26 Zucchini Recipes I'm Making All Summer Long

From zucchini bread to zucchini fritters, roasted zucchini, and everywhere in between.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published July 09, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Slices of zucchini bread on a green plate

Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne

There's just about no other summer vegetable that gets as much mileage in my household as the zucchini. It's as versatile as it is abundant. I'll thinly slice it to eat raw in salads, bread and fry it, roast it into silky oblivion, sauté it until it's super soft to serve with pasta, or grate up a mountain of it to fold into a sweet or savory bake.

So if you find yourself returning to the same recipes over and over again, or feel like you're in the middle of a zucchini rut, let these 26 recipes take that weight off your shoulders and remind you just how adaptable this summer veg truly is.

  • Zucchini Fritters

    A plate of zucchini fritters next to a dipping sauce

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne

    "The trick to keep them from being mushy? Drain the freshly grated zucchini of excess moisture. If you salt the grated zucchini and let it drain in a sieve over a bowl, the salt will help draw out the extra water."—Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Roasted Zucchini with Garlic

    Dish of roasted zucchini pieces with a fork and spoon on the side

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne

    "A high oven temp of 450°F means the zucchini roasts instead of bakes. That means the zucchini develops a bit of char and is less likely to become soggy."—Elise

  • Fried Zucchini

    Fried Zucchini on a Platter with Lemon Wedges and a Fork

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "Start with the frying oil at 350ºF. Once you add the zucchini, the oil temperature will drop. Use an instant-read or deep-fryer thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature and turn the heat up or down to keep it around 350°F."—Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer

  • Zucchini Muffins

    Zucchini muffins cooling on a rack.

    Simply Recipes /Eliezer Martinez

    "To measure out the flour if you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff up the flour in its container first. Then do a light scoop with a measuring cup in one motion. Level off the top with the side of a knife."—Elise

    Continue to 5 of 26 below

  • Chocolate Zucchini Bread

    Best Chocolate Zucchini Bread

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "This recipe can be baked in an 8x4-inch loaf pan (for taller loaves) or in a 9x5-inch loaf pan (for thinner loaves)."—Elise

  • Giant Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

    Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Need to make ahead? You can easily stuff the zucchini a day ahead of time. Just stuff the zucchini, keep it chilled, then bake right before serving."—Elise

  • Grandma's Zucchini Cake

    A plated square slice of zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "The frosting amount assumes that you are going to keep the cake in the pan and only frost the top. If you plan on removing the cake from the pan and frosting the sides, you'll want to up the frosting amounts."—Elise

  • Zucchini Tomato Quiche

    Zucchini and tomato quiche

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "To make the quiche the first thing I do is blind bake (pre-bake) a homemade pie crust. Blind baking browns the crust all over—bottom, sides, and top—and helps prevent the crust from getting soggy from the quiche filling."—Elise

    Continue to 9 of 26 below

  • Creamy One Pot Pasta with Zucchini

    Bowl of Creamy One Pot Pasta with Zucchini

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    "The beauty of this recipe is that it all goes down in one pot. After the zucchini is caramelized, you’ll cook the pasta with cream cheese in just enough water for the pasta to cook without being left with a pool of liquid."—Sara Tane, Recipe Developer

  • Chef Thomas Keller’s Roasted Zucchini

    Thomas Keller-inspired Zucchini Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Myo Quinn

    "Zucchini is mostly water—about 95% water—which is why they will turn into mush if not cooked properly. Chef Keller’s approach to cooking zucchini with lots of heat—a quick sear on the stovetop followed by roasting them in a 450°F oven—is so smart."—Myo Quinn, Former Associate Editorial Director

  • Easy Zucchini Butter

    Slices of Toast Topped With Ricotta and Zucchini Butter on a Marble Slab Next to a Bowl With More Zucchini Butter and a Spoon, and in the Surroundings, a Mustard Colored Kitchen Towel and a Glass

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "You can grate fresh tomato into the pan for a little color and another layer of flavor. Or swap the zucchini for yellow squash."—Sara Bir, Former Senior Editor

  • Cheesy Zucchini Bites

    Cheesy Zucchini Bites

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "The trick to this recipe, as with so many recipes that use shredded zucchini, is to first salt the zucchini and let the excess water drain. That's the best way to avoid a mushy mess when you bake it."—Elise

    Continue to 13 of 26 below

  • Spicy Turkey and Zucchini Burger

    Spicy Turkey and Zucchini Burger

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Both turkey and zucchini can be a little dull flavor-wise, but you when boost them with herbs and spices like mint, cilantro, garlic, cumin, and cayenne, they are anything but dull."—Elise

  • Asian Zucchini Noodle Salad

    Asian Zucchini Noodle Salad

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Some vegetables can be harder to digest when they are raw, like cauliflower or zucchini. So, if you are not used to eating raw zucchini, take it easy the first time, and don't eat more than a regular portion."—Elise

  • Zucchini Breakfast Casserole

    A casserole dish of zucchini breakfast casserole ready to cut into and serve

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Yum! I mixed it up the night before, let it sit out for 15 minutes in the morning, added the bread cubes, and let it sit while the oven heated."—Greta, Simply Recipes Reader

  • Summer Squash Salad

    Summer Squash Salad

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "If I needed to make this the night before I would slice the zucchini, chop the mint, grate the cheese, and toast the pine nuts, but keep all of the ingredients separate, in tightly packed (no air) plastic bags. Then right before serving I would combine."—Elise

    Continue to 17 of 26 below

  • Zucchini Carrot Bread

    Slices of Zucchini Carrot Bread on Round Wood Board Surrounded by a Kitchen Towel and a Small Bowl of Coconut Flakes

    Simply Recipes / Lori Rice

    "A cross between the classic bread and carrot cake, this loaf is seasoned with warm spices (cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom), bright orange zest, and dusted with demerara sugar to create a crunchy topping."—Brianne Ross, Recipe Developer

  • Zucchini and Spinach Gratin

    Zucchini Spinach Gratin

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Best part? The recipe uses two whole pounds of zucchini! Which in our case should use up at least a day or a day and a half's worth of garden produce."—Elise

  • Turkey Zucchini Burger with Garlic Mayo

    Turkey Zucchini Burger with Garlic Mayo

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "These turkey burgers don't have a binder in them so are best cooked gently on the stovetop rather than the grill."—Elise

  • Easy Zucchini Bread

    Sliced zucchini bread on a green platter

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne

    "Walnuts and pecans are especially good in zucchini bread, and so is dried fruit. I like raisins or dried cranberries, but you can also add shredded coconut or a handful of mini chocolate chips. A bit of orange zest would work too, or grated apples or carrots."—Elise

    Continue to 21 of 26 below

  • 5-Ingredient Lemony Zucchini Pasta with Cottage Cheese

    5-ingredient zucchini pasta in a pot with a wooden spoon

    Simply Recipes / Grace Elkus

    "You’ll know the zucchini is ready when it begins to stick to the bottom of the pot."—Grace Elkus, Recipe Developer

  • Creamy Zucchini Dip

    zucchini dip in a bowl on a plate with sliced vegetables

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "For this dip, I like to salt the zucchini in advance, drawing out its notorious excess moisture. The resulting dip is luscious and velvety, with bright garlic and lemon flavor."—Stephanie A. Ganz, Recipe Developer

  • Zucchini, Eggplant, Tomato Gratin

    Zucchini Eggplant Tomato Gratin

    Recipe Developer / Elise Bauer

    "The zucchini, eggplant, and tomato in this recipe need to be sliced into 1/4-inch rounds. A mandolin will make short work of slicing the eggplant and tomato evenly and quickly. You can also use a food processor with a slicing disc. Slicing the vegetables evenly is a big part of this gratin's visual appeal and ensures the veggies all cook at the same rate."—Elise

  • Zucchini Scarpaccia

    two hands taking pieces of Tuscan zucchini scarpaccia from a plate

    Simply Recipes / Kris Osborne

    "Zucchini scarpaccia is a crispy, crunchy, and intensely flavorful dish composed primarily of vegetables. It's a rustic Italian tart that has become a summer staple in our house."—Kris Osborne, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 25 of 26 below

  • Zucchini Stir-Fry

    Zucchini Stir-Fry on a Platter

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    "Because the soy sauce is salty, you probably won’t need to season the dish with any additional salt, but always taste the final product to decide if it needs any additional seasoning. Remember, you can always add salt, but you can’t take it away."—Sara Tane, Recipe Developer

  • Zucchini Ricotta Frittata

    A slice of zucchini ricotta frittata being served

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "When frying the zucchini, don't stir too much or the zucchini won't brown."—Elise

Explore More: