Baked Cheesy Zucchini Bites
Simple and delicious, these baked cheesy zucchini bites are so easy to make and are a healthier alternative to a classic fried zucchini fritter!
Garden still overflowing with zucchini? I figure if that’s the case, you are probably feeling ecstatic…or frantically looking to pawn a ton of zucchini onto unsuspecting friends or neighbors.
I am a zucchini fiend. A lover of the humble green vegetable. In fact, it’s probably one of my favorite vegetables because it is so darn versatile.
Baked Zucchini Fritter
I posted this recipe for baked cheesy zucchini bites several years ago, and they continue to be one of our most oft-made recipes in the summer and late summer months when our backyard zucchini supply overfloweth.
They are so delicious and all of my kids (yes, even the veggie haters) love them to pieces.
Basically, these little cheesy zucchini bites are a baked variation on the usually-fried zucchini fritter.
Super Easy Recipe
And they are just as delicious, if not more so, than their less healthy counterpart.
Since they are baked at a high temperature, the edges crispify a bit while the insides stay tender and cheesy.
Major bonus? They are super easy to make.
All of the ingredients get tossed together in a large bowl:
- shredded zucchini
- bread crumbs
- egg
- shredded cheese (just a bit)
- garlic + basil + salt + pepper
Wring Out the Zucchini
Pro Tip: remember here is to squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as possible so the baked cheesy zucchini bites will crisp up as much as possible.
I usually use a nut milk bag {aff. link} or this awesome potato ricer {aff. link} for wringing out all the water.
Next, scoop out the cheesy, garlicky zucchini mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
And press into fritter-sized discs.
You can press as thick or thin as you like. We like them on the thinner side in order to maximize the golden, crispy edges, but if you want them a little heartier and more substantial, don’t press the quite as flat.
They’ll be yummy either way.
Once baked, these yummy zucchini bites are irresistible!
My kids will tell you the baked cheesy zucchini bites were elevated to otherworldly heights when dipped in their favorite ranch dressing.
While I don’t necessarily disagree, they are pretty stellar on their own, too, and make a fabulous side dish for just about anything.
Or just a mid-afternoon snack. Also, the baked zucchini bites freeze great for postponed enjoyment.
A Few Tips
I’ve edited the recipe below to include weight measures in case that makes your life a little easier (and because 1 1/2 cups of zucchini can be subjective depending on who is measuring).
I’ve come to rely on my food processor for easy shredding, but I don’t bother with this recipe. I quickly pull out my no-fuss box grater {aff. link} and go to town (or appoint one of the children to be on zucchini shredding duty).
The zucchini can be shredded as finely as you like – I prefer some zucchini texture so I use the large holes of the box grater.
Baked Cheesy Zucchini Bites FAQ:
Yes. Several commenters have used gluten-free bread crumbs (1:1 as called for in the recipe). Another person used a gluten free flour blend for the bread crumbs with great results, and others have commented that almond meal subs in well for the bread crumbs.
The baked and cooled zucchini bites freeze great! Pull them out to reheat to serve as an appetizer or side dish or snack later on!
Yes, just make sure to thaw and wring out the zucchini VERY well of excess water (measure after wringing).
This recipe is really adaptable cheese-wise! Subbing in Parmesan or another type of cheese might work; feel free to experiment!
uestion: Can I leave out the egg or substitute it with something else?
Answer: I scoured the comment thread and from what I could see no one has tried making these egg-free (yet!). I don’t know of a great egg substitute; the purpose of the egg in the recipe is to act as a binder and for texture.
One Year Ago: Overnight Oatmeal Cinnamon Pancakes {Em’s Famous Recipe}
Two Years Ago: Homemade Chocolate Syrup for Chocolate Milk
Three Years Ago: Buttermilk Lime Shortbread Bars
Baked Cheesy Zucchini Bites
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (212 g) packed shredded zucchini (no need to peel zucchini)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ to ½ cup (28-56 g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese or a blend of cheddar and Monterey jack
- ¼ cup (21 g) panko or regular bread crumbs
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil, or 1-2 teaspoons fresh
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray or lightly grease an unlined baking sheet.
- Place the shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and wring out all the excess water over the sink until the zucchini is really dry. You should have a little over 1 cup after squeezing out the water (if you have a scale, you’ll want about 6 ounces of zucchini that’s been squeezed dry).
- Place the zucchini and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until combined.
- Drop the mixture by tablespoonfuls on the prepared baking sheet and lightly press the mounds with your hands to flatten slightly.
- Bake for 16-20 minutes until the edges are golden.
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Recipe Source: adapted from this recipe at Skinnytaste (used more zucchini, omitted the onion, added basil and garlic, changed the type of bread crumbs, increased oven temp, etc.)
362 Comments on “Baked Cheesy Zucchini Bites”
Made these for my 9mo who is baby led weaning, they were amazing!! I substituted egg for a flax egg, (1:3 ground flax/water), and ground oats for breadcrumbs and it worked really well! I flipped half way through cooking to get browned on both sides. Will definitely be making again !! I would say I cooked them all together for about 15 minutes and they were crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside !
I made this with leftover cooked zuchini and it was delicious!!
So yummy!
I grated my zucchini and left it i the fridge in a strainer for several days to allow the water to drain.
They needed no sauce they were perfect as is!
Try them!!!
I made this today and yum! I flattened the patties and flipped them to ensure both sides got nice and crispy. Mine ended up taking 25 min because I wanted them super crispy. Totally worth the extra time. Even my very picky child who won’t touch zucchini ate one and said it was good. I’m already on my second batch 🙂
Forgot to mention that I used aquafaba (3tbsp liquid from garbanzo bean can) because we were out of eggs and used crushed saltines instead of breadcrumbs and salt as we didn’t have breadcrumbs. This recipe works great with substitutions.
This is an excellent recipe. Thanks so much for the potato ricer tip for squeezing out moisture. That was brilliant. Loved the crips edges and soft centers of these. I replaced 1/4 of the bread crumbs with crushed French fried onions because I love those (have to reduce the salt a bit). These would be a great addition to my vegetarian daughter’s sandwiches! Thanks again!
Just made these tonight. They were easy (since I already had shredded zucchini) and I would make them again, but I thought they were too salty, so next time would leave out or decrease the salt.
I’m so glad you reposted your favorite zucchini recipes this past week! We’ve made this one twice in three days, and it is AMAZING. We don’t have bread crumbs, so I used regular flour line some commenters used successfully. They were wonderful! I’m sure with panko it would be even better. I also added grated onion. . .. Absolutely Delicious! Thank you Mel!
Excellent recipe! Made them just as the recipe said and loved them but I can see some experimenting in the future. Thank you.
Can I use overgrown zucchini?
Yes, just scrape out the seeds first.
Wow! I stumbled upon this recipe after I still had shredded zucchini and I already made brownies and muffins. Super easy recipe and delicious too! Next time I would like to add some spice- maybe fresh jalapeños.
These turned out great! I needed to add a bit more panko crumbs and increased the cheese a bit, but they turned out so great that I’m making more! My toddler ate them up with tzatziki dip.
It’s great, I’m gluten free and used Bob’s Polenta course corn meal istead of bread crumbs and grated Parmesan and cheddar.
Delicious! I made this for lunch today. My three year old ate so many that I’m now making another batch so my husband can eat some tonight.
Love, Love these!!!
These are delicious and I did add 1 extra beaten egg because I made it a slightly bigger recipe. Extra Cheddar cheese was excellent also! My 9 month old granddaughter loved them! Her mom asked me to make another match as she ate 5 of them in one day!!! I am making two batches and to one batch I will add a can of real crab meat….I think they will be excellent as crab cakes.
These were delicious; I made them in my mini waffle maker!
Loved these!
I did change the recipe a bit and pressed the balls down pretty flat, so they are more like crisps and I baked them longer so they were more brown.
Even better than the parmesan chips in the store AND with better ingredients!
Do these need to be refrigerated. I want to mail some to my college grand kids
Yes, they should be refrigerated if they aren’t eaten right away.
Made these with the addition of fresh corn, basil and parsley. They were delicious.
I really like these, especially because they are baked, not fried. However, my DH says they have an off taste. I cannot figure out what it would be. Any ideas? I made them exactly per the recipe. Thanks so much!
Excellent. I ground oats and used that instead of breadcrumbs. Turned out perfect.
This recipe is a family favorite & it is perfect for the abundance of summer zucchini.
I made it with breadcrumbs & add a little extra pepper. I pull it out the last two min & spray the tops with olive oil cooking spray for a nice shine & sprinkle salt on them once done.
Please turn out great the only thing I would do different myself is maybe bake them a little bit longer so they were even Chris beer. We dipped in a spicy Mexican cheese.
best. ever.
Has anyone tried this recipe with a good plant based cheese, if so which plant based cheese will crisp up in this recipe?
I doubled the recipe and added a pound of ground venison. Served with homemade ranch dressing, this will be a favorite!
Best way to have our family eat vegetables! We kick it up with a little Parmesan
This is a versatile crowd-pleaser. Five golden, shiny stars awarded to this recipe!
We have been enjoying it for 6 years. My daughter is incredibly fussy, and protein is our challenge. I tend to make it with heavy garlic and marble/farmers cheese, but there have been food prep nights when I’ve replaced cheese with aged cheddar & manchego, with some habinaro sauce for my ladies wine group. It packs up nicely for pic nice, and isn’t too messy for casual snacking- like in the car after sporting events. Thank you for this one!
excellent taste and simple ingredients
I so wanted to make these tonight! I took out a bag of zucchini that I had froze this summer, but… When I froze it and thought I squeezed it good before freezing, I had measured then in cups per bag. After I squeezed it after it thawed, I was lucky if there was 1/3 cup there, so went my plans. I made a turkey meatloaf, ended up throwing the zucchini that. Maybe next time.
Why would you give a 1 star review for a recipe you didn’t even make?
I can’t understand people who don’t make a recipe and rate it! I rate zero stars for zero effort!!
I understand your disappointment; it’s a hard pill to swallow when dinner plans fall apart.
This mistake sounds more like inexperience with freezing watery vegetables; and nothing to do with the recipe itself.
I would recommend trying again, once you nail the dry zucchini trick, You’ll probably be really happy with them. And you can freeze them after they’re cooked! It is very tasty.
Your single star review is unfair to the publisher of this recipe.
I would like to know why you would give it one star also when you didn”t make it? That just ruins it for others.
I agree with Joanne!
Freezing and measuring zucchini is truly one of the great culinary challenges of our time, right up there with boiling water and toasting bread.
Having not made the recipe myself due to the elusive zucchini, I can assure you I know what I’m talking about when I say 1/5 is too generous.
Until next time.
Team Joanne
Made these bites just like recipe, there were delicious. Thank you for sharing a great recipe.
I’ve made these several times and I think they’re great for snacking and to bring to a gathering where finger foods are in order. I use bread crumbs made from stale bread, and add a little more if the mixture is too wet. I like to use half shredded cheese and half parmesan cheese powder that comes in a can. I’ve found that 1-1/3 cups squeezed-dry zucchini is about right. Sometimes I add 1/8 tsp onion powder, and sometimes I add a grated carrot for color. The recipe allows for some modifications, but even as written it is absolutely delicious!
And FYI I cook my in an air fryer @350 for 15 minutes
I’m curious … do you think I could use a waffle iron to make these ???
Good question, Cindi! I haven’t tried that…I think the mixture might be a bit too wet and sticky for a waffle iron, but I’m not entirely sure. Let me know if you try it.
Made these twice in last few days with shredded zuchinni I had in freezer in 2 cup portions. Squeezed out water and had barely a cup, but used this anyway. Turned out great!! I like them just plain..no sauce. Did add a little grated onion second time and it was perfect!
I really liked this other than I prefer less basil or to sub a milder herb like parsley for my family’s taste!
Smells delish and tastes even better. Will make double batch next time!
This has turned out to be a great after school snack for my grandkids. They enjoy helping me.make them too.
Thank you.
Can these be made in a muffin tin?
I think others have tried that with good success!
Please include Nutritional Information with your recipes.
Hi Jean, I’m actually in the process of updating all my recipes with nutrition info!
These just came out of the oven and are SO GOOD. I used summer squash because that’s what I had. I followed the recipe with no other modifications. Amazing !
These were delicious! I used parchment paper but did not spray the paper. They browned nicely and lifted up off the parchment easily. I will definitely be making these again.
I love these fritters and have made them a few times. I just got myself a. Air fryer. Would one be able to bake them in an air fryer?
Hi Donna, yes, they work great in an air fryer! I lightly grease the insert of my air fryer (granted I don’t use it very often, but I do use it for this recipe sometimes) and then cook at 375 degrees, flipping after about 5 minutes and then checking and taking out when they are golden.
The zucchini bites are easy to make and delicious.
Can the zucchini cheesy bite be frozen
Yes. I freeze them after they have baked and cooled.
Very easy and delicious
Pick fresh Zucchini from our garden….just made the baked cheesy zucchini bites…yum yum…
Added real bacon bits , cheddar cheese & sprinkled parmigiana cheese…as that’s all I had in fridge…..turned out great…thanks for sharing your recipe
Tracey
if I use an air fryer or toaster oven how should time and temps be adjusted?
I’m sorry, I don’t know as I haven’t made them in an air fryer or toaster oven. Sorry!
I would AF them at same temp as listed for oven. Also, spray AF pan or AF paper liner and also tops of zucchini. Probably 375 would be better temp and 10-15 min. I was wondering about AF too.
Any substitute for egg?
I haven’t tried substituting for the egg, so I’m not sure – sorry!
You could do flax eggs or maybe some Mayo.
I would try using chickpea flour (Besan) as a substitute. Try on a small portion. Should work
These look delicious! I’ve seen another fritter use chickpea flour which eliminates the need for an egg, keeps it gluten free, and ups the protein content, so I think I’ll mesh the two recipes together 🙂
Delicious, different, and easy to make.
I made these for my toddler because she is in a ridiculous vegetable refusals phase. Both is my zucchini hating children ate them with no complaint. These are definitely going into the rotation!
Hi! I was wondering if I would be able to use more zucchini in place of some of the cheese? Thanks!
You can definitely experiment…
Has anybody tried using Italian Bread Crumbs? If so, did you make adjustments to the seasoning with the rest of the recipe?
I did, because that’s what I had on hand. I did not make any adjustments. They were delicious.
I bought a package of “zoodles”—Zucchini that has already been washed and spiral cut. It was easy to just quickly chop up for the fritters. I enjoyed them. So quick to make.
I’ve made them successfully with flax eggs (1 heaping Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp water). We love these little bites!
I have made these several. At one point, I realized I only had Italian seasoned panko. What a surprise shortcut. No need to add the garlic and opinion powder, basil, etc. Super quick. And they disappear quickly too.
We liked these so much on the first try that my husband asked me to put crab in the mixture. We had imitation crab on hand (I know, I know it’s not the same as real crab) so I did along with Old Bay. Yum. We cooked longer than suggested so they got very crisp. Thanks for the great recipe.
Eat hot or cold?
Either!
UMMMM YUMM!…definitely flip them 1/2 way thru so they get crispy on both sides
Made this recipe many times! The only difference is that I bake them in my mini muffin pan. They come out excellent. I often 3x or 4x the recipe so they can be frozen. I layer in a freezer container with wax paper between the layers and take out what we need for dinner or appetizer. Place in toaster oven or on shelf in grill wrapped in nonstick foil. Quick and easy!
I tried them I’m a mini muffin pan tonight and they were delicious! They got nice and crispy on all sides. Thanks for the recommendation.
Did you need to grease the mini muffin pan?
These are delicious and the recipe is easy to modify to your liking …love it, thanks for sharing!!!
These were easy and delicious. My veggie critics LOVED them! I will make these again.
These were so good! Thanks for sharing this recipe
Super easy recipe & delicious!
I made these again after making them last year. They are delicious. This year I added shredded carrot to the mixture. Delicious. I have shared your site and will continue to make these, especially since we have a surplus of zucchini in the garden and our neighbors also give us several. Thank you for sharing this.
YUM! And super easy! Thanks for sharing.
Not able to pin this recipe. It keeps saying something went wrong. Please fix. Great looking and easy recipe. Would love to try it.
These are great, I tripled the recipe because I like to cook in bulk and froze some for later. I also added grated carrot, onion, and hot peppers and used flour I stead of bread crumbs. I baked the first batch but because I didn’t have any par he ment paper in hand they stuck pretty bad to the bottom (used oiled aluminum foil). Decided to fry the rest and they were great! So delicious. I’ll be eating these when ever I want a quick savory snack
try it
These are delicious! I made mine on the thinner side, so they were fairly crispy.
When they were finished cooking, I let them cool a short time, topped each one with a. THIN Roma tomato slice, and a thin slice of fresh mozzarella , broiled for a few minutes ( just til cheese was melty! Yum, served them with homemade tomato soup!
Melty isn’t an actual word, so Im wondering if you mean really melted or just getting soft or…? Thank you!
I made a double batch of these after reading the reviews. They were to be my dieting snack food.
I salted and pressed the zucchini, then put it in a container lined with an old tea towel overnight and it was perfect to go the next day.
I forgot and added the garlic twice, it was still great and I used 1/2 panko and 1/2 seasoned bread crumbs because that was what I had on hand.
They were such a hit that when I went to have some today only 1 was left!
It was delicious cold from the fridge.
I went out and bought 4lbs of zucchini to make some more.
I posted a picture on facebook of our dinner and several people asked what the disc’s were, so I hope you don’t mind but I told them to check out melskitchencafe , because I’m sure glad I did!!
Thank you!
Thank you! So happy you loved this recipe so much!
Has anyone made these without the salt? My husband needs to keep to a no sodium added diet, and I’m wondering if excluding the salt will change the taste drastically. Thanks!
Play with seasonings using what your husband is allowed. there are some very good salt free seasonings from McCormick nd others at markets.
These bites are delicious, it’s like a taste of heaven in every bite! Ive been looking for ways to cook zucchini and this is the best!! Thank you for sharing!!
We have tons of zucchini so I made a batch for the family, ended up eating the entire batch myself while standing in front of the oven waiting for it to cool and now I’m going to make another batch right away. What a fantastic way to use up zucchini.
So good! Next time I will definitely double or triple the recipe as they were all gone in a flash! Super easy to make and after reading some of the comments, I’ll more than likely add some more spices to them. I made them gluten free using gluten free breadcrumbs and they were still delicious!
Excellent new treat which my husband is going to devour. I must triple the recipe next time! My neighbors gave me several very large zucchini so I googled and found your page. These are very easy to create – I used my spiralizer on the zucchini and then chopped the noodles fine from there. I squeezed the zucchini with a tea towel. An fyi – no need to fret when you see that these do not hold their shape well with the scoop method, that is ok – just pop it on to the pan and push any falling pieces on to the fritter. After I let these cool on the pan for a few minutes, I was able to just pick them up from the parchment paper – no sticking – I did not even need a spatula to lift these. The bottoms were a perfect crisp brown as were the sides and top. I followed your directions and these were excellent. I’m so glad you took the time to share this as I will be making these again. I appreciate the tip on freezing them as I will give that a go.
You can use flaxseed meal/water in place of egg. 2 1/2 tsp. flaxseed meal to 3 Tb water. Whisk til gelatinous. = 1 egg. If using whole seed, grind 2 tbsp whole seed til fine powder.
Made these for dinner guests and everyone loved them! Scarfed a double batch in no time!
I made the recipe vegan by using aqua faba (water from a can of chickpeas) in place of the egg and Daiya shredded cheddar for the cheese. YUM!!!
Thanks so much for a delicious, easy recipe! Will have to triple it next time!
Oh – I didn’t realize I was out of parchment paper, so I just lightly oiled a cookie sheet. They came up fine.
This was so easy and better yet — it was the best tasting zucchini recipe I’ve made in a long time. So crispy and full of flavor. I made honey lime chipotle dip and tzatziki dip to go with these fritters (one mild and one with some heat). The fritters are so good that I could make a main meal with them.
These are so easy to throw together and SO delicious! I used my air fryer to cook them – 390 degrees for about 8 minutes. And the leftovers make a super yummy lunch, topped with a soft boiled egg. Thanks for another winner, Mel!
That’s great to hear they worked well in an air fryer!
I absolutely love ❤️ this way to eat zucchini. I substituted Italian seasoning for the Basil. But I think that’s the beauty of your recipe…it’s flexible. You can use your favorite cheese, or your favorite spices. The possibilities are endless. I have made this about 5 times already, and have had no problems with the parchment paper. WONDERFUL RECIPE, THANK YOU!!!
I made this recipe today and it came out delicious. I used Parmesan cheese to make the fritter a little lighter, not the cheese the recipe called for, sometimes I like to change up the recipe. I cooked them for 16 minutes, after 8 minutes I turned them over so they were brown on both sides. If using parchment paper, be careful they cook faster, the end ones burned but still good. Enjoy!!
Made these tonight with an Italian shredded cheese blend (instead of recommended cheese) with chicken and pasta with vodka sauce. They were fantastic! I even got the SO, who is not a huge fan of veggies, to go back for more. I can only imagine how great they’d be with a bit of Ranch dressing.
I squeezed the zucchini in cheesecloth, let it rest, then pressed it between paper towels to ensure they weren’t soggy. Perfect!
Definitely a must make and new rotation to my veggies options.
Briana, you say you got the”SO” to go back for more. What, or who, is the “SO?” Sorry, but am not familiar with your shortened terminology.
Significant Other is what I’m thinking!
They’re soooo delicious. I made them with chickpeas flour and my husband love them. Instead of oven I made them on the stove with a topping of pepper jacks cheese.
If you try to make this DO NOT use parchment paper. My fritters completely stuck to the paper leaving them almost inedible. And I sprayed the paper with a nonstick spray too. Completely frustrated. Waste of time and food. I am unable to rate this but I give it 1 star
A tip when using parchment paper: no need to add any non-stick spray. The parchment paper is perfectly non stick all by itself. If something is stubborn simply peel the paper away from the cookie, fritter, etc. Keep on baking!
I wonder if you accidentally used wax paper instead of parchment paper. It doesn’t make sense for parchment to stick.
Came home from a long day at work to find these beauties all ready to pop in the oven. Very blessed to have a hubby who loves to cook! 20 minutes later, we were out on the deck with a crisp, cold bottle of rose’. Absolutely delicious!
I will be eating these all summer! I use chopped basil or sage from the garden and eat with fresh tomatoes.
I easily eat the whole batch for lunch—so much for keeping them on hand!
I like that they’re baked vs. sautéing like similar recipes.
I’m on a low fat, low calorie diet and was wondering what the calorie count might be.
Made these for dinner last night. They turned out great! My granddaughter and daughter hate zucchini and they both went back for seconds.
These sound yummy, can’t wait to try them. I was wondering, I can’t have the bread crumbs, do you think if I added almond flour it would work? Think I will try it. Thanks!
I am wondering the same thing so this can be a free snack for a keto/low carb diet. Did you end up trying it?
Ground pork rinds (chicharrones) often make a good bread crumb substitute and have zero carbs.
I made these tonight, and used almond flour in place of breadcrumbs. They turned out great!
I made these tonight. We loved them! I think next time i would grate a little onion in them and add a little dill. I used my fresh basil in theses and they were great. Thanks for sharing.
I was think to use pork rinds in place of bread crumb. Have not try it yet. Then it would be gluten free.
How are these to be stored after they’re made? Can they be left on counter or do they have to be refrigerated?
I refrigerate them in a covered container.
These are so yummy! I use my frozen zucchini from my garden! I have also tried different cheeses and that makes it fun! The only thing is they only make a very small batch, need to double the recipe next time, they are gone in no time!
Will i be able to feed this to my 12 month old baby?
This is a fantastic way to use up zucchini! Honestly the only part I dislike about any shredded zucchini recipe is the draining/squeezing but I bought some cheap dish cloths from Marshall’s and told myself to get over it. Made this recipe exactly as written, and they turned out great! All 3 variably picky preteen daughters ate them, and have requested them again. I thought about putting dry ranch powder in them if the kids didn’t eat them, but it wasn’t necessary. Would definitely make again.
In regards to making this recipe “egg free” I would recommend kraft mayonnaise. I also used kraft mayo when making traditional sausage balls but substituting turkey for sausage and adding mayo to bind and add texture. Worked great plus Moms and kids loved em.
You do know mayo is made from eggs?
I was just going to say that! Unless you have an egg free mayo. MAYO is NOT an egg free substitute!
I have made these a few times, family loves them! I substituted corn meal for the bread crumbs which is delicious! I used Parmesan for half of the cheese which adds a nice flavor. I also omitted the basil once too and we liked that better.
These were so good! I think they beat out zucchini coins for our favorite savory zucchini dish. Plus they were much easier to make.
Has anyone found an alternative to eggs yet?
Use egg beaters.
Egg beaters has egg in it.
Aqua faba worked just fine for me.
3 Tbsp = 1 “egg”.
Aqua faba is the water you drain from a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans. Works great as an egg replacer in all sorts of baked goods.
I was excited to make this for my bebe but it didn’t exactly work. I DO NOT reccomend using parchment paper. I lightly coated it with oil, cooked it its designated time and my fritters stuck to the paper and it was almost impossible to get them off most of it stuck to the paper.
Very good. I would like to try adding the parmesan cheese next time. Really enjoyed theses fritters
I wonder if these could be deep fried in a fryer ?
Love this recipe. I added some finely chopped broccoli to the second batch (just cause I had some) and it added some nice additional flavor.
Nutritional info please!
Let me just say….DELICIOUS!!!!! They were so good I almost ate them all! LOL
Thank you for sharing!
Good recipe, baked longer for crispy bite. Made twice already!
Has anyone used ground pork rinds in place of the panko? I use the pork rinds as a substitute bread coating in lots of recipes, since I am on the Keto diet. It has worked as a great binding agent also. I want to try this since I love using zucchini in cooking.
This looked so good I doubled it, and substituted in about 1/3 of it with a mixture of grated yellow squash, grated onion, and grated red pepper (squeezed dry all together). Absolutely fabulous, thanks Mel!
Outstanding!!!!!
A new family favourite!! I added some frank’s hot sauce! Yum yum! So good! My two yo pounded back four of them for lunch! Yay!
I’m making the chocolate zucchini cookies today too.
My husband christened these “cheese cookies”, and now my two year old is obsessed! How good do I feel watching zucchini disappear into that little mouth? Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Haha, love the renaming of this recipe!
I have made these zucchini bites twice now and they are delicious. A great healthy way to get the family to eat zucchini.
Perfect recipe! Thank you.
Turned out amazing! So healthy and so easy to make..thank you!
This was so great! I got a little overzealous and started before I read to ring out the zucchini and it still turned out awesome. Hubs, who doesn’t actually like zucchini that tastes like zucchini, said they were good and that he would eat them again! I am going to try making it without the panko or maybe try with some almond flour if it needs a binder. I think this would be an awesome low carb “bun” option!
PS would have given it all the stars but that last one only showed up as a half:0(
i used almond flour and still came out very good. maybe not as crunchy but still awesome. (once i tried to toast the almond flour on a pan trying to make it crunchier but turned out the same)
i have made these so many times!! LOVE THEM
Delicious and Quick easy recipe. Thanks
Hi
Do you think does would freeze well if you make a big batch of them?
I’ve never tried freezing them, but I believe others in the comment thread have with success.
Do they freeze well?
Mel hasn’t tried freezing them, but I believe others in the comment thread have and they report it works great.
My whole family loves these!
Yay! One of our family faves as well!
Wonderfully delicious! I added about 1/2 T of dried onion flakes. After about 15 minutes, I flipped them and baked them about another 7 minutes. I used about 2 cups of zucchini, made 13 little fritters. I will definitely make them again! Thank you!
These were delicious. They were easy to make, but they disappeared so fast. I have to double the recipe next time. I will definitely make these again and again.
I made these. They freeze wonderfully. Cook them all and then reheat. At least double the recipe, and feel free to add other spices. Today I don’t have zucchini so I am going to use all broccoli
Awesome recipe. I used 2 cups shredded zucchini and upped the other ingredients a tad to compensate. Delicious. Will make again.
Are these freezer friendly and how long would they keep in the fridge please?
Yes, they freeze pretty well…they should keep a couple days in the fridge.
These were delicious, except I kind of doubled it, used the same amount of zucchini, added about 1/4-1/2 cup chopped green onions, about 1 cup of grated cheddar, than doubled everything else. I had a chili lime dill sr cream & yoghurt dip, and a pesto tomato sauce that you could dip in either, will definitely make this a go to favourite! Thank you.
oh I forgot to say, I substituted dill for the basil, no particular reason, just felt like it, seems that this recipe is very flexible from all the comments which makes it a wonderful way to use your harvest. I found that this method is easy for pressing water out of zucchini: lay a clean drying towel in a long pyrex pan then putting grated zucchini on top, folding it, turn it over with thicker folds facing down and put something heavy on top (I used flour and sugar cannisters), all the moisture is out in about an hour or so, or you can let it sit as long as you like.
Made these that were great used yum yum sauce as a dipper
I was looking for a savory zucchini recipe. These are Delicious! Made recipe as stated. I will definitely make these again but will cut the salt in half. A bit salty for my tastes.
I made these for a side for dinner, but they didn’t make it that long. They are so good that we ate all of them WHILE we made dinner.
These were wonderful. I added fresh minced garlic instead of garlic powder to pronounce the garlic flavor and added a couple tablespoons of parmesan just because I like the flavor. I didn’t really NEED to do anything to your recipe though. It is perfectly delicious. I’ve made it a couple times already. I am diabetic so the fact that you only add 1/4 cup of panko is so great. Most diabetic or low carb recipes call for a lot of cheese as the binder. This recipe was reasonable and lets the zucchini shine. These are delicious hot or cold. Thanks so much for posting your recipe.
Family loves these, thanks!
Very good! Will definitely make again. My husband likes them crispier, I don’t mind either way. Served with Andouille chicken sausage and a salad. Thanks!
Delicious! A hit at our dinner. Will be making again and again
Nutrition information please?
Mel doesn’t do nutritional information (probably because most readers don’t really want to know how many calories are in white chocolate raspberry truffle cheesecake…).
But you can get it calculated super easily using online calculators (the easiest & best one I found was on happyforks).
Just made these. YUM!!!! Definitely a keeper!
The whole family loved these!!!! Simple. . And quick to make!!!
Just made these tonight and used the suggestion to replace the bread crumbs with Almond flour. Simply delish, will be making these again and again
I made these last summer, and after a trip to the farmer’s market today, planning on making them again. Because I also had summer squash, radishes, and carrots, I added them in also. Beautiful and even more nutritious, with the green, yellow, red, and orange vegetables. This recipe makes a delicious treat, appetizer, or side. Granted getting all the water out of the shredded vegetables was a big pain, and had shreds all over the counter, but I don’t care, ’cause these bites are yummy!
I also flipped them halfway through to get them crispy on both sides
Love all those add-ins, Lisa!
Thank you Mel, they were really colorful
Can these be made ahead and frozen?
I haven’t tried that but I believe others in the comment thread have and they report it works great.
I just wanted to say that I’m doing the Keto diet but wanted to try these.
I replaced the breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup of almond flour and they came out great!!
My family loved them and there are never any leftovers!!
Thanks for keto variation!
These look ah-mazing!! I’ll try them very soon.
Loved this recipe! Thank you!
Yep made this recipe. But I also put in finely grated carrot plus finely chopped spring onion.
Turned out very nice.
Did you add carrots in addition to the recipe or replaced half the zucchini with carrots?
Wow!! I can’t believe how well these turned out first time trying…they were snarfed down in minutes and inhave to make more now! Good thing I have lots of zucchini. I used gluten free breads and tex mex cheese and tons of garlic. Yum. This is such a fast and easy recipe too; especially if you rope the future tasters into grating zucchinis for you 😉
Just made it..
I added more spices- cayenne pepper, made it more spicy.
Thinking to add sunflower seeds next time or poppy seeds on top to give some crunchiness…
I like it…
Loved them
Iloved this, substituted gluten free flour (rice, quinoa, tapioca) for same quantity breadcrumbs, and it was fabulous!!
Easy and delish! My non-zucchini eating teenagers loved it too!!!
Delicious! My husband is on a very restricted diet and he could have every ingredient in this recipe…they came out wonderfully and we ate every single one of them! A keeper!
Hi there,
I just made these and I quadrupled the recipe to make a big batch for work.
The only change I made was I used Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and I feel they turned out a bit salty for my taste…otherwise a healthy and tasty treat.
So so good!! Doubled the recipe and subbed feta and gluten free seasoned panko bread crumbs (left out the other spices because of this). Tasted amazing with your tzatski sauce! Thanks for another great recipe!
Can these be frozen & served as appetizers later?
Yes, I think so.
These look delicious! Any suggestions on how to substitute the egg?
You could try more bread crumbs and milk, maybe? I think someone else commented in the thread about an egg substitute as well.
Have you ever tried to make this as a casserole / Side dish ? Curious for Thanksgiving .
Thank you !
I haven’t! Sounds like a delicious idea, though.
Keep making this recipe, even my picky 9 year old eats them!!! Thank you
My picky 13 month old LOVED these. I had to substitute about 1/2 cup of spinach because I ran out of zucchini. So thankful that I found this recipe. I was beginning to think that she just didn’t like my food!
I really want to make these, but I have a vegan diet. What does the egg do in the recipe? Is it a binder, leavening agent, or something else? Wondering how to replace it and the cheese. Thanks!
It helps bind the mixture together.
What is the serving size?
The yield is listed right above the recipe title – this recipe yields 1-2 zucchini bites.
1-2 zucchini bites? i’m not sure that’s correct? surely it makes more than one or two…? it sure looks good.. going to try it for christmas dinner.. thanks :@ )
1-2 dozen. 🙂
LOL, 1-2 zucchini bites. I had a total Scooby Doo moment.
Is using breadcrumbs better than flour ?
I prefer them made with bread crumbs.
These were super easy to throw together and very tasty. Only change that I would make would be to flatten them out into a patty and pan fry them in olive oil. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these as directed, except that i flipped them half way through baking They are amazing!
Even my husband (who hates most vegetables) tried and liked them! They definitely didn’t last long.
Didn’t make it to the table. Everyone ate them when I took them out of the oven. Delicious!!!
Bomb! Harvested the zuccini from my garden, had my toddler do all the mixing and walla! Perfect easy side foot with sneaked in veggies for my son and I. I will defiantly make this again once I get more zuccini 🙂
FYI…….Veggies is spelled V-E-G-G-I-E-S……..two g’s please!!!
I have made these and loved them but am now on a low carb diet. Can I remove the panko crumbs and replace with something else? Maybe just some carrot?
I haven’t tried that…I’m sure you could experiment. Good luck!
I used almond flour in place of panko and 1T gf flour.
I’ve found almond meal/flour as a good substitute for bread and pinko crumbs in other recipes.
Hi, do you measure the zucchini before or after squeezing the water out?
Measure it before wringing out the water (pack it into the measuring cups to get the 1 1/2 cups).
Tried this recipe. They baked to the wax paper to the point where they could not be removed. So sad.
You were supposed to use parchment paper. You can’t bake with wax paper.
AMAZING!
These are so good! Made them for dinner one night and we snacked on so many while we were cooking, I had to make a second batch.
Made these in accompany with turkey burgers with Boston leaf lettuce instead of buns. Sooooooooooo good! I even saved the leftovers and ate some with lunch. My hubby actually ate them as well, and he hates zucchini, supposedly. He wants a low carb diet, yet hates veggies?? Makes no sense. Thank you so much, delicious, will make again!
Delish! Wonder if I could make and freeze?
I think so! (I would freeze after baking).
I had these on my mind after I got your email last week about zucchini, I read the comments too and how much everyone loved them. I made them as written and they were perfect! My husband absolutely loved them. I flipped them over about 2/3 of the way through to get the top a little crispy too. I know when his girls come over I am going to have to double if not triple the recipe, They will be gone in no time, just like when there were only 2 of us. Thank you for this new go to recipe.
So easy and tastes amazing
This is the 2nd time I have made these. They are delicious. I don’t even like zucchini. My 15 month old loves them, and she is not a veggie fan at all. This is a weekly or biweekly item on my menu now. Thanks.
I made these for dinner. My husband groaned when i told him what I was making. We both enjoyed them. I added onions and went heavy on the garlic powder and fresh basil.. i also fried them in olive oil. Delicious!
I made these and my husband and I both thought they were absolutely delicious. I added shredded carrots and thought that was a great addition. Definitely an easy and great way to use zucchini from my garden. I’ll be sharing this recipe.
These were delicious and easy! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Hi,
Just made these bites and double sized the recipe. They turned out really well and every one in the family really liked them. Delicious and easy to make.
Thanks for Sharing.
What’s the best dip for the bites?
My kids love ranch. 🙂
Try Sabra Tzaziki ! So good!!!
Oh My! Just made these for dinner, and they were absolutely delicious. I had to add another 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs and an extra egg – they were a bit soupy – but SO SO good. Had them with shrimp cocktail, which made me think – these were be wonderful with some crabmeat added in. That will be my next batch! Thank you for sharing.
Crab meat added in sounds so delish!
OMG – just made, and am pigging out on the Baked Zucchini Bites! Was baking with my Farm Share basket zucchini and had just enough leftover for these delicious bites. Figers crossed my next basket gets more zucchini! I will make these first! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I made these for fathers day and they turned out perfect — they were the first things to disappear from the dinner table. Thanks for a great recipe — I’ll definitely be making these often!
I just made these tonight! I used Parmesan instead of cheddar and no basil. They were delicious! No frying!
Could you use frozen shredded zucchini if you drained it while unthawing?
As long as it is well-drained, it should work!
Yeah these are amazing. I added a bit of smoked paprika and spring onions (scallions) to mine.
Dip them in sweet chilli sauce for a nice kick.
Cheers!
Wondering if I could do half yellow squash half zucchini because I need to use up both.
Could certainly try! I think it would work just fine.
Did this work! I’m in the same situation!!!
Thanks 🙂
I made these last summer and added yellow squash, radishes, and carrots in addition to the zucchini. Pretty and Delicious!
I have been meaning to try these for a really long time and finally got to try them out tonight! OMG!! These are amazing!! I subbed the cheddar cheese for pepper jack and that gave it quite a kick. I dipped these on Greek yogurt ranch. So so good. Quick question: I have read that these freeze well; do I freeze the unbaked mixture and then bake when ready or bake them, cool them off and then reheat? Also what is the correct/ideal texture? I got the crisp on the edges but not the whole bite was crispy. I don’t know if I needed to bake a bit more. Thanks for such a great recipe! Definitely showing these off to the family in our next social!!
Hi Emie, you can definitely bake them longer if you want crispiness throughout (and make sure they are fairly thin); I like them a bit soft in the center after they have baked. Also, I freeze these after they have baked and cooled. They are super easy to pull from the freezer and reheat in the oven or microwave.
Hi Mel, I just made this wonderful zuchini bites I substitute 1/2 of the bread crumbs with cooked quinoa and baked them about 15 minutes only. They are delicious! Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
omg theses are requested all the time in my house!! we ate them ALL this time Im using onion maybe they will last longer NOT!! hahah
Excellet **********************
those are stars given to this recipe!
Made these tonight! They were delicious. I love zucchini and am always looking for new ways to cook it. This recipe is a keeper for sure!
I made this tonight in a desperate attempt to get my kids to eat veggies. I ended up using a combination of zucchini and carrots since I ran out of zucchini. They turned out SO yummy! My vegetable-avoiding husband even asked if he could have the last one! Thanks for a great recipe!
The other recipe that we actually just had for dinner tonight and all the kids and hubby (and myself) were loving it! It is a great way to use up all that zucchini! They are called chicken zucchini poppers and I got the recipe from onelovelylife.com. It is 1 lb of ground chicken breasts, 2 c grated zucchini (no need to ring out), 2-3 green onions, sliced, 1 clove of garlic, minced, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 3/4 tsp cumin, Mix everything together and pan fry with a little oil for about 5 minutes per side (about 1-2 TBSP size scoops) I like to flatten them out so they are like mini patties. Or there is a baking option to drizzle with a little oil and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. I have only ever pan fried and I use a non stick pan so I actually don’t even use any oil to cook them so they are super healthy and delicious! Then I took it up a notch tonight and made a dip by combining guacamole, sour cream, and salsa verde (make sure it is good quality). I don’t have measurements because I just threw those three things together tonight on a whim and OH. MY. GOODNESS!!! The kids were licking it off the plate!! I hope you try it and love it as much as we do! Thanks for all you do Mel, you really spell everything out so clearly and do such an amazing job!!
Hey Mel, my family LOVED these! Thanks again for another great recipe! So awhile back I told you about a 100% whole wheat bread recipe and never shared it with you so now I have two recipes for you 🙂 K so for the bread, this recipe is made up by my mother in law, Barbara. We use a bosch mixer and you put 2/3 c powdered milk, 2 c warm water, and 2 TBSP yeast, let that sit and proof while you measure 1/2 c oil (I like using olive or avocado) 1/4 c honey, 2 eggs, 2 tsp salt, and 2 TBSP vinegar, pour all of that into mixer and then add 7.5 C white whole wheat flour. Mix with a dough hook for 7-10 minutes. Now here is the beautiful part about this recipe…once it is done you divide the dough into three greased loaf pans and let it rise until 1 inch above the pan…yes only 1 rise…it seems crazy, but trust me! Then you bake the bread in a 300 degree oven for 35 minutes. This doubles beautifully and freezes amazing too. I was so excited about this bread because it is 100% whole wheat and actually tastes amazing and is light weight, just how bread should be. K I’ll post the other recipe in a new comment since this is already crazy long! 🙂
OMGoodness!!! I tried this recipe and the whole family loved it! Even my most picky eater loved them. Can’t wait to take a batch to this week’s BBQ!
Made these tonight and everyone loved them! They kind of reminded me of potato pancakes. Delicious. Thanks!
Yes so glad you posted this on Insta today! Perfect for zucchini season!
Have you ever tried parmesan cheese instead? We love sautéed shredded zucchini with garlic and parmesan.
Thanks for having such wonderful recipes!
I think you could definitely experiment with the cheese!
That’s what I did – swapped out the bread crumbs with parmesan. It turned out GREAT!
That makes the recipe gluten free and friendly to most diets (as long as you use reduced fat cheese).
Any idea if oatmeal could be substituted for the bread crumbs?
Certainly worth a try, Sarah!
Ive used ground millet instead of bread crumbs before, great way to add those whole grains.
Just thought I would let you know that I just did this recipe and they came out awesome!! I added minced jalapenos to half of the batch, gave them a little kick!!! Glad I found your recipe and think these are healthy too……………
Just made these and with 1 1/2 cups or zucchini before I wring out th excess water only gave me about 8. Did I do something wrong?
Hmmm… I’m not sure what happened, but it may be that I make them smaller.
I am going to give these a whirl but want to try a test batch on my BF before making it for his parents. Can I make the entire mixture, bake a few for testing purposes, refigerate the rest of the mixture then bake the rest later? I would think it would be OK, but wanted to double check.
I think that should work just fine – I wouldn’t refrigerate longer than a day, though.
I made these this morning and cooked them in my waffle iron. I used 2 eggs and another 1/4 cup of bread crumbs.
My son said they could have cooked a little longer to get more crispy but the taste was great. I also added some crushed red pepper because my family likes things with some zing.
Will make these again in the oven next time for the allotted time in hopes that they will crisp up a bit more.
I wonder if I added a little of flour if these would turn out like a sandwich patty and could be used as a bread and put some bacon or sausage in the middle.
Followed the recipe exactly and these were awesome! Whole family loved them! Husband dipped them in some thick blue cheese dressing. Thanks for this recipe!
Thank you-thank you- thank you for this recipe!! Made it tonight for 1st time!! Omg loove it!! Made it for an easy healthier different work lunch!! I doubled recipe & ate 1/2 already, yummy with a dip! This will be a regular go 2 recipe for me!!! Only deviation from your recipe for me was I added an epicure spice- a good shake of Brushetta!!
I’m going to try these for breakfast!
This is probably a silly question, but do you think I could bake these in a toaster oven? I love zucchini and these sound so good, but turning on the oven in the summer in Texas is just too much for me!
I’m not really familiar with toaster ovens, Beverly, but I think that should work as long as they don’t overcook. Good luck!
These look fantastic but they didn’t turn out well for me. They were soft and spongy and would not come off the pan! I squeezed and squeezed out all the moisture and lightly greased the baking sheet. What went wrong?
Sorry these didn’t work out for you! It’s really hard for me to know what exactly went wrong…they may have needed a bit of extra flour if the zucchini was extra wet.
I made these for the first time and they were really good. Will make again so friends and family can try them.
Did I miss something? New to Pinterest . Saw recipe and looked good but didn’t see the baking temp, just the ingredients. Advice?
Hello Nancy. Usually on Pinterest you won’t get the full recipe. If you click on the picture you pinned it should take you to the full recipe on Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. You bake these at 425 for 16-20 minutes until golden brown. The directions are all here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/baked-cheesy-zucchini-bites/. Good luck if you try them!
Do you have nutritional information for this recipe?
I do not provide the nutritional information, sorry!
Oh, these were fabulous for my dinner tonight! 🙂 I used rounded tablespoons so my came out bigger but they are delish (as usual)! Do you think they’d freeze ok? I’m thinking just cooking them about half way and then freezing to pull out for a tasty snack whenever. Not sure how the zucchini would hold up to freezing though.
These should freeze quite well since the zucchini has been wrung of most the liquid. They might be slightly softer upon reheating but I think it’s definitely worth a try!
These were so yummy! We ate them with tomato dipping sauce. One question- any tips for keeping them from burning on the bottom? Mine seemed to brown pretty quickly on the bottom, but needed more time on the top.
Is your pan dark coated? That may be why – try reducing the oven temp by 25 degrees. You’ll want to add on more time but it should help the bottom not get overdone.
Yes! Thank you! I will try again today- thanks for the feedback! 🙂
Hi! Am about to put these in the oven. I have no idea how you were able to get 2-3 dozen out of these. I scraped together only 10. 🙁
Will definitely double the recipe next time! Can’t wait to try these!
Thanks for the recipe!
Same thing happened to me 🙁
Made these today on the grill on my yoshi mat. Turned out delicious! I couldn’t bear to turn my oven on.
What type of dipping sauce would you suggest for these. Thanks so much.
Ranch or ketchup or even hummus would be delicious.
I make all kinds of zucchini fritters and couldn’t find my favorite recipe tonight, so had to quickly Google something up. Found this. The recipe is definitely fast and easy. I had only limited time and got them done as an accompaniment to chicken soup.
.Try these with a dollop of sour cream and a crisp piece of turkey bacon on top!
Wowee, these were as yummy as I hoped they would be! So quick an easy and delicious paired with some tomato slices and a green salad. Now, I’m actually sad that the zucchini is finally petering out. 🙂
I just made these for dinner. AWESOME!!! I did change a couple things. I used Gluten free bread crumbs and shredded mozzarella because that’s what I had. Came out great.
These were just scrumptious. I did substitute dried dill weed as I was out of basil and I used up some swiss cheese that was in my fridge in lieu of the cheddar. I love how crispy the tops and edges were. We all devoured these in minutes. So easy to whip up and bake. Thank you for another delicious vegetable option.
I made these for dinner tonight, and they are very tasty! Thanks, Mel.
Question on the breadcrumbs – could you use fresh or do you have to use panko or purchased crumbs. I have some stale bread in the freezer I could use for these. But not sure if that will throw off the recipe. Thanks!
Erika – I haven’t used fresh breadcrumbs but I think it stands a good chance of working. If possible, try toasting the bread crumbs before using. If not, the mixture may end up a little gummy.
Mel, I was introduced to your site last week and have tried 3 recipes so far (Cheesy Zucchini Bites, White Bean Chicken Chili -using zucchini to thicken, and Zucchini Bread). All 3 have been MAJOR hits with the whole clan (ages 3-18). Today I’m making Brookies. I am a huge “Taste of Home”(r) but have loved adding your amazing creativity into my culinary mix. Thank you so much for sharing!
Perfectly delicious! I loved them. And one of the three kids liked them. Success!
I stumbled on your site thanks to a friend and this was the first of your recipes that I tried. My family – including a 4 & 7 year old – LOVED these! My kids finally ate zucchini and I’m thrilled to finally have another vegetable for them to eat. Thank you!!!
Zucchini + cheese = heaven…unless you read the recipe wrong! I don’t know what was going on in my brain but I put 1 1/2 cups of cheese in! Don’t get me wrong, it was still good but way too much cheese and way too greasy…probably not what you had in mind. I’ll just have to try it again! 🙂
Is the 1 1/2 cups of shredded zucchini before you wring out the excess water or after? It seems like it shrunk down considerably after l wrung the water out of it and I don’t think I ended up with more than a dozen bites. Thanks for all the great recipes I just seem to be missing something here.
Leann – The 1 1/2 cups is before I shred it but it’s really packed into the measuring cup. You might try using a bit more, especially if you think the shredded zucchini wasn’t as packed into the cup as it could be. Hope that helps!
Hey Mel! Surely you mean after you shred it? I don’t think you just stuck a zucchini in a measuring cup, right?
Just an error on my part when I responded to that last comment – the 1 1/2 cups is before I wring it out.
I stumbled upon your blog about a year ago and love it. My family has enjoyed many of your delicious recipes. This one required a special thanks, though. These were really yummy. But here is the best part. My nearly 5-year-old son has not consumed more than a few teeny nibbles of any vegetable in almost 3 years, but he LOVED these. I almost cried tears of joy as I watched him devour one after another, after another, after another. Unbelievable. Thank you so much! We will be making these again for sure!
I love hearing things like this, Margo! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for another great recipe, Mel! I made these last night and my whole family ate them! We liked them with a little dollop of pasta sauce. My oldest said, “It kind of tastes like a little pizza.” – That is a big compliment from him! 😉
Goodness, made them for lunch on Saturday for two friends, along with home made tomato soup…..delicious! Thanks, Mel!
These were very tasty! Even my kids said they weren’t “too bad” which, coming from them, is a compliment for any vegetable. Mine ended up being about 2 in. in diameter and must have been quite a bit larger than yours because I only could make 14 zucchini bites. Thanks for a fun new way for us to eat up our zucchini!
Seriously? Making these tonight, they look SOOOO good! What a great, quick, easy recipe. Everything on hand.
Oh, I think I could eat a hundred of these! YUM!
Mel,I cannot wait till you have a cookbook.Once again another great recipe.I found it worked even though i had to tamper with it.I substituted potato flakes and used Parmesan.
Yum! Sadly, my MIL’s garden plants are no longer producing anything except grape tomatoes, but lucky for me I have a great farmstand a few miles from my home. I will pick up some zucchini so I can try these! I think yellow squash would work, too!
These look divine! Can’t wait to give them a try! Hope the new move and family are adjusting well! 🙂
Oh no! I ran took a quick break to make the comment above, and when I got back ALL the zucchini cheesy bites were gone. Grandkids finished off the first batch while I was at the computer. LOL That’s a good testimony to the flavor. Now I need to shred and make more. So fun!
We are eating these right now for lunch — so yummy. I had a big bowl of shredded zucchini draining, ready to make zucchini fritters for lunch — saw your post — switched it up and I’m so glad. Baking is easier than frying — and these are great.
I never hesitate to try one of your recipes — they are all so good. Your quinoa bites are a family favorite — now these join that recipe as quick and delicious.
Oh — wondered when I was putting ingredients together if I needed salt. But I trusted your recipe and it was perfect.
Thanks again.
Yum! I love zucchini!
Sounds yummy! Have got some zucchini in the fridge that would be perfect for this recipe!
Mel, these look yummy! Do you serve them hot, cold, or both?
Linda – We like them warm or at room temperature (mostly because they get devoured that quickly). Haven’t tried them cold yet!
Great, helps to know what event I can plan them for. Thanks for the speedy reply!
Mel, when I saw the headline Baked-cheesy-zucchini-bites, I thought since “great minds think alike,” that you were going to share one of MY zucchini favorites that my kids grew up with and still beg me to make when they come to visit (they are grown: Ryan, Melanie, and James, now 40, 35, 29 years old).
It was so easy (best green vegetable stand-in) with few ingredients:
Several Zucchini (small, preferably), sliced in 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick circles
Shredded cheese (your choice – I like to use mild cheddar or monteray jack)
Salt & pepper
All you do is preheat the oven to 400
Spray a small shallow pan with non-stick spray (I use a cake pan)
Slice the zucchinis into circles
Salt and pepper the zucchini circles
Sprinkle the circles with cheese to cover each circle
Bake about 10 minutes (we like ours crisp, not soft veggies)
Yum!
Yes, the kids used to scrape & eat the cheese off the zucchini circles and leave the zucchini behind when I first made this recipe (kids always like to outsmart the adults), but pretty soon they were eating the whole zucchini circle along with the cheese and acquiring a taste for a yummy vegetable that was (oh my gosh!) healthy for them. They still love my zucchini circles!
Thanks for this recipe! I have tons of zucchini that needs to be used! These look awesome!
Yesssss! I love baked versions of normally fried things, and this looks absolutely delicious! Hope your move went well and are getting settled in to your new kitchen. 🙂
Just shredded about 12 zucchini and will have to give this a try! Looks so yummy!
Mel !!! Yum, yet again! Superstar 🙂 Congrats on your move & hope all is well!
Ok fellow gardeners! I had a lot of zukes this summer thanks to more than usual rain; but that also meant over-infestation of squash bugs! I tried really really really hard to go organic, but the bugs won the war. Any suggestions for next year??
Organic pesticides !
We lost half our crop to squash bugs every year, but now we plant three or four marigold plants around each plant. We haven’t lost one plant since doing this in over 10 years. Put them about 5 inches from the plant’s zuke’s main stem and the arch of the leaves grows right over the marigolds. A farmer gave us the tip and it’s worked like a charm ever since.
I make these all the time when I get a bumper crop from our CSA. I scoop them into a mini muffin tin sprayed with Pam. Then we dip them in sirracha mayo. They go great at potlucks.
Can these be frozen (either before or after cooking)?
Can these be frozen before or after cooking?
Hello Maureen – Mel doesn’t have access to internet right now so I’m helping her out with comments for the next few days. I have frozen these before with success after they were cooked. The texture does get a little softer and mushier though when you reheat them the second time.
Thanks so much!!
I just made these and they were delicious but the texture was like a quiche, very moist. Is it supposed to be more biscuit/bread like?
It kind of depends on how much liquid is left in the zucchini…but they are going to be more moist than a biscuit.
I’ll share! After making a quadruple batch of your zucchini bread I still have 8 zucchinis sitting on my counter… and that’s not even counting the ones I’m sure are currently waiting for me in my garden
If you lived closer I would love to share my zucchini horde with you! I love it too. It is awesome. These look great and will add them to my zucchini recipes. Thanks!
I don’t have a garden overflowing with zucchini either, but I will have to pick some up at the farmers’ market to try these! I love that you’ve added cheddar!