Zucchini Cakes are a favorite vegetarian appetizer. Flavored with lemon and feta, this easy finger food is the best thing that ever happened to shredded zucchini!
Why you will love this recipe!
- These are so easy to make!
- You can make them ahead of time and freeze them.
- A great way to use up extra zucchini.
- They are always the first thing to go when I serve them!
- This zucchini recipe works as an appetizer, side dish, snack or even as a main dish.
Top Recipe Tips
- Draining – for the crispiest cakes, wring out the shredded zucchini. Many recipes call for salting and letting the zucchini drain in a colander. That method doesn’t remove enough liquid and the cakes won’t be crispy.
- Make Ahead – once cooked, these zucchini cakes freeze really well. Layer them between sheets of parchment or waxed paper in a freezer safe container.
- Serving – I like to serve this vegetarian appetizer with a lemon and dill yogurt sauce, but they are delicious all by themselves!
What you need to make them
How to make them
Serving Suggestions
Other vegetarian appetizers that would go really well..
- Stuffed Mushrooms: These luscious Spanish style Stuffed Mushrooms are flavored with parmesan cheese, parsley and shallots.
- Flatbread: Delicious on their own or topped with a spread, these yogurt flatbreads are always popular!
- Cocktails– a classic Vodka Sour is one of my favorites to pair with food. Bonus: you probably already have everything you need to make this drink!
Variations
- Provencal Zucchini Fritters: For cheese, use ½ cup crumbled goat cheese and add 1 tsp. herbs de provence, zest of half a lemon and ¼ cup minced parsley and fresh thyme.
- Cilantro Lime Zucchini Fritters: For cheese, use ½ cup grated mexican cheese blend or jack cheese and add 2 cloves of garlic, minced, 1 tsp. cumin and either ½ tsp. tabasco sauce or ½ tsp. minced chipotle chiles and the zest of 1 lime. After cooking, dust with chile powder.
Yes, you can freeze them and I highly recommend it. Once they have cooled, place between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a covered container and pop into the freezer. You can freeze these little zucchini cakes for up to 3 months.
To Thaw: Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the cakes on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for 10 – 15 minutes until the cakes are thawed and warmed through.
The main reason is that the shredded zucchini still has too much liquid. For the crispiest cakes, place the zucchini on a clean, dry kitchen towel and wring out the liquid.
More Vegetarian Appetizers
An easy appetizer, this creamy Feta Dip is flavored with roasted red peppers and is ready in minutes!
Pan con Tomate – grated,vine ripened tomatoes spooned onto garlicky grilled bread with olive oil and salt – so simple and so good!
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Fried Zucchini Cakes
Ingredients
- 3 Zucchini shredded
- ¼ cup green onions finely chopped
- ½ cup Feta Cheese
- ¼ cup minced fresh herbs I used parsley, mint and dill
- 1 lemon zested
- 2 eggs beaten to blend
- ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Trim the ends of the zucchini and coarsely grate the zucchini. Transfer zucchini to a towel.
- Fold over the ends and twist, squeezing excess liquid from the zucchini. Transfer zucchini to a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the green onions, feta, herbs, lemon zest and eggs. Stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour, salt and pepper over and stir until you can no longer see the flour.
- In a 12 inch saute pan (I like cast iron) , heat the oil over medium high heat.
- When oil is hot but not smoking, drop 2 tablespoons of the zucchini mixture, evenly spacing them over the bottom of the pan. TIP: Drop a small amount of the fritter batter into the oil, if it starts to sizzle, then you know your oil is hot enough.
- Flatten mounds lightly with a spatula and cook for 2 – 3 minutes until bottom is golden brown.
- Flip zucchini cakes and cook until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining zucchini mixture.
Recipe Notes
- To Freeze Zucchini cakes: Line the bottom of a sealed container with wax or parchment paper. Add a layer of the cakes and place a piece of wax or parchment paper on top. Continue to layer the fritters and paper until the container is full. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To Thaw Zucchini cakes: place on a parchment-lined sheet pan and reheat in a 350-degree oven for 10 – 12 minutes until the fritters are thawed and warm.
- Zucchini cake Serving Ideas: These fritters are delicious as an appetizer but also as a side with grilled fish, chicken, like my Yogurt Lemon and Mint Grilled Chicken.
- Variations:
- Provencal Zucchini Fritters: For cheese, use ½ cup crumbled goat cheese and add 1 tsp. herbs de Provence, zest of half a lemon and ¼ cup minced parsley and fresh thyme.
- Cilantro Lime Zucchini Fritters: For cheese, use ½ cup grated Mexican cheese blend or jack cheese and add 2 cloves of garlic, minced, 1 tsp. cumin and either ½ tsp. Tabasco sauce or ½ tsp. minced chipotle chiles and the zest of 1 lime. After cooking, dust with chile powder.
I wish I had an abundance of zucchini; I quit growing them once the kids were both gone…I think one plant would have been unmanageable.
But I do remember that I would grate mounds of zucchini and freeze it in 2 cupful measures for zucchini bread in winter. I’m betting these would work just as well. And now you know I wish I had some of that abundance right here, right now!
You guessed right – you can definitely freeze these -(hmmm… should have put that in the instructions, huh??)
I really wish I did have more of a green thumb!
Want zucchini? I can provide all you need 🙂 I’ve been posting zucchini recipes from my own personal Zucchini Throwdown! Just made Erica’s muffins today and I’ve already done keftedes aka fritters, but thanks for another.
I think we may need to have a “Zucchinipalooza”!!!! Gonna have to try your keftedes recipe since my family loves those!
Me me me!!!!! I have so many I used TWO WHOLE CUPS’ worth in a frittata for breakfast this morning. And I still have three (big ones) sitting on the counter. Who knows how many are still out back?
Can you please keep ’em (the zucchini recipes) coming? I’d appreciate it. Or else I’ll have to leave them on your doorstep.
[K]
I may just have to take you up on that – free zucchini! Got any eggplant? I’ve got a great recipe coming up using them….
This would have been perfect with my dinner today. Had lentil soup in the middle of summer and would love a coin or two of zucchini.
Oooh… lentil soup would be awesome with these – will definitely have to remember that combo in the fall!