Easy Zucchini Pancakes
Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
Fluffy, easy Zucchini Pancakes are perfect for babies, toddlers, and kids. Zucchini’s mild flavor blends right into these warmly spiced pancakes for a yummy and healthy addition to breakfast, snack, lunch or even dinner. 6 months and up!
Zucchini Pancakes for Kids
Zucchini – the vegetable that keeps on giving!
Just when you think you’ve sliced zucchini every way you can, in practically every recipe you can, another great recipe seems to come along and be a perfect fit for this mild-tasting and nutritious summer squash.
At least, that’s how we feel about these healthy and tasty zucchini pancakes for kids.
Just grate your zucchini – then add it to the rest of the pancake ingredients, pour it onto the griddle, and BAM! Nutritious, tasty, and hot zucchini pancakes on your plate, in less than 15 minutes.
If you are looking for more easy and healthy pancakes for your little one, then be sure to check out my Spinach Blender Pancakes, Pumpkin Pancakes for Baby, or these delicious 3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.
Zucchini Pancakes Video
Want to see how easy these pancakes really are to make? Then make sure to watch this video!
Reasons to Love these Healthy Zucchini Pancakes
- takes less than 15 minutes from start to the first bite
- great for baby, baby-led weaning, toddler and kids
- freezer-friendly
- made in one bowl
- perfect for breakfast, snack, lunch or even dinner
- healthy
- made with whole grains
- soft and fluffy
- contains a veggie
Ingredients
Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!
- Flour: All-purpose, white whole wheat, oat flour or a one-for-one gluten-free flour will all work here.
- Zucchini: Grate the zucchini and lay it onto towels to squeeze out excess moisture before adding it to the batter.
- Maple Syrup: This recipe uses just a little bit to get the perfect combo of savory and sweet cooked right into the pancakes.
- Milk: You can use any type of milk you prefer – dairy, almond, oat, etc.
- Egg: One large egg is needed to bind everything together.
- Butter: Feel free to substitute mild olive oil, coconut, or vegetable
- Baking Powder: Helps to get the pancakes perfectly soft and fluffy.
- Spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and salt: These flavors really up the taste factor.
Zucchini Tip: to pick a zucchini that’s perfectly ripe and ready to enjoy, look for one that is 6-8 inches long, not too soft and has a vibrant green hue.
Zucchini Benefits
Zucchini is a nutrient-dense food. In addition, it’s soft and primarily water, making it a great option for hydrating babies.
- High in vitamin C, which supports the immune system and helps with iron absorption
- Contains beta-carotene, needed for healthy eyesight
- A good source of potassium, an important electrolyte needed for fluid balance, muscle contractions and a normal blood pressure
- Contains water and fiber, which support digestion and can help with constipation
How to Pick a Zucchini
When picking a zucchini, look for one that has a vibrant, rich color, and is smaller in size (6-8 inches) compared to larger ones, as smaller means more flavor. Make sure it is firm and free from cuts and bruises.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Grate Zucchini: to grate the zucchini, place the grater onto a cutting board and hold with one hand. Hold zucchini with the other hand and grate to shred it. Place shredded zucchini into a paper towel or cheesecloth and gently squeeze to remove excess moisture.
- Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
- Add Wet Ingredients: add in the melted butter, maple syrup, egg, vanilla extract, grated zucchini and milk.
- Combine: Stir until incorporated, do not overmix.
- Cook: Heat a non-stick pan or pancake griddle over medium to medium-low heat. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of batter onto the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tiny bubbles appear on the outside of the pancake. Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. If the batter gets too thick, add in a tablespoon at a time of milk and stir until you have the right consistency.
- Repeat: Transfer pancakes to a cooling rack and repeat the process until you have used all of the batter.
- Eat: Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as you can to avoid the pancakes being too moist.
- Use nondairy milk instead as needed to make it dairy free.
- Make it gluten-free by using cup-for-cup gluten-free flour.
- Keep pancakes warm while you finish cooking the rest by placing them on a baking sheet in a 225-degree oven.
Tools Needed
Add-Ins
You can make these easy pancakes as-is or add in a pinch of spices or finely chopped fruit. Here are a couple of my favorite additions:
- Chocolate chips
- Chopped walnuts
- Grated carrots
- Dried raisins
- Chopped strawberries
- Blueberries
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Ginger
- Cloves
Serve With
These pancakes are made to be easy, so don’t feel like you need to serve them with anything too complicated. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve them to your baby or toddler:
- cut in half and served for baby-led weaning
- cut into strips and serve with a side of yogurt to dip in
- serve with a side of your favorite fruit, anything goes – chunks of banana, cut-up berries, slices of cooked apples, etc.
- spread with cream cheese or nut butter and made into a sandwich
- cut into chunks and served with maple syrup on the side
- drizzled with honey and sprinkle of hemp seeds (for toddlers 1+ years)
Baby-led Weaning Pancakes
These pancakes are perfect for baby-led weaning or as a finger food because they are soft to eat and your baby can easily pick them up in their hands for a palmar grasp or with their pincer grasp if they are cut into smaller chunks. You can serve them to your baby sliced in half or cut into small chunks.
Zucchini Pancakes for Toddlers and Kids
These quick and easy pancakes are also great for toddlers and kids. You can serve them a smear of cream cheese or peanut butter, topped with yogurt and berries, or the classic version with butter and syrup.
BLW Feeding Tips
- Be aware of changes that may be needed in your own diet. Foods prepared for adults may not always be suitable for infants, especially depending on sodium levels, seasonings used, or style of cooking.
- Serve and cut foods to help with grasp and minimize frustration – cut food into 2-3′ strips or sticks (about the size of 2 adult fingers) for babies 6-9 months old. You can shred or cut foods into pea-sized pieces once your baby reaches 9-12 months old to promote fine motor grasp.
- Have a plan for making clean-up easier, such as bibs that double as “food catchers,” a large mat underneath the highchair, a good vacuum, or a helpful dog! It might feel tempting to do so, but hold off on wiping your baby’s face and hands until the end of the meal. You might even consider taking your baby to the sink and letting them rinse their hands and face there afterward.
Storing and Freezing
These pancakes can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Pancakes freeze well and will last up to 3 months in the freezer. To reheat, gently heat in the microwave or toaster.
Kids in the Kitchen
Though pancakes are a little hard for younger toddlers to flip, there are still so many ways they can help make this recipe.
Toddlers
- Toddlers can help measure and put the ingredients into the bowl.
- The little ones will love to squeeze the zucchini to get the liquid out.
- They can help mix the ingredients together.
- They can help pour pancake batter onto the griddle for cooking (with adult supervision).
Kids
- They can pick out and measure all of the ingredients.
- Kids can help mix the ingredients together.
- They can help pour the batter onto the griddle (with adult supervision).
- They can help flip pancakes.
- Kids can help spread butter and pour syrup onto warm pancakes.
Or watch the shortened video here.
Get the recipe: Fluffy Zucchini Pancakes (super easy!)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.
- Wet Ingredients: Add in the melted butter, maple syrup, egg, vanilla extract, grated zucchini, and milk.
- Incorporate: Stir until incorporated, do not overmix.
- Cook: Heat a non-stick pan or pancake griddle over medium to medium-low heat. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of batter onto the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tiny bubbles appear on the outside of the pancake. Flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. If the batter gets too thick, add in a tablespoon at a time of milk and stir until you have the right consistency.
- Continue: Transfer pancakes to a cooling rack and repeat the process until you have used all of the the batter.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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7 Comments on “Easy Zucchini Pancakes”
Thank you for forcing me to jump through multiple tacky ad popups just to scroll down to your recipe. Everyone knows you want to make money but cmon your site is terrible to click through.
There is a “jump to recipe” button at the top of every post which takes readers directly to the recipe card. Happy holidays!
More like for 2 years and up and switch out maple syrup, aka sugar, for a banana. ALSO maple syrup is not healthy and not recommended until 2 years old. The US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services says, “Children younger than 2 years should not be fed foods and beverages with added sugars at all.”
What can I use as a substitute for maple syrup if I don’t have any on hand?
Hi Stephanie! You can substitute applesauce. xo, Michele
Way too much baking powder. Tasted terrible.
Hi Anne! Sorry you had a bad experience. Is your baking powder fresh. If it’s older than 60-90 days, you may not get the desired results. xo, Michele