Have an abundance of zucchini (or just love baking with it like I do)? Put it to delicious use in these Zucchini Cookies with Frosting. They’re tender, flavorful, and the perfect way to sneak a little veggie into your dessert. Once you try them, you’ll want to make them again and again.
Originally published in June 2016 and updated in April 2025 to include ingredient notes and fresh, new photos.
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These scrumptious cookies can be made two ways—thin with crispy edges or soft and fluffy. The trick is in the cookie dough: chill it for a puffier cake-like cookie, or bake it right away for a thinner, chewier texture. No matter how you bake them, they’re absolutely delicious.
I top these with a tangy cream cheese frosting (Lee absolutely loves frosting on just about everything), but they’re still really good without it. Either way, you’ve got a treat that’s hard to resist.
Ingredient Photos
Seer recipe card for exact amounts.
Ingredient Notes
For the zucchini cookies
- Zucchini: Great in baked goods—it adds texture, moisture, and a subtle flavor. You can also use yellow summer squash if that’s what you have on hand.
- Oatmeal: Both old-fashioned and quick-cooking oats work well in this recipe.
- Flour: Regular all-purpose flour works best. I haven’t tested this with gluten-free or whole wheat flour.
- Butter: I prefer unsalted butter for baking, but salted butter works just fine too.
- Sugar: Using equal parts white and light brown sugar makes the cookies moist and flavorful.
- Cinnamon: Pairs perfectly with oats and zucchini, adding a warm, cozy flavor.
- Egg: One large, room temperature egg helps bind the dough and makes the cookies fluffy.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise and become light and tender.
- Salt: Enhances flavor and ties all the ingredients together.
For the cream cheese icing
- Cream Cheese: I use full fat cream cheese, ⅓ less fat will work.
- Powdered Sugar: For best results sift the powdered sugar to ensure there aren’t any lumps in your frosting.
- Butter: Again, I use unsalted butter and salted will work.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract, it’s my understanding that vanilla flavor will also work.
- Milk: This is used to thin the icing so it’s a spreadable consistency.
Step-By-Step Photos
Make the cookie dough.
Make the frosting.
Variations
- Add about a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans
- Mini chocolate chips would be a great addition to these cookies, 1-1 ½ cups.
Why are my cookies so flat?
There are a few reasons this might happen:
- Butter is too soft – You want the butter soft enough to cream with the sugars, but not so soft that the cookies spread too much. A good rule of thumb is to take the butter out of the fridge about an hour before making the cookie dough. Chilling the dough for about 30 minutes before scooping and baking can also help prevent spreading.
- Cookie sheet is hot – Be sure to let your baking sheets cool between batches, and avoid placing dough on a sheet that’s been sitting on a warm stove. Residual heat can cause the cookies to start spreading before they even make it into the oven.
- Pan color – Dark-colored pans absorb more heat and will cause cookies to bake faster. This can lead to over-browning or thinner cookies. Try lowering the oven temperature by 25°F or start checking for doneness a little earlier. Keep in mind, dark pans also produce a darker color on the bottoms of baked goods.
Can you freeze cookies with cream cheese frosting?
Yes! Flash freeze frosted cookies by placing them on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet and freeze until frozen solid, a couple of hours. Then place in a zip top freezer bag or other airtight container and freeze for several months. Unwrap them (so the icing doesn’t stick to the plastic) before thawing in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, when my kids were little I used margarine for baking almost exclusively because it’s more affordable than real butter.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator since there is dairy in the cream cheese frosting.
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Zucchini Cookies with Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 ¾ cups oats, old-fashioned or quick cooking
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup grated zucchini
For the frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1-2 tbsp milk
Instructions
Make the cookies
- Preheat oven to 400°. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl mix together the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.1 ½ cups flour, 1 ¾ cups oats,, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon
- In a large bowl cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer, add the egg and zucchini, mix well. Batter will be somewhat watery. Next add the dry ingredients and mix well. Chill for about 30 minutes for fluffy cookies.¾ cup butter,, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup grated zucchini
- Drop by rounded teaspoons a couple of inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and set. Cool on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to completely before frosting.
Make the frosting
- Cream the powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk until frosting is a spreadable consistency.2 cups powdered sugar, 4 oz cream cheese,, 2 tbsp butter,, ½ tsp vanilla, 1-2 tbsp milk
- Frost cooled cookies.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
These look amazing and combine two of my favorite foods! Putting this on my to-make list.
Cookies with healthy ingredients are always a plus right?