Fluffy Zucchini Pancakes
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My healthy zucchini pancakes are thick, fluffy, and made right in the blender for easy clean up. They’re my family’s favorite wholesome breakfast and taste just like a slice of warm zucchini bread.
My wholesome zucchini pancake recipe tastes like a slice of warm, moist zucchini bread, and ironically, it’s one of my family’s most requested pancakes (yes, over chocolate pancakes or chocolate chip pancakes). A little disclaimer first- these are different from my zucchini fritters, which are more crispy and savory.
Sneaking zucchini into pancakes can be a little tricky, but don’t fret- I’ve tested this countless times to ensure the pancakes turn out thick and fluffy every time, all while being naturally vegan and gluten-free. The zucchini doesn’t overpower the flavor- it adds a pop of color and extra moisture to keep the middle soft. Serve them with maple syrup, fresh berries, or enjoy them straight off the griddle. Bonus? They freeze well, so add them to your meal prep rotation.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Easy and quick. Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and cook the pancakes.
- Wholesome. These pancakes do not contain flour, eggs, or dairy, making them a healthy option.
- Fluffy and thick. Although this recipe does not contain eggs, the combination of baking powder and vinegar provides a good lift for the pancakes.
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Rolled oats. Once blended, rolled oats act as flour, making the pancakes light and fluffy. You can also use pre-made oat flour, but reduce the amount by two tablespoons. I use certified gluten-free oats to ensure these pancakes are gluten-free.
- Ripe banana. Bananas add extra moisture and sweetness, keeping the middle of the pancakes soft. Not a fan of bananas? I’ve made these with mashed sweet potato or even pumpkin puree.
- Milk. I typically use unsweetened almond milk, but any milk works.
- Baking powder. To help the pancakes rise.
- Apple cider vinegar. The vinegar reacts with baking powder and helps make the pancakes lighter and fluffier (and skips the need for eggs!).
- Maple syrup. Adds some subtle sweetness without being overpowering. Honey or agave nectar also works.
- Zucchini. Finely shredded, please. Also, keep the skins on.
- Salt. Just a pinch to balance out the sweetness.
- Mix-ins. Spices (nutmeg, cinnamon), extracts (vanilla, coconut) or chocolate chips (we love mini dark chocolate chips) are all great additions.
Measuring zucchini accurately
When testing this recipe, I learned that too much zucchini can make the batter too thick and cause the pancakes to fall apart. To avoid this, measure the zucchini by its shredded volume. You’ll need exactly 1 cup. To measure it, shred the zucchini, squeeze out the moisture, and then pack it into a measuring cup until full.
How to make zucchini pancakes
Step 1- Assemble. Add all the ingredients, except for the zucchini, to a blender or food processor.
Step 2- Blend until combined. Do not overblend.
Step 3- Cook. Preheat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat. Pour ¼ cup portions of batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes, covered, for two minutes per side, or until bubbles appear.
Step 4- Repeat the process until all the batter is used up.
Step 5: Serve with maple syrup or your favorite pancake toppings.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“I have made these for meal prep for a solid 8 weeks now and still have not grown tired of them. So good! Perfect as is, no changes needed. Thanks for my new go-to recipe!” – Amanda
Arman’s recipe tips
- Cover the pan as the pancakes cook. If you’ve made any of my other pancake recipes before, you know I always include this tip. It’s something I learned in culinary school! Covering the pan traps the hot air, which forces the pancakes to puff up considerably more. This results in fluffy pancakes.
- Don’t overblend. Overblending will make the pancake batter too smooth, which in turn will result in thin pancakes. I recommend blending just until the oats break down and the batter is thick.
- Grating zucchini hack. I usually use a box grater, but I’ve had success shredding my zucchini in the food processor (I don’t like taking my food processor out, so I don’t like this).
- Keep the pancakes warm. If I’m making a big batch, I like to keep the cooked pancakes in the oven on a baking sheet. I usually use the ‘warm’ setting, which is around 120°F.
Frequently asked questions
I don’t recommend making the batter in advance. Because these pancakes use oats instead of white or wheat flour, the oats act like a sponge and absorb most of the liquid if left overnight, leaving the batter too thick to use.
I’ve made these with zucchini and summer squash, and it works the same. The only difference is the color of the pancakes.
Yes, I use certified gluten-free oats to keep these pancakes gluten-free. If you don’t want to use oats, buckwheat flakes, and quinoa flakes will work.
Yes, you can. The pancake batter works really well when made into waffles. When I tested this out, I didn’t need to add any extra liquid to the batter.
Storage Instructions
To store. Transfer leftover pancakes into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To freeze. You can make a big batch of these healthy pancakes and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Reheating: To eat frozen zucchini pancakes, let them thaw in the fridge, then reheat them in the microwave for a minute. Alternatively, you can reheat these pancakes in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
If you tried this Zucchini Pancakes recipe, please leave a star rating and comment. It helps others thinking of making this.
Fluffy Zucchini Pancakes Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats rolled oats, quinoa flakes, buckwheat flakes etc
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 medium banana or sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 cup zucchini shredded and moisture removed
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender or food processor, add the oats, milk, banana, baking powder, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup. Blend until a thick batter remains, but do not overblend. Fold through the zucchini and any mix-ins of choice.
- Preheat a lightly greased pan on medium heat. Once hot, pour a quarter cup of the batter in the pan and cover with a lid. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Flip and cook for a further minute or two. Repeat until all the batter is used up.
- Remove from pan and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Zucchini: Keep skin intact when shredding. One cup is the measured weight once the moisture is removed.
- Make them savory: Swap out the mashed banana and maple syrup for 1/3 cup Greek yogurt. Add shredded cheese, finely diced onions, and any vegetables of choice.
- Leftovers: Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
- Reheating: To eat frozen zucchini pancakes, let them thaw in the fridge, then reheat them in the microwave for a minute. Alternatively, you can reheat these pancakes in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Nutrition
More healthy pancakes
- Almond flour pancakes
- Healthy banana pancakes
- Coconut flour pancakes
- Oat flour pancakes
- Protein pancakes
Is it more flavourfull with banana or sweet potato? I like both of them very much.
But cannot decide.
Wow cannot believe pancakes csn be made with zucchini, really will try!
I wasn’t expecting zucchini pancakes to taste good.
But they did!
I’ve made these a handful of times with my surplus of zucchini from the garden and they are so good!
I have made these for meal prep for a solid 8 weeks now and still have not grown tired of them. So good! Perfect as is, no changes needed. Thanks for my new go-to recipe!
This has been my go to pancake recipe for over a month now and I’ve been sharing with everyone who will listen. Love the texture and the simple ingredients. Shred some zucchini in bulk and it comes together so quickly!
A few changes I made:
– add cinnamon. Game changer. So delicious.
– do not make in blender. I wasn’t a fan of how thick the batter got, making it hard to get out of the blender. Instead I mash the banana in a bowl, add all the liquids, then add the blended oats (I prep oat flour in advance… 1 cup oats = 3/4 cup flour)
Thanks for the feedback, Teri!
Made them for our family brunch today. All 7 of us loved them!!! (Just wish that they used more of my zucchini!) I got 6 per batch. I like the idea in the comments of using pumpkin! Will try that. Next time I will leave out the 1 tbsp maple syrup as I think that the banana makes them sweet enough, plus we each put 1 tbsp of homemade maple syrup on top. 😊 Thanks for the recipe!
That sounds fabulous, Kelly!
I made these for the grandkids thinking I wouldn’t like them but was I wrong! They’re amazing and they’re still great the next day right out of the fridge! Thanks for this super easy, grammy approved healthy breakfast!
That is what I like to hear! 😀
Hi Armand! I love the substitutions you share like the sweet potato for banana! Do you have any ideas for swapping the baking powder? I can’t eat that as of yet and these pancakes look amazing! And, I’m guessing I can use vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar? No apples for me yet either. Thanks as always!
I’ve only tried baking powder, sorry!
Love love love your Fluffy Banana Pancakes which are made similar to this recipe, so I know these (and your blueberry ones) will taste great. The trick is to use the baking powder/apple cider combo and allow the batter to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Yum!
Could you use pumpkin instead of banana?
Of course! 🙂
These did not turn out at all for me. Stuck to my non stick griddle, no matter what temp they never turned out so I could even turn them over.
I’m not sure what happened, these have been made by thousands of readers and there is even a video on Facebook
Hi! We love this recipe! I a mom planning on making a large batch for a big family breakfast and will freeze them first. What is the best method to unfreeze and warm them back up? Thanks!
Hi Audra! 🙂 I find that wrapping them individually then allowing to thaw overnight completely, before warming either in the microwave or stovetop. If you do microwave, flip halfway through to avoid the soggy texture.
These look amazing. Any thoughts on a low carb substitution for the “flake cereal”?
You can try my low carb pancakes instead 🙂
Delicious! Though I could feel there is a whole tbsp of baking powder, but maybe because I used cows milk and skipped apple cider… Batter got quite thick also sweet when using both banana and sweetner, but all in all – yum! ? Ps. I made 6 pancakes.
🙂 Cheers, Gabriele! Sometimes the brand of baking powder can be quite bitter
Oh wow, these look AMAZING! I definitely want to try making these pancakes with the buckwheat flakes like you suggested in your trial-and-error process, but since I have oats, I’ll stick to those bad boys for now. Once I get my hands on zucchini (which will be VERY soon, let me tell you, haha!), I’ll try making these ASAP! Oh, and I don’t know if mashed butternut squash will work, but I will try and let you know how it turns out!
You should specify in your recipes how many servings it makes. This recipe is misleading because you say it’s only 174 calories BUT one cup of rolled oats is 300 calories.
Jamie, the recipe clearly states it is 3 servings. Please read before making false accusations.
Actually, I had this same question. I’ve read through the recipe multiple times, and made it once (yum!) but I couldn’t find a number of servings either. Thanks for letting us know it’s three, thanks! Making them again this morning, plus some to freeze 🙂
How many pancakes does the recipe make for the 174 calories you stated?
These zucchini pancakes look so fluffy! I love that they’re pretty healthy as I’m trying to dial in my nutrition right now 🙂
I love zucchini bread with chocolate chips in it! These pancakes I’m sure are just like that! Sounds so good! Perfect for all that zucchini that summer will hopefully bestow on us!
mmm zucchini bread is so good! I can never make zucchini by itself since Riley doesn’t like it, but if I can hide it in stuff I usually have a chance!
I swear I thought we were gonna put Frosted Flakes in these pancakes when you said flaked cereal at first. But that wouldn’t be the worst idea….
I love zucchini bread and I love sweet breakfasts, so these will have to happen one day soon!