YES, DOUBLE CHOCOLATE.
Technically triple if you decide you need to drizzle them in chocolate like I did. Though, really, would anyone opt not to?
This weekend I met someone who is legitimately allergic to chocolate, and, in true Chelsea fashion, was spurred to create a recipe that uses all.the.chocolate. I’m just making up for all the chocolate she can’t eat, right? Right. I know there are people out there who don’t like chocolate- I obviously choose to stay as far away from them as possible and/or pretend they don’t exist (kidding! I love you guys!)- but having an allergy is just tragic. 
We’ve finally reached the point in the summer I like to call What Am I Ever Going to Do With This Much Zucchini?
Farmers are prettymuch giving it away just to avoid being crushed in a zucchini-slide by their ever-growing mountain of phallic green veggies, and despite how much I love the stuff, there’s only so much zucchini a person can eat in a day. Sure, you could grill and freeze it to use up later in the winter like I did last year, but cookies? They might just be zucchini’s greatest calling yet. 
Ribbons of shredded zucchini get swirled into a thick, fudgey, almond butter based batter to form little pockets of veggie love in every bite of cookie. Except, you don’t even taste the zucchini- it’s pure cookie bliss. For this recipe, I used some of my favorite ingredients, like cocoa powder, oat flour, maple syrup, almond butter, and coconut oil. In case you haven’t seen it yet, there’s a new page on BAKED GREENS full of all my favorite baking ingredients, called Pantry Staples. If you’ve been asking me for months how I stock my pantry for anytime baking, I finally got my act together and put together a list of my staples- check out that page to see all my faves!
I probably should have titled these Fudgy Zucchini Brownie Bites because, let’s be honest, that’s what they are. Yes, they look like little lumps of chocolate cookie, but they’re brownies at heart. Gloriously thick, rich, dark chocolate-y brownies disguised as cookies.
So, if you’re allergic to chocolate, LOOK AWAY I’m so, so sorry. These babies are all chocolate, all the time. The batter has a full, rich, deep chocolate flavor from a heavy dose of cocoa powder and handfuls of roughly chopped dark chocolate. Then, to make matters worse, we’re going to drizzle every cookie in a river of molten chocolate goodness and, if you’re into it, a big pinch of flaky sea salt for the ultimate salty-sweet combo.
For me, these are a perfect afternoon snack or healthier dessert option. They taste rich and satisfy my chocolate-loving soul, but don’t make me feel overstuffed or uncomfortable (you know that feeling, right? not fun!). And, if no one’s looking, you can even eat them for breakfast. They’re made with maple syrup, almond butter, oat flour, and zucchini, after all. Let’s not mention all that chocolate right now.
If you’re like me- that is, trying to figure out what to do with the lifetime supply of zucchini you have right now-these cookies are a fun way to use up some of your zucchini stash. Plus, I don’t know about you, but drizzling melted chocolate on top of warm cookies is one of my favorite ways to spend my late summer afternoons. Maybe while dancing along to my new favorite song, feeling absolutely glorious. 
If you make this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment below or take a picture and share it with me on Instagram. I love seeing what you make!
Double Chocolate Zucchini Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup creamy almond butter
- 1/3 cup virgin coconut oil melted
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup oat flour*
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate divided
- 1 cup shredded zucchini tightly packed, and squeezed of excess liquid**
- a few pinches of flaky sea salt for topping (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- 2. Whisk together almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add all dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Fold in the zucchini and half the chocolate chunks, and stir until zucchini is fully incorporated. Batter will be soft.
- 3. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to portion out 12 cookies on the pan, and transfer it to the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up the dough. Alternately, 10 minutes in the fridge would work too, if your freezer doesn't have space for a cookie sheet.
- 4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cookies are set but still slightly soft in the middle. The softer they are in the middle when they come out of the oven, the fudgier they will be once fully cooled.
- 5. Let cookies cool on the pan, and, if desired, melt remaining chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds and drizzle over the cookies. Top with flaky salt, if using.
- 6. These cookies keep best in the fridge, though will be fine at room temperature for a day or two, if needed. The zucchini just makes them extra soft, and thus prone to spoiling more quickly.
Notes
**I used about 3/4 of a medium sized zucchini, shredded it on my box grater, then squeezed it in my hands over the sink to release as much liquid as possible. Then, once squeezed, I packed it into a measuring cup.
Don’t forget to check out my PANTRY STAPLES page to see the products used in this recipe!