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Cheesy Zucchini Bites

Zucchini bites are a delicious and healthy snack that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. These bites are made by combining grated zucchini with various ingredients such as eggs, cheese, and breadcrumbs, and then baking them in the oven until they are crispy and golden brown. Zucchini bites are a great way to sneak in some extra vegetables into your diet and are perfect for those who are looking for a low-carb snack or even an appetizer.

Zucchini bites in a black bowl.


 

It’s about that time of Summer when we are heading into Zucchini Overload Season! But after you taste these Zucchini Bites made with double cheese, you will be glad to have a few extra zucchini hanging around.

Being in Italy I certainly have an overload of zucchini, I love making and of course eating Zucchini Patties, a Classic Zucchini Bread, a delicious and cheesy Zucchini Parmesan and of course a favorite pasta dish that a friend shared, Zucchini Cream Cheese Pasta!

What are the ingredients for Zucchini Bites

  • Zucchini – medium zucchini
  • Mozzarella – firm shredded mozzarella
  • Grated Parmesan Cheese – freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • Egg – large egg
  • Bread Crumbs – or panko breadcrumbs
  • Parsley – fresh parsley finely chopped
  • Garlic – fresh finely chopped clove
  • Salt and Pepper – black or white pepper

How to substitute raw garlic

If you’ve bought pure garlic powder then it’s pretty easy to substitute it for fresh cloves. One clove of garlic equals about 1/8th of a teaspoon garlic powder.

How to make Zucchini Bites

In a medium frying pan add the olive oil, chopped zucchini, minced garlic, salt and water. Cook covered on medium low heat until the zucchini is tender, remove the cover and continue to cook on low until the water has evaporated.

Remove the pan from the heat and place in a large bowl, mash with a fork. To the bowl add the shredded mozzarella, parmesan cheese, egg, bread crumbs, parsley and pepper, combine gently until the mixture is compact.

zucchini bites how to make, cubed zucchini in a pan, egg mixture and mixed

Form into approximately 19 balls, then roll the zucchini balls in the bread crumbs, place on a plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Remove from the fridge and cook by deep frying in hot oil until golden, pan fry in a little hot oil, turn once or twice until golden, or place the balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in a pre heated oven until baked. Sprinkle with a little salt before serving.

zucchini bites how to make made into bites, fried in the pan

These Double Cheese Zucchini Bites are very easy to put together and the ingredients are easy to find. And you probably already have them in your kitchen. Simple and Delicious, exactly what Summer is all about.

Zucchini bites in a black bowl.

Can they be made ahead of time?

I have made the zucchini balls the day before and chilled them for 24 hours before baking.

How can the zucchini balls be cooked?

These Zucchini Bites can be cooked a number of ways, including,  deep-fried, which many Italians like to do, pan-fried which is the way I made them or even baked which would make these not only delicious but healthy too and only 40 calories for one!

What dipping sauce can I serve with the bites?

You can serve these with a marinara sauce, buffalo blue cheese dipping sauce, honey mustard dipping sauce or even a creamy parmesan sauce. Or why not choose one of your favorites!?

How to store the zucchini bites

Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. They will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge. You could re-heat either with a microwave or in the oven.

They can also be frozen either baked or raw, if baked place in a freezer bag or container. If they are unbaked then place the balls on a cookie sheet and freeze until firm, transfer to a freezer container or bag in a layer separated with parchment paper. Both ways will keep for up to a month in the freezer.

Zucchini bites in a black bowl.

So whatever you make with your extra zucchini, I hope you will keep a couple aside and try these Cheesy Zucchini Bites. And of course don’t forget to let me know what you think of them. Buon Appetito!


Zucchini bites in a black bowl.

Cheesy Zucchini Bites

Rosemary Molloy
Too much Zucchini?  Make some delicious Cheesy Zucchini Bites, double cheese makes these the perfect side dish or appetizer.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling time 1 hour
Total Time 20 minutes
Course antipasto, Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 19 bites
Calories 40 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

FOR THE ZUCCHINI BITES

  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium zucchini (chopped small)
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¾ cup shredded firm mozzarella (1 cup if you like it extra cheesy)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg (large)
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons bread crumbs (45 grams total)
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1-2 dashes pepper

EXTRAS (FOR ROLLING)

  • ¼ cup bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs (approximately for rolling)

Instructions
 

  • In a medium frying pan add the olive oil, chopped zucchini, minced garlic,  salt and water.  Cook covered on medium low heat for approximately 10-15 minutes (make sure the zucchini does not brown, you want it tender), remove cover and continue to cook on low until the water has evaporated and zucchini is tender.  
  • Transfer the zucchini to a large bowl and mash with a fork. To the bowl add the shredded mozzarella, parmesan cheese, egg, bread crumbs (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons), parsley and pepper, combine gently until compact.
  • Form into 19 balls, then roll the zucchini balls in the ¼ cup of bread crumbs, place on a plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour*.
  • Remove from the fridge and either deep fry in hot oil (350 F / 180 C) until golden, or pan fry in a little hot oil, turn once or twice until golden, or bake in a pre heated 350F / 180C oven for approximately 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through.  Sprinkle with a little salt before serving.  Enjoy/!

*Can be refrigerated overnight and cooked the next day.

    Notes

    You can serve these with a marinara sauce, buffalo blue cheese dipping sauce, honey mustard dipping sauce or even a creamy parmesan sauce. Or why not choose one of your favorites!?
    Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. They will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge. You could re-heat either with a microwave or in the oven.
    They can also be frozen either baked or raw, if baked place in a freezer bag or container. If they are unbaked then place the balls on a cookie sheet and freeze until firm, transfer to a freezer container or bag in a layer separated with parchment paper. Both ways will keep for up to a month in the freezer.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 40kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 65mg | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 0.3mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!

    Updated from August 1, 2018.

    25 Comments

    1. I love zucchini but I do have a question…if I grated the zucchini and salted them and let them drain, then squeese out excess water and add to recipe without sauteeing do you think it would work in your recipe?

      1. Hi Lindsey, they probably are best served warm, but I have eaten them room temperature. You could probably warm them up in the oven or microwave before serving.

    2. 3 stars
      Hello! We made these last night and enjoyed them overall. They were easy to make and was something different for our party, but we do have a couple of suggestions. We felt the zucchini was too wet when we cooked it in the pan and took a long time to reduce it down. We ended up pushing it through a fine sieve to release more of the water. The last suggestion would be to add some salt to the mixture before rolling it into breadcrumbs. Thanks for a great base recipe! We’ll make this again.

    3. Approximately how many cups of chopped zucchini do you think it would be? Didn’t want to add too much/not enough and offset the proper consistency. Have a couple larger zucchini to use up

      1. Hi Alyssa, I would say about 1 1/2 cups, but start with a cup and if it isn’t firm enough and won’t roll into a ball, add the other 1/2 cup. Hope that helps.

    4. 5 stars
      The zucchini bites were delicious. I made them like the zucchini pancakes of my childhood. I know my Italian mother would have loved them. Thanks for sharing!!

    5. 5 stars
      Who doesn’t love zucchini? I can eat it every day. Definitely going to make this recipe. Thank you and hope you’re enjoying your summer.

      1. Hi Ann, thanks so much, I agree I love it too. Yes great summer, a little too hot here in Italy but other than that! 🙂 I hope you are enjoying your summer too. Have a great weekend.

    6. 5 stars
      So i made these today, they were delicious.
      We dipped them in ranch, then my husband started experimenting with different dips. Believe it or not we both loved them dipped in Apple syrup.
      A little different but worth the try.
      Thank you for sharing the recipe.

      1. Hi Shellie, thanks so glad you both enjoyed them. I will have to find some Apple syrup! Have a great weekend.

    7. I am confused, is the 1/4 cup plus 2 T bread crumbs supposed to go in the zucchini mixture and then is there sn additional 1/4 cup for rolling the mixture in?

      1. Hi Shellie, yes the 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons go into the mixture and then there is an additional (approximate) 1/4 cup for rolling. I adjusted the recipe. 🙂

    8. Looks great! I’ve made zucchini bites that are grated, but I like this method. Question, is the calorie/nutrition info for a serving of one bite? Or several? I’m assuming that’s based on the baked variety rather than fried?

      1. Hi Ann, thanks and yeah sorry one bite and baked. I think the pan fried would maybe be an extra 20 calories. Deep fried, out of this world 🙂

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