For someone who doesn’t garden, lives pretty far from farms and couldn’t even keep a couple herbs alive on her kitchen windowsill, I take zucchini population control pretty seriously. Sure, I don’t have to lock my car door in August, I don’t have a CSA dumping boxes of it unceremoniously on my porch and then running away like a thief in the night, and it’s been a long time since I lived in a house with bats in the backyard, but I get it. The problem is real. We all must do our part.
But zucchini is pesky. It’s not like tomatoes, which are like the prom queens of the summer farms, perfect no matter how you dice, slow roast, scallop or sauce them. I never have enough tomatoes and they’re usually gone for the year before I am done with them; the same can rarely be said for zucchini. It can be a little slippery when cooked, weepy when raw. It’s hard to get it roasted or grilled to a crisp. Sure, it’s good battered and deep-fried, but I have a theory that my Rainbow flip-flop would be too. I’m not going to test it, though. I’m sure you understand.
So, when I find a use for zucchini that limits its less redeemable characteristics, I get a little shouty about it and demand you cook it too, things like quick, crunchy side dishes, herbed potato tortes, goat cheese pizza, pasta salads, tangled with basil spaghetti, carpaccio-ed, slaw-ed, kebab-ed, galette-d and frittered.
And cake. This is a good time to get yourself reacquainted with zucchini bread. I did this a few weeks ago when the zucchini I’d tried to ignore in the fridge started to look like it was on its way out and I had to stop being passive-aggressive about it. But I’m not fond of sliced cake for breakfast; it seems better suited to an afternoon treat. As is often the case, it was a toddler with his ridiculous weekend breakfast demands [“I WANT PANCAYS!”] that got me trying to figure out how I could make him happy while also convincing myself I wasn’t just feeding him junk. If carrot cake can be pancakes, why not zucchini bread? The result is my new favorite pancake. I know, I always call things my “new favorite” but this is! We’ve made them three times in three weeks, and I have a batch in the freezer for another weekend morning. They’re plush inside with a lightly crisped edge; they smell heavenly, they reheat wonderfully, they take well to whole wheat flours and a bare minimum of sugar and they’re a cinch to throw together. And they should totally be on your table this weekend.
One year ago: Sugar Plum Crepes with Ricotta and Honey
Two years ago: Summer Succotash with Bacon and Croutons
Three years ago: Peach and Creme Fraiche Pie and Asparagus with Chorizo and Croutons
Four years ago: Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte and Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti
Five years ago: Pearl Couscous with Olives and Roasted Tomatoes
Zucchini Bread Pancakes
The awesomest topping you could make for these pancakes is the lightly sweetened one in the Carrot Cake Pancakes. They’re also good with syrup, maple or golden, or honey. However, I used this muddled thing I do when I feel like I should be putting something healthy on top of my pancakes but really just want maple syrup, which is a mixture of 1 tablespoon maple syrup to 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt. Everyone wins, right?
A couple pancake overarching theories: Thin pancake batters make large puddles of flatter pancakes that are harder to manage, but cook quickly and always cook through. Thicker pancake batters make taller pancakes that take on crisp edges and tender insides. They’re my favorite. But, they also don’t always cook through 100% on the stove. To ensure they’re all cooked through when you serve them, it’s good to keep them in a warm oven for about 10 minutes before serving. The advantage of this, of course, is that all pancakes are warm when you’re ready to put them on the table. You can also keep pancakes warm in the same oven until everyone is ready to eat.
I keep the sugar level really low in pancakes because we love a sweet topping on ours, and I love the contrast between unsweetened and sweet in any baked good. If you’re someone who doesn’t like maple syrup or anything sticky or sweet on top of your pancakes (gasp!), you might want another spoonful of sugar inside your pancakes.
Makes 10 to 12 pancakes
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons light brown, dark brown or granulated sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk or 2 tablespoons each of milk and plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini (from about 9 ounces whole, or 1 1/2 medium zucchini), heaping cups are fine
1 cup all-purpose flour (half can seamlessly be swapped with a whole wheat flour)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
Butter or oil, for coating skillet
In a large bowl, combine eggs, olive oil, sugar, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Stir in zucchini shreds. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini batter, mixing until just combined.
Preheat oven to 200°F and place a tray — foil-lined if you’re into doing fewer dishes later — on a middle rack.
Heat a large, heavy skillet (my favorite for pancakes is a cast-iron) over medium heat. Once hot, melt a pat of butter in pan and swirl it around until it sizzles. Scoop scant 1/4-cup dollops of batter (mine were about 3 tablespoons each) in pan so the puddles do not touch. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook another minute or two, until golden underneath. Transfer pancakes to prepared pan to keep warm as well as ensure that they’re all cooked through when they’re served. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm. Repeat next weekend.
Could this be the recipe that makes me love (or at least like…) zucchini?! Thanks Deb for a great idea for this weekend’s breakfast!
You are such a great advocate for Zucchini lol!
Oh I love zucchini…Such a great idea! Can’t want to try it. Thanks so much and have a beautfiul weekend:) xo
These look great!!! Want to make them tomorrow morning :)
Deb, Zucchini latkes is a mandatory food for people who used to live in Ukraine. We eat a lot of them. I make them all the time and one of the recipes I place on my blog: http://cookingwithyiddishemama.blogspot.com/2006/08/zuccinni-pancakes.html They’re really good and tasty!
I was planning on making your carrot cake pancakes this weekend and now I am so confused. :)
Oh YUM! Thanks for this :)
We made something simmilar some time ago. Love these with courgettes or potatoes, great alternative. Courgettes can be blant in taste that is why they need strong spices, will try it in the future!
Did you shred your zucchini in your cuisinart? With the regular blade or an attachment? I always thought that would chop the zucchini into a green blob, not those nice sticks.
My boyfriend’s father (who lives in Kentucky) says he has to keep his windows rolled up in the church parking lot so local growers don’t “gift” his car with surplus zucchini. He might need this recipe. I love zucchini bread. I love syrup covered breakfast items. I too exclaim “I want pancays”. Thanks for this brilliant recipe.
I’m a zucchini bread junkie — I need to make these! Yum.
What a great idea! They sure look yummy. I love zucchini but unfortunately for me the last bunch of times I’ve gone to the store lately the zucchini’s looked terrible. I’ll keep trying, tastes best in summer.
These look fantastic and so easy!! Love it!
I do this all the time! I can’t wait to try your version, which is sure to be a hundred times more delicious than my desperate attempts to use up excess veggies. Have any suggestions for extra lettuce? I’ve been lettuce bombing my friends and juicing it just to get it out of my fridge before the next batch shows up.
I am making these for my husband who hates zucchini tomorrow morning. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
I’m “glad” this post wasn’t up yet when I made my zucchini saute yesterday–I would have definitely been tempted by this less virtuous treatment. I’m not too worried–I know there will be more zucchini that will make its way into these pancakes!
Do you know if it works with GF flour?.
Here are comments from people who have made gluten-free adaptations:
https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/07/zucchini-bread-pancakes/#comment-764895
https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/07/zucchini-bread-pancakes/#comment-764914
https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/07/zucchini-bread-pancakes/#comment-764968
https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/07/zucchini-bread-pancakes/#comment-765041
https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/07/zucchini-bread-pancakes/#comment-765053
https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/07/zucchini-bread-pancakes/#comment-851364
https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/07/zucchini-bread-pancakes/#comment-1097942
https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/07/zucchini-bread-pancakes/#comment-1098207
As a lover of pancakes and a girl from the midwest who can only buy zucchini in the summer that are HUGE or EVEN MORE HUGE, I have to thank you. This totally solves the ‘what do I do with the rest of this veggie because my husband really only like it in fritters’ dilemma. You’re a zuc savior, Deb!
Yum! I loooove zucchini bread, so this sounds perfect for me :)
What do you think about using coconut oil in place of the olive oil? I’d like to experiment more with coconut…
That would work well too. I try to use olive oil for everything that needs oil since it’s good for your heart. If the taste is too strong for you, you can get butter flavored olive oil at specialty shops that sell olive oil. Try Lebherz Olive Oil Emporium. They ship!
These look delicious. And we make that zucchini goat cheese pizza at least once a week during the summer. (Sometimes a few tomatoes get tossed on top too, like the prom queens they indeed are:)
You are a lifesaver. I don’t even have a garden and I still somehow have zucchini coming out my ears.
I love incorporating veggies into a delicious sweet breakfast!
I’ve loved zucchini since I was a kid and we have them hollowed out with a minced meat filling and then the whole thing grilled.
Now I make a huge batch of ratatouille every month to use as a breakfast accompaniment to eggs, or as a cold “soup” or to add to other dishes. When I’m in a pancake mood I alternate batches of corn & zucchini fritters with your carrot-cake pancakes. Zucchini bread loaves or muffins are also another staple … so if anything there’s usually not enough zucchini to go around when I need it.
Possible edit? “…topping you could make for these pancakes is the lightly sweetened on”…do you mean one? I bet you do! Love your recipes…I always go to smittenkitchen first. Between you and Christopher Kimball no one can beat my recipes!
My mom’s zucchini bread always has pineapple…I bet it would be a great addition to these, too, crushed or thinly sliced!
Whenever I read a new post from you (which is hilarious and clever and direct at the same time), I have a new recipe I must try. And then I have 3 new recipes I must try, because I can’t resist the links to delicious dishes of years past. I can’t wait for your cookbook to come out!
Wow, just when I was going to come by your site to see if you had something new to do w/ zucchini (mom’s garden is overflowing with zucchini), it’s front and center. Thanks so much, I can’t wait to try this.
What a great way to use zucchini – they look so moist and perfectly browned and what a great stack to dive into!
Thanks for making these. This is something that I’ve always wanted to invent but have been too lazy to figure out. I just make zucchini bread instead! Can’t wait to try them.
The last few summers I’ve constantly been gifted zucchini and squash…they often sit on the kitchen counter staring me down. It’s always a struggle to use everything up, so I love the idea of putting some into breakfast!
I love this idea, Deb! A perfect use for an abundance of zucchini!
Sold! We will be eating these tomorrow morning (and, supposedly, every day thereafter for the foreseeable future). They do sound that good.
I currently live in NYC, too, but I come from a land where drive-by zucchini drop offs are not uncommon. I love, love, love zucchini cookies with chocolate chips.
Thanks for being awesome. xox
Until your carrot pancakes, I’d never have thought of grating vegetables into pancake batter (Okay..that’s a lie. I do make potato pancakes!) But carrots and potatoes I can control by only buying an amount that is reasonable to deal with. But squash? We grow it. This year I convinced my very dearest to only plant one each, zucchini and yellow squash plant. We ended up with two yellow squash (one was mislabeled) that are now producing as if they are blowing up balloons in the garden overnight! This should show’em we can deal. Thanks, Deb.
Oh, zucchini, why do you dominate late summer so? These pancakes sound like a fabulous way to use them!
Do you just make up a huge amount of batter and freeze what you don’t use? or do you freeze the cooked pancakes?
I’ve made this recipe twice and they are amazing! What’s the best way to freeze the leftovers?
Chiming in late here… but let them cool, then put them on a cookie sheet and put the cookie sheet in the freezer. Once the pancakes are frozen, you can throw them in a container or reusable plastic zipper bag and store in the freezer.
This is a fabulous idea an they look delicious. I have lots of zucchini from my garden I need to use up.
I have a PLETHORA of zucchini and my freezer has already been stocked with as much zucchini bread it can handle. Looks like this is on deck for this weekend!
I had the SAME thought with oatmeal! I’d been making carrot cake oats… then thought “why not zucchini bread oats?” It was delish! http://www.sprint2thetable.com/2011/06/zucchini-oatmeal/
Now I’m ashamed I didn’t think of pancakes too. Will be trying this on my next cheat day for sure! Thanks for another great one! :)
*giggles* When I was growing up in Pennsylvania, summer was a time you had to watch your car carefully. Not because people would steal, like they do here. No, you could easily come out from church and find a car full of zucchini.
Thanks. I was just looking in despair at my 4! zucchiniplants (the only vegetables in my new garden) trying to figure out what to cook with them next and not bore my family to death!
Am I weird for not putting ANY sugar in my pancakes? I got my recipe from Sunset magazine years ago, and aside from a few very minor tweaks, I’m still using it. They’re the tall, fluffy kind (I’ve seen them get an inch thick if my baking powder is super fresh).
I always figured if what I’m putting on them is as sweet as maple syrup, why do I need sugar in the pancakes themselves?
I’ll be making these (zucchini does abound this year), but I might try making them w/o the sugar.
Wow! Never thought of zucchini bread pancakes. I’ve made zucchini bread french toast before.
So many great ideas for zucchini! My parents garden hasn’t been yielding too many zucchinis, but the ones they HAVE been sending me are ginormous!
These work fine with all white whole wheat flour too.
I just discovered a fabulous recipe for using up zucchini. Right now I’m trying to clear out the frozen shredded green and yellow zucchini from last year’s garden to make room for my upcoming fresh new garden bounty. The recipe is for lemon zucchini bars, but I baked the batter in a Bundt pan. Super delish! Pics on my blog if you want to give it a try.
I just made your zucchini bread…now I have to go shopping for some other zucchini as I really want to make these pancakes!
Hi Deb, I feel almost like weeping when I say this but… I’m sort of allergic to eggs… So it goes without saying that all these wonderful pancakes and fritters and what-nots are all perfectly wonderful but tormenting at the same time… Would you be so kind to invent a genius fritter/pancake batter for us eggless zombies, and we would be forever grateful. Thanks. Best, Ex-egg-addict.
Mandy — I hadn’t even thought of that! You’re so left out. I will do my best. I promise.
Kate — I made a triple batch of these and froze the rest already cooked. To reheat them, I put them in a warm oven on a tray in a single layer.
Jacqueline — Yes! Thank you.
Heidi — I think it would be delicious. You’ll want to warm it until it liquefies.
As someone who has been attacked by the monster zucchini, I appreciate your support…
perfect breakfast idea for this weekend. i have a rather large zucchini on my table that needs to get out of my face :). i already made your zucchini bread recipe earlier this week, and still have 1 more to go!
These sound amazing – and “healthy” since they are made with vegetables. Thansk for sharing! And thanks to Jacob for inspiring them.
These pancakes remind me of my mom’s zucchini bread. Though my mom does not love to cook, her zucchini bread is famous among friends and family. Although many of us have tried, no one can quite replicate it. I hope that I have better luck with your pancakes!
Before reading the whole post I assumed the topping was sour cream, which I think would be quite good here, as well as very Russian ;)
You are *spot on* on the yogurt and maple syrup. Is it a scandal to say that I almost don’t like plain maple syrup anymore?
This might be a way to get the hubbo to eat zucchini. Thanks!
LOL, it’s too funny that I just saw this post – I literally just came back inside carrying a zucchini that’s 18″ long. My garden is going crazy producing zucchini. Your pancakes look phenomenal and I need to get a food processor like yours – your little zucchini strips are just perfect!
Mandy: have you tried making pancakes with a flax/hot water blend (1 T ground flax, 3 T hot water, stir until no lumps and let sit for 10 min = one egg)? I use it all the time in my bread, and have used it in a pinch for pancakes. The results are not quite as awesome as with egg, but if I had to go egg-free I’d be all over it.
This will totally help me keep up with my crazy zucchini plants! Thank you for your hard work addressing this issue!
Well. I have been obsessed with your zucchini fritters ever since you posted that recipe. Looks like I’m going to have to try these too! ps. I don’t think I’ve ever commented before, so I just wanted to let you know you’re basically my hero.. and your cappuccino fudge cheesecake was literally the catalyst to me starting my own food blog.
Ughhhh I wish zucchinis were in season here. THIS LOOKS SO GOOD
Deb, your wit–it slays me.
I’ve figured out a solution to thick, uncooked pancakes. I just use the measuring cup to push aside the batter in the middle of the pancake when I first pour it. The batter always runs back in to the hole, but the extra heat coming through the hole in the meantime cures the raw-in-the-middle problem. Voila!
Sara — Great idea! I will try it next time.
Erin — I use the shredding blade. I love it.
You seem to read my mind. I just formulated a zucchini pancake recipe to make for breakfast at the cottage this weekend! Yum yum yum. I have been trying to pack zucchini into absolutely everything. The stuff grows like weeds! (however i do love zucchini so I shouldn’t complain)
I have zucchini coming out of my ears right now. These look great and I cannot wait to use some of my zucchini for them.
I always buy zucchini (pastas! roasted! in salads!) but end up with a few of them kind of dried out in the fridge (… turns out I prefer meaty pastas, I don’t want to roast anything in summer, and they’re a bit watery in salads). I’m hoping this recipe will rescue me from my zucchini-throwing-away guilt.
These pancakes look good but I’m going with the peach pie just because I looooove the sweets. Oh the summer fruit + veggies. Yuuuum.
Thanks a ton for the pancake advice.. The battle against the floppy almost soggy, flat pancake has been won! Thanks to you. Btw your writing/ thinking style is inspiringly clever my kitchen and husband have gained so much from your postings.
Since it was lunch time when I saw your post – and I have zucchini in my fridge (not to mention that I am avoiding any kind of sugar) – I converted these to a savoury zucchini pancake – left out the sugar, upped the salt, served doused in pesto on a bed of rocket with a side of haloumi. Delicious! Also changed the flour to buckwheat flour = wheat and sugar free = winning!!
thanks, with this wonderful options.. being as a cook at least i have another breakfast for my colleagues and so …anyway i like sweet pancakes so i can add honey syrup for my appetite …..
I make a zucchini pancake which calls for 1.5 cups shredded zucchini, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup water, some salt. Mix and fry. No eggs. Really good, but maybe more of a fritter than a pancake, though I cook it all in one big patty.
This time of year, when friends are aggressively dumping zucchini on me, I always ask, “Why do you plant the stuff if you are so desperate to be rid of it?” No one ever seems to have an answer…..
Great idea! Zucchini’s also blend into a cream really well which makes me think that along with flour and eggs added, they would make a great savory crepe batter. Filled with scrambled eggs, chives and mushrooms or almost anything else savory. Worth a try, when there are so many of them in the garden.
I’ve got 8 zucchinis waiting for me in the fridge and more are growing in the garden. Thanks for help :-)
Make sure you buy or grow organic zucchini – since some zucchini is GENETICALLY MODIFIED. Same goes for sugar – unless it’s organic or “100% cane sugar,” chances are 50% of it is from genetically modified sugar beets! So SAD!
We just made your carrot pancakes yesterday! Love love them. And wow perfect timing for this zucchini recipe. We have a huge zucchini from our garden I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Problem solved : )
Deb, you totally ROCK MY WORLD! I just made these for breakfast and they are, positively, the best pancakes I’ve ever had! I made some vanilla bean greek yogurt and lightly sweetened strawberries to go on top, and the whole family loved them, not least my almost 3-year-old toddler! Thank you so much for this one!
Your pancakes are beautiful, Deb, and I love the idea of maple-yogurt topping with vegetable pancakes.
Good Morning Zucchini! What a perfect email to open on a Saturday morning! Yummy to eat and enjoyable to read your post. I am definitely going to make these!! Great wake up surprise. Thanks!
My husband & I are just starting to finally eat more healthy – well I’ve been trying for far longer, and now he’s finally on board with me – so this is one recipe I will definitely have to try…and see how my 9 year old picky-eater (but who loves pancakes!) son takes to these. Adding zucchini’s to my list of ingredients to get from the store!
Great idea!! I could imagine eating these with cream cheese and smoked salmon…. yum yum!!! I’m feeling hungry just thinking about it!! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!!
Made these this morning! YUM! The touch of nutmeg is brilliant.Thanks!
These sound yummy, and a great way to incorporate veggies! I too use the warm oven trick to keep warm and ensure they’re cooked through. Make it a great weekend chica!
I’m not much of a pancake for breakfast person. However, Kaliinda’s idea of cream cheese and smoked salmon with them might do the trick. :^)
Thanks! this came just in time – when I was figuring out what to make for a family brunch. They came out lovely! I also tried to make half of the batter gluten-free – switched the regular flour with teff flour, and they came out great as well (also with a tad bit more buttermilk), perhaps even better, or maybe it was just the chocolaty color that made them appealing…
I was in the process of feeding my granddaughter some banana bread pancakes, which she loves and thought I would look for a recipe for zucchini pancakes. I went to your website and there it was! I will be making these for her this morning. Fruit or veggie pancakes are great for toddlers.
These look great. I recently made zucchini bread and added dried cranberries, that would be a great addition to the pancakes.
You are totally saving me this summer. My CSA box has been so full of zucchini! I made these this morning and they are delicious. My husband and 10-month old loved them too. And the maple yogurt is a great idea!
Substituted Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose flour and added 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum. Turned out wonderfully! Great use of zucchini.
Thanks for this! What a fab way to eat veggies for breakfast. Just made them and they are very tasty and satisfying!
Deb, this sounds awesome! I don’t have a food processor except for Pampered Chef’s little hand powered one that only chops, and a blender. Would chopped zucchini work ok?
Do you know what I love about your recipes? Apart from the fact that everything is delicious of course. It’s that they never make a ton of whatever it is, so a person doesn’t feel overwhelmed….it makes just enough to enjoy, and later if you want more, you can double the recipe. Thank you so much and hope you’re having a wonderful summer !
I made these this morning. What a delicious hit! My children loved them (both the 2.5 year old and the 8 month old). I think I might like the maple syrup/Greek yogurt combo better than straight syrup. These didn’t even need butter. Thank you for another fabulous recipe. I know when I try your recipes I will love the outcome. I can’t wait until your book comes out (I pre-ordered it).
We just got done eating these, they’re fabulous! Makes a nice small batch. Thanks, Deb!
Thanks to my lovely garden, I’m constantly thinking about my Zucchini population control. How will I cook zucchini today? Logged on to get your zucchini bread recipe but these will be just right for Saturday morning cartoons. Bless you.
I’d never heard that unlocked car doors in the summer led to gifts of surplus zucchini. I think I’ll find a shady spot to park my car, and welcome all farmers!
These look amazing ! We had something similar with a slice of brie cooked into the second side and then topped with honey at a place called “Golden West” in Baltimore. Thanks for the recipe, great way to get rid of zuccini !
Awesome!! They r soooo good. Great recipe to use the zucchini we’ve grown. The best part was our 5 and 15 yr.old boys that will not even look at a zucchini had two pancakes each. Also tried your topping of yogurt and honey instead of maple syrup, delish. Thank u for all the great receipes and the ones u post on FB
Oh how I wish our zucchini & yellow squash plants had survived this Summer. Our small garden was invaded by those nasty little stinks bugs that destroy everything in your garden. They have managed to kill off our tomatos, pumpkin, squash, cucumbers, okra, and zucchini. I anly managed to get two zucchini’s off the plant. One weighed in over a pound and the other was 4oz. Off to the grocery store I go.
A hit with my veggie averse kids and husband.
My favorite recipe for “zucchini control” is Zucchini and Rosemary Soup posted on epicurious. Incredibly easy and delicious!
I was planning to make some regular old zucchini bread this weekend, but I just made this instead and they were so delicious! Mine puffed up perfectly and I love the greek-yogurt/maple syrup combination, too. Thanks Deb!
These look great.I am currently deep in the heart of zucchini country, and both my sons are here for a visit.When they were growing up , we had pancakes every weekend. My solution to the uncooked, undercooked Middles
is an electric griddle set at 350. You can cook lots of pancakes at once, and they are all uniformly perfect. Even with very little counter space ,I would push things aside to make room for this marvel of efficiency. the one I have is no longer made ,but there are still several available at reasonable prices. happy pancakes!
Hi
I had to come back and report that these pancakes are wonderful! I made them this AM, light,great body and just the right amount of sweetness. I did use almond milk with a trickle of vinegar and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Just delicious and will make again. Thanks! <3
Could you substitute all wheat flour, instead of half APF and half wheat?
Hello! As I`m reading that so many of you don`t know what to do with all the zuchini…I searched the net for this stew recipe http://mypersiankitchen.com/khoresht-kadoo-persian-zucchini-stew/ My mother always cooks this iranian dish for me and I looooove it. It`s a little different from hers. For example she doesn`t use garlic and less onion. To eat with rice. I always add two spoons of yoghurt on top of my serving. Seriously try it! We eat this in Iran whenever fresh zuchini is available.
Greets
My family absolutely adores pancakes and my hubby is pretty good at coming up with different varieties… unfortunately I am not a big syrupy breakfast lover. Now, these on the other hand look divine. I am thinking instead of the extra spoonful of sugar adding a few chocolate chips (like I do in my zucchini bread) and I will be freezing a “mommy” bag! LOL!
Looking good!
We’ve had lots of zucchini in our CSA boxes these past couple weeks — great excuse to give this recipe a try. Since we’re currently a gluten-free household, I substituted 1 c. of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour + 1 tsp. xanthan gum for the regular flour and topped them with the yogurt/maple syrup blend Deb suggested. They were fantastic — my husband and I polished off every single pancake. Since these were a bit more dense than regular flour pancakes, the oven trick was invaluable!
They just look so yummy. I have to try them
Thanks for sharing great recipes :-)
@Carolyn. Why is xanthan gum needed to add to gluten free flour?
I absolutely love your site… I have to admit I may have spent a huge number of hours clicking through your site and may have bookmarked approximately 20 of your recipes to make when I get back from vacation. I wonder, is there any way to pre-order a signed copy of your cookbook? I think it would make the perfect wedding present for my older sister.
I have to tell you that last night when I served your smashed chickpea salad with a piece of pan fried fish, my other half asked where the recipe for the salad came from…when I announced it was from the same woman who delivered his favourite roasted cauliflower with cumin, and the chopped radish salad (I may soon resemble this…I have developed an entirely unreasonable obsession with it) he pronounced “This woman is a legend”. And indeed you are!! It’s the middle of winter here in Perth and still I cannot stop eating these salads!! More please!
Cheers and thanks
Mich
I loathe zucchini and a reason I almost hesitated on doing the CSA this year. But glad I did and I’m trying this recipe tomorrow on my preschooler who LOVES pancakes. I’ve shredded the zucchini in order to make it quickly. Will report back on results.
What food processor did you use for shredding the zucchini ? I was trying to identify it as I need a new one and have had difficulty choosing – Cuisinart vs Robot Coupe………
Why why WHY DEB have you become so boring? Have you suddenly accomplished all your goals in life or is it just the summer? You’re obviously not on a diet then why the utterly boring recipes?
Hi Deb. Devouring your recipe as always! An edit and question. The link for “Five Years Ago” Pearl Couscous brings you back to the Zucchini Pancake Page…also, would it be difficult to add in the comment number next to the name when you reply to questions/comments? I like to read all the comments/your suggestions before I cook, and your replies are always so helpful, it just takes a long time to hunt down what you’re replying to. Just a thought. Cheers.
Oh, yes!!!!
This recipe appeared in my inbox while I had a house full of guests and a refrigerator full of zucchini. Just made them and they were a hit! Light and fluffy and tasty. Thank you!
Hey Deb,
I hear you on the tomato front – when they’re gone…well…what’s a girl to do?
Last year I canned my first batch of tomatoes (a 20 lb basket) and wow! It really helped the tomato blues. They were rich and aromatic all winter long (not to mention gorgeous)!
Holy deliciousness. I love everything about this. Great way to use summers most bountiful crop. And you can never have too many pancake recipes!!! :)
Hey Deb,
I hear you on the tomato front – when they’re gone…well…what’s a girl to do?
Last year I canned my first batch of tomatoes (a 20 lb basket) and wow! It really helped the tomato blues. They were rich and aromatic all winter long (not to mention gorgeous)! So excited for your book!
Delicious!
Just made these for my family this morning- wonderful recipe! I used all whole wheat flour and topped with your suggested yogurt topping and chopped walnuts. Plenty sweet and delicious. Thank you Deb!
I just made these! They were delicious, except I replaced half of the cinnamon with cardamom. That was way too much! I should have used 1/4 of that. Good thing I’m sure to get more zucchini from friends so I can keep perfecting the recipe!
These look fabulous! I’m a huge fan of cinnamon and nutmeg in my pancakes to give it a little something extra. Never thought of adding zucchini though. I’m definitely going to give these a try on my day off!
After a childhood involving obscene amounts of zucchini every summer thanks to my grandparents’ garden, I can never bring myself to plant it in my own, knowing that my enthusiasm for it will wear out long before I’ve actually used it all up. However, we’ve been getting plenty of it in our csa box. Enough to make several batches of these yummy looking pancakes.
Oh my goodness. I thought this could only be done in my dreams!
These made a great Sunday brunch this morning (and took care of one very large zucchini from our CSA share this week)! Wish I’d remembered to pick up some cream cheese to make that wonderful ‘frosting’ that accompanied the carrot cake pancakes, but dabbing them in some lemon curd leftover from a cake I made earlier in the week wasn’t bad, either.
They are looking greasy, are them?
Just made these for dinner — I took out all of the sweet stuff, added a small onion, parmesan cheese, more salt and fresh pepper and they were GREAT! Especially with some creme fraiche and fresh basil on top. Thanks for the recipe!
Ooh I love the sound of these! Sounds like they would be good made savoury as well. Yummy! Also love your writing :)
We call it zucchini meatballs and it is not sweet. we don’t add sugar , cinnamon, but 2 tsp dried mint ,2 eggs,1/2 tsp blackpepper, 4 grated zucchini,2 glasses of flour, 1 tsp salt, just little baking powder, oil to fry.
you can eat it for dinner with cold grapejuice…it is awesome, I think.
I love it. Zucchini are one of my favourite vegetables. I already have a great recipe for zucchini fritters but I think these zucchini bread pancakes are going to be special. I can’t wait to try them.
These look sensational. I’ll definitely be giving these a try!
Made it this morning and my kids (and our guests with kids) devoured it! Yumm! Thank you for all your posts!
I made these yesterday and I’m almost embarrassed to admit that my boyfriend and I devoured the entire batch in one leisurely sitting. Mind you, this is the same guy who looked at me skeptically as I shredded the zucchini and said “hmm, maybe I’ll pass on the pancakes.” Apparently he didn’t grow up spending every July eating every possible variety of zucchini until my mom would declare the season over and allow the last few zukes to grow as big as baseball bats for us to hit rotten tomatoes with. One of my favorite recipes has always been zucchini bars with maple brown butter frosting. Because of that, I love the lack of sweetness (love maple and Zucchini) and the minimal oil in this recipe. And the puffy cakes crisped exactly as promised. As per the norm, my gluten-free sister is working on a variation, I have no doubt that they will be just as amazing.
We loved these this morning! And the yogurt-syrup, too! (although I added a bit more syrup) Thank you for a lovely recipe!
Hi Deb…The “print” function on recipes doesn’t seem to want to work. I tried it 3 or 4 times.
My toddler wakes with the same ridiculous cry for pancakes. What’s up with that? But I do love to make and eat them so I might try this out… and I never realized that leaving them in the oven would cook them longer, but duh, why didn’t I? That is a great way to kill many (poor defenseless) birds with one stone, since my family is rarely ready to eat them when they are ready to be eaten. Thanks!
What a brilliant way to use up all that summer zucchini!
Delicious! Made them this morning.
Awesome!
Gorgeous. So fluffy! Mine turned out flat. Gotta try your recipe.
What luck! I was thinking about how I to use up the bunch of zucchini rescued from a clearance section at my grocery store and came here to have a look at what you had and this was at the top of the page! Now, to find unsuspecting beneficiaries of this recipe, because I surely could not eat them all myself.
These sound absolutely wonderful! Great way to use up all this zucchini I’m inundated with.
I just picked my 12th zucchini on Friday. I try to pick them at a reasonable size but it only takes one day for them to go from teeny little things to monster sized! Thank you for all the great new ideas for using them up! I saw this zucchini relish recipe the other day and thought you might like it:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/zucchini-relish-50400000122707/
Deb, do you need to drain the zucchini first before mixing? Excited to try this!
Announcement — So, as many of you have noticed, we’ve been having terrible uptime problems (i.e. site not loading) for the last several months. Because this site is mostly a one-woman operation (that’s me!), it took forever and a day to get things sorted. But we have! We did a server migration last night and it was completely painless (no downtime! let’s hear it for the new tech guy!) as far as I can see. However, if you notice anything wonky today or tomorrow, let me know as it likely relates to the change.
Dana — No need to drain! It’s the best part about zucchini bread. The moisture from the zucchini makes for plush cake.
Kathy — Sorry about that; it should be working now.
Lynn — Thank you.
KateP — I’ve got this one and I use it all of the time.
Kelly — Just so that they are easier to peel. An earlier commenter said that they find peaches (and other stone fruits, plus tomatoes) very easy to peel with serrated peelers. I immediately ordered one. ;) So, use whatever method you like or leave the skins on. All that matters is that you like the pie! As for Smitten Kitten, OFTEN. I find it hilarious.
Jocelyn — But Alex said the birthday party had lots of neighbors! You’ve gone soft. ;)
Sayra — Of course. I suggested a half-half because it makes for a softer pancake.
Cari — Chopped well would probably work but I’d instead use a large-hole box grater.
I love pancake recipes that are easy to divide in half… I made a half portion last weekend and they were scrumptious! Nicely spiced (I was out of nutmeg, used ground ginger instead) and very fluffy. Nothing boring about these! Dana – no need to drain, I didn’t in my batch and they turned out perfect.
Hi Deb! I’ve been wondering, have you ever considered competing in Masterchef? I think it would be so cool.
Deb, these look delicious. I made your carrot cake pancakes the day you posted that recipe and they were delicious. I have the same problem with thick batter not cooking in the middle but will definitely try putting them in the oven as I finish them. I’m in the UK and just noticed that the adverts on the site are for British shops. Is this new or have I been completely unobservant until now?
Jenny — It depends on which company is serving which ad at the time. I have a couple different ad providers; some serve ads that consider either your location or recent sites you’ve visited. (E.g., whenever I go to coach.com, my site embarrasses me for weeks with ads from Coach! Shh, it was supposed to be a secret.)
thanks for saving dinner again deb! just made these and they were amazing
I have been enjoying barley flour since you wrote about it, swapping out AP flour for barley in cookies and pie crusts. I bet half barley would be great in these.
I’m pretty sure your rainbow flip-flop would take good in pancake form, too. These look incredible!
You might like these too:
Zuchinni fritters with yoghurt sauce, from Bill Grange:
http://thestylenet.net/parents-club/2011/09/30/recipe-zucchini-fritters-yoghurt-sauce
This is completely genius.
mmmm yes please! ha zucchini population control. so so true.
Made these this weekend and theyn are unbelievably good! I love zucchini bread but not zucchini! The family loved them too! who knew vegetables for breakfast would be so good. They are so worth the work. Thanks so much. mary
ok-so forgot to say that I made them gluten free with Silvana’s recipe for all purpose flour( I use for everything). I froze half of them and can’t wait to see how they turn out-will check in a few days. I used the food processor to grate the zucchini-much simpler and no mess. mary
I made these this morning and they are fabulous! I have 1 zucchini and 1 yellow squash plant and so I am always looking for new ways to use up the bounty. I have a grater with 3 different grating boards and I used the matchstick one.. worked like a charm. I also used powdered buttermilk. I definitely see more of these in the future. Thanks
Tried and loved. Can’t wait to get your cookbook. I’ve preordered!
Oh my mouth just dropped…zucchini bread and pancakes together! I think I am in heaven. Thank you for sharing!
oh my gosh those look marvelous! i love zucchini:)
Just a note, tried to click on your ad on the Kitchn but the link didn’t work.
I wish someone would dump zucchini in my car…where are these magical places?
I just made these and oh my goodness! They’re superb! I just can’t get enough of them! Thank you so much for this recipe and for such a wonderful website!
I made this for dinner (“breakfast for dinner”) and it was a huge hit. I think it’d be great with some good quality sausage and roasted tomatoes. I tagged your twitter handle with some instagram photos… thanks for a great recipe! (P.S. No issues with wet insides for me – they were perfect)
No joke: my mother accidentally left a good 5 pounds of zucchini in the trunk of our hatchback for a few days in July when I was young. Growing up in the mid-Atlantic, the temperature was likely in the 90s at the time. We didn’t use the car for a few days and opened the doors to the most unholy smell I’ve ever had the misfortune to experience. The smell never really left the car… it was akin to the episode of Seinfeld with the valet’s BO. Not being a family of rich comedians, we had to suck it up and live with the smell.
Somehow in spite of this, I adore zucchini in all of its cooked forms.
This is awesome. I love zucchini bread. Now to experiment with coconut and almond flour to make it grain and dairy free
Thanks, I will make these this weekend!
Just wanted to share — my baby is allergic to eggs, and last time we made pancakes we substituted 1 tablespoon flax meal + 3 tbsp water for each egg. It worked great and the pancakes were much fluffier than usual! I actually liked it better with the flax. (I was too lazy to whip egg whites anyway.)
I love zucchini bread, when I make mine I always add ground ginger and cloves too. I made these with 1/4 tsp of both added and it was delicious. It reminds me of spice bread and zucchini bread combined, and I can’t help think of fall coming soon.
A few more ideas for a plethora of zucchini…I’ve been making mini zucchini breads and freezing them. Yum! Last night I grated a zucchini and a carrot into the ground meat as I was browning it to make lasagna. My 11-year-old son was shocked and dismayed when he saw me do this. But he admitted later he never noticed anything different in the flavor or texture of the lasagna. I did the same thing with a batch of shepherd’s pies I was making and freezing. I figure it uses up some zucchini and adds a little nutrition at the same time!
These are amazing! I made them yesterday for my 15-month old and intended to freeze whatever he didn’t eat… well… the little man ate THREE, I ate a bunch of them, my husband wandered in and had a few, and then there were none left to freeze for little Jack! A hit for all ages! Thanks for this deliciousness.
This looks good. I’m going to do the savoury version… few simple ingredients: zucchini, whole wheat flour and eggs.
These were fantastic! completely converted my 3-year old into a Zucchini fan and since we have a 10 plant Zucchipocalypse going on in the garden we have had these pancakes three times in the past week, better every time too!
Delicious, but holy cow, a lot of dishes.
I made these today for my grandson. He loved them. I made them a bit thinner so I didn’t have to deal with the oven part. What I did do that really excited him was change the name to lizard pancakes. The recipe is still under the name Zucchini Bread Pancakes in my computer but has an aka Lizard Pancakes.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve got a CSA share and am up to my ears in zucchini. And happened to make too much cream cheesy frosting a while ago that seems to be unable to spoil and is perfect for dabbing on these things. The pancakes froze very well and heat up in about 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven. My 6-year-old loves them and my 5-year-old tolerates them, which is nice too.
We made these this morning, and they ended up very thin, and moist. What do I adjust in order to make them fluffier?
Sara — You might have had more watery zucchini. You can try using less buttermilk next time, which mostly acts as a thinner here.
Made these this morning as a way to sneak veggies into our 3 yr old’s diet and they were fantastic! The yogurt & maple syrup mixture was a perfect topping. It was great to have thick pancakes that could stand up to sitting in the oven for a bit so that I could sit down w/my husband and daughter. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
These are amazing! I made them for Sunday breakfast and I think they are my all-time favorite pancakes. When I make them again (next Sunday?) I’m going to add walnuts. I inadvertantly used vanilla yogurt, which complemented the maple syrup nicely.
I added walnuts and they were amazing. Thanks for the great recipe!
Made these last night for a quick dinner sans oven and they were very tasty. Didn’t have yogurt to mix the maple syrup into, so used sour cream and I am here to tell you that the topping was the best part!
Yum! Love the photography and styling, too! :)
Deb: Apparently I stress bake. Last week I made your zucchini bread and brought it to sailing (I race Tues nights on the Hudson), but instead of the spices I added in some chopped up fresh cherries and some dark chocolate. It was a surprise hit. This week I went back and they were still talking about the cake. I thought I would share. I almost didn’t bring it because I was worried nobody would eat it and they were looking for more this week. Who knew.
Love the site and thanks for makeing me look good.
Love these!!! A bit of a health nut so I substituted all purpose with 3/4 cup whole wheat. Not a baker, so the ratios may be off, but they were still delicious! :)
Looks amazing! I must try!
Hi Everyone,
Just made these wonderful awesome amazing pancakes and my husband and I ate the whole batch for dinner. Weee! Just wanted to mention that I used the 2 tbsp milk mixed with 2 tbsp yogurt instead of the buttermilk, and even with the moisture from the zucchini I had to slosh about 4 or so tbsp more of milk into the batter. No harm done…pancakes were perfect!!
But Deb, say I were to serve this tomorrow for friends with kiddos, what other sides would complement such a fine pancake with maple cream or yogurt on top?
Eggs and Chorizo? Omletes? Do tell!
A bowl of mixed berries, with extra maple cream yogurt (can be used for both). Bacon or maple-chicken sausages. Can I come too?
OMG – made the recipe last Sunday for brunch. Freezed 1/2 of the batch for this coming weekend (yes!). Specifically made sure I had three pancakes to take to work this Monday. Used my office microwave to heat up for exactly 1 minute and eat at my desk. What happens? Everyone smells my zucchini pancakes and wants a taste! Its a good thing I had 3 pancakes instead of my usual 2. I top mine with unsweetened applesauce (yowsah!). Now, everyone is stalking me for zucchini pancakes! I printed out your recipe and told them to fend for themselves (as I covered my 2 remaining pancakes). You are a trouble maker…….now what’s next in the savory breakfast section?
I bet these would make great ebelskivers too!
A new favorite! I’ve made them two weekends in a row and both times my two-year-old twins devoured them enthusiastically. I topped them with a cream cheese/yogurt blend with just a little maple syrup. Delicious!
What did you serve on top of them in the picture??
these are soo good and 4 year old approved. next time I will not forget the salt because they were missing some depth that i am sure was the falt of the teaspoon i found sitting on the counter when I cleaned up. thank you for this recipe every one with a zucchini should make this.
These are the best pancakes – ever. I am actually urging my zukes to grow faster, now, because I used all of them over the weekend! (Between this and gratin recipe). Thank you!
I’ve made zuke pancakes before but not like these! I”m definitely going to try this recipe, awesome! Glad I found you at Facebook this morning!
Blessings all!
Cherie
the best pancakes i have ever had, topped with greek yogurt and maple syrup. i made them for dinner last night, it has vegetables right?
I will have to make these over the weekend. The farmer’s market is tonight, so I should be able to get any number of zuccs I want as I leave work.
Applesauce would be amazing on those. I make my own without sugar so I can put it in recipes, or just add a little sweetener for eating and putting on pancakes.
made these and they live up to the name!! thinking about adding some blueberries :)
These were so good!
I’m a first-time commenter, but just wanted to say: I love your blog. I also love being able to make those of your recipes that require/suggest an oven–I was living in a little studio in France last year, and didn’t have one, but I do now, and it opens up so many cooking possibilities.
Thanks for the work you do.
Anna — I describe the maple-yogurt topping in the recipe notes, right above the ingredients list.
Hi there!
These look GORGEOUS – thank you for sharing! Quick one for you: what food processor are you using? Those look like perfectly shredded zucchini straws, ones that I can never seem to accomplish :) Would love to about your equipment!
Thanks a mill!
x A
These are delicious. I made them this morning and substituted applesauce for the oil to make it healthier. Since I am on ww I have been looking for a healthier pancake recipe. For me this made 8 medium-sized pancakes (ww points – 5 for two pancakes).
Hi, I loved this recipe. It came out great, but I am super sensitive to the taste of baking soda. How much do you think I can reduce this? And/or is there a way to counter the underlying bitterness of the baking soda? Thanks!
I simply love this recipe, how do you prepare such a good recipes ?
I will always visit this blog to see u r new recipes :)
Two words: delicious and healthy! Topped it with the greek yogurt/maple syrup combo. Great idea to keep to sugar content down. Keep ’em coming!
OK….I made these and they are superb! The thing about them is that they are super light. Sometimes if I eat something that is too loaded with carbs (like traditional pancakes with thick syrup), I feel horrible within minutes. These taste so good and are so satisfying, I could eat them every day…not to mention the fact that my lovely garden zucchini do not go to waste! I think a person could even invent some kind of a savory dish using these as a base….with garden tomatoes, ham, some cheese…I’m off and running. Thank you so much Deb.
These look amazing! I want to serve them for a very casual brunch this weekend–any suggestions as to what to serve along with them?
Cathleen — Fruit or berry salad, bacon or sausages?
I made these and they were so delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and I would definitely make these again!
I made these and used half summer squash because I ran out of zucchini and they were good (although I think the sour cream pancake recipe from your site is better).
I love this idea. It will rapidly put that baseball bat of a zucchini (last of the harvest!) sitting my crisper to good use. With maple-thyme chicken sausages and minted strawberries these will make for a very tasty Sunday brunch. Thanks! (PS – Your blog is divine.)
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit! I have a feeling this will grace the table many times this winter as I just froze 14 cups of shredded zucchini from two large ones and I still have at least 3 more large and dozens of small ones left to freeze! We make pancakes once a week usually and it’s nice to have a way to throw some veggies in them too! :)
Finally! A refreshing idea for what to do with my never-ending supply of zucchini, besides just pass it to the pup! I think this is one even my vegetable loathing boyfriend could dig into!
Wow – you weren’t kidding! These are a HUGE hit with our toddler. He took one bite and said “Pancay! Mmmmm…”
Thanks!
This made up the perfect, hearty, warm & full-bodied Sunday fall morning. Thanks, Deb.
I’ve made similar savory zucchini pancakes before that were delish!! instead of cinnamon, nutmeg & vanilla, use a little chopped green onion, herbs de provence & a bit more salt. Great on their own, or use them as “bread” to make a ham&cheese sandwich :)
These are fantastic! Thanks, Deb.
You inspired me to some other veggie pancake experimentation and I ended up with avocado pancakes (we seem to have a glut of avocados in the CSA box of late)/ They turned out to be delicious. Here’s the recipe if anyone wants to give it a try:
Ingredients
1 cup flour (I used half spelt, half whole grain)
2 tablespoons cane sugar (more if you prefer sweet pancakes)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 very large avocado, mushed into a pulp with a fork (+ squeeze of lemon)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup water
1 egg
optional: handful of flaked almond, toasted
Whisk together dry ingredients except sugar. Whisk together wet ingredients, including avocado. Stir into dry ingredients until just combined. (Add a bit of water if the batter is too thick.) Make pancakes as in Deb’s recipe.
I made this recipe yesterday, it was delicious! I love it so much; tastes like real pancakes, with zucchini flavour and of course pretty healthy too! Great, thank you very much.
We just had these again for the zillionth time and I am so glad that I froze all our Zucchipocalypse from the summer so we can enjoy these every weekend this winter. My kids go crazy for them and thanks thanks thanks again for sharing the recipe! Also got your cookbook for Christmas and the Rice, Kale, Carmelized Onion Gratin was amazing, we all fought over the last bites!
I was looking for a healthy option for my 2 year old (and husband and cousin) this morning and these were great! Added some carrot as well and came out nice and fluffy served with the yogurt/syrup mix i got from your site a while back. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes, they always turn out great!
Tried these this morning for myself and my little girl, using 2/3 c. whole wheat flour and 1/3 AP and they were great. I halved the sugar too, since I don’t like to feed her sweet things. She & I both really enjoyed them.
Looks good! Those ingredients are excessive, however. Nonetheless looks like a great dish to enjoy! Great idea!
Butter just melts better in cast iron, don’t you think?
I loved these. Thanks! Worked just fine without sugar and with applesauce instead of oil. My kids were still going to eat syrup, and the no sugar was for me. Also used half soy flour and half whole wheat, just cause I didn’t have the regular white flour. Delish!!
These were great, great, great. I did a mix of shredded carrots & zucchini, and they were a hit! My 14 month old LOOOVED them. He was kicking his feet and GROWLING for these pancakes. (Shhhh, don’t tell him they have vegetables!) Thanks Deb!
We substituted 1/3c of ap flour for ground rolled oats, and added 3 TB of ground flax seed with good results. The adults at the table were so-so, noting (as Deb did in the recipe) that they’re not particularly sweet…but the under-3 crowd couldn’t get enough of them, which makes them a huge success in my book. They freeze pretty well for weekday toddler breakfasts, too. Next time I make them for grown-up brunch, I think I’ll add another TB of brown sugar to the mix.
I made these for m boyfriend this morning. He seemed to love them and said that this was definitely recipe and that they were very moist and more filling than he’d expected. I see half almond flour and alf regular flour, because I love almonds. It turned out nicely, imho
My 12-year old son dreams of opening a pancake restaurant. He said that he wants to make zucchini pancakes. I had been thinking the same thing, so I looked up a recipe and found you! We made them dairy-free by using almond milk and gluten-free by using half gf all purpose flour and half almond flour. We loved them! Thank you for creating a delicious way to use up some zucchini!
Good pancakes. Fry some apples to serve with these. Excellent!
Hey Deb,
These look really good. As there any way to make these but with a lot less oil? I would really appreciate knowing that.
Thank you.
You can try to use a tablespoon or so less, but it’s there for moisture and texture, not just to make the pancakes unnecessarily fatty.
I still really love these. I’ve made them several times, but hadn’t in a long while. When we had them for breakfast this week, my 6yo declared, “Mom, these are so delicious! You’re the best cooker of breakfast ever!” I like to use a combination of a couple of your topping suggestions: cream cheese + maple syrup + cinnamon. SO delicious. Belated thanks for another hit at our house :)
Just made these for the first time and they are yummy! Deb, I noticed that they aren’t included in the zucchini category of your recipe index.
Kim — Glad you liked them and thanks for the heads up.
Well, you’ve done it again! I made these for my boys (1yr and 2 yr) for their lunch and was skeptical. But my rule is that I have to eat what they eat, and, well, DELICIOUS! Nutmeg. Perfect. Syrup in yogurt. Perfect. Again, DELICIOUS! Thanks, Deb, for another great way to use up that zucchini!
Delicious way to use the gift zucchinis that keep arriving. Friday is usually pancake night at our house so it was a bit of a sell that we were having zucchini not chocolate chip pancakes but they are all gone. Thanks for the yogurt and maple syrup suggestion. That’s probably why they are all gone though I enjoyed several plain.
These are great – taste like zucchini bread but not so sweet! My husband doesn’t like chunks of shredded zucchini (or carrots) in baked goods so I used the immersion blender on the liquid ingredients before I added the dry ingredients. They cooked completely on the griddle – no need to put them in the oven. Next time I think I’ll try yellow zucchini or crookneck squash I also have in the garden!
Beautiful green speckled best pancakes I ever had! I made them already several times. They are in my “recipes to keep” folder! Thank you!
Thank you Deb! We got zucchini in our CSA box this week and I am not a big fan. We’ll be having these this weekend!
Thanks for the recipe. I modified it to be diary and gluten free and it turned out great – which rarely happens! I used a 1/4 c soy milk and for the 1 cup flour replaced it with 1/2 c oat flour, 1/4 c tapioca flour and 1/4 c sorghum flour. The batter was a bit runny so I added another 2 heaping tablespoons of sorghum flour and tried it out. Best golden brown pancakes that also tasted good since I started my crazy allergen free eating. Thank you for getting me another recipe.
Love these pancakes. Just prepared them and eating them now. Great way to get rid of some zucchini and I feel like I’m eating healthily. Thanks for the recipe!
Outstanding breakfast! My ‘I’m not crazy about zucchini’ spouse ate them right up! I used the coarse grate blade on my food processor. I did the syrup in yogurt on mine and he did pure maple syrup on his. We both loved them! I was looking forward to putting some in the freezer for another day, but we ate them up!
Thanks for a great zucchini recipe.
I make these often, but with grated onions in the batter. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt with fresh herbs in. Oh and add lots of parsley or mint to the batter. Turkish recipe, I love it.
P.S. of course my batter has no cinnamon, vanilla or baking powder in it. Just a bit of flour and lots of eggs. :-)
These are fantastic and my veg-phobic toddler gobbled them up (though i will admit a few mini chocolate chips snuck their way into the batter to sweeten the deal). Still counting it as a win… and another SK success. Thank you!
Working our way through the zucchini apocalypse and these were a fantastic breakfast today! Thank you!
Hi Deb. I need some advice in this recipe. My zucchini plants are going nuts and I’m having a hard time keeping up with the harvesting (let alone the consuming!). I made these using a large zucchini (corgette, marrow or whatever you call it). I know those contain way more water, so I scooped out the pith and seeds before grating them yesterday. I put them in a mesh bag and squeezed out as much liquid as possible. I browned the pancakes on an electric skillet set at 350, then in the oven at 200 as you suggested. They were still completely wet on the inside. I turned the oven up to 350 for 15 more minutes to no avail. Next time, should I use the salt on the shreds to help drain the zucchini more? Add more flour? What would you suggest?
Do you need to squeeze out the excess moisture from the zucchini due to it’s moisture content?
Not in this case.
These were delicious! I veganized & made them gluten free with minor adjustments (⅓ c almond flour, ⅔ oat flour & 2 flax eggs) and they turned out beautifully. I learned over the course of cooking the batch that a medium heat for longer seemed to cook them through better than a higher heat – I averaged about 3 minutes per side per pancake. Thanks for a perfect late summer recipe!
Hi Deb. Longtime lover of SK and lurker here, but first time commenter. I’ve always had great luck with your recipes, but these just didn’t work for me, sadly. They were very wet, even after extra time in the skillet and time in the oven. And not fluffy at all. They positively soaked up the coconut oil I used in my cast iron, and were strangely sticking. I had to keep adding oil, but it made them sooo greasy! I drained on paper towels. I used flax eggs and almond milk to veganize, but see others here used flax eggs and non-dairy milk with no trouble so I don’t know what the problem was. The flavor was nice, just like zucchini bread, but I was disappointed by the texture, flatness, and soggy-ness. Pointers are appreciated!
These sound good except I wouldn’t use olive oil in pancakes. I would try to veganize these by using Egg Replacer (yeah, it’s a thing) and non-dairy milk. Can’t wait for late summer when local squash is in abundance.
Thanks for sharing this nice recipe.
Delicious pancakes! Will definitely be making these again. To those making this dish, be careful not to pack the zucchini in the measuring cup or you will use more than asked for in the recipe and the pancakes will turn out mushy. I did this, so lesson learned. Again, great recipe!
Perfection! Cake for breakfast! And easy.
I’ve made our family recipe for zucchini bread into waffles and I’ll never go back! Each one has that perfect golden sweet edge- then I usually use a lemon and powdered sugar glaze over them…I’m going to make the kids try both the lemon and maple syrup/yogurt topping tomorrow! Separately of course…
Delicious! I used 2 medium sized zucchini, grated in Cuisinart. Actually I made gluten-free with almond flour rather than white flour, and 4 eggs rather than two. Yum!
I made this recipe gluten-free by substituting 1/3 cup coconut flour for the all-purpose flour and adding 1 egg. It was a little grainy, but good! :)
Yum! I’m going to make these this morning. What yummy looking white cream do you have on top of yours?
I believe I mixed some maple syrup with plain yogurt.
I made these with some zucchini I rescued from the back of my fridge and threw in a bunch of frozen huckleberries at the end. The pancakes are surprisingly light and tender. Another winner!
Is there an egg substitute that you’ve found works best in pancakes? Right now I’m using the Bobs Mills Egg Replacement but find it’s very chewy. Wondering if a flax egg would work better or yield similar results?
I haven’t tried different solutions but most commenters here seem to mention flax eggs as their preference.
Mine came out great! I squeezed the liquid from the zucchini after reading some reviews about the inside being mushy. Mine weren’t mushy at all! They tasted great! The texture was a bit weird for mine though. They looked more like a fritter and didn’t have the nice texture Deb’s seem to have in the photo. I had to use flax instead of egg, so maybe that’s why. Either way I still would make them again.
I made these!They were great. I added a tablespoon of brown sugar and ate them as is. Great to heat and eat and run out the door. They’re still hot when I get to Starbucks for my tea.
I made a double batch to try to make a dent in my overgrown zucchini crop. I used the fine grater on my food processed, and these turned out great! They are surprisingly fluffy yet hearty. Sadly, the double batch only used up one extra large, seeded zucchini. Now to make another double batch for the freezer, zucchini rice gratin, zucchini bread, etc.
We live in Maine – and they say the only time you need to lock your car in Maine is during zucchini season. If you don’t, you may find your friends and neighbors have filled your front (and possibly back) seat with an abundance of this seasonal squash.
All kidding aside, these were scrumptious! We tried out the recipe this morning and my son devoured them. They will definitely go into our weekly rotation.
Will frozen shredded zucchini work? If so, do I need to treat it differently? Use it thawed or frozen?
I’ve never worked with it so I’m not sure. You want to pack the cups so you will probably need it defrosted but you don’t want to lose any of the moisture that’s in it, so no wringing or draining.
I made these maybe about a week ago, and I am still thinking about them! These are so moist and yummy topped with yogurt, I will need to make these again soon.
I made these yesterday, shockingly, almost exactly as written. I replaced all the flour with white whole wheat. Delicious! Thanks for the great recipe.
I just found this recipe, it is genius!! I just made them this morning and my kids are gobbling them up! I was making them with my 11 year old, so of course, we added chocolate chips. They each ate a cup for zucchini for breakfast!
Could I make the batter ahead of time, minus the leavening?
I’d think so, but the zucchini could get a little watery and thin the batter.
Made these zucchini pancakes for breakfast today…excellent recipe & delicious pancakes. I substituted 1/2 cup of AP flour with 1/2 cup of buckwheat flour, without any other adjustments, and it worked fine. Thanks for all your recipes. I can always trust they will be great.
Made this today and it was excellent! Didn’t have enough zucchini, so I added grated carrot to make up the difference. Used whole wheat for half the flour. Great twist on traditional pancakes. Happy to have another recipe to use up zucchini. Thank you!
I absolutely love these. I served them with ripe nectarines, maple syrup and Trader Joe’s coconut whipped cream. 😃. Just curious, is there a way to convert the recipe into a waffle recipe? I’d love to make a big batch of waffles to freeze.
Could I make these with low carb flour? Like Paleo grain free flour?
These are so easy to make and so delicious. We had a giant zucchini so we’ve made these absolutely fabulous pancakes three times (so far). Love, love, love them!
I make these all the time for my toddler and he loves them! Instead of pancakes I make them waffles – much easier, less greasy and great results all the time.
Is there a way we this recipe could be turned into muffins? My family loves these pancakes and I tried making other zucchini muffins and they prefer your pancakes. But a muffin would be a bit easier for school and transporting.
I would make the zucchini bread as muffins! Or is that one you tried and they didn’t like?
The bread just has a lot more sugar in it than these pancakes. I prefer the lower sugar since these pancakes are a hit with my 2.5 year old son.
I made these tonight and followed the recipe and instructions exactly. They are delicious. They fluff up nicely but are dense and satisfying to eat. I also made the yoghurt/maple syrup concoction and it paired very well with the pancakes! Thank you, Deb!!
This is now probably my favorite pancake recipe. I have also successfully converted them to waffles (just added 2 extra tablespoons of milk to loosen the batter – so 4 tablespoons milk, 2 yogurt)!
Newish community gardeners in Cleveland, my sister and I opted to add a couple of zucchini plants to the garden. Wow, they grow quickly. I keep threatening to spend the night there to watch them grow. Too early for our eggplant and tomatoes, so while waiting patiently for roasted ratatouille, incorporating it into every other meal. I love pancakes on Saturday morning and found this recipe in time for breakfast! Delicious! Will have leftover zucchini butter pasta for lunch! Love your perfect recipes.
Can this batter be used for waffles?
I added 2 tbs extra oil and it worked great as waffles!
Great recipe. Delicious pancakes enjoyed by the toddler and the family… Only trouble is recipe only made 10 so I will def need to make double next time we make them:-)
For a dairy free option, I subbed coconut milk for buttermilk and they turned out great.
Hi Deb,
This is such a versatile, forgiving recipe!
Thank you
I made the pancakes this Sunday morning in Paris, while it was raining outside with the radio playing a programme on rare tracks from Bob Dylan.
I adapted them for a savoury breakfast & kept your quantities.
I omitted vanilla extract & cinnamon.
I used cow’s milk yogurt & soya milk.
Used half teaspoon baking powder + half teaspon baking soda.
Added 50g grated cheese (emmental & mozzarella)
One small red onion, finely chopped
Some chopped scallions,
Ground pepper.
As it was not cheesy enough, I added some grated cheese in the laddle before pouring the batter. So, it melted nicely.
Even scattered bits of Roquefort blue cheese.
They turned out fluffy & were still delicious hours later.
The oven trick is a fabulous idea. 100°C keeps them warm.
Merci!
These turned out fantastic! Substitutions because of what I did or didn’t have on hand:
Zucchini- I had frozen 4 of them cut into discs. Pulled out what I thought would be right amount and thawed, food processor chopped them into total mush but worked out just fine
Buttermilk- half Greek yogurt and half Ripple pea protein milk
Flours- half all purpose and half buckwheat
Oil- melted coconut oil
The batter seemed a bit runny but I went for it on a piping hot cast iron latke griddle and they came out perfectly fluffy and cooked through. Rest of them went in the freezer and will be my go-to for early AM bikeride breakfast, for friend brunches, and pretty much every weekend this day forward. Thank you SO much for a delicious and very forgiving recipe!
I absolutely love this recipe & I am going to try it out tomorrow morning. But I am going to put blueberries in mine
My daughter loved these as a toddler, then went through a 7 year hating zucchini phase…..she is 11 and I am going to give them another try. She likes my zoodles, so I have high hopes that these will go back into rotation!
I have made these countless times and they are always a big hit with my husband and toddler.
I never measure the zucchini, I just grate two that are medium-ish and let god sort it out.
I always add a pinch of ground ginger which may not really do anything but I like it. We serve these with whipped cream or syrup or both or just as easy on the go snacks with no toppings.
These are great – so easy and really delicious!
My (completely veggie loving) family was skeptical before we ate them up (are you messing with our pancakes???)… All converts now. These are straight up delicious pancakes