[pinit]
[pinit] When I have an excuse to bake gluten free chocolate chip cookies, I'm gonna take it. And thanks to the zucchini bounty under which we all labor (and if you don't labor under it, let me know and I will hook you UP), I've got one.
I've been trying to suss out the best way to describe these cookies for you. They're thick & chewy, for sure, but they're softer than a classic thick and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. The zucchini adds moisture in a pretty special way, but doesn't make the cookies taste, well, like zucchini. And not that it's any of my business at all, but I really love these right out of the freezer. The texture is just at the peak of perfection.
This is not a situation where we're throwing chocolate chips at a problem and calling it good. The chips are nice, but these cookies are special even without the chips. In fact, you could sub out the chips for raisins or (my personal fave) dried blueberries and not be sorry you did.
The dough is very sticky, though. So scoop it with an ice cream scoop if you can, and then smooth out the mounds of dough with wet fingers.
I've got one more zucchini recipe—a savory one—for tomorrow. Can you guess what it is? You'll never guess. Long live the zucchini plant!
Gluten Free Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
2 cups (280 g) all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar
3 cups (300 g) certified gluten free rolled oats (1 cup (100 g) ground into flour)
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs (120 g, out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups packed grated zucchini
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the brown sugar and whisk again, working out any lumps. Add the oats and oat flour and mix to combine. Place the chocolate chips in a separate, small bowl, add about 1 tablespoon of the combined dry ingredients to the boss and toss to coat. Set the chips aside.
To the large bowl of dry ingredients, add the butter, eggs and vanilla, and mix to combine well. Add the grated zucchini, and mix to combine. The mixture will be very, very sticky. Add the chocolate chips and the tablespoon of dry ingredients, and mix until the chips are evenly distributed throughout.
Drop the dough in small mounds, about 2 tablespoons each, 1 ½ inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. With wet fingers, smooth each mound of dough into a flat disk. Place the baking sheets, one at a time, in the preheated oven and bake until lightly golden brown on top, darker brown around the edges (about 14 minutes). Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Kelsey says
So yummy! Just pulled them out of the oven!
texmex . says
Instead of all those chemical try assembling some chickpea flour.
Christie says
Hi Nicole, you have mentioned in other recipes that bean flours are not a substitute for GF all purpose flour. Can you tell me what to look for in a true GF all purpose flour, and maybe a brand or two to try? Thanks much!
jcbsews says
We’ve started cooking GF for my preteen daughter who (hopefully) just has a wheat allergy. We’ll see when the tests come back. I’m not new to GF baking, though, so at least I’m not starting from zero!
My question – after you changed out the starch ratios in your “better than cup4cup” blend, do you still measure it as 140g=1 cup? And would that blend be better for these cookies, or the “mock better batter” blend? I’m still somewhat confused about which of the two blends to use, where…
Nicole Hunn says
Yes, 1 cup in all of my recipes is always 140 grams. I used my Basic Blend gluten free flour for this recipe (and also once my mock Better Batter at one point in testing and it worked great), and added the 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum, but I think the Better Than Cup4Cup blend would work really well with these cookies.
xoxo Nicole
Monika says
Just made a batch – delicious!!
We just got zucchinis so it worked out that you posted this :)
Nicole Hunn says
Love it, Monika!
xoxo Nicole
Jill Lightfoot says
I’ve never baked w/ zucchini before, so I’m looking forward to trying this receipe. I’ve recently had to switch to gluten free and purchased your Quick and Easy cookbook. I’m about to have my first gluten free cooking experience w/ your sandwich bread and pizza dough recipes. Fingers crossed! Thank you for sharing your GF recipes!
Nicole Hunn says
You’ll do great, Jill! Zucchini is great for baking, since it doesn’t really flavor the food much but just generally makes for a more moist baked good. I think you’ll like it. :)
xoxo Nicole
JoAnn C. says
Can these be counted as a vegetable? I’m thinking they can I just need affirmation.
xoxo JoAnn
Nicole Hunn says
Oh you know it can, JoAnn! Especially when 2 of us say so. ;)
xoxo Nicole
Jennifer Sasse says
These look great. I’ll have to stop by the farmer’s market and pick some zuc’s up. My guess for tomorrow will be a zucchini gratin……
Jennifer Sasse says
Hey did you know that August 8th (tomorrow) is “Sneak some zucchini on your neighbor’s porch night”? Leave some on mine please!
Nicole Hunn says
Oh how I wish I could, Jennifer! You’d definitely get some cucumbers and, soon, tomatoes, too. Not zucchini gratin (although that sound delish).
xoxo Nicole