If you're looking for a delicious way to use garden zucchini, give these homemade Zucchini and Raisin Cookies a try! These wonderful cookies are frosted with cream cheese frosting, but are delicious without the frosting too! Perfect for the end of summer, fall or winter!
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If you have an abundance of garden zucchini or have some zucchini from the grocery store you need to use, this recipe is for you!
These delicious, soft frosted cookies are completely homemade!
They get their flavor from the raisins, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. They also use brown sugar, which I think make some of the best ever cookies.
You can bring these cookies to a bake sale, potluck or party and they are also great for snack or even the lunch box for work or school.
The frosting can be optional, but cream cheese frosting is my absolute favorite for sweets that use carrots or zucchini, so it's a must at our house.
This recipe is also wonderful for getting kids to help in the kitchen. They can shred zucchini, measure ingredients and help frost the cookies!
Keep scrolling for tips, process photos, additional sweets that use veggies recipes and more!
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What are the ingredients in this recipe?
- Shortening
- Brown Sugar: Often produced by adding sugarcane molasses to refined white sugar crystals. There are two varieties, light brown sugar and dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar has more molasses, which results in a darker color, richer flavor and more moisture. Try making your own brown sugar!
- Egg
- Vanilla: this extract is made from vanilla bean pods soaked in water and alcohol. Try using pure vanilla extract instead of imitation. This is the most common extract used in American desserts and I put it in pretty much anything sweet, Use store bought or make your own vanilla extract!
- Zucchini
- All Purpose Flour: It's a combination of hard and soft wheats. Bleached flour provides a softer texture. It's versatile and you can bake most anything with it!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: This American spice blend is most commonly used in pumpkin pie. It usually contains cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, all spice and cloves. You can use store bought or make your own pumpkin pie spice blend.
- Salt
- Baking Powder: It's a dry leavening agent, with a shelf life about 9-12 months. Baking powder is used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods by causing bubbles in a wet mixture. Baking powder is usually made with a combination of baking soda, cream of tartar and cornstarch. Once opened baking powder should be used within six months because it loses its potency and power.
- Baking Soda: Also known as Sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda. It requires an acid and a liquid to become activated and helps baked goods rise. It can also help remove tough stains, eliminate foul odors, and clean difficult areas like the oven, microwave, and tile grout. Unopened, baking soda will remain shelf stable until the best-by date on the box, generally 2 years. Once opened baking soda should be used within six months because it loses its potency and power.
- Raisins
- Cream Cheese Frosting
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for measurements and instructions!
Recipe tips:
- To store: Allow the frosted cookies to sit for about 30 minutes until the frosting sets. Store in an airtight container with wax or parchment paper in between layers for 3-4 days.
More recipes for sweets that use veggies you might like:
- Sweet Butternut Squash Casserole
- Carrot Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Crunch Cake
- Butternut Squash Cake
- Blueberry Beet Muffins
You can add or substitute with these ingredients:
- Butter or margarine can be used instead of shortening. Some sources suggest adding an extra tablespoon of butter or margarine, but I have not tested this recipe with either as a substitution
- Almond extract instead of vanilla
- Craisins instead of raisins
- Cinnamon instead of Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Golden raisins instead of regular
- Buttercream frosting instead of cream cheese frosting
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I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!
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Zucchini and Raisin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- ½ cup Shortening
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 cup Shredded Zucchini
- 2 ¼ cups Flour
- 3 ½ teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 cup Raisins
- Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl cream together shortening and brown sugar.
- Add in egg and vanilla and thoroughly mix.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt, whisk to mix evenly. (or you can sift the ingredients together)
- Gradually incorporate your dry ingredients in your shortening mixture and mix until completely incorporated.
- Mix in the shredded zucchini, the dough will be thick so you may need to do this by hand.
- After the zucchini is mixed well, fold in the raisins until evenly dispersed.
- Using a dough scoop or spoon, scoop the dough onto a baking sheet a couple of inches apart. Gently press down on the dough to flatten a little.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Notes:
To store: Allow the frosted cookies to sit for about 30 minutes until the frosting sets. Store in an airtight container with wax or parchment paper in between layers for 3-4 days.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
132.42Fat (grams)
5.85Sat. Fat (grams)
2.78Carbs (grams)
19.11Fiber (grams)
0.47Net carbs
18.64Sugar (grams)
11.59Protein (grams)
1.45Sodium (milligrams)
120.16Cholesterol (grams)
13.33Hot Eats and Cool Reads is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you try from this blog/website. You may not always have the same results I do due to variations in ingredients, humidity, altitude, cooking temperatures, typos, errors, omissions, or individual cooking abilities.
You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful. I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Each individual's dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual.
Useful Equipment:
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