50 Zucchini Recipes For Your Summer Harvest (2024)

by Sarah Toney | Recipes | 15 comments

Got a ton of fresh zucchini? Here’s over 50 zucchini recipes so you can find new favorite meals and sides to use up all your zucchini harvest!

Zucchini. It’s a staple in almost every garden. It’s easy to grow, fast to produce and very prolific. But everyone knows that zucchini can quickly overrun your kitchen with its abundance.

This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I may earn a commission. Please see my disclosure page for more information about cookies collected and our privacy policy.


So what exactly can you do with all that squash besides pawn it off on unsuspecting neighbors and friends? Here are 50 zucchini recipes- from basic bread to mouthwatering main courses- that are sure to please your taste buds and your family.

Looking for more long term storage? Here’s 6 Ways to Preserve Summer Squash like zucchini!

50 Zucchini Recipes For Your Summer Harvest (1)

Quit printing out the same recipe over and over or searching online for that favorite you made last week. Check out my new Blank Recipe Journal! The perfect place to write down all those favorite recipes you find online!

50 Zucchini Recipes for Your Summer Harvest

Zucchini Recipes: Breads

Zucchini bread is probably the most popular way to use zucchini in recipes, but there are more ways to make zucchini bread than your standard quick breads! Check out some of these zucchini recipes that take bread to the next level.

My favorites include the zucchini ‘Squash puppies’ and the chocolate zucchini bread!

Zucchini Cornbread– Brown Eyed Baker

Zucchini Sweet Potato Bread– Joy the Baker

Carrot Zucchini Apple Bread– Mom on Timeout

Zucchini Cheddar Hushpuppies– Eatin’ on the Cheap

Mom’s Zucchini Bread– Favorite Family Recipes

Zucchini Garlic Herb Bread– The Free Range Life

Chocolate Zucchini Bread– It’s a Boy’s Life

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread with Blueberries and Pecans– Kayln’s Kitchen

Squash Puppies– Ezra Pound Cake

Lemon Zucchini Bread– Barbara Bakes

Zucchini Citrus Muffins– Neighbor Food

Gluten Free Zucchini Bread– Queen on Quinoa

Gluten Free Zucchini Almond Bread– Nourishing Meals

50 Zucchini Recipes For Your Summer Harvest (2)

Zucchini Recipes: Main Dishes

Main course dishes featuring zucchini is a great way to reduce the carbs in your dinner while still providing a nutritious, vegetable filled meal.

When the spiralizer burst into the scene- so did tons of zucchini noodle recipes- which eliminate the high carbs of pasta without sacrificing taste. You can create pizzas with zucchini and even lasagna!

Here are some fabulous zucchini recipes for your main course. My favorites are the Poor Man’s Crab Cakes and Zucchini Parmesan!

Zoodles (aka zucchini noodles or ribbons)– Real Food Living

Zucchini Poorman’s Crabcakes – The Free Range Life

Grilled Zucchini Pizza Slices– Kayln’s Kitchen

Stuffed Zucchini Boats– Barbara Bakes

Zucchini Tomato Gratin– Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Chicken and Zucchini Meatballs– Supper for a Steal

Cheesy Zucchini Rice– Buns in my Oven

Zucchini Pizza Crust– Kayln’s Kitchen

Zucchini Pesto Tart– Crumb

Zucchini Parmesan– Taste and Tell

Bacon Zucchini Quiche– Always with Butter

Spinach and Zucchini Soup– 101 Cookbooks

Cheesy Zucchini Potato Casserole– I Wash, You Dry

Raw Zucchini Tomato Lasagna– In Sonnet’s Kitchen

Vegetarian Pizza with Creamy Garlic Sauce– Six Sisters’ Stuff

Spicy Zucchini Fritatta– Shutterbean

50 Zucchini Recipes For Your Summer Harvest (3)

Zucchni Recipes: Side Dishes

Zucchini also makes a great side for your main courses. Turn them into fries, fritters, chips, and more!

Zucchini Fritters – Lil Suburban Homesteader

Parmesan Zucchini Medallions – Lil Suburban Homesteader

Baked Zucchini Fries– Two Peas & Their Pod

Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Flowers– Aggie’s Kitchen

Grilled Artichoke Pesto Zucchini Bites– Fifteen Spatulas

Baked Zucchini Chips– Vittles and Bits

Light Zucchini Hummus– The Culinary Life

Zucchini Tater Tots– Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Cheesy Garlic Zucchini Chips– Happy Mothering

Zucchini Pasta Salad– In the Kitchen with Kath

Breaded Zucchini Chips– Eclectic Momma

Zucchini Butter– Food52

50 Zucchini Recipes For Your Summer Harvest (4)

Zucchini Recipes: Desserts

I know what you are thinking. Zucchini? For dessert??

Yes! Zucchini, while normally considered a culinary vegetable, actually makes some pretty great desserts! Cookies, cakes, gummies- even cobbler or crisp!

We love making zucchini crisp and pineapple zucchini each summer with our mountains of zucchini!

Zucchini Walnut Cookies – Homespun Seasonal Living

Summer Squash Gummy Candy– Common Sense Homesteading

Dried “Pineapple” Zucchini – The Free Range Life

Zucchini Cobbler Bars– Taste and Tell

Zucchini Pie– Growing in Grace

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Brownies– Two Peas & Their Pod

Carrot and Zucchini Bars– Real Mom Kitchen

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread– Lemons for Lulu

Bonus #51: Zucchini Crisp– Random Recipes (my son’s blog)

Do you have any favorite zucchini recipes to share? I’d love to see them!

Looking for more recipes? Check these out:

50 Eggplant Recipes for Every Taste

50+ Sweet Potato Recipes for Your Fall Harvest

13 Simple, Refreshing Frozen Watermelon Desserts

25 Salsa Recipes You’ve Got to Try

15 Amazing Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipes

75 Pumpkin Spice Recipes

  1. Kathon June 11, 2014 at 1:31 pm

    Thanks for including my Zucchini and Pasta Salad in your side dishes! :)

    What a great collection of recipes; I’m pinning it to my zucchini board.

    Reply

  2. Kathieon June 11, 2014 at 1:33 pm

    Thanks so much for including my cookies! I’m pinning this for later when I’ll have more zucchini than I know what to do with, thanks!

    Reply

  3. Chris Dalzielon June 12, 2014 at 10:11 am

    Pinned for later — my zukes are still just seeds. Hoping for a harvest though — it’s hard to get one in zone 3. But I’m ever hopeful. You should make a cookbook of zuke recipes. I’ve never seen so many in one place before.

    Reply

  4. Annie @ Montana Homesteaderon June 12, 2014 at 10:46 am

    I was just thinking how I wanted to find more zucchini recipes to try, this is perfect!!

    Reply

  5. Courtney @ Neighborfoodon June 14, 2014 at 4:11 pm

    Thanks so much for including my zucchini muffins! This will definitely come in handy when the garden’s going crazy later this summer!

    Reply

  6. Alyssaon June 15, 2014 at 6:27 am

    Thanks so much for sharing my zucchini bread. I’m loving all these other recipes too :)

    Reply

  7. Rachel @ Grow a Good Lifeon June 15, 2014 at 7:06 pm

    Oh my goodness! This is a fabulous collection of zucchini recipes. My plants are just beginning to grow, but I am almost encouraged to push a few more seeds into the soil so I can give some of these recipes a try. Pinning this for later in the season. Thanks for sharing at Green Thumb Thursday!

    Reply

  8. Rachel @ Grow a Good Lifeon June 19, 2014 at 7:46 am

    I am back again to let you know that I have chosen this post as my “featured post” for this week’s Green Thumb Thursday! We hope to see you again this week. Don’t forget to grab your featured badge. Thank you again for sharing!

    Reply

  9. Dee Buschon July 1, 2014 at 1:18 pm

    Zucchini Sandwiches–These are really good and simple. Zucchini, flour, salt, pepper, cheese slices, Oil, butter, Bread, and either mayo, or Miracle Whip. Slice zucchini into thin slices. Mix flour with salt & pepper to taste. Add oil and butter to skillet and heat up. Coat zucchini slices with the flour mixture. Fry zucchini till browned and done. Spread mayo or Miracle on bread slices. (I prefer Miracle whip). Place slice of cheese on one of the slices of bread and place zucchini straight from hot straight out of skillet onto the cheese. 4-6 slices should be plenty for one sandwich. Cheese melts into the zucchini. Top with other bread slice. Eat. So good even my kids like it.

    Reply

  10. KalynsKitchenon July 1, 2014 at 9:10 pm

    Great round-up, I am a zucchini fanatic! Thanks so much for including a couple of my recipes.

    Reply

  11. Heatheron July 2, 2014 at 9:49 pm

    My favorite zucchini recipe :)
    blessedandbusy.blogspot.com/2012/06/bountiful-summer-zucchini-casserole.html?m=1

    Reply

  12. LORIEon July 4, 2014 at 2:40 am

    I take the zucchini & take out the seeds & fill it in with a meat mixer that is made with any kind of meat cooked or sausage cooked, then mix it with a tomato sauce & spices & shredded cheese. then stuff the zucchini & bake for about 1 hour take out & enjoy

    Reply

  13. Jenn Won August 9, 2018 at 2:04 pm

    Summer vegetable tian is one of my favorites to use up garden veggies! Zucchini, yellow squash, onion, garlic, and tomatoes are all included.

    Reply

  14. Carolon May 1, 2019 at 2:44 pm

    I will be back to this site a lot this summer. We all love Zucchini and you have some great ideas here

    Reply

  15. Elviraon July 31, 2022 at 6:30 pm

    My mon use to make something to the effect of oatmeal or cream of wheat with zucchini but I was too small. Do you know of something like that??

    Reply

Submit a Comment

50 Zucchini Recipes For Your Summer Harvest (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with too big zucchini? ›

If you have big zucchini that aren't quite giant enough to make cups, slice then lengthwise, scoop out the flesh to make a boat, and make Taco Zucchini Boats! You can also use giant zucchini and scrape the seeds off the strips for this tasty that's loaded with flavor from three types of cheese!

What is a giant zucchini called? ›

When zucchini becomes overgrown, it is called a marrow. These large squashes are excellent in a variety of recipes-especially muffins, bread, and cakes due to the structure of the fruit. You can also use the huge zucchini as a stuffed squash.

Can I freeze whole fresh zucchini? ›

We're sometimes asked, "Can I freeze a whole zucchini?" You certainly can, but it will be much more challenging to thaw and use later. (Imagine trying to shred a soggy whole thawed squash.) So instead, we recommend tackling the shape in advance so you can put the frozen zucchini to quick use when you're ready.

What happens if you freeze a whole zucchini? ›

While freezing zucchini is a great way to extend its life, it's not as simple as just popping a few squash into your freezer. Raw zucchini gets weepy and watery after thawing. To effectively save it, you should chop and blanch it first. This helps set the texture and color and makes it last longer.

Can zucchini grow too big to eat? ›

Of course, large zucchini are still edible, but they lose the delicate flavor and tender texture of their smaller counterparts, which is important in summer favorites like Shaved Squash Salad, Marinated Squash With Hazelnuts and Ricotta and Summer Squash Frittata with Herbs where they're the star.

Can you freeze large pieces of zucchini? ›

Yes, you could chop up your zucchini and freeze it just as it is, but I think it's worth your effort to blanch it first. Blanching — giving the zucchini a quick dunk in boiling water — deactivates the enzymes that would otherwise cause the zucchini to become mushy and discolored.

How do you freeze extra large zucchini? ›

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, then spread the raw zucchini pieces into a single layer. Try to keep the pieces from touching, so they won't stick together later. Place the pan in the freezer and let the zucchini freeze until firm to the touch, about 1 hour.

How big is too big to eat zucchini? ›

As many have said, it depends on how you are using them. I, on the other hand, only cook them sauteed with butter, garlic, onion, tomato, bail, salt, and pepper (maybe some eggplant, if they are in season). For that preparation, zucchini larger than about 5 or 6 inches long are usually somewhat bitter.

At what point does a zucchini become a marrow? ›

Harvest courgettes when they are 15-20cm long. Once they get beyond this they become a marrow. Make sure you cut the courgettes off the plant rather than snapping them off as this can rip the main trunk of the plant.

How big is too big for squash and zucchini? ›

If you would feel confident using a zucchini for hand-to-hand combat, then it's too big to eat. Cooking with it won't make you sick or anything, but if it's thicker than Popeye's forearm and sturdy enough to stand in for Bamm-Bamm's club, it'll be more hassle than it's worth.

Is it better to freeze or canning zucchini? ›

We recommend preserving summer squash or zucchini by pickling or freezing. Summer squash is good for you. It is low in calories and many varieties provide vitamin C, potassium and if the skin is eaten, beta carotene.

Does zucchini last longer in the fridge or on the counter? ›

Do Store Fresh Zucchini in the Fridge. If properly stored, zucchini will last up to a week. The best way to store zucchini is in the refrigerator, preferably in the crisper drawer where humidity is kept to a minimum.

Can you shred zucchini and freeze it? ›

Use a box grater or food processor with a shredding disc attachment to shred zucchini. Shredded zucchini doesn't require blanching before freezing. Shredded zucchini packs well in freezer bags or rigid containers. Note that vegetables that are not blanched have about a 6 month storage life in the freezer.

Can you freeze zucchini for later use? ›

You absolutely can freeze zucchini—and it's quite easy! But it's not as simple as placing whole or even sliced zucchini right into the freezer. You'll need to take a few minutes to prepare zucchini for freezing. Primarily, you'll want to blanch the zucchini.

Is it better to can or freeze zucchini? ›

If you have more fresh zucchini than you can eat, freezing it is the fastest & easiest way to preserve it. Today, I'm showing you how to freeze zucchini (in just minutes!), and how you can use frozen zucchini, once you have it.

Can you freeze zucchini for future baking? ›

Got a green wave of zucchini heading your way? Use that bumper crop to stock your freezer. Shredding and freezing will keep you happily cooking and baking with it for months to come. Here's the quick, easy way to build a stash.

Can you freeze zucchini without it getting mushy? ›

Blanch Before Freezing

Blanching — giving the zucchini a quick dunk in boiling water — deactivates the enzymes that would otherwise cause the zucchini to become mushy and discolored.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Lakeisha Bayer VM

Last Updated:

Views: 6122

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Lakeisha Bayer VM

Birthday: 1997-10-17

Address: Suite 835 34136 Adrian Mountains, Floydton, UT 81036

Phone: +3571527672278

Job: Manufacturing Agent

Hobby: Skimboarding, Photography, Roller skating, Knife making, Paintball, Embroidery, Gunsmithing

Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.