Lemon-Zucchini Cookies

These lemon cookies are the best way to use up a summer zucchini glut without anyone knowing there’s a vegetable involved. Shredded unpeeled zucchini folds into a buttery lemon dough with chopped walnuts, baking into soft, cake-like cookies that get drizzled with a tart lemon glaze while still warm from the oven.

The zucchini adds moisture without flavor. It keeps these cookies tender and soft for days instead of drying out the way most drop cookies do by day two. The shreds are invisible once baked, tucked between walnut pieces and absorbed into the crumb.

Lemon zest in the dough and lemon juice in the glaze hit the citrus note from two angles. The zest brings fragrant, floral oils that bake into the cookie itself, while the juice-and-powdered-sugar glaze adds a bright, tangy contrast on top. Drizzling it while the cookies are warm lets the glaze soak in slightly and set into a thin, crackly shell.

Pro Tips

• Squeeze excess moisture from the shredded zucchini before adding to the dough. Too-wet zucchini makes the cookies spread flat and bake unevenly.
• Drop by rounded teaspoons for uniform size. These are meant to be small, two-bite cookies, not big bakery rounds.
• Drizzle the glaze on while the cookies are still on the rack. The warmth helps it set with a glossy, professional-looking finish.

Variations

• Add a half cup of dried cranberries for a tart, chewy counterpoint to the soft cookie.
• Swap lemon zest and juice for orange for a milder, sweeter citrus cookie.
• Replace walnuts with toasted pecans or macadamias for a richer, more buttery nut flavor.