Quick & easy Zucchini Pancakes are ultra fluffy and moist. They come together in a single bowl and are flavored with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg plus freshly grated zucchini. These pancakes capture the cozy taste of zucchini bread in a breakfast-friendly form — perfect for mornings, brunch, or breakfast-for-dinner.
Why you’ll love these Zucchini Pancakes:
- Zucchini bread flavor — Fresh grated zucchini and warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg give the pancakes a familiar zucchini bread taste in a soft, fluffy pancake.
- Ultra fluffy texture — The simple method yields tall, tender pancakes that stay moist thanks to the buttermilk and melted butter.
- Easy one-bowl recipe — Minimal bowls and straightforward steps make these a reliable, weeknight-friendly breakfast.
- Great for using garden zucchini — When zucchinis are abundant, these pancakes are a delicious way to use them up.
Ingredient Overview:
The full ingredient amounts and instructions are included in the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour — Spoon and level flour for accurate measurement or use a kitchen scale. For a slightly heartier result, swap up to 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour for white whole wheat flour.
- Butter — Melted butter adds richness and helps the pancakes brown. Salted butter is recommended for flavor.
- Buttermilk — Buttermilk adds lift and tenderness; a milk-plus-lemon-juice or vinegar substitute works in a pinch.
- Zucchini — Grate on the large or small holes depending on whether you want bits of texture or a finer distribution; both work well.
Variations & Substitutions
Buttermilk: Use regular 2% milk if needed, or make a quick substitute by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of milk and letting it rest 5 minutes.
Dairy-free: Substitute your preferred dairy-free milk and butter alternatives.
Gluten-free: A gluten-free version has not been tested with this exact recipe; if using a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend, results may vary.
Add-ins: Fold in 1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips, or try chopped nuts or a handful of blueberries for a different spin.
How to Make Zucchini Pancakes:
Step 1: Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, melt the butter and whisk in the buttermilk and egg until uniform.
Step 2: Add zucchini. Stir the grated zucchini into the wet ingredients so it’s evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Step 3: Add dry ingredients. Gently fold in the dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg — until just combined. A few lumps are desirable; over-mixing will deflate the batter.
Don’t Over Mix
Lumpy batter keeps pancakes tender and fluffy. Stir just until the dry ingredients disappear into the wet — leave some small lumps.
Step 4: Cook pancakes. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium to medium-high heat and grease with butter or nonstick spray. Use about 1/3 cup batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles form and the undersides are golden, about 1–2 minutes, then flip and cook another 1–2 minutes until golden and set.
Entertaining Tip
Keep cooked pancakes warm on a baking sheet in a low oven set to “warm” or covered with foil while you finish cooking the rest.
Serving & Storing:
Serve pancakes warm with salted butter and plenty of pure maple syrup. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. For longer storage, freeze cooled pancakes in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for 1–2 months. Reheat directly from frozen in a toaster, microwave, or oven.
Freezing Tip
Freeze pancakes in a single layer first to prevent sticking, then stack in a freezer-safe bag. Reheat a serving in the toaster or microwave for quick breakfasts.
Expert Success Tips
Kitchen scale: Weighing flour ensures consistent results when baking or making batter.
Food processor: Use the grating attachment to grate zucchini quickly and evenly.
Excess water: Grate zucchini into a bowl and leave any pooled liquid behind before adding the zucchini to the batter; this prevents the batter from becoming too wet.
Yield adjustments: The recipe is easy to double or halve as needed.
Special Tools:
- Griddle: A large griddle helps cook multiple pancakes evenly and speeds up serving.
More of my best brunch recipes:
Fall
Best ever pumpkin bread with pecan streusel & maple glaze
Fall
Fluffy pumpkin pancakes
Breakfast
Brioche French toast
Fall
Caramel apple crumb cake
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Zucchini Bread Pancakes
Ingredients
For the Pancakes:
- 1 and 1/2 cups zucchini, grated (about 205 g)
- 3 tbsp salted butter, melted (about 43 g)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature (240 g)
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (195 g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar (about 26 g)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- extra butter or nonstick spray for cooking
For Serving:
- Maple syrup
- Butter
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini: Grate over a bowl and set aside so any excess liquid can separate.
- Make the batter: Melt the butter in a mixing bowl, whisk in the egg and buttermilk, then stir in the grated zucchini. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined — leave the batter slightly lumpy.
- Cook the pancakes: Heat and grease a griddle or skillet. Drop batter by 1/4–1/3 cup portions and spread slightly. Cook until the underside is golden and bubbles appear, 1–2 minutes, then flip and cook until golden and set.
- Serve and store: Serve warm with butter and maple syrup. Store cooled leftovers in the fridge for 3–4 days or freeze for 1–2 months.
Notes
Zucchini: I don’t squeeze out the grated zucchini; instead I grate into a separate bowl and leave any pooled liquid behind before adding the zucchini to the batter.
Buttermilk substitute: Stir 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar into milk to make a quick buttermilk substitute; let sit 5 minutes before using.
Flour swap: You can replace 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour with 1/2 cup white whole wheat for a slightly nuttier crumb.
Nutrition: Nutrition values are an approximation and reflect one pancake without toppings.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 pancake • Calories: 134 • Carbs: 19 g • Protein: 4 g • Fat: 5 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.