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.)
These are so very good!!!
I followed the recipe but mine turned out burnt at the bottom and not fully cooked in the middle. What went wrong??
Hi Jo, try reducing the oven temperature by 25 degrees and cooking them a bit longer.
Delicious!
I didn’t have any eggs handy so I substituted it with hellemans mayo and they turned our wonderful!
I made these last night and they were delicious. However they stuck to the parchment paper. So I decided to make them again today. I didn’t have any more zucchini so I used yellow squash and put a little cooking spray on the parchment paper. Turned out amazing. It will become a staple at my house
Mel, I’ve been following you for years. My 3 yo does not like zucchini in most forms. Made these tonight and his response was ” I yove these!” I threw some in the freezer and can’t wait to heat them in the air fryer.
Loved loved these. My husband also!! Only suggestion less salt. Great appetizer or side dish.
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