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.
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.)
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.