Pumpkin zucchini cookies are soft, cakey cookies frosted with a simple cinnamon icing. These lightly spiced cookies are perfect for fall and holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving!
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Tender and cakey pumpkin spice cookies are topped with sweet cinnamon frosting.
Egg-free cookies: Because we're adding pumpkin and zucchini for structure and moisture, these cookies don't require any eggs!
No chilling time: Have a batch of cookies ready in an hour.
Yield: 32 cookies
Great for: Fall baking, Halloween, Thanksgiving.
Similar to: Zucchini Cookies, Pumpkin Zucchini Bread
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Unsalted butter - Unsalted butter and salt can be substituted with salted butter.
- Granulated sugar - We're using all granulated sugar in this recipe today, which adds sweetness and moisture to your cookies.
- Pumpkin puree - Pumpkin puree, pure pumpkin, or 100% pumpkin is needed for this recipe. Pumpkin pie filling is not an adequate substitute because it's pumpkin puree that's already been seasoned and sweetened. Since we're adding sugar and spices of our own, this would make your cookies too sweet and overly spiced.
- Vanilla extract - Adds depth of flavor to your cookies and frosting.
- All-purpose flour - Adds structure and stability to your cookies. I haven't tested this recipe with other types of flour, so I can't say how it would turn out. Baking is an exact science, so I wouldn't recommend substituting with other types of flour.
- Spices - Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger add cozy fall flavor to your pumpkin cookies. These can be substituted with pumpkin pie spice if you have it on hand.
- Leavening - You'll need both baking soda and baking powder to get the proper rise in this cookie recipe. One cannot be substituted with the other.
- Salt - Enhances the flavor of your cookies.
- Zucchini - You'll need about 1 cup of finely shredded zucchini (measured including the liquid) for this recipe. This equals about 135 grams before squeezing the liquid out, and about 70 grams after squeezing the liquid out. I recommend using finely shredded zucchini because it melts easily into your dough while baking.
- Milk - Helps thin the frosting slightly. Any type of milk works here - cow's milk, almond, milk, oat milk, etc.
- Confectioner's sugar - Also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar. Melts easily into the other ingredients, creating a smooth texture. I don't recommend using anything other than confectioner's sugar for this frosting.
How to make pumpkin zucchini cookies
- Add butter and sugar to a large bowl and use a hand mixer to cream until fluffy. Add pumpkin puree and mix to incorporate. In a separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients, then add to the pumpkin mixture until just combined.
- Squeeze liquid from zucchini, then add to dough and stir to combine.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to portion cookie dough out onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake until cookies look set across the tops and pop back when gently pressed in the center.
- Allow cookies to cool before adding frosting.
Tips and tricks
Squeeze liquid from your zucchini - Squeeze as much liquid as you can from your shredded zucchini. Excess liquid added to the dough results in a dense, soggy cookie.
Portioning dough - Use a cookie scoop to portion your dough (here's the one I use: OXO medium cookie scoop). This dough is fairly sticky and can't be rolled by hand.
Don't have a cookie scoop? - If you don't have a cookie scoop, use two metal spoons and carefully portion out about 1.5 tablespoons of dough into small rounds on your cookie sheet.
Use a kitchen scale - Measure your ingredients by weight for best accuracy (they're listed in parentheses in the recipe card). The most common mistake I see in baking is the improper measuring of dry ingredients, like flour. Scooping with a measuring cup compacts the flour into the cup, adding up to 25% extra flour to your recipe without realizing it. Extra flour will make your cookies dry, crumbly, dense, and bland.
Frequently asked questions
Zucchini has a mild, neutral flavor that can't be detected in baked goods. The tiny green flecks throughout the dough is the only sign of zucchini you'll notice. Make sure you're using zucchini, not other green vegetables (like cucumber) that do have a strong flavor. Not sure which one you have on hand? Check out my post - Zucchini vs cucumber - what's the difference?
No, there's no need to peel your zucchini before grating it for baked goods. The zucchini bakes right into your cookie dough, so the only thing you'll notice are tiny flecks of green. I'd only suggest peeling your zucchini if you're using a very large zucchini with hard, rough skin. Small to medium zucchini work best in baked goods because they have a softer skin that melts right into the cookie dough when baked.
Cookies will keep at room temperature for 5 days. Add a slice of bread and replace as needed to keep your cookies soft.
Yes, frosted cookies, unfrosted cookies, and cookie dough can all be frozen for up to three months in a tightly sealed, freezer safe container. To bring cookies to room temperature, place on the countertop for an hour. To thaw dough, transfer to the refrigerator to allow to thaw overnight.
Yes. Allow your cookies to dry uncovered for several hours. The frosting will crust on the outside while remaining soft on the inside.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Zucchini Cookies
Ingredients
Pumpkin zucchini cookies
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (297 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (170 g) pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup (135 g) finely grated zucchini, measure before squeezing liquid out
Cinnamon frosting
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 ½ cups (170 g) confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add butter and granulated sugar. With a hand mixer (or stand mixer) beat until creamed and fluffy. Add pumpkin puree and mix until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Slowly add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined.
- After measuring zucchini, wrap in a few layers of paper towel or a kitchen towel, then squeeze firmly over the kitchen sink to remove excess moisture. Do not skip this step, excess moisture will make your cookies soggy and dense.
- Add shredded zucchini to dough and stir to incorporate.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (or using two spoons), portion cookie dough about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 12-16 minutes, or until cookies pop back when gently pressed in on top (if an indent is left, your cookies need more time. Cookies will look set across the top and lightly browned around the edges.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, prepare frosting. In a bowl, add butter, milk, confectioner's sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Using a hand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk frosting ingredients until light and fluffy.
- Using a knife or spoon, gently spread a thin layer of frosting over each cookie. Allow to dry completely (about 2 to 3 hours) before storing.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Squeeze it: Measure 1 cup (135 grams) of finely grated zucchini, then squeeze liquid out (about 70 grams) before adding to the dough.
- Frosting: will crust if allowed to dry completely.
- Storage: Baked cookies will keep for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature. Cookies (and dough) can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
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