There is nothing better in the summer than transforming delicious veggies into desserts, like these moist and chewy Frosted Zucchini Cookies!
Each Frosted Zucchini Cookie is pillowy perfection, for a bite that is sweet, moist and a cream cheese frosting that is slightly tangy. Gather simple pantry staples and a fresh zucchini to make the cookies and cream cheese, sugar and cream for the frosting and you’re ready to make fantastic cookies everyone craves!
When Life Gives You Zucchini
I could go on and on about how much I love adding zucchini to my baking in the summer- it’s so simple to do and it tricks my brain into thinking I should indulge a little more because of all the veggies in it! These cookies get me every time too, with their light, cinnamon and cream cheese flavors. Frosted Zucchini Cookies are a little chewy and soft but perfectly filling. The recipe is also simple to double and I can do some much of the work ahead of time that if I want to make these for a get-together it’s incredibly easy to do and treat all of my friends and family!
Other Recipes to Serve with Frosted Zucchini Cookies
- Pick up more zucchini than you need so that you have another reason to make more scrumptious desserts, like this amazing Lemon Zucchini Cake!
- I know what you’re thinking, keep the zucchini going but give me chocolate! Well you got it- Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting! Go big or go home right?
Ingredients
Pantry Items: Flour, granulated sugar and light brown sugar and baking soda are needed.
Refrigerated Items: Set out the butter to soften as well as an egg to warm slightly.
Spices: You will need cinnamon and salt for the cookies.
Zucchini: You will need one cup of grated zucchini so the number of zucchini you need will depend on the size you can find in the store. One large zucchini or two small zucchini should be enough for one cup but it’s always better to have too much than not enough, so when in doubt, grab more.
Frosting: Cream cheese and heavy whipping cream are needed, as well as powdered sugar and a bit of salt.
How to Make Zucchini Cookies
STEP ONE: Using a large bowl with beaters or a stand mixer, cream the butter and both the white and brown sugar. Add the egg and grated zucchini and mix until combined. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
STEP TWO: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and cover your cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop, place cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. When the cookies come out of the oven, let them cool a little and then place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.
STEP THREE: While the cookies are cooling, whip up the frosting in a stand mixer or bowl. Beat the cream cheese until smooth and then alternate between a cup of powdered sugar and the heavy whipping cream. Add the salt and whip until the frosting is smooth. Frost each cookie when they are completely cool and sprinkle the cookies with a bit of cinnamon sugar if you want, for an extra tasty treat!
Tips for Success
- You can refrigerate this cookie dough for 24 hours, if you want to make the dough ahead of time. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, just pull the dough out of the refrigerator and follow the recipe. The same goes for the cream cheese frosting. You can make that ahead of time as well but when you’re ready to frost, let the frosting come to room temperature for easy spreading.
- Using the fine side of the grater will produce smaller pieces of zucchini, which fit better in these cookies. There’s no need to wring out the zucchini because the moisture from the zucchini is what makes these cookies so wonderfully soft!
- The frosting is entirely optional but is so incredibly delicious! The choice is yours though. Don’t forget about the optional sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar too.
- These cookies will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Why is zucchini good for baking?
Adding zucchini to baked goods is not only a good way to boost the amount of veggies in your diet but is actually used to give a baked good some “body” or volume. Zucchini adds fluffiness to cookies and breads or cakes and provides a wonderful light body, versus having a thick or heavy cookie or bread. Near the end of the summer, it’s also the perfect way to use up all of those pounds of zucchini you might have grown!
Can I freeze zucchini cookies?
Once you have cooked the cookies and they have cooled completely, you can either place them in a freezer bag and freeze, before frosting, and then pull them out to thaw at room temperature when you are ready to enjoy them. Or, you can let the cookies cool, frost them and then layer them with wax paper between them and freeze them. If you freeze them with the frosting, allow them to thaw in the refrigerator so the frosting doesn’t get messy. Either way you choose, these cookies will last for about 2 months in the freezer.
Find more frosted cookies to love
- Carrot Cake Cookies
- Frosted Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Frosted Lemon Cookies
- Maple Cookies
- Keto Cake Mix Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup finely grated zucchini (see note)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 taespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg and grated zucchini until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing just until combined after each addition.
- Chill the dough for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out the dough onto the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. (The cookies will spread so give them some room.) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops of the cookies spring back when touched.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, add the cream cheese to a large bowl or stand mixer and beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, alternating with 1 ounce of heavy cream between additions. Add the salt and beat on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes until the frosting is silky smooth. (Add more powdered sugar or heavy cream as needed to reach your desired consistency.)
- Spread the frosting over the tops of the cooled cookies and enjoy!
Notes
- You do not need to squeeze or ring out the zucchini after grating, the moisture is important to the dough.
- The cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.
- These cookies will keep for 3 to 4 days in an air-tight container at room temperature.
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