Head to the farmers’ market, grocery store, or your own garden and gather all the zucchini! I’m sharing my most-loved zucchini recipes, and you’ll find several for every meal and occasion here. Enjoy summer’s favorite vegetable in an easy frittata for breakfast, on zucchini & herbed ricotta flatbread for lunch or dinner, and zucchini oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
Dare I say that zucchini is the most underrated ingredient to grace our kitchens? 😉
Sweet & Savory Zucchini Recipe Ideas
Have a surplus of zucchini on your hands and wondering how to use it all?
This totally unassuming green squash is one powerhouse (and versatile!) ingredient to incorporate in recipes—both sweet and savory. Since it’s mostly water, it adds unparalleled moisture in baked goods, just like carrots in carrot cake. Tasters NEVER realize it’s hiding inside, either—in fact, you can’t even detect it in this chocolate zucchini bread.
My chocolate zucchini cake is a consistent reader favorite, especially during the summer months when zucchini is in season. The cake uses a whopping 3 cups of zucchini, and I guarantee it’s the most indulgent way to eat your vegetables!
And I know you won’t turn down a batch of zucchini muffins or zucchini bread. Both freeze wonderfully for an easy breakfast or snack option, too.
When it comes to savory recipes, there are virtually endless ways to utilize zucchini. Spiralize it to make zucchini noodles for chicken meatballs or bruschetta chicken. Slice and bake it in my cheesy zucchini casserole, or shred it for these stovetop zucchini fritters. A box grater actually comes in handy for many zucchini recipes!
It’s really easy. Shred the zucchini and then squeeze out as much moisture as you can with paper towels or a clean kitchen linen. Spoon in a zipped-top bag and then flatten out, which makes thawing quicker. Freeze up to 3-4 months. Thaw, then blot dry if it’s super liquid-y. Use in any recipe that calls for shredded zucchini.
Zucchini is also fantastic roasted in the oven with a little garlic and lemon. I LOVE preparing it this way, and I share the recipe details below. Top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese… so good!
Here are 20+ favorite zucchini recipes to try the next time you’re looking for a way to use this MVV…
Most Valuable Veggie, of course.
20+ of My Best Zucchini Recipes
Zucchini Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Each cinnamon-kissed bite of zucchini cake is nestled under a blanket of brown butter cream cheese frosting. This cake and frosting combo is pure perfection, and is rather simple to make. Easy dessert at its finest!
Simply Zucchini Muffins
You’ll love these easy zucchini muffins because they pack a lot of wholesome flavor and only require about 30 minutes start to finish.
Easy Zucchini Casserole Recipe
Bursting with oregano, thyme, basil, and garlic, this simple vegetable side dish bakes in 30 minutes and doesn’t require any pre-cooking.
Favorite Zucchini Bread
This flavorful and moist zucchini bread recipe has been a family favorite for years, and I’m happy to share it. No mixer required!
Cream Cheese Zucchini Muffins
These soft cream cheese zucchini muffins are deliciously spiced with cinnamon and stuffed with a cheesecake-style filling.
Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Zucchini oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are extra soft with chewy centers and crisp edges. Take the time to blot the shredded zucchini before using, as the excess moisture will ruin the intended texture. These are phenomenal!
Zucchini Crumb Cake
This zucchini crumb cake is moist, cinnamon-spiced, and packed with summer’s bountiful green vegetable. Finished with a buttery brown sugar crumb topping and velvety vanilla icing, everyone will beg to have veggies for breakfast!
Garden Vegetable Frittata Recipe
This frittata recipe will be your new go-to for a healthy egg-based dish you can serve and enjoy any time of day. I love loading it with zucchini, sweet potato, and bell peppers.
Bruschetta Chicken with Zucchini Noodles
This 1-pan bruschetta chicken with zucchini noodles is healthy, delicious, and so easy to make—it’s sure to earn a spot in your weeknight dinner rotation, especially in the summertime.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Chocolate zucchini cake is unapologetically rich, decadent, and moist, thanks to shredded zucchini in the batter. And trust me, taste testers are none the wiser that there’s a vegetable hiding in this layered beauty.
Zucchini & Herbed Ricotta Flatbread
My favorite topping combination for flatbread is sliced zucchini, herbed ricotta, roasted tomatoes, and fresh basil. I show you how to put it all together in this recipe!
Greek Yogurt Zucchini Bread
Easy and wholesome Greek yogurt zucchini bread comes together without any refined sugar, and with plenty of yogurt for extra moisture. And it’s another great make-ahead option for the freezer.
Zucchini Fritters
Golden brown, crisp, and gluten free! Flavored with garlic and fresh herbs, these savory little cakes cook quickly on the stove and are welcome at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
This is a super chocolatey, extra indulgent take on classic zucchini bread. Plan to make more than 1 loaf, because this one disappears fast!
Roasted Vegetable Whole Wheat Pizza
My whole wheat pizza dough is the perfect base for a summery roasted vegetable pizza. Lots of veggies on this!
Peanut Chicken Zucchini Noodles
This flavorful peanut chicken zucchini noodles dish is a healthier dinner that has lean protein, plenty of vegetables, and a delectable savory peanut sauce. Feel free to skip the meat and replace with more vegetables, or tofu.
Thick & Hearty Minestrone Soup
Zucchini joins many other colorful vegetables in this thick and hearty minestrone soup recipe. A favorite meat-free comfort meal!
Crustless Veggie Quiche
This is a lightened-up, healthy crustless quiche recipe that packs a heavy flavor punch with tons of zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, and cheese in each and every bite.
Zucchini & Sweet Potato Fritters
These savory stovetop cakes combine zucchini, sweet potato, onion, garlic, and plenty of fresh herbs to bring you a flavorful vegetarian meal or side dish. Creamy herbed Greek yogurt sauce is a must-make accompaniment!
Chicken Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles
Packed with flavor, baked, and then brushed with a lemony garlic herb butter, these pair perfectly with zucchini noodles. (There’s plenty of sauce to use up!)
Roasted Lemon Garlic Zucchini
If you find yourself with about 1 and 1/2 pounds of zucchini lying around (not hard to do… about 3–4 medium zucchini!), try roasting it with lemon, garlic, and oregano, and finish it with some fresh parmesan. We gobble it up this way because it’s extremely flavorful and pairs with a variety of main dishes. It’s also pretty tender, without being mushy as long as you cut the zucchini thick enough.
Above all, I love it because it’s extremely quick and easy; and sometimes (ok, most of the time) I don’t want to spend more than 10 minutes prepping a side dish!
Favorite Zucchini Recipes: Roasted Lemon Garlic Zucchini
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 6
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Combine fresh lemon and garlic, dried oregano, and parmesan cheese to make ultra-flavorful roasted zucchini. It’s deliciously tender without tasting mushy, and pairs with a variety of main dishes like creamy lemon thyme chicken, crab cakes, and slow cooker turkey meatballs.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds (about 680g) zucchini (about 3–4 medium)
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or Italian seasoning blend)
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup (30g) freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese
- optional for garnish: sprinkle of lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and/or fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Slice zucchini into 1/2-inch-thick slices and then halve each slice.
- In a large bowl, combine zucchini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle half of the parmesan evenly on top. Return pan to the oven for 3–5 more minutes, until the zucchini is fork-tender without being too soft and mushy.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Feel free to serve with optional lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and/or fresh parsley garnishes on top.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat as desired.
Notes
- I do not recommend freezing this roasted zucchini because it becomes quite soggy when thawing.
- Herbs: You can substitute Italian seasoning blend for the oregano, or use the same amount of dried thyme, rosemary, or basil. You can also substitute 2 teaspoons of fresh oregano, thyme, rosemary, or basil.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 60
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 254 mg
- Fat: 3.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.3 g
- Protein: 4.4 g
- Cholesterol: 2.4 mg
The lemon and garlic zucchini is superb! Maybe I should double the recipe next time because somehow we ate almost all of it at once! Great recipe. I love the zucchini muffins too!
Do you have recommendations on how to freeze shredded zucchini for making bread, muffins, cake this fall winter? I could fit some zucchini in my freezer, but not all the baked goods.
Hi Brenda, I should definitely add my “method” to this post. It’s really easy, I usually shred the zucchini and then squeeze out as much moisture as I can with paper towels or a clean kitchen linen. Spoon in a zipped-top bag and then flatten out, which makes thawing quicker. Freeze up to 3-4 months. Thaw, blot dry if it’s super liquid-y, then use in a recipe.