Everything You Need to Know to Make Cinnamon Chip Zucchini Cookies

What Makes Cinnamon Chip Cookies Better?

Ground cinnamon fades into the background and gets lost. Cinnamon chips deliver a burst of cinnamon in every bite. They're like chocolate chips except they're cinnamon. They open a whole new world of baking.

Like chocolate chips, they get all melty and gooey in baking. If your family likes chocolate chips in your baking, they'll love your cinnamon chip cookies.

The best place to shop for cinnamon chips.

 

What Makes Zucchini Cookies Better?

Zucchini is 95% water, so it keeps your cookies moist, soft, and fresh. They don't get stale and crumbly. With the extra water, you can use less butter or oil.

Zucchini has a slightly sweet taste that blends with cinnamon, chocolate, or nuts.

 

And Why a Marriage Works!

Cinnamon chips give your cookies a bit of a sweet pop, a burst of cinnamon in every bite. Your zucchini cookies are much more flavorful with cinnamon chips. 

Cinnamon chip zucchini cookies freeze well.

 

Practical Tips that Matter

• Use medium zucchini. Giant ones are seedy and extra watery. Leave the skin on. It grates into fine little flecks; it's nutritious, and almost disappears when baked.
• Grate on the large or medium holes of your grater. Fine shreds can turn too mushy and release water too quickly.
• With 95% water, releasing some of the water is critical. Most recipes will tell you to wrap the grated squash in a paper towel and wring the water out. That works fine for breads. For cookies, I prefer to get more water out. Put the grated zucchini in a colander, sprinkle it with salt, and then wring the water out. The salt will draw extra water out. If you use salt, use just a little, and reduce the salt in the recipe.
• Fold the zucchini in at the end and don't overmix.

Our Favorite Cinnamon Chip Zucchini Cookie Recipe

• • 1/2 cup butter, slightly softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 3/4 cup cinnamon chips
  • 1 cup grated zucchini, squeezed dry

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease your baking sheet.

1. 1. Cream the butter and sugar together with the paddle attachment in your stand-type mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and continue mixing.
   2. Set the chips and walnuts aside and mix the rest of the dry ingredients. 
   3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix.
   4. Fold in the nuts and cinnamon chips. Fold in the drained zucchini.
   5. Using a one-ounce ice cream scoop, space mounds of dough on your cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are golden, not browned. Remove them within one minute and place them on a wire rack to cool.

 

Pro Tip

Hot cookies break easily, and your cookies keep baking on the hot sheet. Consider lining your cookie sheet with parchment paper held in place with a dab of shortening under each corner. 

When your cookie sheet comes out of the oven, place it next to the wire rack, grab two corners of the parchment paper, and drag the paper with the cookies onto the wire rack. No broken cookies, and you immediately stop the bake.

 

Optional Cream Cheese Frosting

After the cookies have cooled, add a cream cheese frosting. The cream cheese tang balances the mild cookies and the burst of cinnamon perfectly.

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat it all together and spread it on the cookies once they have completely cooled.