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Add some extra veggies to your child’s diet with these hidden veggie cookies! They look and taste like a cross between your favorite chocolate chip cookies and zucchini bread, but they have a chewy texture and little pops of chocolate chips that will please even the pickiest eater. Make an extra batch to freeze for later or to share with the whole family!
Zucchini Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
As a mom and dietitian, I know how tricky it can be to feed your kids enough veggies, especially if you have picky eaters! Vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber to support their growing bodies and promote healthy digestion. But, of course, they can only do that if they make it inside.
That’s where these hidden veggie cookies come into play! Really, they’re very similar to zucchini bread. They’re still soft and chewy like your favorite cookies, but also happen to include carrots and zucchini. They’re the perfect way to help picky eaters (of all ages) enhance their veggie intake!
For more healthy cookie recipes, try out these 3-ingredient applesauce oatmeal cookies and 3-ingredient cookies {no egg}!
Why these Cookies are Dietitian-Approved
- Great for kids: I designed these vegetable cookies especially for kids to ensure they have plenty of veggies in their diet! They’re naturally sweetened with applesauce, which also replaces the butter and adds extra fiber. The peanut butter provides lots of healthy fats, and the mixture of oats, oat flour, zucchini, and carrot offers fiber to fill them up. The chocolate chips incorporate a familiar element that most kids love!
- Great make-ahead snack: My favorite toddler snacks to serve are ones that I can make in advance and freeze for later! One batch of these healthy oatmeal cookies makes 12 cookies, so you can either freeze some of those for later or make a double or triple batch to fill the freezer. The best part is that they thaw quickly, so you can tuck them into lunch boxes or let them sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes. Easy!
- Customizable: Not only do these breakfast cookies contain two types of veggies, but you can also play around with the other ingredients to make them your own! Get your kids involved by allowing them to choose their favorite add-ins.
Ingredient Notes
- Rolled oats & oat flour: This recipe uses a mixture of both rolled oats and oat flour for the perfect texture. You can either make your own oat flour at home by blending oats in a food processor or buy some at the store.
- Cinnamon: Add a dash of cinnamon for a classic warm flavor.
- Baking powder: This will react in the cookie dough to help the cookies rise up.
- Salt: To enhance the flavor. If you’re baking these for babies, skip the salt.
- Natural peanut butter: Double-check that there is no added sugar or salt.
- Unsweetened applesauce: Make your own applesauce or buy some from the store.
- Egg: To bind the cookie dough together and help the cookies rise in the oven.
- Pure vanilla extract: For flavor and a delicious aroma.
- Veggies: Squeeze the grated carrot and zucchini really well to remove any extra moisture.
- Dark chocolate chips: Feel free to use your favorite chips! To lower the sugar content, you can look for stevia-sweetened chips as well.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients, including the oat flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients (peanut butter, maple syrup, applesauce, egg, and vanilla) and mix until a dough forms. Fold in the zucchini and carrots until combined. Next, fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a few for poking into the top of the cookies.
- Place the dough in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to allow the oats to absorb some of the liquid.
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, form the dough into tablespoon sized balls and place on the baking sheet about an inch apart. Flatten them slightly with your palm or the back of a rubber spatula. Poke in the reserved chocolate chips.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown around the edges.
- Cool on baking sheet before handling to allow them to firm up.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
RECIPE TIPS
- You can peel the zucchini before grating if your kids are more particular about seeing green specks in their cookies.
- Add 3/4 cup-1 cup of rolled oats if you prefer a chewier cookie.
- These cookies have a soft and chewy breakfast cookie consistency; not a crunchy texture.
- You can also sub the applesauce for mashed banana or pumpkin puree to add even more veggies.
- Instead of chocolate chips, you can also use raisins or blueberries.
Recipe FAQs
Technically, I don’t love to “hide” vegetables, but instead simply incorporate them into various recipes to enhance veggie and overall nutrient intake. Even if you include veggies in cookies and other recipes, be sure that you’re still serving vegetables in their whole form at meals and snacks so that kids get used to seeing vegetables on their plate and have a chance to try them served up in different ways.
The applesauce has two roles in this recipe: adding moisture and sweetness. Fortunately, you can almost always replace applesauce with mashed bananas! Just make sure you use exactly the same amount and only use overripe bananas that are turning brown. Pumpkin puree works great, too!
The only non-vegan ingredient in this cookie recipe is the egg. I haven’t tried using a flax egg, but that is a great way to replace egg in baked goods. If you try it, please let me know how it goes in the comments!
Storage Guidelines
- Store the leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. In the fridge, they’ll stay fresh closer to a week and you can freeze them in a freezer-safe container for several months at a time!
Serving Suggestions
These cookies with hidden veggies can be offered as a healthy snack with or between meals or even as breakfast cookies! They’re loaded with oats and veggies for fiber, which make them a nutritious alternative to muffins or pancakes for breakfast.
I like to serve them with extra protein, like these Mini Egg Bites or Zucchini Egg Muffins. You can also offer them with a side of fruit and yogurt for a healthy breakfast that will keep everyone full for hours!
Recipe Variations
- Replace the applesauce: Instead of applesauce, use mashed overripe bananas or pumpkin puree.
- Add chopped nuts: Some chopped walnuts add a nice crunch, but they can be a choking hazard for young children, so they should only be added for children over the age of 5.
- Use different nut butters. You can replace the natural peanut with any other nut butter or seed butter.
Save this recipe for later!
More Hidden Veggie Recipes
- ABC Muffins
- Green Monster Muffins
- Spinach Banana Waffles
- Quinoa Veggie Bites
- Chickpea Veggie Patties
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Hidden Veggie Cookies {with Carrot and Zucchini}
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup finely grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup finely grated carrot
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oat flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
- Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, applesauce, egg, and vanilla and mix until a dough forms. Fold in the zucchini and carrots until combined. Next, fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a few for poking into the top of the cookies.
- Place the dough in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to allow the oats to absorb some of the liquid.
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, form the dough into tablespoon sized balls and place on the baking sheet about an inch apart. Flatten them slightly with your palm or the back of a rubber spatula. Poke in the reserved chocolate chips.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown around the edges.
- Cool on baking sheet before handling to allow them to firm up.
Notes
- You can peel the zucchini before grating if your kids are more particular about seeing green specks in their cookies.
- Add 3/4 cup-1 cup of rolled oats if you prefer a chewier cookie.
- Instead of chocolate chips, you can also use raisins or blueberries.
