Zucchini Cheddar Pancakes are made with fresh zucchini and shredded cheddar cheese. These tasty zucchini fritters are perfect to eat as an appetizer or a side dish.
Zucchini fritters
These delicious zucchini pancakes are also called zucchini fritters. They are made with just a few simple ingredients and are loaded with fresh zucchini and lots of cheese.
I had never had a zucchini pancake until I met Rod. We had a bumper crop of zucchini one summer and were trying to use as much of it as possible.
Rod decided to make zucchini cheddar pancakes. They were an instant hit and have become a staple every summer since. My kids loved them, but they absolutely insisted they be served with syrup (because they were pancakes!)
I love them with a simple lime crema or lime sour cream. The crema is made with sour cream, lime juice and zest and a bit of fresh cilantro. You may also want to try serving with basil aioli or chipotle mayo.
Key ingredients
Ingredients
This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.
- Zucchini - Use freshly grated zucchini. Yellow crook neck squash can also be used.
- Cheese - I like to use sharp cheddar cheese. You can also use medium cheddar, colby, or pepper jack.
- Eggs - The eggs are a binder and help keep everything together.
- Flour - All-purpose flour is used in this recipe. You could also use gluten-free flour.
Step-by-step directions
How to make it
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Grate the zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Drain off any liquid and place the zucchini on a clean towel. Squeeze out any moisture. The liquid is a beautiful green color!
- Place zucchini in a bowl and sprinkle with flour. Toss to coat.
- Add cheese and toss together.
- Lightly beat eggs, add salt, and then mix into the zucchini.
- Form large scoops of the zucchini mixture and place in a preheated skillet that has been greased lightly. Flatten each scoop so it forms a pancake shape.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until each side is golden and the pancake is cooked through.
Recipe tips
- Zucchini is approximately 95% water. Try to squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as possible.
- Use an ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop for evenly sized pancakes.
Variations
These zucchini pancakes would be delicious with pepper jack cheese or for a very different taste, try Swiss cheese.
Finely chopped onions or fresh chives would also be delicious. And if you want to spice these pancakes up a bit, add some roasted jalapenos or peppers.
Frequently asked questions
Place fully cooked pancakes on a baking sheet and place in a 375°F oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through.
Yes! Allow the pancakes to fully cool then place in a single layer in a freezer-safe bag or container.
More zucchini recipes
- Fried Zucchini
- Roasted Zucchini
- Banana Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chips
- Lime Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my vegetable recipes!
Zucchini Cheddar Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
- 1 teaspoon salt (for sprinkling on grated zucchini)
- ½ cup flour
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
- 2 whole eggs (lightly beaten,)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place grated zucchini in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 10 minutes allowing excess moisture to drain off zucchini.2 cups grated zucchini, 1 teaspoon salt
- Squeeze zucchini and place in a clean, dry towel. Squeeze off all excess moisture. Place zucchini in a mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle flour over zucchini and toss to coat.½ cup flour
- Mix in cheese.1 cup cheddar cheese
- Add eggs and mix until incorporated.2 whole eggs
- Mix in salt and pepper.⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- Place heaping scoops of mixture onto a hot, lightly greased skillet. Flatten out scoop to make a flat pancake.
- Cook for approximately 3 minutes per side or until golden and fully cooked through.
Notes
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Update: This post was originally published in August 2016. The post and recipe have been updated.
Pat says
These were great. Since we are on a very low sodium diet, instead of putting salt on the shredded zucchini to leach out the liquid, I put the shredded zucchini on a baking tray covered with a silicone mat and baked at 275 for about 15 min. It worked great that way. We will definitely have these again. Thanks for sharing!
Kathy says
Pat,
That is a brilliant idea!!! I am so glad you found a way to make this recipe work for you. I'm sure others will be able to use your tip as well!
Thanks,
Kathy 🙂
Linda in Oregon says
This was fantastic! My husband said it is now his favorite way to prepare zucchini, and my 13 year old daughter ate every bite. I made no alterations at all to the pancake recipe, but I did alter the creme. First, I used greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Then I thought, why not put maple syrup IN the sauce? Then you have sweet and tangy. I added in just a drizzle, probably about 1tsp, maybe 1-1/2. I was also out of fresh lime, so subbed fresh lemon (but I bet lime with the maple would be just as good, will try next time), and just a small pinch of salt to make the flavors pop. Will keep this sauce in mind for lots of future veggie dishes. Thanks for this great recipe!
Kathy says
Thanks so much, Linda! I love what you did with the sauce! Such a brilliant idea adding the maple syrup! My kids would love it! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Jenny Lovette says
These were really good! I also substituted almond flour for regular flour with good results to make them Keto-friendly. The only thing that confused me is that it didn’t say “sprinkle the shredded zucchini with 1tsp. salt” so I just sprinkled some on and waited the 10 min. Then when it came time to mix everything I added the 1tsp. salt to the batter and it was too salty. I learned my lesson.
Kathy says
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for leaving a comment. These are one of our favorites to make with all the garden zucchini we get! I've updated the recipe slightly to make the salt less confusing. Sprinkle the full teaspoon over the shredded zucchini and add 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt to the patties themselves. Hope that helps, Kathy
Kathy says
This is my first time at your website. I have not made the zucchini pancakes yet, but still gave it 5 starts because the person that linked the recipe to your site said they were amazing. She has a you tube channel, and is keto. So to make your recipe keto friendly she just subbed out the regular flour for almond flour.
I will be making them soon but after looking over your recipe, I wanted to also say thank you for including in the notes section that the 2 medium zucchini should yield about 2 cups of shredded zucchini. I find that SO helpful because you never know what size zucchini the stores might have. I've always wondered why other recipe creators don't do this. But I did notice you didn't do that with the lime juice and zest. Because some times I get a tablespoon from a half of lemon or lime and other times I get two tablespoons , depending on how juicy it is. So that would be another appreciated hint if you could include the amount of juice you used in your crema . I'm definitely going to make that too, because it sounds delicious.
Kathy says
Thanks for you comment! I appreciate your feedback. You will need approximately 1 Tablespoon of lime juice and one teaspoon of lime zest. I will update the recipe card. Let me know how these turn out! 🙂
Kathy says
Came back to let you know that I made them tonight. I made a half recipe, so I shredded and measured out 1 cup zucchini, sprinkled 1/2 tsp salt over them in a colander as the recipe says. After ten minutes I squeezed them and was afraid I hadn't shredded enough zucchini because after squeezing there seemed to be a little over 1/4 cup of zucchini after the water got squeezed out. But mixed them up with the other ingredients and fried them and they were really good.
My husband tried one , he's the big one in our family for fried zucchini . He just slices them and then dips them in egg and cracker crumbs and fries them. He says he likes these better then his way and wants to make some tomorrow night 😀 So I'd say you got lots of thumbs up from this house. And we both loved the crema as well. I was sad I didn't have fresh cilantro, but it was still great. Will be getting some cilantro next store order. Thank you so much!
Kathy says
Thanks so much! So glad it was a hit in your house. I appreciate you leaving a comment and letting me know. 🙂
Julie Hurrell says
Just eating them now, they are delicious
Kathy says
Thanks, Julie! 🙂