Top 3 Zucchini Recipes

Oh, Zucchini…we love you, but sometimes you can stress us out with your generous bounty!

Here are our top 3 favorite healthy zucchini recipes that are not zucchini bread:

  1. Healthy Zucchini Bars

  2. Healthy Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

  3. Healthy Zucchini, Kale, and Cheddar Casserole (gluten-free)

And guess what? The first two are actually the SAME recipe! Here it is:

I’ve experimented with A LOT of zucchini chocolate chip cookie recipes.  This is the one you want! They are very very fluffy and light. They look like a nice chocolate oatmeal cookie, but then you notice beautiful specs of zucchini – and healthy flecks of wheat germ. It is one baked good you won't feel guilty about enjoying with your kids!

Healthy Zucchini Bars Recipe OR Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (1 medium); lightly packed 

  • 1 cup old fashioned oats

  • 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet) 

Method

Preheat oven to 350

First add all your dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda and set aside. 

In a mixing bowl, mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy - about 3 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla until combined and scrape the side of the bowl.

Add your dry ingredients until just combined, then add the zucchini and chocolate chips (and nuts if using) and mix them in well with a rubber spatula/spoon. 

For Cookies:

Place the prepared batter in the refrigerator for about an hour to cool the dough.  This helps the butter to stiffen and will give you fluffier, chewy cookies.  Once batter is stiffened, place a heaping spoonful onto a cookie sheet and sprinkle with wheat germ and/or flax seed on top. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let cool and enjoy!

For Bars:

Divide batter in two and place a portion in the middle of waxed paper, roll into a log and freeze.  You will have two logs of dough – one for now, one for future use! Once dough has hardened, cut into 3 inch rounds and shape into oval. Place on cookie sheet and sprinkle with wheat germ and/or flax seed. Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let cool and enjoy!

Healthy Zucchini, Kale, and Cheddar Casserole Recipe (gluten-free)

Many zucchini casserole dishes have bread crumbs, saltines or mayonnaise in the ingredients to help thicken the casserole – but for a much greater harvest taste, I’ve omitted those “filler” ingredients and added healthy wild brown rice.  The addition of the rice makes this dish a hearty side dish or light entre. Its surprisingly mature in taste, so much so, that I’m going to make this one for a Thanksgiving side dish this year. This recipe is adapted from Food & Wine's "cheesy zucchini casserole." 

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter – melted

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium)

  • 1 cup chopped and steamed kale (strained to remove excess water)

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 1 cup wild brown rice (cooked al dente) 

  • 1 cup cheddar cheese

  • 1 large egg 

  • (Panko bread crumbs on top, for non-GF)

Method

Preheat oven to 350.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in vegetable or coconut oil.  Add chopped onion with pinch of salt and cook about 4 minutes.  Add zucchini and cook another 4 minutes so the zucchini is cooked al dente – do not let the zucchini overcook and become smooshy. Remove the zucchini and onion mixture from heat, stir in the steamed kale and put aside.

In a large bowl, mix the cooked rice with the cheddar cheese.  Add a slightly beaten egg and mix together.  Add the zucchini /onion mixture to the cheese/rice mixture.  Pour into your casserole dish.  Top with panko crumbs. Drizzle 4 tablespoons melted butter on top.  

Bake about 25 minutes at 350 until the top is crispy and edges bubbling.

Now you are well prepared to take on your zucchini and all its generosity.  So the next time someone in the office tries to pass along some zucchini - go ahead and grab it and make some of this awesomeness! 

RecipesStephanie McDonoughzucchini, kale