No matter the season, there’s truly nothing better than making a big plate of pancakes, enjoying a cup of coffee, and easing into your morning. It’s pretty rare to have a relaxing morning in my household these days with my three littles, but I love our morning breakfasts together.
The kiddos are big fans of pancakes, so I thought it was the perfect time to re-share these magical zucchini bread pancakes. These babies are SO fluffy and flavorful, and they just so happen to be Abra’s favorite pancakes (which is saying a lot!)
We first tested them out about 6 years ago and they’re still one of our fav ways to use up fresh zucchini. Pile them high, add your fav toppings, and get ready for the best morning ever.
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What makes these zucchini pancakes healthy?
This stack of zucchini bread pancakes is a healthier version of your traditional IHOP pancakes (and even fluffier, promise).
- Whole grains. They’re made with whole grains thanks to whole wheat pastry flour. I also think regular flour or oat flour might work well.
- Fiber & veggies. They’re packed with fiber thanks to zucchini. And who doesn’t like getting a boost of veggies in the AM?
- Dairy free. They’re dairy free using a bit of coconut oil and dairy free milk
Now what you top them with is up to you. I always go with peanut butter (or my homemade pecan butter would be amazing) and a drizzle of pure maple syrup. Keepin’ it classic.
Ingredients in healthy zucchini pancakes
These deliciously fluffy zucchini bread pancakes are made with super simple ingredients that keep them dairy free, naturally sweetened and full of cozy spices for the perfect breakfast. You’ll need:
- Whole wheat pastry flour: I love making pancakes and baked goods with whole wheat pastry flour because it’s filled with whole grains and keeps them super fluffy. You can also use white whole wheat flour or all purpose flour if you prefer.
- Spices: a little cinnamon and nutmeg gives these pancakes that cozy zucchini bread flavor.
- Baking staples: you’ll need baking powder and salt to help with the fluff factor and flavor, plus some vanilla extract.
- Zucchini: shredded zucchini gives these pancakes plenty of moisture without using a ton of oil or butter. Plus, you can feel good about a veggie for breakfast!
- Egg: you’ll just need 1 egg in this healthy zucchini pancake recipe. I haven’t tested it with a flax egg but let me know if you do.
- Maple syrup: we’re naturally sweetening these pancakes with a little pure maple syrup in the batter (and on top if you’d like!) You can also use honey.
- Coconut oil: you’ll need 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to make sure these are perfectly moist. You can also use butter or vegan butter.
- Milk: I like to use unsweetened vanilla almond milk to keep these pancakes dairy free but feel free to use any milk you’d like.
- Optional: add your favorite mix-ins like chopped pecans or maybe some chocolate chips!
Can I make them gluten free?
If you want to make these pancakes gluten free, I suggest using oat flour or an all purpose GF flour for these pancakes. I have not tested a gluten free version so I cannot be sure that they’ll work correctly. Let me know in the comments if you try it!
How to make zucchini bread pancakes
These whole wheat zucchini bread pancakes are incredibly easy to make and come together in under 30 minutes.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder & salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate large bowl, combine shredded zucchini, egg, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and milk until smooth and well combined. Fold in pecans if you’d like.
- Make the batter. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined. If the batter looks too thick add just a splash more milk. If it’s way too wet, add another tablespoon of flour.
- Cook the pancakes. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with coconut oil or butter and place over medium heat. Drop batter by 1/3 cup onto the skillet and spread out a bit with a spoon if necessary. Cook until bubbles appear on top, about 2 minutes.
- Flip & serve. Flip the cakes and cook until golden brown on the underside. Wipe the skillet clean and repeat with more coconut oil (or butter) and the remaining batter. Then stack them high with your fav toppings!
Looking for more tips for cooking the best fluffy pancakes? Check out my full guide here!
Tips for making zucchini pancakes
- Be sure to squeeze out all of the excess moisture from your zucchini after shredding it. Measure the shredded zucchini before you squeeze out the moisture.
- Once you’ve melted your coconut oil make sure it’s cool to the touch (not hot) otherwise it will coagulate the egg.
- Do not overmix your batter! This will result in a gummy pancake texture.
- Cook your pancakes over medium heat so that they cook evenly. If you flip your pancakes and they appear to be cooking too fast, feel free to reduce the temp to medium-low so that they don’t burn.
How to keep pancakes warm
You can also make these whole wheat zucchini bread pancakes ahead of time and keep them warm in the oven. Simply place oven at 200 degrees F, then add pancakes to a baking sheet or oven-safe plate and place in the oven until ready to serve.
How to freeze pancakes
Yes, you can make your healthy zucchini pancakes ahead of time and serve them at a later date!
- Place the pancakes on a baking sheet so they aren’t touching and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Then place the pancakes in freezer safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Once ready to reheat, simply add pancakes to a plate and microwave for 30-60 seconds or until warm.
More zucchini recipes to try
- Healthy Zucchini Bread
- Heart Healthy Olive Oil Salted Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
- Coconut Chocolate Zucchini Smoothie (with sneaky veggies)
- Peanut Butter Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal
- Healthy Marbled Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread
Get all of our best zucchini recipes here!
I hope you get a chance to make these fluffy, healthy zucchini bread pancakes soon! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. You can also share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Fluffy Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread Pancakes
Ingredients
- For the dry ingredients:
- 1 cup (113g) whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- For the wet ingredients:
- 1 heaping cup shredded zucchini, squeezed of excess moisture with a paper towel (from 1 medium zucchini)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 tablespoon melted and cooled coconut oil (or sub melted butter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120g) unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)
- Optional: ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, combine shredded zucchini, egg, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and almond milk until smooth and well combined. Fold in pecans if using.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. If the batter looks too thick add just a splash more milk. If it’s way to wet, add another tablespoon of flour.
- Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with coconut oil or butter and place over medium heat. Drop batter by 1/3 cup onto skillet and spread out a bit with a spoon if necessary. Cook until bubbles appear on top, about 2 minutes.
- Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 minutes. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more coconut oil (or butter) and remaining batter. You may need to reduce the heat after the second batch to prevent burning. Serves 4, 2 pancakes each.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on July 27th, 2017, republished on August 23rd, 2020, republished on June 12th, 2023, and republished on August 22nd, 2024.
Super easy and great flavor. I subbed equal amount oat flour for GFers. They were a bit soggy as expected with zucchini and oat flour. I love that they are more wholesome and make me feel great to start my day.
Perfect breakfast!
Truly delicious pancakes not just “healthy pancakes.”
Agreed! Glad you love them!
Would this recipe work for waffles?
I haven’t tested it so I’m not 100% sure!
Had a lot of zucchini as it is in season and was looking for a breakfast idea and came across this recipe. I used unbleached all purpose flour and needed to add more liquid than called for as the batter was very thick and almost dry. I also used 2 tsp of cinnamon because I love it 🙂 and used about 2 tsp of vanilla as I used plain unsweetened almond milk. I used the coconut oil as called for and also used it to cook the pankcakes as I melted too much. I was never a fan of coconut and have come to enjoy using coconut oil and milk so I did not taste the coconut oil in the pancakes. Using a 1/3 cup measure for the batter yielded 6 pancakes. Really enjoyed this recipe and will be making it again. Thank you !
Such a great breakfast! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Absolutely delicious! I’ve tried a couple of your pancake recipes already and each one is equally delicious in their own unique way. I love that these are healthy, packed with flavor, AND SO FLUFFY. My boys gobbled these up and I have the pickiest eaters. Great to get veggies in there too. Thanks for the perfect recipe!
This is one of my all-time favs! Happy to hear it’s a hit with the family, too 🙂
It didn’t work out for me. They stuck to the pan and felt mushy even though I cooked them for a while. Maybe it’s coz I added honey. Is life to know if anyone what has success
Oh no! Sorry to hear these did not turn out for you, Rose. I think your pan might have been too hot, you want to make sure it is a medium so it doesn’t cook the outside too fast. Hope that helps!
Fluffy and delicious with warming spice flavor…. Better yet, toddler approved! I did sneak a couple chocolate chips on top of my toddlers to entice her, after one bite she loved it and ate the whole cake! Great way for sneaky veggies. Thanks for another winning recipe!
Ah yay! I am so excited to hear that you are loving these pancakes, Katie. Glad your little is loving these as well!
Hello, can this be made with just whole wheat flour if we can’t find pastry flour?
Hi – I also think regular flour or oat flour might work well for this recipe, although I haven’t tried it. Let me know how these turn out for you!
Question: Why do you use Coconut oil as it is so much more saturated than other oils? I use either Canola for baking or Olive oil for dinners. These are much healthier alternatives.
Hi Judy – As with all things, it is important to use ingredients in moderation. I don’t believe a little bit of coconut oil is bad for you. But feel free to use melted butter in this recipe instead of the coconut oil!
Have you tried putting frozen pancakes in the toaster?
I haven’t, but it should work!
Indulge in the deliciousness of fluffy whole wheat zucchini bread pancakes, featuring a delightful blend of cinnamon and nutmeg. These pancakes are not only healthy but also dairy-free, with the sweetness derived from pure maple syrup. They capture the essence of your beloved classic zucchini bread in every bite. For an extra touch of decadence, feel free to include chocolate chips or pecans in the batter. Enjoy the perfect balance of flavors and textures in these delectable pancakes!
Ah thank you so much! I am so glad you’re loving these pancakes 🙂
These are so delicious and so fluffy! I added the suggested pecans and loved the added texture! I used 1/4 cup instead of 1/3 for the batter because I wouldn’t have gotten 8 pancakes with 1/3 cup. Thank you for the recipe!
Yay!! Happy they turned out great. And good to know about the 1/4 cup measure!
These turned out awesome – so tall and fluffy! I used pistachios since I had an abundance of them. Thanks for a great recipe! I’ll definitely make these again, especially for company. 💚
Yummm I love pistachios! Happy you loved these, Kristen 🙂
Quite delicious indeed! It came out surprisingly moist and fluffy, great with the walnuts and a hint of nutmeg. I used spelt wholemeal flour for the recipe.
So happy the spelt flour worked well and that you loved them, Divya! Thanks so much for leaving a review 🙂
These were a great way to get veggies into my 3 year old, 9 month old, and my husband 😆. Because I was giving these to the baby I substituted the maple syrup with applesauce and figured why not lighten them up by adding more applesauce in place of the oil and it worked beautifully.
I also used sprouted spelt flour in place of the whole wheat and threw in a scoop of unflavored collagen peptides for a nutritional boost.
I may have squeezed too much liquid from my zucchini because I found I needed a bit more cashew milk to make mine the right consistency.
All in all a great and easy to modify recipe! Thanks for sharing!
So happy to hear that all worked well and that you guys loved these! Thanks so much for sharing, Kay 🙂
I’ve been using your website quite a bit over the past several weeks to find ways to use up the overabundance of zucchini we’ve been harvesting for the past 3 months. I actually don’t like traditional pancakes or crepes or really anything that resembles a pancake but my husband makes pancakes on the weekends for the rest of the family. I printed out this recipe for him to use, shredded up some zucchini for him to use and went on my way. When he cooked them up, though, they smelled so darn mouthwatering that I decided to try one. Honestly, I think I’ve overcome my pancake aversion . . .as long as the pancakes are these pancakes. We all loved them! Thanks for helping me find my way back to the breakfast table on Pancake Sundays! I definitely recommend making a double batch!
Oh that is amazing!! I’m so happy that you loved these ones so much despite your aversion 😅 Thanks so much for leaving a review 🙂
These are so good! One if the best ways to use an over abundance of zucchini. Topped with cottage cheese and fruit preserves. Great Saturday morning breakfast!
Oooh yummy! So happy you loved them, Katy!
The best pancakes!! I subbed Oat Flour and Whole Milk and they turned out amazing! My one year old kept asking for more! Also worked great as meal prep for the week – I make a batch and put half in the fridge (for that week) and half in the freezer for the weeks I don’t have time to meal prep 🙂
I made these with same ratio oat flour to make them gf and they were sooo good!! Definitely will make again.
I made these this morning, along with your “Fluffy Yogurt Pancakes” as a little taste-test for my family. Both were a big hit and there are no leftovers. I love the cinnamon taste of these ones, though realize I could also add cinnamon to the yogurt ones next time. Thank you for the great recipes, as always!
Maybe I squeezed out TOO MUCH water from the zucchini? Because my batter came out quite thick and only made 6 pancakes from the 1/3 cup scoop. But the taste was great!
Hmmm I usually squeeze it pretty thoroughly! Did you measure everything the same as in the ingredients list? Glad they still tasted good!
These came out really thick, even after I added a couple splashes of water. Taste was great, though!
Hmm I haven’t had that happen! Did you follow the recipe precisely? Glad they tasted great, though!
everyone in my family agreed: BEST PANCAKES EVER. soOooooO yummy.
OMG yay!! So glad to hear you guys are loving them!