Zucchini Pancakes

A zucchini pancake recipe that doesn’t require grating! Use up an abundance of summer zucchini with this fun pancake method that’s perfect for a savory breakfast or snack.

The first year I planted a garden, I grew 4 zucchini plants. If you’ve grown zucchini before, you know. If you haven’t, let’s just say that amount of plants can feed a small army for practically an entire year.

I scaled back the following year which was a wise choice both from the squash bug perspective (a garden pest of the utmost annoyance) and our 2-person household’s ability to keep up with the harvest.

So this year, with a reasonable amount of zucchini, I decided on pancakes as a way to use up some of the bounty. The fun thing about this zucchini pancake recipe, though, is unlike every single other recipe I’ve seen, it keeps the zucchini intact. That means no grating required.

I’ll pause for a moment of silent appreciation with that statement.

Zucchini bread, muffins, cookies, bars and almost any other zucchini baked good I can think of, always require grating and then most likely, squeezing out excess water too. It’s always 1 – shocking to see how much comes out, but also 2 – a gross and annoying endeavor where you’re either picking paper towel bits out of the squeezed zucchini or dirtying a dish cloth. These pancakes skip all that fuss.

Let’s Talk Ingredients

There’s not much to a simple recipe like this but here’s a rundown of some of the important elements. The full recipe can be found below in the recipe card.

• Zucchini – you can make these pancakes any time of year, but they’re especially great with summer-fresh zucchini. I like to choose a medium-large zucchini to use up the entirety of the batter.
• Pancake mix – we’re keeping it simple by using your favorite pancake mix. My favorite is Birch Benders gluten-free pancake and waffle mix.
• Cottage cheese – this is what gives the pancakes a protein boost without protein powder and it makes the batter super light and fluffy. You’ll be blending the batter so any size curd is fine. I used 4% milk-fat, but 2% will also work.
• Seasonings – you’ll want to use a generous amount of salt in the batter for some flavor as zucchini can be kind of bland on its own. When making these as a snack rather than breakfast, I also like to throw in some additional seasonings or fresh herbs.

The Feta Dip

The pancakes are fun, but the protein-forward herby feta dip might be my favorite part. If you’re into savory breakfasts (like these hummus waffles), it’s also a great pancake topper.

The dip comes together with:

• cottage cheese
• feta
• yogurt
• lemon zest
• lemon juice
• seasonings/herbs

Serving Ideas

For breakfast, I’d absolutely go with a fried or poached egg on top (here’s some inspiration on these avocado pancakes). The runny yolk with the crispy pancake edges is hard to beat. Add a spoonful of the herby feta dip underneath or on top for even more protein. You could also add sliced avocado or some smoked salmon to make it more of a meal.

For a snack or appetizer, serve them with the herby feta dip. They’d also work with a little marinara if you want to take them in a completely different direction. Check out these air fryer zucchini chips for more dip ideas.

Storage & Reheating

These are best right out of the pan when the edges are crisp, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

To reheat, I’d skip the microwave. A few minutes in a skillet, toaster oven or air fryer will bring the outside back to life much better.

More Zucchini Recipes

If you want more out-of-the-box zucchini ideas, I’ve got a bunch! Try this zucchini pesto and then use it on this zucchini pizza. Make crispy zucchini fries as another option that doesn’t require grating or slice into rounds and make this lasagna-esque zucchini ricotta bake.