Cheesy zucchini bites are bite-size baked zucchini fritters filled with melty cheese. They make the perfect appetizer, summertime snack, or side dish for your next meal.
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Cheesy, savory handheld bites are like a mix between a fritter and a mini quiche! They have a mild flavor and are great dipped in ranch dressing.
Yield: 20 bites
Pan size: Mini muffin pan
You may also like: Zucchini Egg Muffins and Zucchini Fritters
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Vegetables - Shredded zucchini and onion are grated on the large side of a box grater. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible before assembly. Zucchini could be substituted with yellow summer squash.
- Flavor - Sharp cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and shredded onion add mild, savory flavor to your bites. I don't recommend omitting any of these ingredients for best results.
- Binding - Egg, panko bread crumb, and the shredded cheese all help bind the zucchini bites together as they bake. The texture is much like a mini quiche.
How to make cheesy zucchini bites
- Add ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. Portion mixture into a greased mini muffin pan. I used a heaped medium cookie scoop for easy portioning.
- Press the mixture down into the pan with clean hands or the back of a spoon.
- Bake until mixture reaches 160F or higher in the center, and bites look golden brown across the top.
- Allow your bites to cool slightly before removing from the pan. You may need to use a butter knife to help loosen the sides.
Tips and tricks
Squeeze the liquid from your veggies - Zucchini and onion are very wet when grated. That excess liquid must be squeezed from your veggies before assembly or your bites will turn out very wet and soggy.
How to squeeze liquid out - Wrap your zucchini and onion in several layers of paper towel or a tea towel. Over the kitchen sink, squeeze until no more liquid escapes. To get as much liquid out as possible, do this in 2 to 3 smaller batches.
Allow bites to cool in the pan - Give your bites a few minutes in the pan to cool. Slightly cooled bites release more easily from the pan and are less likely to fall apart. Use a butter knife to gently release the sides if needed.
Frequently asked questions
Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. I like to reheat these in the toaster oven at 325F for about 10 minutes, or until they're golden brown and sizzling around the edges.
This recipe does not produce a crispy fritter (like one fried in oil). These bites have the consistency of a quiche or frittata - soft and tender, with a few crisp, cheesy edges here and there.
I like to serve them warm with a creamy dipping sauce like ranch or tzatziki.
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Zucchini Bites
Ingredients
- 3 (105 g) medium zucchini, or 3 cups grated
- ½ small onion
- 1 cup (113 g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (25 g) panko bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan and set aside.
- Grate zucchini and onion using the large side of a box grater (or a food processor with a grating disc). Wrap grated zucchini and onion into several layers of paper towel (or a tea towel) and squeeze over the sink to remove as much excess liquid as possible.
- In a large bowl, add grated zucchini, onion, cheese, egg, bread crumbs, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Press mixture into mini muffin pan.
- Bake for about 22-26 minutes, or until golden brown across the tops and centers reach 160F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, then remove from pan and serve warm.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Squeeze the liquid out: Skipping the step of squeezing the liquid from your grated vegetables will make your bites very wet and soggy.
- Storage: Leftover bites will keep for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!