This recipe for Zucchini Bread Pancakes evokes all the nostalgia of the real thing, but in a really fun form that makes breakfast or brunch extra special.
I knew I had to create this recipe for Greyson after seeing the glow in his face from the first bite of what he called, "keyney bread". My little Uncka heart just melts when I see the joy in his face when he tries a new food for the first time.
This is a great recipe to make in the summer when you might have zucchini growing prolifically in your garden or you are picking up fresh from the farmer's market. I know it's not far from the real thing, but you don't have to turn on the oven to get the epically delicious flavor of zucchini bread.
If you like to be a little outrageous with your pancakes, check out THIS RECIPE. Also, be sure to always serve them with WARM maple syrup, the real kind!
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Ingredients
For these zucchini bread pancakes, you just need one, medium-sized zucchini. I know it doesn't use up a lot of zucchini if you have a large bounty but be sure to check out the storage section below.
If you want to make a BIG batch and freeze some pancakes for quick breakfasts later, I share instructions on how to do that there.
What you need:
- Fresh Zucchini
- Walnuts
- Unsalted Butter
- Whole Milk
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Kosher Salt, Morton’s
- Cinnamon, ground
- Eggs
- Whipped Irish Butter
- Maple Syrup
See the recipe card for full quantities.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Method
To start, grate your zucchini over some paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Then squeeze it out over a bowl or the sink to drain the zucchini of excess water.
Next, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat on the stove. Add the milk to the pan and just continue warming until no lumps of butter remain, the milk does not need to simmer or boil.
When adding cold milk it can make the butter lump up, just warm it enough that the butter becomes liquid again. Getting it to hot will cook the flour when you add it, warm it VERY gently.
To make the pancake batter, combine the wet and dry ingredients together, then fold in the zucchini, eggs, and walnuts. And be sure to reserve a few walnuts for dusting over the top of the pancakes when serving.
To cook the pancakes, heat a griddle over medium heat on the stove, and be patient. Heat it for at least 5 minutes to get fully warm.
Then drop 2-ounce ladles of batter on the hot griddle and cook till it gets very bubbly and the bubbles begin to pop. Flip and cook 30-45 seconds longer till fully cooked.
Uncka's Chef Tip
Stack the cooked pancakes up to ensure they finish cooking, the same way you'd stack tortillas and put them in a warmer or cloth to finish. Pancakes finish cooking all the way through in the same way as well as keeping the first cakes warm as you cook the rest.
To serve, top the pancakes with a healthy pat of butter and some of the reserved chopped walnuts. Then finish with a hearty drizzle of REAL maple syrup!
Substitutions
Let's chat about how to make these pancakes gluten, or dairy-free if you or someone you love needs to follow those dietary guidelines for their health.
- Flour - If you need to make these pancakes gluten-free, use a quality cup-for-cup flour swap. The one I linked here is really high quality and has great results.
- Milk - If you are dairy-free, you can use almond milk, but my suggestion is cashew for its higher fat content. Pancakes may stick a bit when using almond milk, and you may need to grease the griddle or pan more often during the cooking of your pancakes.
- Butter - You can use a vegan butter substitute or plant-based butter. A bit of a more economical swap is vegetable or canola oil.
- Zucchini - If you are not a zucchini fan you can leave it out and have some simple cinnamon spiced pancakes.
- Walnuts - If you have a nut allergy, be sure to leave them out, or make our regular banana pancakes, or chocolate chip variety.
Equipment
To grate the zucchini, you can use the largest holes on a box grater, or as you see in my photos, I love this slightly fancy handheld large grater.
My number one, most favorite tool for perfect pancakes is a Cast-Iron griddle. They build up a strong, natural, non-stick coating over time and make for BEAUTIFUL pancakes.
Be sure to season a new griddle, every time you use and wash it (with soap) with this cast-iron oil to build THE BEST non-stick surface.
I like a really sturdy, metal spatula for flipping pancakes. It helps them not stick to it, and makes for a perfect flip, no floppy half-turned pancakes, it's got to be THIS spatula for me!
The use of a 2-ounce ladle makes THE perfect-sized pancakes, in my opinion. They are just the right size and easy to flip.
Storage
While pancakes won't spoil if left on the counter overnight, they are just like a cake, biscuit, or cookie in this way. I prefer to place them in a zip-top bag or air-tight container in the fridge.
You can also freeze pancakes. To do so, lay them flat on a tray, not stacked, then once frozen place them in a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Freezing first prevents them from sticking together, which once frozen would make them hard to get apart and reheat.
Reheat leftover zucchini bread pancakes, from the fridge or freezer, in a toaster, or toaster oven for best results.
Top Tips
I would suggest only using freshly grated zucchini for this recipe. I am not sure how using frozen grater zucchini would work, my only concern would be that it could make the batter too watery. If you try it, be sure to leave me a comment on how it went.
When making the pancake batter, ensuring it rests for 10 minutes is a HUGE gateway to SUPER FLUFFY pancakes. This allows the leavening agent to fully develop and lets the gluten strands in the flour relax.
Exercise patience and let the griddle get really warm before you start cooking. A griddle that is too cool will cause the pancakes to stick to it. I use a really Well-Seasoned cast iron griddle that requires no buttering due to the amount in the actual pancakes.
If you can use a small amount of high-heat oil like vegetable or grapeseed to grease your griddle if needed. You should only need to do this once before you start cooking. Use a paper towel to spread an even and thin layer over your griddle.
I prefer to cook on medium, to just under medium heat so my pancakes can cook quickly. I also prefer only to cook 2 pancakes at a time so I have plenty of room to flip.
Be sure to stack your pancakes after cooking. This allows them to stay soft as well as allowing the middles to finish cooking while also staying a little JAMMY SOFT. That's what I call it anyway. It helps create super tender pancakes.
FAQ
What does Zucchini do for your body?
Did you know zucchini is a fruit? It is, and it is high in fiber which aids in digestion and also helps combat type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Zucchini pancakes are made the same way traditional pancakes are, just with the addition of freshly grated zucchini that has been squeezed to remove excess water.
While some people call zucchini fritter pancakes, I classify a fritter as savory and containing much more of the fruit. These zucchini bread pancakes are sweet and perfectly served for breakfast. The alternative would make a great dinner side dish.
Related
If you LOVE pancakes like Greyson and me, try these other great recipes:
More Great Zucchini Recipes.
If you want that recipe that got Greyson so excited, check out Uncka's review of Joanna Gaines Zucchini Bread, there is a link to the recipe there too!
Uncka loves zucchini too, and he has a few fun recipes that you can find HERE!
Zucchini Bread Pancakes
This Zucchini Bread Pancakes evokes the nostalgia of the real thing, but in a really fun form that makes breakfast or brunch extra special.
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated Zucchini, squeezed of excess juice
- ¾ cup Walnuts, toasted and rough chopped
- 8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 ¼ cups Whole Milk
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Morton’s
- 2 teaspoons Cinnamon, ground
- 2 lg Eggs, lightly beaten
- Whipped Irish Butter, for serving
- Maple Syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini on the large side of a grater. Measure 1 cup before squeezing. Then squeeze out the zucchini in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Set aside till needed.
- In a small skillet on the stove, heated over medium-low heat, add the walnuts to the pan, and with a watchful eye, toss them around over the heat for about 5 minutes till fragrant and they begin to turn golden brown. Set aside to cool while you prepare the pancake batter.
- In a 2-quart saucepan on the stove, melt the butter over low heat. Add the milk to the pan and heat just till warm and any butter that solidified is liquid again. Do not boil. Let cool for 5 minutes, then stir the vanilla extract into the milk mixture.
- Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon into the bowl and whisk in the butter, milk, and vanilla extract until just until only a few streaks of flour remain.
- Crack the eggs into the bowl and whisk just till incorporated, a few flour lumps may still remain.
- Fold the zucchini and ½ cup walnuts into the pancake batter. Reserve the remaining walnuts for topping the pancakes when serving.
- Let the pancake batter rest on the counter for 10 minutes.
- After the batter has rested for 5 minutes, warm the griddle on the stove, over medium-heat I suggest a cast iron griddle. It is important to let it get hot till it begins to smoke the tiniest bit, then you know it is ready to be cooked on.
- Turn the heat down two marks on the stove dial, just between medium, and medium-low.
- Using a 2-ounce ladle, drop 2 rounds of batter on the griddle at a time. Cook for 30-45 seconds, just till the edges begin to set.
- Flip and cook a further 45-60 seconds, then remove to a platter.
- Pancakes can be kept warm in a 200˚F oven if needed.
- To make whipped Irish butter, beat 4 tablespoons in the bowl of a stand mixer, I like to use my flex edge flat beater it gets the butter extra fluffy, and beat for 3-4 minutes on medium-high, with a pinch of kosher salt.
- Serve the pancakes with a dollop of butter on top a sprinkle of your reserved walnuts, and a drizzle of warm maple syrup, the real kind!
Notes
Substitutions
Let's chat about how to make these pancakes gluten, or dairy-free if you or someone you love needs to follow those dietary guidelines for their health.
- Flour - If you need to make these banana pancakes gluten-free, use a quality cup-for-cup flour swap. The one I linked here is really high quality and has great results.
- Milk - If you are dairy-free, you can use almond milk, but my suggestion is cashew for its higher fat content. Pancakes may stick a bit when using almond milk, and you may need to grease the griddle or pan more often during the cooking of your pancakes.
- Butter - You can use a vegan butter substitute or plant-based butter. A bit of a more economical swap is vegetable or canola oil.
- Zucchini - If you are not a zucchini fan you can leave it out and have some simple cinnamon spiced pancakes.
- Walnuts - If you have a nut allergy, be sure to leave them out, or make our regular banana pancakes, or chocolate chip variety.
Top Tips
I would suggest only using freshly grated zucchini for this recipe. I am not sure how using frozen grater zucchini would work, my only concern would be that it could make the batter too watery. If you try it, be sure to leave me a comment on how it went.
When making the pancake batter, ensuring it rests for 10 minutes is a HUGE gateway to SUPER FLUFFY pancakes. This allows the leavening agent to fully develop and lets the gluten strands in the flour relax.
Exercise patience and let the griddle get really warm before you start cooking. A griddle that is too cool will cause the pancakes to stick to it. I use a really Well-Seasoned cast iron griddle that requires no buttering due to the amount in the actual pancakes.
If you can use a small amount of high-heat oil like vegetable or grapeseed to grease your griddle if needed. You should only need to do this once before you start cooking. Use a paper towel to spread an even and thin layer over your griddle.
I prefer to cook on medium, to just under medium heat so my pancakes can cook quickly. I also prefer only to cook 2 pancakes at a time so I have plenty of room to flip.
Be sure to stack your pancakes after cooking. This allows them to stay soft as well as allowing the middles to finish cooking while also staying a little JAMMY SOFT. That's what I call it anyway. It helps create super tender pancakes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 521Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 727mgCarbohydrates: 73gFiber: 2gSugar: 38gProtein: 9g
Food Safety
There aren't many concerns when it comes to pancakes, but here are a few tips to help ensure the best experience with your pancakes.
- Ensure your pancakes are fully cooked, as eating raw pancake batter is not advised because it contains raw eggs.
- The USDA advises to not leave cooked foods at room temperature for longer than 2 hours, 1 hour if the environment is above 90˚F.
- That said, pancakes contain the same ingredients as cakes, biscuits, and cookies so they can be stored at room temperature.
- I personally advise keeping them in an air-tight container or zip-top bag and warming them in a toaster or microwave before eating leftovers.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
KC
Can’t wait to make these! They look delicious!