great fiber and protein. The cassava flour keeps these cookies anti-inflammatory. The natural sweetener (maple sugar) is easier to digest and is less likely to cause blood sugar problems compared to refined sugars. And don’t forget the vegetable: zucchini! A hidden veggie in a sweet treat is always good!

These zucchini cookies are…

• gluten-free
• anti-inflammatory
• tree nut free
• corn free
• refined sugar free

Looking for more ways to use up all the zucchini in your homestead garden? Try these gluten-free zucchini snacking bars!

Tips for Baking with Zucchini

Like I mentioned earlier, I love baking with zucchini! Grilled zucchini is okay, and zoodles are fine, but put zucchini in a baked good and you won’t be able to keep me away from it! From zucchini pie to zucchini pancakes, I love how versatile this vegetable can be when added to any variety of recipes.

When using zucchini in baked goods there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind:

• Zucchini Size– The size of the zucchini matters. Try to use smaller zucchini for baked goods since they will be more tender and bake down better.
• Measuring Zucchini– When measuring out shredded zucchini for a recipe, just scoop the zucchini shreds into a measuring cup and loosely fill the measuring container. Unless the recipe calls for a packed measurement of zucchini, don’t cram your zucchini into the measuring cup.
• Dry Zucchini– Some recipes (like these cookies) will want you to drain the shredded zucchini of extra moisture. To do this, add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the zucchini shreds and let it set for 10 minutes. Then squeeze the zucchini over a strainer to release extra moisture.
• Moisture– Zucchini does add moisture to the batter! So don’t worry if your batter seems dry before adding the zucchini.
• Pre-Baked– Some recipes have you bake the zucchini much like pumpkin and then you can use the flesh in the recipe instead using shredded zucchini (I made a delicious zucchini pie using that method!).

Aside from these gluten-free chocolate chip zucchini cookies, you may also want to check out these grain-free double chocolate cookies or my favorite oatmeal monster cookies for more summer dessert options!

Zucchini for Chickens

If you have a homestead flock of chickens then you won’t want to skip over this part! My chickens absolutely love helping me take care of extra zucchini! Zucchini is a great hydrating snack for chickens, plus the seeds add some nutritional benefits to their diet.

Much like baking with seasonal ingredients, I also like to feed my flock a seasonal diet. When it’s zucchini season, my chickens almost always have a zucchini in their enclosure that they can munch on free-choice throughout the day. On hot days, zucchini provides a hydrating treat that doesn’t stimulate a lot of internal heat when it is digested.

While some may mistakenly think that the zucchini seeds help with worming, my research on the topic does not seem to prove that theory true. While the seeds do contain a substance that is known to paralyze internal parasites, the amount that is contained on zucchini seeds is not enough to be considered a suitable natural de-wormer for poultry.

Instead, check out the wonderful benefits pumpkin has for chickens as a natural worming option!

I give my chickens zucchini that have grown too big to use for eating or baking. My flock loves jumbo zucchini and will work on ‘carving’ the zucchini over the course of a day or two. You can also give your chickens shredded zucchini scraps or extra zucchini from your baking projects.

Serving & Storing Zucchini Cookies

While these gluten-free zucchini cookies may not stick around for very long, you should still have some storing methods in mind for keeping them from being eaten all in one setting! You will also not have a problem serving these delicious zucchini cookies, but if you’re looking to spruce up your cookies, then I have a few ideas!

Serving– Gluten-free chocolate chip zucchini cookies would make a great addition to any summer or fall cookie platter! They are the perfect sweet, vegetable-based cookie to balance out a treat tray or snacking platter. These zucchini cookies are also great with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream or crumbled and added to a summer or fall ice cream sundae! And don’t forget, you could always make whoopie pies with these cookies by sandwiching whipped coconut cream, marshmallow fluff, or cream cheese between two zucchini cookies!

Storing– As for storing, these cookies can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days or they can be stored in the fridge for 5-6 days. Always make sure you keep them in an airtight container. Store the cookies only after they are completely cool.

Gluten-free chocolate chip zucchini cookies also freeze well! You can enjoy one straight from the freezer (like I do) or let them unthaw to enjoy with a glass of coconut milk beverage or tea!

Zucchini Cookie Recipe Tips

These gluten-free chocolate chip zucchini cookies are super easy to make! I will pre-warn you that the process is a little dish intensive. However, I love doing dishes, so that’s not a problem for me! If you don’t care for the dishes aspect of cooking and baking, then consider preparing some of your ingredients ahead of time so that it cuts down on clean-up for the actual recipe.

Here are some more helpful tips for making these cookies turn out fantastic!

• Grated vs Shredded– These cookies turn out best with zucchini that has been grated using a cheese grater. However, zucchini that has been shredded in a food processor will also work, the zucchini pieces will just be longer.
• Dairy-free Option– You can use your favorite dairy-free butter substitute instead of the organic, grass-fed butter in these cookies.
• Packed Zucchini– This recipe calls for a packed 1/2 cup of grated zucchini. If you have a little extra leftover, a tablespoon or two more of zucchini won’t ruin the cookies.
• Dry Zucchini– Before measuring the zucchini, squeeze out the excess moisture in a clean towel, then pack the grated zucchini into a measuring cup.
• Pre-Recipe Prep– You can shred the zucchini up 2-3 days before you make the recipe.
• Oat Types– I have only tried making this recipe with whole, old-fashioned, rolled oats. I have not tried any other oat types in this recipe such as steel cut oats or quick oats.

These gluten-free chocolate chip zucchini cookies are the perfect way to sneak some vegetable into your dessert! They contain wholesome ingredients that make these cookies border-line healthy enough to have for breakfast!

Where to Find the Ingredients:

• Simply Organic ground cinnamon
• Arm & Hammer baking soda
• Barred Woods pure maple sugar
• Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free rolled oats
• Otto’s Naturals cassava flour
• Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips
• Supplies: parchment paper, cookie trays, Cuisinart food processor, cheese & vegetable grater

Gluten-free chocolate chip zucchini cookies are the perfect modern pioneer recipe that modern pioneers of all ages will love! Even picky modern pioneers who may not like vegetables or zucchini should give these cookies a try! You can’t even taste the zucchini in these cookies and the texture is so soft! These sweet cookies are bursting with flavor and are made with wholesome, in-season ingredients. They make a delicious dessert that will be hard to resist!

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