double chocolate coconut zucchini cookies

I love this recipe!  I adapted it from a recipe on Shape magazine's site, so between it that and the zucchini, oats, and whole wheat flour I generally feel okay lying to myself and saying they are healthy cookies.  Well, they are healthy for a cookie, but a cookie is still a rather sugary treat.  So what I'm saying is that I don't feel guilty at all eating two of these in a sitting and as I don't plan on doing that every single day its okay.  I love "logic" that allows me to do things like eat cookies guilt free, or buy a cute pair of shoes...

Mix together the ingredients, minus the zucchini, oats, and coconut flakes.  Then gently mix in the last three ingredients.  Use a packed cookie scoop to transfer the cookie dough onto parchment lined baking sheets.  The cookies must be tightly packed to insure the dough stays together.  These cookies are soft and might fall apart otherwise.

I always make sure to place my cookies (no matter the recipe) at least 2-3 inches apart.  Better safe than sorry.  No one wants cookies that are all stuck together.

Yum.  Fresh out of the oven.  This cookie holds its shape pretty well, but is soft.  LET IT SIT UNDISTURBED UNTIL IT HAS COMPLETELY COOLED.  Otherwise it might very well fall apart.

Doesn't that look delicious?  And if you want to serve them to people who might cringe at the thought of eating a "healthy" cookie, they honestly won't be able to tell.  The faint bits of oats and zucchini barely visible here are hard to see without bright direct light.  Just remember to tell yourself not to feel guilty eating these.

The longest these have lasted in our house is a week, and only because I made a double batch!  Store them in an airtight container in a dry cool place.

print recipe

double chocolate coconut zucchini cookies

by Liesl September-21-2014

let's pretend they are healthy, shall we?

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, room temperature
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups zucchini, shredded
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, coconut oil, sugars, cocoa powder, egg whites, and vanilla until smooth. Add in the zucchini, oats, and coconut flakes until barely incorporated.
2. Use a cookie scoop to drop packed scoopfuls of cookie batter onto lined baking sheets. Leave at least 2-3" between cookies. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the cookies look just set. Be careful not to overbake. Leave the cookies cool completely before moving as they are very soft.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins 
Total time: 30 mins 

Yield: 2 dozen