Zucchini Pancakes
Updated May 12, 2026
Quick Summary
These fluffy zucchini pancakes are the perfect way to use up summer zucchini! Made with white whole wheat flour, warm spices, buttermilk, and freshly grated zucchini, these pancakes are soft, cozy, and taste a little like zucchini bread in pancake form. They are easy to make, freezer-friendly, and delicious served with butter and maple syrup for breakfast or brunch.
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Every summer, we end up with more zucchini than we know what to do with, and these zucchini pancakes are always one of the first recipes I make (after I’ve made my chocolate zucchini bread).
They are soft, fluffy, perfectly spiced, and such a delicious way to use fresh zucchini for breakfast. If you love cozy breakfast recipes and easy zucchini recipes, these pancakes are a must-make.
I’ve been making these zucchini pancakes for years because they are simple, dependable, and always a hit with family. The grated zucchini keeps the pancakes incredibly moist, while the cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla give them warm zucchini bread-inspired flavor. I also use white whole wheat flour to add a little extra wholesome goodness while still keeping the pancakes light and fluffy.
We especially love these pancakes during the summer when zucchini is everywhere, but honestly, they are good any time of year. They are perfect for slow weekend breakfasts, brunch with friends, or breakfast-for-dinner nights when you want something easy and comforting. Serve them warm with butter and maple syrup and watch them disappear fast.
If you are looking for the best zucchini pancakes recipe to make with fresh zucchini, this is the one to try. I know you’ll be making them on repeat all season long!
Ingredients (with Helpful Notes)
- Flour: I like to use white whole wheat flour for this recipe, but whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour works well too. If you need the pancakes to be gluten-free, you can also use all-purpose gluten-free flour. I like Cup4Cup brand. Regular all-purpose flour will also work.
- Baking powder + baking soda: The combination helps create light, fluffy pancakes with great rise.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: These warm spices give the pancakes cozy zucchini bread vibes.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar: Just enough sweetness to enhance the flavor without making the pancakes overly sweet.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk creates tender pancakes and adds a slight tangy flavor. Make sure it is at room temperature for the best results.
- Unsalted butter: Melted butter adds richness and helps keep the pancakes moist.
- Eggs: Room temperature eggs mix into the batter more evenly and help create a fluffy texture.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warm flavor and pairs perfectly with the spices and zucchini.
- Zucchini: Use freshly grated zucchini. There is no need to peel it first. If your zucchini seems extra watery, gently pat it dry with paper towels before adding it to the batter.
- Maple syrup and butter: The perfect finishing touch for serving!
Tips for Making the Best Zucchini Pancakes
- Freshly grated zucchini works best. Avoid pre-shredded zucchini because it tends to be dry and coarse. If your zucchini is super watery, wring it out a little in paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Stir until the ingredients are just combined to keep the pancakes tender and fluffy.
- Use medium heat when cooking the pancakes. If the heat is too high, the outside will brown too quickly before the centers are cooked through.
- Let the batter rest for a few minutes before cooking. This helps the flour hydrate and gives you fluffier pancakes.
- Use a measuring cup or cookie scoop to portion the batter evenly so the pancakes cook at the same rate.
- Wait for bubbles to form on the surface before flipping the pancakes.
- If you are making pancakes for a crowd, keep cooked pancakes warm on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you finish the batch.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Storing: Store leftover zucchini pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Let the pancakes cool completely. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the pancakes to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating: You can reheat pancakes in the microwave, toaster, skillet, or oven.
- Microwave: Heat for 20 to 30 seconds until warm.
- Toaster: Great for slightly crisp edges.
- Skillet: Warm over low heat with a little butter.
- Oven: Place pancakes on a baking sheet and warm at 325°F until heated through.
Frozen pancakes can be reheated straight from the freezer.
Zucchini Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- Maple syrup and butter, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugars.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Pour liquid ingredients over dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Fold in the zucchini.
- Heat a griddle or pan to medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Pour about a ⅓ cup of batter onto heated skillet. Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, about 3 minutes. Flip carefully with a spatula, and cook until browned on the underside.
- Continue making pancakes until the batter is gone. Serve pancakes with butter and maple syrup, if desired.
Notes
- Zucchini: No need to peel. If it’s very watery, lightly blot with paper towels so the pancakes stay fluffy.
- Flour: White whole wheat flour keeps these zucchini pancakes light and tender. All-purpose flour also works.
- Buttermilk: Room temperature buttermilk blends best and helps create soft, fluffy pancakes.
- Mixing: Stir just until combined—don’t overmix or the pancakes will be dense.
- Cooking: Use medium heat and flip when bubbles form on the surface.
- Storing: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled pancakes in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Warm in the microwave, toaster, or skillet until heated through.
- Serving: Delicious with butter and maple syrup, or topped with fruit or yogurt.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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Variations
These zucchini pancakes are easy to customize! Here are a few fun variations:
- Add chocolate chips for chocolate chip zucchini pancakes.
- Stir chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter for extra crunch.
- Add lemon zest for a bright, fresh flavor.
- Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to make gluten-free zucchini pancakes.
- Add blueberries for a fruity twist.
- Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top for kids.
- Swap the cinnamon and nutmeg for pumpkin pie spice in the fall.
What to Serve with Zucchini Pancakes
These pancakes pair well with:
- Crispy bacon or sausage
- Fresh fruit or fruit salad
- Yogurt
- Scrambled eggs or frittata
- Hash browns or breakfast potatoes
- Smoothies
They are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even breakfast-for-dinner nights.
More Pancake Recipes to Make
- Best Buttermilk Pancakes
- Blueberry Pancakes
- Banana Pancakes
- Easy Blender Pancakes
- Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pancakes
Glad that you have a freezer stash and these could save the day for anyone! pinned!
I could NEVER get sick of zucchini..OR pancakes! So how perfect are these? And the fact that they are whole wheat means I love them even more! Pinned!
Pancakes are one of my favorite breakfast foods! If I had more freezer space I would make a big batch and freeze them for later (if they made it that far!)
Love these so much! Looking forward to trying them 🙂
DD can’t quite ask for pancakes yet, but her carb-loving self would love these! And mom loves that they’re whole wheat with a veggie snuck in 🙂 Time to try!
What an awesome idea- and I LOVE that you can freeze these!!
These sound great! My little Ethan loves pancakes and zucchini (as do I), so I’m sure they’d be a hit.
Pancake Perfection! Want!
What a nice summer breakfast!
I always have a stash of pancakes or waffles in the freezer. They totally save the day when a quick breakfast (or dinner!) is needed! These zucchini pancakes look fantastic!
Love the zucchini and whole wheat in these!
I could go for a big ol’ stack of these right now! Mmmmm!
These look delicious Maria!
I recently bought two giant zucchin and have grated and frozen it. I will try this recipe soon! Thanks.
I’m glad to see this recipe as I made zucchini pancakes once and they didn’t turn out. Don’t know if I used too much zucchini or it needed to be squeezed out because of the moisture. They didn’t cook right. Do you need to take out some of the liquid first? Thanks.
What a perfect way to start the day! And I could never be sick of zucchini!
I want a big stack of these right now!
I could eat pancakes every day — especially these ones!!
My kind of pancakes! 🙂
Love zucchini bread and these are just genius! Can’t wait to try them soon!
Yum! I could eat a whole stack of these right now! And tomorrow…and the next day! 🙂
Happy kids = happy mom…true story!!! I’m all about doing the easy simple things that make my kids happy too!!! Love these fun pancakes…especially that they taste like zucchini bread!
I could go for a huge stack of these delicious pancakes right now! love!
Love all the zucchini recipes! I have made sweet and savory dishes so far but not zucchini pancakes…yet! Looks delicious!
These pancakes look amazing Maria!
Yum, Maria! They’d make me happy too. Love these. I don’t ever tire of zucchini recipes- keep ’em coming!!
Not tired of the zucchini recipes at all! We’ve been looking for the perfect whole wheat pancake recipe and these look so tender and fluffy. Lovin’ the addition of zucchini:)
Just made these for dinner with white flour. Easy, delici0us and so filling!
Bring on the zucchini! Loving this recipe and I think we’ll try it tomorrow.
I don’t think I could ever get sick of zucchini! Great recipe, I want some now.
Just pinned! Anxious to try these out!!
I need to make these soon!
I’ve never tried to freeze pancakes. Do you have to put waxed paper between each one so they don’t stick together? How do you heat them up? Wouldn’t want to serve them on your eyelet looking plate, though. Pretty as they are, my husband’s use of syrup would surely overflow that cut out design!!
Let the pancakes cool completely on a wire cooling rack. Place in a freezer bag or freezer container. You can individually wrap them with plastic wrap or place wax paper in between.
I can never get enough zucchini in the summer! I still need to make zucchini pancakes, these look awesome Maria!
Wow, these look amazing! I don’t particularly care for zucchini raw or sauteed, but love it when it is in stuff. This is a great way to sneak it in!
This looks great… I prefer waffles. Would it work for waffels?
Made these Sunday morning, and they were fabulous! My toddler gobbled them up. And I had leftover ones from the freezer today at work. This recipe has been added to our rotation! Thank you for sharing!
We LOVED these pancakes! I’m wondering if you have ever tried it with grated carrots?
I haven’t, but now I want to:)
These were SO good! My whole family loved them!
Glad they were a hit with the family! We love them too!
These were very yummy and quite filling. Thanks for the recipe!
Bring on the zucchini pancakes!!
People who dont like vegtable would have no idea these have them in.
Can I omit the sugar?
These were a hit! I added bananas and my boys loved them. Thank you for the recipe.
Can I use regular flour?
Loved these for a great way to use up some surplus of zucchini this time of year. I made them dairy free by using almond milk + lemon juice in place of buttermilk as well as Earth’s Balance butter and coconut oil in place of the butter. They turned out great and now I have a freezer full of extras.
5 stars! These were delicious. I couldn’t stop eating them. They needed no butter or sweetener! After I committed to making these I realized I didn’t have all the ingredients! Substituted 2 cups buttermilk with 1cup yogurt plus 1 cup chocolate hazelnut milk. For 2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, used half sorghum flour.
My family LOVED these pancakes I did use half all purpose and half whole wheat
Why don’t these pancakes have 5 stars??? In my book they totally are. So delicious! Good way to use up the zucchini too.
So tasty! I only had a cup of zucchini on hand so this recipe was perfect for it. Thanks!
Do you need to squeeze out the excess water once you grate the zucchini? Or just grate and add in?
I give it a squeeze so some of the water comes out.
I used almond milk and swerve sweetener and they still turned out great! Thank you for my new favorite recipe.
These we’re fantastic! Even my kiddos that turn up their noses at the mention of zucchini loved them. This will definitely be added to our favorite list.
These we’re fantastic! Even my kiddos that turn up their noses at the mention of zucchini loved them. This will definitely be added to our favorite list. My only substitute was I used all purpose flour instead of whole wheat because I didn’t have any on hand.
These pancakes were a bit, i love them. I just wonder if the batter can be frozen instead of making the rest of the batter.
Glad you liked the pancakes! I’ve never put the batter in the freezer, I always freeze the pancakes.
I’ve made this recipe as is and my family loves them! Usually make them in batch and freeze for breakfast meal prep.
Does this batter save well in the fridge? Looking to make the batter ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until ready to cook the next day and have them fresh for breakfast!
Thanks!
Can you cook them as waffles in a waffle maker?
We loved these. Next time I’d like to try them with peanut butter syrup. My dear friend introduced me to peanut butter on zucchini bread so why not peanut butter syrup on zucchini pancakes?
I would make this again. These are a healthy pancake option. They are not super fluffy. Great with chocolate chips or with raspberries. Could have more cinnamon if you’re looking for more flavor.
Do you remove the seeds from the zucchini?
I don’t.
My family really enjoyed these. I subbed dairy free buttermilk (coconut milk with 2 TSPN ACV), Einkorn flour (half all purpose/half whole wheat), and added a 1/4 of flaxmeal. Mine were not as fluffy as those pictured but likely related to changes I made. They were delicious. Thanks for the great recipe. I’ll make them again.
Thanks for sharing your subs! Glad they worked well for you.
So delicious! Love that I’m feeding my kids vegetable and they LOVE it! Perfect with a glass of cold milk!
Really like these pancakes. Made with all purpose flour. Will try white whole wheat next time. Hoping they freeze well for my elderly mom to heat and eat later.
These are delicious and my kids loved them! I used coconut oil instead of butter and added 1/3 cup chocolate chips for my kids. I would probably use a whole teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg to add more flavor. They came out fluffy just like the pictures and will definitely be making them again.
These are out of this world fabulous and good for what ails you — I’ll just leave it at that.
These are SOOOOO good! I make zucchini “pancakes” that are more keto -shredded zucchini, 6 eggs, maybe 1/4 cup flour, and 2 t baking powder- that are more like little pancake “souffles.” This time, was feeling like something different. I make “banana bread” pancakes all the time, so “zucchini bread” pancakes made total sense!!
I doubled the batter, which meant I had a lot left over so, for grins, I addressed 2 things other commenters asked. 1. They don’t make good waffles – they make TERRIFIC waffles!!! lol 2. I know they make terrific waffles because I refrigerated the batter overnight to make waffles the next day, for brunch. After sitting, the batter “deflated” quite a bit because the baking powder/soda had lost their oomph. It was also a little more liquid, as the zucchini had released some additional water. I stirred in about another 1/4 cup of flour, another couple of teaspoons of baking powder (I didn’t add soda, but you could’ve done either…), and it was absolutely fine in my Belgian waffle iron. I froze the extra waffles and a quick toast in the toaster took them from freezer to breakfast perfectly!! Thank you so much for sharing!!! You never disappoint!
So good! I’ve made them several times and we love them! Adapts easily to a 1:1 gluten free flour. And I add more zucchini just because we have so much!
Perfect! Thanks for sharing!
Wonder zucchini pancakes. I did add a little more zucchini cause I like it. Also use coconut sugar which I would of used date sugar instead if I had it.
Didn’t use both sugars together only because I use maple syrup on them and coconut butter yummy
Oh I made my own butter milk. Reg whole milk and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. One tablespoon of apples cider vinegar to one cup and let sit for a bit. Enjoy
looks like a good recipe, but I can’t find the ingredients quantity.
can u please redo your recipe, thank u
Delicious. I ate them plain without butter or syrup.
Nice!
These pancakes are so delicious! They’re a great way to use up our ample supply of zucchini. We tripled the recipe for our family of 10 and had plenty. We also put blueberries in some pancakes and chocolate chips in others. We also made icing to put on top. Thanks for a great recipe!
I am glad you love the pancakes!
Used 2 pcs of zucchini , these pancakes turns out amazing , soft and fluffy even with whole wheat flour. Made my own buttermilk with Milk + Apple Cider Vinegar. Highly recommend it.
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Added some chopped pistachios to recreate an item from a favorite restaurant. The homemade was much better! Noticed the nutrition info didn’t mention what quantity constitutes a serving– it appears to be 2 pancakes, if anyone is interested.