Zucchini Pancakes are ultra fluffy and moist pancakes that taste just like Zucchini Bread in pancake form! These pancakes come together easily in one bowl and have cozy spices like cinnamon & nutmeg, along with grated zucchini.
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!
Published: August 2018. Updated June 2023.
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 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.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- 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.
How to Make this Zucchini Pancake Recipe Step-by-Step:
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: Add Dry Ingredients. Gently stir in the dry ingredients – flour, salt, baking powder, a pinch of sugar, and cinnamon. A lumpy batter is what we want here, so don’t over mix.
Step 4: Cook pancakes. Heat a griddle to 350 degrees F, or use a large skillet over medium heat. (A griddle can cook more pancakes at once, so it’s my preference!) Spray with nonstick cooking spray, then add about 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake to the hot griddle. Flip after 1-2 minutes, once the pancakes are puffy and golden underneath (lift the corner with your flipper to check). Cook 1-2 minutes on the other side until golden, and no wet batter patches are visible at the edges.
Once you’ve made these pancakes, there’s no going back. You’re going to crave them every day of the week! Let me suggest a remedy for this – make a double batch, and freeze half for weekday mornings! Simply reheat in the toaster.
Serving + Storing this Recipe:
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. 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 your pancakes. 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? Snap a photo and leave a comment!
Be sure to follow bluebowlrecipes on instagram and tag #bluebowlrecipes with your photo! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the bluebowlrecipes Facebook page. I’d love to see what you make!
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
Lila says
The texture of these was absolutely amazing and they tasted great (even if I had to add a lot more cinnamon and some vanilla extract).
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad to hear you enjoyed these, Lila! Cinnamon & vanilla are definitely measured with the heart, haha 🙂
Mary says
Made these for breakfast. They were amazingly delicious! Will be a definite go to breakfast recipe for our family.
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Mary! 🙂
Brittany Walker says
These were perfect!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks, Brittany! 🙂
Jenna says
These are some of the best pancakes I’ve ever had! Taste just like zucchini bread and they’re sooo moist and fluffy. They’re going to be a staple in my house from now on 🙂
Stephanie Simmons says
Thank you Jenna!
Heather says
These are excellent. I made them w finely shredded Rampicante squash. Wow!!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks, Heather! Glad they were a hit.
Amber says
Best pancakes…no, best breakfast I’ve ever had! These are so moist and good for you with the addition of zucchini. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Stephanie Simmons says
Amber, your comment made my day! So glad you loved these – they’re definitely one of our favorites. 🙂
sima Al safadi says
Delicious and easy to follow recipe ! I used 2 small eggs instead of the one egg and turned out great ! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad you enjoyed – these are my favorite pancakes! 🙂
Kim says
How many pancakes per 1 serving = the 246 calories?
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Kim! Its 2 pancakes per serving. Sorry about that confusion – my nutrition label appears to not be working on this post! It’s supposed to show up under the recipe with detailed nutrition info and a serving size. I’ll look into why it’s not working! Enjoy the pancakes ☺️
Rosena says
I love the idea of zucchini bread pancakes. My family loves pancakes and I’m always looking for ways to include more vegetables, especially in breakfast.
I made these this morning, and they didn’t turn out how I expected I to. It might have something to do with a certain image in my mind about zucchini bread. These were good zucchini pancakes, but they weren’t really like zucchini bread, for me. The batter was really thick (like spread-out-like-bread-dough kind of thick) so I added more milk. I also used coconut oil instead of butter. I think the thing for me was the abundance of baking powder, which did make them beautifully light and fluffy, was enough that I could actually taste baking powder. So they were not only not super sweet (i definitely appreciate pancakes that aren’t too sweet! ), but they were also a bit on the salty side. U definitely want to try these again, but next time I would reduce the salt or baking power amounts, which might sacrifice some fluffiness, but would improve the flavor.
Oh yeah– we ate them with strawberry jam and it was a great pairing!
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Rosena! So glad you gave these a try! 🙂 I’m sorry they didn’t turn out quite like you were hoping for – I’ll admit, they’re not supposed to be exactly like Zucchini Bread – they just share some similar ingredients and flavors. As for the batter – it’s definitely supposed to be thick, but I’m not sure why yours was quite that thick. Did you squeeze liquid out of your shredded zucchini? That’s something I never do. Also, I haven’t tried these with coconut oil so that’s also something that could affect the recipe. That’s so odd about the baking powder though! I’ve never been able to taste it, haha but everyone’s palate is different! I’m glad you were able to enjoy them even if they weren’t perfect 🙂 Let me know how they go the next time around!
Karly says
These pancakes look amazing!!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much Karly!
Jyothi (Jo) says
Such beautiful fluffy pancake. I love zucchini bread and pancake made of zucchini bread batter is a lovely idea. Your photos are amazing Stephanie
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much Jyothi!
Marisa Franca says
Well, slap my forehead for not thinking of this before. Zucchini is such a versatile veggie! We make just about everything with zucchini — why not pancakes??? Fantastic idea and I wish I would have thought of it myself. I would have been making this recipe for my kiddos years ago.
Stephanie Simmons says
Well, it’s never too late to start, right!? Haha! I have those moments all the tome ??
Tammy says
This is a really fantastic idea…I love the combo of the sweet and savory. I’m going to try these over the weekend ^_^
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks Tammy! Let me know how they turn out!
Valerie says
I never tried making a double batch of pancakes and reheating in the toaster, now I need to. My friend loves zucchini, I bet she’ll enjoy these.
Stephanie Simmons says
It’s such an easy way to have a nice breakfast on busy mornings! Thanks, Valmg!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
I literally NEVER buy zucchini. Mainly because I never know what to do with it, even though it is so versatile. This looks like succh a great use for zucchini.
Stephanie Simmons says
This IS a great use for it! There are soooo many zucchini recipes out there – it is versatile for sure!
Claudia Lamascolo says
I cant believe I never thought about making pancakes with zucchini! What a great idea and I thank you for posting this recipe I cant wait to make these!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much for your kind comment Claudia! Enjoy! ❤️
Noel Lizotte says
mmm mmmm I have two large zucchinis on the kitchen table! Now I know how I’ll use part of them – thanks so much!
Stephanie Simmons says
Well how perfect is that!? Enjoy! ?
Lane says
It’s like you knew how much zucchini I had! YUM! These are great!
Stephanie Simmons says
Haha I totally read your mind!! Enjoy!
Nellie Tracy says
I’ve been looking for yummy ways to use up all of the zucchini I have! This recipe is absolutely perfect for that!
Stephanie Simmons says
What good timing!! Hope you enjoy these! ❤️