Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you have a zucchini sitting in your fridge and a toddler who would happily live on snacks, these cookies are for you.

These Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, chewy, naturally sweetened, and made with simple ingredients like ripe banana, zucchini, oats, and almond flour. They’re an easy breakfast cookie or snack cookie for kids and toddlers that feels like a treat while still being made with ingredients I feel good about serving my family.

They are perfect for busy mornings, an easy afternoon snack, or to throw in your bag when you head out the door. I love recipes like this because they are easy to make, easy for little hands to eat, and something my toddler actually gets excited about. Add a few chocolate chips, and suddenly the zucchini that probably would have been rejected on her dinner plate is disappearing by the handful.

• They’re an easy breakfast cookie or snack for toddlers, kids, and adults.
• Soft, chewy, and easy for little hands to eat.
• Simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
• Naturally sweetened with banana and honey.
• A simple way to sneak some zucchini into a kid-friendly recipe.
• Hearty enough for breakfast but sweet enough to feel like a treat.
• Great for meal prep and easy to freeze for later.
• Perfect to pack for a playdate, park day, or outing.
• Toddler AND adult approved!

• Banana: Adds natural sweetness and helps keep the cookies soft and moist. The riper and more spotty your banana, the sweeter and more flavorful the cookies will be.
• Zucchini: Adds moisture and an easy serving of veggies. You really won’t taste the zucchini, especially once you add the chocolate chips.
• Egg: Helps bind everything together and gives the cookies structure.
• Coconut oil: Adds moisture and a little richness while helping create that soft, chewy cookie texture.
• Chia seeds: Help absorb some of the moisture from the zucchini and banana while adding fiber and helping give the cookies more structure.
• Almond flour: Gives these cookies a soft, slightly chewy texture and adds a little richness.
• Rolled oats: Add that classic oatmeal-cookie texture while making these cookies hearty and satisfying enough for breakfast or snack time.
• Honey: Adds a little extra sweetness without needing refined sugar.
• Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and brings out the sweetness of the banana.
• Cinnamon: Gives the cookies that cozy oatmeal-cookie flavor.
• Baking soda and baking powder: Help the cookies rise slightly so they aren’t too dense.
• Salt: Helps balance the sweetness and bring all of the flavors together.
• Chocolate chips: Because we’re making cookies! Mini chocolate chips are especially fun for little ones and give you a little chocolate in every bite.

Prep your zucchini

Start by shredding your zucchini. Then squeeze out as much excess moisture as you can using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. You don’t need to completely dry it out—you just want to remove the excess water. Zucchini holds a LOT of moisture, so this step makes a big difference in the final texture of your cookies.

Mix the wet ingredients

In a large bowl, mash your ripe banana until mostly smooth. Add the egg, melted coconut oil, honey, and vanilla and mix until combined. Stir in the shredded zucchini.

Add the dry ingredients

Add the almond flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, chia seeds, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir everything together until just combined, then fold in the chocolate chips. Let the dough sit for about 5–10 minutes. This gives the oats a chance to absorb some of the moisture.

Scoop and bake

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet and gently flatten each cookie with the back of a spoon or your hand.

These cookies don’t spread a ton on their own, so flattening them slightly gives them a better cookie shape. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They’re soft when they first come out of the oven but will firm up a little as they cool.

• Almond flour: I recommend almond flour for the best texture in this recipe. If you need a nut-free option, oat flour would be the closest substitution, although the texture may be slightly different.
• Coconut oil: You can substitute melted butter or avocado oil if that’s what you have on hand.
• Honey: Maple syrup can be substituted for the honey, although the flavor will be slightly different.
• Chocolate chips: Mini chocolate chips are perfect for toddlers, but regular chocolate chips work too. You can also leave them out or swap them for raisins or another dried fruit.

• Squeeze the zucchini well. This is probably the most important tip! You want the zucchini to add moisture without adding a ton of extra water.
• Use a very ripe banana. A spotty, overripe banana will give you the most sweetness and banana flavor.
• Let the dough rest. Giving the dough 5–10 minutes allows the oats and chia seeds to absorb some of the moisture, which helps the cookies hold together.
• Flatten the cookies. They don’t spread very much on their own, so gently flatten them before baking.
• Use mini chocolate chips for toddlers. They’re easy to distribute throughout the cookies and make sure you get a little chocolate in every bite.
• Don’t overbake. You want the cookies just set with lightly golden edges. Overbaking will make them much drier.
• Let them cool before serving. The cookies firm up as they cool, so give them a few minutes before moving them off the baking sheet.

These cookies are soft, chewy, and slightly hearty from the oats and chia seeds, with a naturally sweet banana flavor and little pockets of melted chocolate.

The zucchini doesn’t make them taste like zucchini at all. It mostly helps keep the cookies soft and moist. They’re somewhere between an oatmeal cookie and a soft breakfast cookie—which makes them perfect for breakfast, snack time, or a little treat.

They’re not overly sweet, so I feel good serving them as a breakfast cookie, but the chocolate chips make them fun enough that my toddler thinks she’s getting a cookie.

These are perfect served as a breakfast cookie alongside Greek yogurt, eggs, fruit, or a smoothie, or simply grab one for an easy snack cookie in the afternoon.

They’re also great for packing in a lunchbox or bringing along for a playdate, park day, or toddler outing.

Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze, let the cookies cool completely and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. I love making a double batch and freezing some so we always have an easy homemade breakfast or snack ready to go.