Zucchini Cheddar Pancakes

Fresh Zucchini made into delightful fritters or pancakes!

I didn’t grow up eating zucchini pancakes. I never even had a zucchini pancake until several years after Rod and I were married. We had a bumper crop of zucchini and were trying to eat as much as possible.

Rod decided to make zucchini cheddar pancakes. They were an instant hit and have become a staple every summer since.

Summer is starting to wind down for us. The kids’ first day is the Tuesday after Labor Day, but I am already back at school…planning for the upcoming school year.

As an elementary school principal, the start of the school year is such a busy time of the year. The tough part for me is this is just when our garden is ready to harvest.

The tomatoes, zucchinis, cucumbers, peppers, and yellow squash are all producing like crazy and I have no time to use up all this amazing produce.

I keep thinking….maybe if school were to start in October, I’d be able to spend more time canning, freezing and dehydrating what we grow. I don’t think the school year is going to change for my garden 🙂

So instead I have to adapt. We pick and can in the evenings and weekends. We freeze as much as possible and we still eat everything we grow!

Zucchini cheddar pancakes are perfect for this time of the year. They use up some of our zucchini and are fast and easy to make and everyone loves them! I’ve also been using up some of the zucchini by making chocolate zucchini muffin,  whole wheat zucchini bread and zucchini and ricotta stuffed chicken breasts.

Zucchini is approximately 95% water. All that water can ruin a good zucchini pancake and as much as possible much be removed from the zucchini. 

How to make zucchini less watery?

1. Trim ends off zucchini
2. Grate zucchini  in a bowl
3. Sprinkle with salt and let rest for 10 minutes
4. Squeeze zucchini with your hands
5. Discard liquid

My kids love these savory pancakes. I love to top them with a light cilantro lime crema. The kids like to top them with maple syrup! I’m not kidding. When they first heard zucchini cheddar pancakes, all they heard was pancakes.

They brought out the syrup! I can’t get them to eat them with anything else! Oh….those crazy kids!

What to serve with zucchini pancakes?

I like to eat these just by themselves, but they’d also be perfect with Tomato Soup, or eaten as a side dish with Beer Can Chicken. 

5 from 6 votes

Print

Zucchini Cheddar Pancakes

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

6 mins

Total Time

21 mins

 

A savory zucchini pancake

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: zucchini, zucchini cheddar pancakes, zucchini fritters, zucchini pancakes, zucchini recipes

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 85 kcal

Author: Kathy

Ingredients

• 2 whole medium zucchini grated
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
• 2 whole eggs lightly beaten,
• 1/9 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Place grated zucchini in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 10 minutes allowing excess moisture to drain off zucchini.
2. Squeeze zucchini and place in a clean, dry towel. Squeeze off all excess moisture. Place zucchini in a mixing bowl.
3. Sprinkle flour over zucchini and toss to coat.
4. Mix in cheese.
5. Add eggs and mix until incorporated.
6. Mix in salt and pepper.
7. Place heaping scoops of mixture onto a hot, greased skillet. Flatten out scoop to make a flat pancake.
8. Cook for approximately 3 minutes per side.
9. Serve with cilantro lime crema or maple syrup!

Recipe Notes

To make the crema, take 1/4 cup sour cream and mix in juice from 1/2 lime, zest from 1/2 lime and a tablespoon of chopped cilantro.

Nutrition Facts

Zucchini Cheddar Pancakes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 85 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4g 6%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Cholesterol 15mg 5%

Sodium 411mg 17%

Potassium 22mg 1%

Total Carbohydrates 6g 2%

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin A 2.8%

Calcium 10.2%

Iron 2.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Other great recipes to try…

Orzo Pasta

Corn Chowder