Zucchini, Peanut & Oatmeal Cookies
Submitted by asher
Chewy oatmeal cookies packed with shredded zucchini, chunky peanut butter, and chopped dates. These moist drop cookies disappear fast, so plan to eat them within a day of baking for peak texture.
YIELD
36 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
15 minREADY
45 minZucchini might seem like an odd cookie ingredient, but it works magic here.
Grated squash releases moisture as the cookies bake, keeping them incredibly soft and tender.
Chunky peanut butter adds protein and nutty richness while rolled oats provide hearty chew.
Dates bring natural sweetness that plays beautifully with the brown sugar.
Variations
- Swap dates for chocolate chips, raisins, or dried cherries
- Try any summer or winter squash in place of zucchini
- Add a handful of chopped walnuts for extra crunch
Kitchen Tips
- These cookies don’t keep well, so bake only what you’ll eat in a day
- Space dough 2 inches apart as they spread during baking
- Look for lightly browned edges to know they’re done
Ingredients
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 375℉ (190℃).
In a large bowl and using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat together the butter, peanut butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Then stir in the oats, zucchini and dates, mixing well.
Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Let cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
VARIATIONS: Replace dates with a combination of chocolate chips, raisins or dried cherries. Replace zucchini with other squash -- winter or summer varieties.
COMMENTS: A chewy and moist drop cookie. These cookies are not good keepers: plan on eating them within a day of baking.
Comments
Why would anyone want to eat these cookies at 1030 calories per serving? That's more than half the calories of the average person per day! How many servings are in the recipe?
Well if you eat all the cookies in one serving the calories would be quite high indeed! I noticed that the # of servings has been adjusted to make 36 cookies bringing the per cookie calories down to 171 which seems more reasonable.