Whenever we wind up with a pile of zucchini from the store or the garden, it’s time for all things zucchini. And this baked Zucchini Fritters recipe is such an easy way to serve it up to the kids and the whole batch is ready in under 30 minutes.
Zucchini Fritters Recipe
I love to make savory Zucchini Fritters to share with the kids whenever we have too much zucchini. This idea is really great in the summer because it’s an easy way to use a lot of zucchini, but it also works at any time of the year. We love them for an easy toddler meal or they’re great for baby-led weaning.
And while zucchini fritters are usually made by pan-frying, which I don’t love because I feel like things inevitably fall apart when I try to flip the fritters—these are baked in a muffin pan in the oven. Which makes them both easier to make and less messy. Plus, you don’t have to stand by the stove cooking them all in subsequent batches. The clean up is minimal and they are simpler all around.
(You may also enjoy my Broccoli Fritters and Quinoa Patties.)
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe so you know what to pick up at the market or store.
- Zucchini: I use classic green zucchini here, though you can also use yellow summer squash if that’s what you have.
- Flour: This works with either whole wheat or gluten-free flour blend so you can pick the one that works best for your family.
- Shredded cheese: I like mozzarella, cheddar, or a blend here.
- Egg: This helps the fritters hold together.
- Salt: You can omit this if you prefer, though I like it for a little extra flavor.
- Cumin: I like to add cumin for extra flavor.
TIP: You can leave the cumin out, but it adds a nice extra note of flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients. If making these for a baby, you can omit the added salt.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the easy process involved in making healthy zucchini fritters. Scroll down to the end of the post for the full recipe.
- Grate your zucchini on a box grater. Squeeze very dry.
- Spread onto a clean kitchen towel and roll up to absorb the excess moisture. Unroll and measure. This will help ensure the fritters bake through nicely.
- Place the zucchini into a medium bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir together until all of the flour is absorbed.
- Portion into muffin cups.
- Bake until set and lightly golden brown. Serve warm!
TIP: You can make these ahead and simply warm slightly or serve at room temperature.
Italian Zucchini Fritters
We like these warm out of the oven with a little ketchup or salsa or marinara sauce, though they are also good at room temperature. They are satisfying, yet light, so they make for a wonderful late summer meal. And since they are so easy to pick up and hold, and have a soft interior, they are a perfect toddler food.
(The cheese doesn’t hurt either!)
TIP: You could add fresh basil or parsley to add more Italian flavor if you want!
Healthy Zucchini Fritters Recipe
Each zucchini fritter has some protein from the egg and cheese, calcium from the cheese, and a toddler-size serving of vegetables. They are a really fun way to change up how you prepare zucchini, especially when you have the giant baseball-bat sized ones to use up.
I love eating these myself for breakfast or lunch and they are a perfect toddler lunch idea to have on hand and quickly reheat.
Can I make these fritters egg-free?
Sure! Simply replace the egg with 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese and bake for an additional 2-4 minutes. Let cool in the pan. You will likely need to use your hands to mix the batter and it will seem dry at first, but keep mixing until it comes together. It will be fairly stiff and thick once it’s all incorporated.
(You don’t want it to be any wetter because they won’t cook through!)
How to Store
Store, once cooled, in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Warm for about 15-30 seconds before serving so they soften and taste super delish.
Best Tips for Success
- Be sure to do the step of rolling up the shredded zucchini on a clean towel to absorb some of the water in the veggie. This ensures that the fritters will have a great texture and won’t be too moist.
- Grease the pan well to help the fitters release easily.
- If making these for a baby, you can omit the added salt.
- Mix the batter well until all of the flour is totally absorbed. This may take 30-45 seconds. I use a fork and just keep stirring until it’s all mixed in.
- Cut them into smaller pieces as needed if your toddler does better chewing smaller bites than taking bites off of larger pieces of food. They are very soft, so are a good option for finger foods for older babies too.
- Double the recipe to make more!
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the recipe, so please comment and rate the recipe below.
Easy Zucchini Fritters Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded zucchini (squeezed very dry and packed into the cup to measure; about 3 small zucchini)
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup whole-wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Spread the grated zucchini on a clean dish towel. Let sit while the oven preheats to 400 degrees F. Grease 6 cups of a muffin tin.
- Roll up zucchini and press to remove all excess moisture.
- Place the zucchini in a medium bowl the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Fill prepared muffin cups about half full, packing each one tightly. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges and tops are lightly golden brown.
- Let cool for 2 minutes and remove from cups. Serve warm with ketchup or salsa for dipping, if desired.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Warm for about 15 seconds in the microwave to serve.
- Use shredded Gouda or mozzarella cheese instead of the cheddar.
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a hint of spice.
- Add snipped parsley and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan for Italian flavor.
- If making these for a baby, you can omit the added salt.
- Egg-Free Zucchini Fritters: Omit the egg and add 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese. Bake for an additional 2-4 minutes and let cool fully in the pan. You will likely need to use your hands to mix the batter and it will seem dry at first, but keep mixing until it comes together. It will be fairly stiff and thick once it’s all incorporated. (You don’t want it to be any wetter because they won’t cook through!)
Nutrition
This post was first published July 2018.
Was looking forward to making these. Do not even attempt it! Too crispy on the outside for a toddler and too soggy/watery inside. I tried baking longer at lower temp and doesn’t help. Horrible recipe, waste of my morning. P.s. I followed the recipe thoroughly and ensured all water is squeezed out from the zucchini.
I am sorry to hear you had that experience. I’ve never had that happen but I do appreciate the feedback.
I just made this recipe for my 22 months old daughter. They taste so delicious and recipe adventure ocean easy. I baked them on a mini muffing silicone pan and they came out tiny and perfect size for a toddler. I’m so happy I found this recipe, thanks so much .
Hi! I’ve made this recipe so many times and my 2 year old girl LOVES it! They freeze so well too. I was wondering if I can make it with carrots? Thanks for this awesome recipe!
I’m so glad! I haven’t ever made them with carrots—I might let shredded carrots sit in hot water for 5 minutes, then drain, then use them in the recipe to ensure they’re soft enough. I did once make them with sweet potato and they were yummy!
Hi! Just an update. I made them with carrots yesterday and they were perfect!! I shredded the carrots on the super fine side of the grater. A little less than a cup. I added garlic powder, onion powder, and some oregano. They came out a bit more dense than the zucchini ones but my daughter absolutely loved them! I’m so happy. Thanks again!
Oh awesome!
Made these for my 21 month old daughter and they were a hit!! We served them with ketchup and she loved to dip them. Super easy to make and love that they are baked and not fried! I even snuck one for lunch myself 🙂 thanks for this great recipe!
I tried to give this recipe a negative review and it was deleted. I’m glad others like your recipe, but you shouldn’t have a comment section if you are only choosing to publish the 5 star reviews. Very dishonest. Accept that people have different tastes and would like to read everyone’s honest reviews.
I didn’t delete it, I was sleeping and hadn’t had a chance to approve the comment. Thanks for your feedback. I have not have that experience with these, but it’s possible the zucchini was too wet. I am sorry you had that happen though.
This recipe worked perfectly for me. Thanks for sharing!
Thumbs down! Baked them for 22 minutes and soggy in the middle. Ended up baking them for a total of 1 hr 10min and they never lost the wet eggy texture on the inside. I can’t speak to the flavour because I wasn’t about to put uncooked egg mixture in my mouth.
These are incredibly easy to make and such a huge hit with my 14mo!! She loves them with marinara sauce. I love that they are made in muffin tins instead of having to cook each one in the skillet. I wish I had tripled the recipe.
Hi! Can these be frozen? Thanks!
Yes, freeze in a zip top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible. Thaw overnight in the fridge or warm directly in the microwave. You may need to pat dry with a paper towel once they are warmed.
Hi my daughter has an egg and milk allergy, I’ve got the egg part sorted with chia egg but what can I substitute for the cheese? Thanks 🙂
Hi! If you can’t do egg or cheese, I wouldn’t try to make these as there’s really no way to make this recipe work. Maybe try these Vegan Zucchini Muffins instead?
This is a weekly staple for us! My daughter is 15 months and gets straight up FRANTIC over these. She eats at least two in a sitting for breakfast 3 or 4 days a week, and between this, a strawberry oatmeal blender muffin, and a side of fruit, we’ve got 2.5 servings of fruits and veggies done before 9am. Thank you so much for such an easy, nutritious way to keep my kid fed and healthy!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Well, after destroying these all summer, we’re exiting zucchini season. Like a fool I didn’t buy extra zucchini to freeze, and it can be hit or miss to get good zucchini out of season where I am. Do you think this recipe could work with any other winter-season or frozen veggies? Squash or broccoli or cauliflower or anything like that? I’ve adored having a healthy and super-easy breakfast on hand for my daughter (two fritters in the toaster, plus one of your fresh apple pancakes and some fruit and we’re ready to eat!) and she loves these, but I’m not well-versed enough in veggie chemistry to know what would work best when baked like this and would love your direction!
I think the might work well with shredded butternut squash or sweet potato. I have a bunch of sweet potato and will try it out today and will report back in a few hours! (I think it would likely also work fine with finely chopped broccoli—just the top part, not the stems to make sure it’s soft).
Okay, I tried it with sweet potato, which would be similar to butternut squash. I peeled it, shredded it, and used 2 eggs. It browned more than the zucchini, so either watch the time or lower the oven temp to 375. I hope they work for you!
For whatever it’s worth: I gave these a whirl with butternut squash I grated on a box grater. Forgot to add the extra egg, and used Italian blend cheese because it was left over from dinner the other night.. I took your advice and lowered the oven temp to 375, which required an extra 5 minutes of baking time (so 25 minutes total in my oven, but I also got 10 fritters out of it so might be more if they’re thicker — baby girl just likes them crispier). I left out the cumin and added a teeny drizzle of olive oil + a sprinkle of rosemary on top, just because I like that flavor combo with squash. And HOO BOY they turned out perfect! Crispy on the outside, creamy inside, and baby girl demanded extra at breakfast this morning. Thank you again!!!
I’m so glad!
Hi! Thank you for such a yummy and easy recipe! My toddler is a fussy eater and he loves these.
I’m a pretty amateur cook . When I make these, they always get stuck to the muffin pan. Am I not greasing it enough? Any tips would be appreciated so that I don’t leave half the fritter on the muffin pan!
Thanks again.
For the muffin tin, I would make sure your muffin tin is nonstick and then coat it will with nonstick spray. I use classic Pam. Let them cool for a few minutes once they come out of the pan, then use a knife to help detach them from the pan as needed going slowly and gently. Some pans make this easier than others. I’m glad your kiddo likes them!
How long would you cook these in a mini muffin pan?
I’d probably check 14-16 minutes if you fill them half full.
My toddler and I love these. We’ve found that dropping the cumin to 1/4 tsp and adding 1/4 tsp of garlic powder is the perfect mix for us. Thanks for a great recipe.
Can the cheese be omitted as my one year old Daughter gets little red bumps around her mouth when eating cheese ?
You could try omitting the cheese and adding another egg or two to make up the volume. Let me know if you try that!
How would we do this using frozen spiralized zucchini noodles? Once we thaw the zucchini noodles could we just chop them up?
I supposed you could try that, chopping them up pretty finely and squeezing out any liquid. I haven’t tried using them so I can’t say for sure how they would work.
Thank you! Will try 🙂
These were quite tasty! My two-year-old needed to be promoted to try one, but he ended up eating a whole fritter! I made a double batch, and I’m grateful for the leftovers for lunch for my toddler tomorrow. My husband and I liked them too, and we ate them with salsa. We served the fritters with some buttered pasta, and it was a delicious meal.
A previous commenter mentioned that it was difficult getting everything to combine and be moist. It took quite a few strokes to combine everything well, but I didn’t find it was an issue for it to be moist enough to spoon into the muffin tins. Thank you for a winning, healthy recipe!
I’m so glad! And yes, you do need to stir a bit to get the batter together, but I’m glad they worked out well!