Description
These Zucchini Bread Breakfast Cookies are a wholesome and delicious treat perfect for a quick breakfast or healthy snack. Made with oats, shredded zucchini, and warm spices, they’re lightly sweetened with honey and applesauce for a natural touch. Soft, moist, and packed with fiber and nutrients, these cookies are easy to prepare and bake, offering a nutritious way to start your day or fuel your afternoon.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups quick oats
- ¾ cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup oat flour OR whole wheat flour OR ground grain of your choice
- ¼ cup ground golden flax OR chia seeds
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup honey
- 4 tablespoons oil OR melted butter OR melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded zucchini, excess moisture squeezed out (measured after squeezing)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 360°F (182°C) and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the quick oats, old fashioned oats, oat or whole wheat flour, ground flax or chia seeds, chopped walnuts, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and fine sea salt. Stir well until all dry ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Pour the unsweetened applesauce, honey, oil or melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and shredded zucchini (with excess liquid squeezed out) into the bowl on top of the dry ingredients. Mix gently but thoroughly until a cookie dough forms. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.
- Shape Cookies: Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, portion out the dough into 2-tablespoon sized mounds. Place them on the prepared cookie sheets spaced about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten each mound and shape into rounds approximately ½ to ⅔ inch thick and 2 to 2½ inches in diameter. The dough will not spread much during baking, so shape accordingly.
- Bake: Bake one tray at a time in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes to firm up.
- Cool Completely: Transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool fully. This prevents sogginess by allowing steam to escape evenly.
- Store: Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate or freeze.
Notes
- It is essential to squeeze out excess moisture from the zucchini to prevent soggy cookies.
- If you only have old fashioned oats, pulse some in a food processor a few times to mimic quick oats for the recipe.
- If you only have quick oats, you may need to add an extra ¼ to ⅓ cup to avoid a wet dough.
- Oat flour can be homemade by blending oats finely or purchased pre-made. Whole wheat flour can be used alternatively but avoid if gluten-free is required.
- For a sweeter treat, add 4-6 tablespoons of granulated or light brown sugar to the dry ingredients.
- To keep recipe gluten-free, ensure all ingredients, especially oats, are certified gluten-free and avoid whole wheat flour.
