These healthy flourless peanut butter carrot zucchini cookies are soft, perfectly sweet and so easy to make! Made with only 7 ingredient and in one bowl, these cookies are vegan, gluten free and can easily be made Paleo.
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Some of my best work is born from failures.
I hadn’t planned on this recipe, friends. It came to me after a frustrating morning of failed recipe development and a totally trashed kitchen. I felt a bit defeated and took myself (and the dog who had been at my feet all morning in hopes of a walk) for a lap around the block to clear my head. As I walked, I thought about the pile of dirty dishes and unused shredded veggies waiting for me when I got home.
“I might as well make my One-Bowl Paleo Almond Butter Zucchini Cookies with the leftovers and call it a day,” I thought to myself as I rounded the corner. What was one more bowl to wash, after all? And I knew that recipe would at least be a success.
But guess what? No eggs. Zero almond butter. Nada coconut sugar. And I was shy on zucchini to boot. Despite being out of pretty much all of the ingredients that I needed for the cookies, I had *similar* stuff on hand. And, damnit, I was determined to make something successful in my kitchen that day.
And I totally did. These soft, totally delicious and wildly easy Flourless Peanut Butter Carrot Zucchini Cookies were born. And they were made without eggs, dairy or flour of any kind! Plus, the addition of chocolate, while totally optional, kind of made them the best thing ever. Perfect for whenever I need healthy sweet treat but don’t have the patience for fussy recipes (which is exactly never).
What is “natural peanut butter?”
“Natural” is a word that is thrown around a lot these days and doesn’t have any real regulation on it. So, pretty much anyone can claim that their product is “natural”, without it being anywhere close to it.
So, how do you know how to pick a natural peanut butter? It is going to require you turning over the jar and taking a peek at the ingredient list.
Truly natural peanut butter should have one or maybe two ingredients. Peanuts and maybe salt. No artificial sweeteners, colors, preservatives or ingredients my second grader can’t easily read.
Some nut butter companies add cane sugar, coconut sugar, honey or maple syrup to their PB to sweeten them up. And that is not a terrible thing as long as you know that there is sugar hanging out in your nut butter.
Some of my favorite natural peanut butters are the Trader Joe’s and Costco brands. I know there are many others out there, but I love how affordable and accessible these two are.
Why does natural peanut butter have oil on top?
If you are new to the word of natural nut butters, don’t be weirded out by the pool of oil hanging out on top of your peanut butter when you open a fresh jar. This is total normal and actually kind of a good thing.
Why? Because nuts have a natural oil to them. That oil is *supposed* to be there. And when peanut butter without a bunch on gunk in it hangs out on a shelf, the nut butter and its oil naturally separate.
Fear not. The oil will easily reincorporate back into the nut butter with a quick and through stir upon opening. I also have found storing an unopened jar upside down in the pantry helps mixing the oil but into the peanut butter much easier.
Suggested Adaptations for Flourless Peanut Butter Carrot Zucchini Cookies
- Make these Paleo. Sub the peanut butter for almond butter and you have a veggie-loaded Paleo treat!
- Use all zucchini or all carrot. I like the two veggies mixed together, but make these to fit your personal preference or what you have on hand.
- Skip the chocolate. Leave the chocolate chips out for a low sugar cookie that is kind of perfect for breakfast!
- Sub the chocolate chips for raisins.
More recipes you are going to love….
- One-Bowl Paleo Almond Butter Zucchini Cookies
- Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Carrot Balls
Flourless Peanut Butter Carrot Zucchini Cookies
Equipment
- box grater
Ingredients
- 1 cup natural smooth peanut butter (if using unsalted, add a pinch of salt to the batter)
- 1/2 cup grated zucchini don't drain!
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 3 tbsp ground flaxseeds
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips or chunks plus extra for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except the chocolate chips/chunks. Mix well.
- Fold in chocolate chips/chunks.
- Using a small cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon, portion out the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave a little room between each one.
- Roll into a ball and gently flatten a bit. Top with extra chocolate if desire.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes. The cookies should be set, but will still be soft to the touch. This is normal.
- Removed from oven and cool on baking sheet for 20-30 minutes. Cookies will firm up as they cool.
- Enjoy! Once completely cool, store in an air-tight container in fridge for 5 days or in freezer for a month.
Nutrition
I’m definitely making these tomorrow! Can I use an egg instead of flax seed?
I haven’t tried. If you do, I’d squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini, since the egg will add extra moisture.