Zucchini pancakes are made with fresh garden zucchini. This savory pancakes recipe makes the perfect side dish, meatless main dish, or brunch entree.
Every year it seems like I accumulate a LOT of zucchini and yellow squash. Really, I kind of run out of ways to make it. I use it in lasagna, zucchini bread, cake, even zucchini dip! I shred and freeze some, puree to add to foods later, stuff it, saute it… (insert Bubba Gump and his shrimp monologue here) ????
But zucchini is something that my whole family loves, and as versatile as it is, by mid-July I am looking for ways to spice it up a little. Last summer, inspired by something I had at a restaurant for lunch, I made zucchini pancakes for brunch one Sunday. It took a little trial and error to get the consistency and flavor right but in the end I came up with something that can be made a variety of ways depending on what you have and what you are going to use these little pancakes for.
Try some of these variations of zucchini pancakes and see what you think:
* add 1 TB of chopped flat leaf parsley and a dash of lemon juice. When cooked, add a sprinkling of feta and a little dollop of Greek yogurt. Serve with paper thin cucumber slices..sort of like a Napoleon.
*add 1 TB of chopped basil and 1/2 TB of chopped oregano. Top with marinara sauce.
You get the idea. Tonight I added Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, basil and just dipped them in a little melted butter. We have been outside ALL day and we were red, hot, and hungry. It was one of those nights where nothing sounded good and I was too tired to make anything, really.
But I pressed on and we had these zucchini pancakes made, eaten, and the dishes cleaned up in 45 minutes. ????
Make sure to eat the zucchini pancakes when they are fresh from the pan, as they can become soggy.
The taste is similar to fried zucchini slices, but with a little more flavor. Really, add what you have on hand and experiment a little. ????
Tender savory pancakes made with fresh zucchini.
12 minPrep (inc. refrigeration & rest time)
10 minCook Time
22 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 medium zucchini (about 3/4 pound)
- 2 tablespoons grated red onion
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 6 to 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Unsalted butter and vegetable oil
- 1 TB of grated Parmesan
- 1 TB of chopped basil
- 1/2 chopped oregano
- 1 clove of minced garlic
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini into a bowl using the large grating side of a box grater. Immediately stir in the onion, herbs, Parmesan and eggs. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper. (If the batter gets too thin from the liquid in the zucchini, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.)
- Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon oil together in the pan. When the butter is hot, but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low and drop little spoon fulls of batter into the pan. I like to smooth it out a little (spread) so my pancakes are thin and crispy. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until browned. You want them to be a little brown and crispy so they won’t have a mushy or soft texture.
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