Zucchini Pancakes Recipe
Light and fluffy zucchini pancakes are packed with shredded zucchini and warm cinnamon. They're everything you love about the flavor of zucchini bread, but with the crunchy craggy bits that you get with pancakes sizzled in butter. This healthy pancake recipe incorporates whole-wheat flour and has a very small amount of brown sugar for added sweetness. Enjoy them for breakfast, brunch, or even "breakfast-for-dinner"!
Servings: 8 pancakes
Calories: 161kcal
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups shredded zucchini, about 1 ½ medium zucchini
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole-wheat flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- butter or oil for coating skillet
For maple yogurt topping:
- 6 Tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, olive oil, sugar, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Stir in zucchini.
- In a smaller bowl, combine flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini batter, mixing until just combined. Don't overmix!
- If not serving pancakes immediately, prep baking sheet with two pieces of foil to store and keep cooked pancakes covered and warm.
- Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Once hot, melt a pat of butter in pan and swirl it around until it sizzles.
- Scoop ¼-cup dollops of batter into pan. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook another minute or two, until golden underneath.
- Transfer pancakes to prepared baking sheet to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.
- To make maple yogurt: In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, maple syrup, and nutmeg. Serve with pancakes.
Notes
- Don't overmix your pancake batter. When in doubt, it's better to undermix than overmix. Overmixing prevents pancakes from becoming light and fluffy, AND it creates gluten, which can make pancakes chewy.
- Make sure your pan/griddle is nice and hot before you start. This ensures golden brown healthy buttermilk pancakes. If you find that they're cooking too quickly and/or are starting to burn, turn down your heat.
- How to store: Pancakes are always best eaten right away. But they can be stored in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 3 days.
- How to freeze: After completely cooled, layer on pieces of parchment paper and place in a freezer-safe bag. Store in freezer for up to 3 months.
- Recipe inspired by Smitten Kitchen.
Nutrition
Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 1mg