These healthy mint chocolate chip cookies put a spin on traditional cookies by featuring a base of oats + whole wheat flour & sneaking in shredded zucchini.
I have a thing for cookies.
I’ve always liked them, but I really started becoming a Cookie Monster when I was pregnant two years ago. All of a sudden I craved cookies every day, and I satisfied it in moderation by eating a few cookies on a daily basis.
Fast forward to now, and I still am a big cookie lover. I have a few go-to kinds of healthier store-bought cookies that I like, but I also enjoy whipping up homemade cookies often.
In the wintertime I also love mint everything – as does my toddler. She begs for sips of my peppermint tea, loves when I make chocolate mint chip banana ice cream, and over the holidays, happily sucked on a peppermint candy cane for hours one night. It’s probably a bit unusual for a 1-year old I think, but you know what they say – like mother, like daughter!
This recipe was born out of my desire to whip up a new healthy sweet treat that sneaks veggies in. I’ve been big on doing things like throwing spinach into smoothies, carrots into muffins, and now, zucchini into cookies. It’s an easy way to add a bit more nutrition to the meals & snacks that I make for my family – and to make sure that my toddler is getting in her veggies.
After all, 80% of brain development happens in the first 3 years of life, and I want to make sure I’m fueling all of my daughter’s developmental leaps with lots of nutritious food. Her language skills have been taking off lately, & it’s so fun to listen to her sing along to grown up songs, repeat everything I say & begin to know her ABC’s!
This recipe calls for a cookie base of oats + whole wheat flour. Then, we add in some chocolate chips, melted coconut oil for some healthy fat & mint extract for that minty goodness.
There are a few different sweetener options: You can use a mix of coconut or brown + cane sugars, or if you prefer to make the cookies refined sugar free, you can also make them with maple syrup, though they will turn out less fluffy.
I hope you try out these cookies & enjoy them as much as we do!
Healthy Mint Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies {vegan}
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup old fashioned oats
- 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 1/4 cup coconut or brown sugar*
- 1/4 cup cane sugar*
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 TSP fine sea salt
- 1 TSP mint extract
- 1 TSP baking powder
- 1/2 TSP baking soda
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips I prefer mini
Instructions
- Place the oats in a food processor and pulse until mostly ground.
- Add in the wheat flour, zucchini, sugars, melted coconut oil, almond milk, sea salt, mint extract, baking powder and baking soda. Process until combined together evenly.
- Add in the chocolate chips and pulse for about 10 seconds, just until they're mixed in.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Spoon the dough onto the baking sheet, forming around 20 cookies.
- Bake for 11-14 minutes, until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottoms.
- Allow the cookies to slightly cool before transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
In a Cookie Monster mood? Check out some of my other cookie recipes:
I love baking with oats and zucchini! These look fantastic and can’t wait to try them out
I’m a big fan of mint too, and I love how puffy and wholesome these cookies are!