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Quick & easy Zucchini Pancakes are ultra fluffy and moist! These pancakes come together easily in one bowl and have cozy spices like cinnamon & nutmeg, along with grated zucchini. They taste just like Zucchini Bread in pancake form.
The whole family will love these homemade zucchini pancakes! This is a great recipe to make when you have too much zucchini after your garden bursts during zucchini season, or you visit the farmer’s market!
Why you’ll love these Zucchini Pancakes:
- Zucchini Bread Flavor – These pancakes taste just like Zucchini Bread in pancake form! Grated fresh zucchini and cozy spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are stirred into the batter.
- Ultra Fluffy Pancakes – My recipe is super simple, but it produces incredibly fluffy, moist pancakes.
- Easy Recipe – These delicious zucchini pancakes are sure to be a hit for brunch, or breakfast for dinner!
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon & level your flour for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly in will lead to too much flour. I sometimes swap 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour for white whole wheat flour.
- Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk makes these pancakes extra fluffy! See substitution below.
- Zucchini – Grate it with the smaller or larger holes on a box grater – it’s up to your preference! If you use the larger side, you’ll get a bit of the zucchini texture in your pancakes. If you want to completely hide the zucchini, say for kids, use the smaller side. Get summer zucchini anywhere you like – the grocery store or farmer’s market.
Recipe Variations:
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk adds extra lift to these pancakes, but you can use regular 2% milk in a pinch, or make a homemade sub using 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar and milk. Full details in the recipe card notes. (I’m not sure if whole milk would work but I *think* it would be ok.)
- Dairy–free – Try using your favorite trusted dairy-free products in this recipe.
- Gluten-free – I have not tested a gluten-free version of this recipe.
- Other Flavors – For other flavors, try my Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes or my Double Strawberry Pancakes!
How to Make Zucchini Pancakes:
Step 1: Mix Wet Ingredients. In a large bowl, melt the butter, then whisk the buttermilk and egg into the melted butter.
Step 2: Add Zucchini. Whisk the shredded zucchini into the wet ingredients.
Step 3: Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients. Stir in the dry ingredients. A lumpy batter is what we want here, so don’t over mix!
Step 4: Cook Pancakes. Heat griddle & spray with nonstick cooking spray. Use1/3 cup of batter per pancake. Flip after 1-2 minutes, once the pancakes are puffy and golden underneath. Cook 1-2 minutes on the other side until golden, and no wet batter patches are visible at the edges.
Serving + Storing:
Serve pancakes piping hot. Slather on salted butter, and pour pure maple syrup over the top of the pancakes.
Store leftover cooled pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for 1-2 months (perfect for when the cravings hit – these are crave-worthy pancakes, after all). See freezing tips below.
Expert Success Tips:
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
- Don’t Over Mix – Lumpy pancake batter is a good thing – it helps keep the pancakes fluffy and tall. So, mix the dry ingredients in until just combined, leaving the lumps in tact.
- Keep Pancakes Warm – Keep cooked pancakes warm on a baking sheet in an oven set to “warm” or covered with foil on the counter while you cook the rest.
- Food Processor – Use your food processor blade attachments to easily and quickly grate the zucchini.
- Excess Water – I don’t worry about excess water or liquid in my zucchini. I just grate it, and let it sit while I make the batter, then when I’m ready to use it, I add the zucchini and leave behind whatever liquid is in the bowl I grated it into. No need to use a bunch of paper towels blotting liquid!
FAQs:
Yes! Let them cool completely, then freeze on a parchment paper lined sheet pan in a single layer to avoid sticking, then transfer to a freezer safe container or freezer bag. Freeze for 1-2 months. Heat up a serving of pancakes on a plate in the microwave – they’ll thaw perfectly as they heat. I don’t recommend thawing the pancakes in the fridge – just reheat in the oven or microwave from frozen.
Yes! You can scale this recipe up by doubling or even tripling it if you want to make a large batch of pancakes.
Recipe Variations:
- Chocolate Chips – Feel free to add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chocolate chips if desired.
- Zucchini – If you absolutely do not want zucchini in your pancakes, you can make these without it. No need to sub anything else. You’ll just have some cozy, lightly cinnamon spiced pancakes.
Special Tools:
- Griddle – I highly recommend using a griddle to cook everything from pancakes to Stuffed French Toast! It cooks more evenly and you can make more at once than in a large frying pan, reducing the time between making the batter and eating the pancakes. Heh. This is the griddle we use and love (affiliate links)!
More Pancake Recipes to Love:
- Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes
- Double Strawberry Pancakes
- Favorite Blueberry Pancakes
- Flourless Protein Pancakes
More Zucchini Recipes to Love:
- Zucchini Bread with Honey Butter
- Roasted Zucchini & Tomato Flatbread Pizza
- Lemon Butter Pasta with Zucchini & Tomatoes
- Zucchini Fritters
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
Click the little stars in the header of the recipe card below to leave a comment & star rating, letting me know how you liked the recipe. I take all feedback seriously, & leaving a rating helps my small business immensely!
Zucchini Bread Pancakes
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp salted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk, See subs below
- 1 medium zucchini, grated, About 1 1/2 cups
- 1 and 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 195 grams
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- extra butter or nonstick spray, for cooking
For Serving:
- maple syrup
- butter
Instructions
- Grate Zucchini: Grate your zucchini on the large holes of a box grater, over a bowl. Set aside.
- Make the Batter: Melt butter in a medium mixing bowl, then whisk in the egg and milk. Whisk in the grated zucchini. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. We WANT lumpy batter, here! Get out a griddle (heat at 350 degrees) or a large skillet (heat on the stove over medium to medium-high heat).
- Cook Pancakes: Once your griddle or pan is heated, grease it well using butter or nonstick spray. Pour the batter onto the griddle using a 1/4 cup or a 1/3 cup (for slightly larger pancakes) measuring cup, using the back of the cup to spread the batter out a bit, since it is thick. Once the pancakes are a little puffy and the underside is golden, flip the pancakes! (This will only take a 1-2 minutes, so don't walk away!) Check the underside by lifting the edge with your flipper.Tips: Spraying your flipper with nonstick spray makes flipping pancakes easier (I also use a second spatula to scoot the pancake onto the first one for flipping). If your pancakes are getting darker than you'd like, turn down the heat a bit. Pancakes are done when both sides are golden brown, and no wet batter spots are visible around the edges.
- Serve + Store: Serve warm with lots of butter and maple syrup! Store leftover pancakes in a ziploc bag in the fridge for up to 2 days. Leftover pancakes can also be frozen, in a ziploc bag, for 1-2 months. Reheat by popping them in the toaster or microwaving as if you were simply heating them up – they'll defrost nicely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Really yummy and moist!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Krystal!