Think of these Zucchini Pancakes as your favorite zucchini bread recipe made into a stack of thick, fluffy pancakes. They’re sweet, hearty, cinnamon-spiced, and the perfect breakfast for lazy summer weekends!
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Zucchini Pancake Recipe
- A New Way to Use Zucchini. Oh yes, there’s Stuffed Zucchini and Zucchini Bread. But now it’s time to add zucchini pancakes to your repertoire! Each batch uses one whole zucchini, or you can make double or triple and freeze them for later so you can enjoy your summer bounty in the fall.
- THICK and Fluffy. These are not wimpy, floppy, thin little pancakes. Just LOOK at how thick they are! That’s thanks to the buttermilk, which reacts with the baking soda to create lots of height and lift. (My Fluffy Pancakes also BRING IT in the fluffy department.)
- Cozy Flavor. These really do taste like zucchini bread in pancake form, and a lot of the heavy lifting in that department is thanks to the warm cinnamon and vanilla. These mask the taste of the squash, so the only clue that the pancakes are made with zucchini is the green flecks throughout.
- Easy to Make. This is a one-bowl zucchini pancake recipe, so it’s easy to whip up and clean up is a breeze!
How to Make Zucchini Pancakes
The Ingredients
- Grated Zucchini. Other varieties of summer squash work too, so if you happen to have a bumper crop of yellow squash, you can put those to use in this recipe!
- Flour. I use a combination of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour, but you can use entirely all-purpose flour if that’s what you have on hand.
- Ground Cinnamon. I think cardamom would also be nice, or try a blend like pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.
- Buttermilk. The secret to fluffy pancakes. If you don’t have it on hand or don’t want to buy a bottle, you can make your by adding acid to milk (see the recipe card for instructions). Another option is to keep powdered buttermilk on hand in your pantry.
- Maple Syrup. Not just for serving! Maple syrup is the sweetener in the pancakes too. Using that instead of sugar adds sweetness and flavor.
- Pure Vanilla Extract. The ultimate flavor enhancer. I recommend pure vanilla extract rather than imitation, as it has more nuance and complexity.
The Directions
- Prep the Zucchini. Grate it, then place it in a dish towel and squeeze squeeze SQUEEZE to get as much liquid out as possible.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients. Whisk them together in a mixing bowl.
- Add the Wet Ingredients. Form a well in the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients. Do your best to whisk just the wet ingreidnets, then fold them into the dry ingredients with a spatula.
- Add the Zucchini. Break it up a little bit since it will be clumped together after wringing it in the towel, then fold it into the batter.
- Cook. Melt a pat of butter in a large skillet or on a griddle and pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan for each pancake. Spread the batter a bit to form a circle and cook until bubbles form on the surface.
- Flip and Finish. Use a spatula to flip the zucchini pancakes and cook the other side until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter, then plate and serve with your favorite toppings. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Pancakes. After adding the batter to the stovetop, sprinkle some chocolate chips onto the pancakes.
- Blueberry Zucchini Pancakes. Drop fresh blueberries onto the pancakes after putting the batter onto the pan. (This method gives you more control of the distribution of the berries in the pancakes.)
- Zucchini Pancakes with Nuts. Fold chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter. Extra points if you toast the nuts first, which makes them even tastier!
What to Serve With Zucchini Pancakes
- Breakfast Meats. Pancakes bring the carbs, so add some protein with breakfast sausage or Air Fryer Bacon.
- Yogurt. I like a dollop of Greek yogurt on top of my pancakes, or serve a Greek Yogurt Parfait on the side.
- Fruit. Blueberries are my favorite pairing with zucchini pancakes. (The duo is great in Blueberry Zucchini Bread too!)
- Toppings. Hungry for more topping ideas? Try chopped nuts, whipped cream, jam, or fresh summer fruit.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use Smaller Zucchini If Possible. Small and medium zucchini have a sweeter, milder flavor and smaller seeds than the super big end-of-season squashes.
- Wring Out As Much Liquid As Possible. Zucchini is mostly water, so make sure to wring it out thoroughly with a dish towel before adding it to the batter. Getting out as much liquid as you can helps the pancakes reach fluffy perfection.
- Keep Them Warm. If you want to serve everyone at the same time without some of the pancakes getting cold, you can place the cooked pancakes on a baking sheet in a 200ºF oven.
- Adjust the Heat as Needed. Cooking pancakes requires some finessing. Towards the end of the cooking time, it’s almost inevitable that the outsides of the packs will start burning before the insides are cooked through. At this point, turn down the temperature of the stove.
Zucchini Pancakes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 20 4 1/2-inch pancakes, serves 6
These easy zucchini pancakes are light, fluffy and perfect! With cozy flavor and sweetness, they're like zucchini bread in pancake form.
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Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter plus additional for cooking
- 1 cup grated zucchini grated on the largest side of a box grater; about 1 medium zucchini
- 1 cup whole wheat flour or additional all-purpose flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- ¼ cup maple syrup plus additional for serving
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cut the butter into a few pieces, place in a microwave-safe bowl or saucepan, and melt in the microwave or on the stove. Set aside to cool. If you’d like to keep the pancakes warm between batches, place a baking sheet in your oven and preheat the oven to 200°F
- Place the grated zucchini in a clean dish towel and squeeze well to wring out excess water.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk, maple syrup, egg, vanilla, and melted, cooled butter. Whisk together the wet ingredients in the center, then switch to a spatula and fold them into the dry ingredients. Fold in the zucchini until just combined. The batter will be very thick.
- Heat a large cast iron or nonstick skillet or flat-top griddle over medium heat. Melt a pat of butter (about half a tablespoon) and swirl the skillet to coat.
- When hot, add the batter, about ¼ cup at a time, and spread the batter into a circle about 4.5 inches in diameter. Repeat with more batter, cooking as many pancakes as will fit in your skillet with at least an inch of space between.
- Cook until bubbles develop across the surface of the pancakes, 2 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook for another minute, until golden on the other side. Reduce the heat as necessary to prevent burning.
- Serve the pancakes hot with maple syrup and repeat with the remaining batter. To keep the pancakes warm, place the pancakes on the baking sheet in the preheated oven.
Notes
-
*If using large, late-season zucchini, remove any big seeds before grating
-
**No buttermilk? Combine 1½ cups milk + 1½ tablespoons lemon juice or white distilled vinegar, stir, and let sit 5 minutes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate zucchini pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If I’m making a batch for meal prep, I’ll set them on a wire rack to cool before storing them, which helps keep them from getting soggy during storage.
- TO REHEAT: Warm up pancakes in the microwave, in a skillet over medium heat, or in a 350ºF oven or toaster oven until heated through.
- TO FREEZE: Place the pancakes in an airtight container or freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months; reheat directly from frozen.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 20)Calories: 91kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 17mgPotassium: 123mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 126IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 1mg
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YUM!! What a pleasant surprise these were! They’re not exactly like regular pancakes, but not like potato pancakes either. They have a great fluffy texture and veggie haters could definitely be fooled with these. Thank you, Erin!
So glad to hear you enjoyed them, Stephanie!
I stumbled upon this recipe and I’m so glad I did! My daughter does not like zucchini but she loves pancakes, so I gave this recipe a go. Surprisingly she likes these and requested it again for the weekend.
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Jennifer!
I can’t believe I’ve never heard of zucchini pancakes before. The recipe was easy to make and very good. They were delicious with maple syrup, but I also tried them with a dollop of sour cream and it’s good. It is also a great way to get veggies into the kids!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Ashley! Thank you!
So delicious! My whole family loved them and I made a second batch to freeze for school mornings. I swapped the maple syrup for 2 Tablespoons of molasses because we’re molasses-in-pancakes people, but I serve with maple syrup and they are amazing!
Yay! Great to hear, Tia! Thank you!