This is the time of year when folks have abundant amounts of zucchini and summer squash. It’s ‘use it or lose it’, and I am going to share with you the BEST ways to use it! From savory to sweet and everything in between!

What is Zucchini?

Zucchini is a straight (mostly) shaped green vegetable that is mild tasting and full of moisture. Zucchini can be grilled, baked, eaten raw, cooked, you name it. It adapts beautifully in so many recipes and is an easy (VERY easy) vegetable to grow! Speaking of growing it, it grows in abundance, which is why there are so many zucchini recipes out there. Most folks are looking for ways to use it up before it goes bad. I may be biased, but the recipes below happen to be some of the best ways to use up this amazing vegetable!

Can You Freeze Zucchini?

Sure! By far my favorite way to freeze zucchini is to grate it. If you are grating a lot of it, using a food processor can help. If just a few, just use a grater. I use both the large size and the smaller size for grating, but if you are using the larger size you may want to peel the zucchini first. If your zucchini is particularily big, you will want to remove the seeds before grating.

Once it is grated, set aside 2 cup portions and put them into freezer-safe plastic storage bags. Be sure to label it with the date! This grated zucchini works beautifully in all of the baked desserts you will see below.

Let’s jump in!

Savory Zucchini Recipes

Zucchini and Sweet Corn Quiche

Sometimes when I think of a hot breakfast, I think of how much work it will be and if I have the time to make it. Zucchini and Sweet Corn Quiche does not require a huge amount of prep work, and it lasts for up to three days if you have any leftovers. Breakfast is such an important part of the day, and I can really notice a difference when I start my day with a fulfilling meal. The best part about this recipe? It is just as delicious for dinner!

French Onion Zucchini Bake

I seriously love French Onion anything.  (Maybe you noticed my French Onion Soup and French Onion Chicken?!?) The flavor of caramelized onions just sort of speaks to me.   Plus, cheese.  What more is there really to talk about?  Zucchini.  We need to talk about that!  The yellow version pictured is also known as summer squash and summertime means that we have an ample supply of it in our garden.

If you have ever grown zucchini (summer squash) you know that it just keeps coming, so we always have a ton of it.  I thought it would be cool to combine one of my favorite summer veggies with the french onion flavors I love so much.  The results: amazing!

 

Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats

If you are a fan of buffalo sauce then you simply must try these Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats.  Piles of cheesy shredded buffalo chicken on top of a perfectly cooked whole zucchini and topped with green onions, tomatoes, buffalo sauce, and creamy ranch dressing.  We made all of this using my Homemade Buffalo Sauce!

 

Southwest Zucchini Rolls Ups

I absolutely love enchiladas, and I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t even miss the tortilla with this Southwest Zucchini Roll-Up recipe! It’s like eating a chicken enchilada but wrapped in zucchini. It could just as well be called a Zucchini Chicken Enchilada.  I like the sound of Zucchini Roll-Ups since I did all that work of rolling the sliced zucchini around the chicken mixture😀.

Cheesy Scalloped Zucchini

This Easy Cheesy Scalloped Zucchini is a delicious side dish loaded with zucchini and summer squash, all robed in a creamy cheesy sauce that will have you licking your plate clean! If you love zucchini (and happen to have 100 in your garden!) this recipe is what you need! I want to bathe in that cheese sauce it’s so good. I’ve brainstormed a whole list of other foods I can eat it on because it’s just all I can think about at the moment.

Parmesan Zucchini and Corn

How many times have you grabbed a bag of frozen vegetables to serve as a last-minute side dish with your main course? When you have a dish like Parmesan Zucchini Corn, you will regret ever serving the boring, frozen vegetables. Besides, those are usually not the first thing asked for at the dinner table. This recipe should be on your shortlist of side dishes from now on.

Zucchini Corn Chowder

Soup is a favorite in our house.  We eat as much of it as we can all year round!  In the summer, we have ample supplies of corn and zucchini.  It grows in such abundance in our garden that we search for new ways to cook it up and this soup is one of our favorites.  A true chowder is known for its creamy milk base.    More importantly, though is the sheer amount of fresh summer vegetables in this recipe!

Zucchini Corn Chowder is a creamy and delicious soup filled with garden-fresh corn and zucchini and crispy bacon and one you will go back to again and again!

Shrimp Sausage and Summer Squash Foil Packet

These Garlic Shrimp and Sausage Foil Packs are so great! Not only are they perfect for the grill, but the clean-up is a breeze, and the prep can be done ahead of time so you don’t have to miss any of the action or conversation at your next get together. Did I mention that the foil packs are also great for your next camping adventure? Cook them over the fire for a true outdoor camping experience.

Sweet Zucchini Recipes

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This is the best Chocolate Zucchini Cake! Totally moist, full of amazing flavor, and destined to be your go-to recipe! Even if you just make the cake part of the recipe and not the ganache frsoting, you will be blown away by how dense and rich it is!

Butterscotch Zucchini Bars

Zucchini in a bar, you say? Yes, it is possible to make a delightful treat using zucchini. When I bit into this bar, I couldn’t stop at one bite. I ended up eating the whole piece, and I could have eaten the whole pan if I didn’t have to share. Nothing hinted at a vegetable being a part of this treat. The butterscotch flavor was very balanced and gave the bar just enough butterscotch sweetness.

Zucchini Cake

I adore this cake! It’s like a tender spice cake. You would never know there’s zucchini in this cake if it wasn’t for the green bits. I know some people aren’t anxious to eat a cake with zucchini in it, but this is a must-try. (Don’t worry if that’s you, my husband is the same way!)

Zucchini Brownies

{One of the MOST requested recipes on my website!} When I first made these Zucchini Brownies in 2012 I declared that I would never need another brownie recipe. They are the BEST brownie I have ever eaten, hands down. If you’ve never added zucchini to your baked goods drop everything you are doing and do it now! These Zucchini Brownies are unbelievably moist and rich. A chocolate lovers dream!!

White Zucchini Cake

So let me tell you a few things about this cake.  It is moist.  As in, probably the moistest cake I have ever made.  The cake melts in your mouth, and the frosting and blueberries put it right over the top.  I am talking amazing. I love (and I do mean love) the little bittersweet burst of flavor from the blueberry in contrast with the rich buttercream, but if you want to save time, feel free to throw them onto the center of the cake and call it a day.

Blueberry Lemon Zucchini Cake

This cake is seriously amazing. The combination of lemons and blueberry is timeless, and adding in zucchini (courgettes) is the BEST way to add moisture! I used whole fresh blueberries in the cake and then added copious amounts of lemon flavor and zest to the cake and frosting. I think you will find that this cake is just plain perfect. Try my Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls for more of this timeless combination!

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

This zucchini cupcake recipe is a favorite so far, as it is over-the-top chocolatey.  Everything is rich and creamy and moist and amazing.  It’s pretty much the best cupcake to ever be made in the history of all the cupcake making world. #fact

“Faux” Zucchini Crisp (Tastes like Apple Crisp)

I am not kidding, this tastes so much like an apple crisp that no one would ever know it is a zucchini!

Served warm is the best option, and serving with vanilla ice cream and caramel is an even better option. <3

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Simple Syrup

Amazingly rich and decadent, this Chocolate Zucchini Cake is what all chocolate cakes should strive to be. I have received some backlash for putting zucchini in a cake, but I happen to love zucchini.  In bread, in cookies, on my dinner plate, and yes, even in my cakes.  If you are not a fan of zucchini, don’t leave just yet.  Now, if you don’t like chocolate you can go.  See ya (what are you even doing here, to begin with?).  If you do love chocolate, you are still in the safe zone.  The zucchini blends right into the cake and adds so much moisture, you won’t even know its there.

Banana Zucchini Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Over-the-top moist zucchini banana cake with the BEST BEST BEST ever whipped cream cheese frosting. It is light and airy and the perfect complement to this dense and flavorful cake! You just might want to put that frosting on all the cakes!

 

Zucchini Pull-Apart Bread

This bread tastes exactly like an Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart bread. I had a hard time sharing it with my family at first because I knew that once everyone tried it there would be none left! Quick Tip! You can make this the night before. Well, some of it…  right after you make the dough you can place it in the fridge overnight. Just remove it and allow it to come to room temperature in the morning, then continue the recipe as directed!

Blueberry Zucchini Cupcakes

These are based on my super popular Blueberry Lemon Zucchini Cake and are seriously amazing! The combination of lemons and blueberry is timeless, and adding in zucchini is a fantastic way to add moisture… I mean, who doesn’t love cupcakes with the perfect crumb?!? I used whole fresh blueberries in the cupcakes and then added copious amounts of lemon flavor and zest to the cupcake and frosting. I think you will find that these cupcakes are just plain perfect.

Chocolate Zucchini Cookies

These are one of the best cookies I have ever had, zucchini or not.  The depth of flavor is going to be heaven to any chocolate lover.  And the fact that there is so much zucchini in there makes you feel good about what you are eating. 😉

The BEST Zucchini Bread

I saved the best for last! For the last 5 years, I have been on the hunt for the PERFECT zucchini bread. I had criteria that were non-negotiable; It must have the perfect, moist crumb. It must bake up beautifully, without a puddle of raw dough in the middle and the outsides being burnt, and it must be flavorful. And, most importantly, it must be easy.

This final recipe is all of that, and more. Simple ingredients come together and bake up in a beautiful loaf of quick-bread perfection.