Description
Easy baked zucchini garlic bites made with fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese, and simple ingredients. Kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, and irresistibly delicious.
Ingredients
For the Zucchini Bites:
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- 2 medium zucchini (the bigger ones work fine, don’t stress)
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- 1 egg (room temp is best but cold works too)
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- 1/4 cup real Parmesan cheese, grated fresh (please don’t use the shaker stuff)
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- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs (I use whatever I have)
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- 1 garlic clove, grated super fine
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- 2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped small
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- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
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- 1 Tbsp fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried if that’s all you got)
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- 1/2 tsp fresh oregano (1/4 tsp dried)
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- Salt and pepper
For dipping:
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- Your favorite marinara sauce
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- Maybe some extra cheese for sprinkling
If you need substitutions:
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- No gluten? Use gluten-free breadcrumbs or almond flour
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- Vegan? Try a flax egg and nutritional yeast instead of real cheese
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- No fresh herbs? Use half as much dried stuff
Instructions
1. Shred Those Zucchini (5 minutes) Wash your zucchini and grate them with the big holes on your box grater. I do this right over a big bowl because I’m lazy and it catches everything.
2. SQUEEZE THE LIFE OUT OF THEM (seriously!) This is where most people mess up. Put all that shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel, twist it up like a pouch, and squeeze over the sink. Keep squeezing until your arms hurt and no more water comes out. I’m talking about squeezing out at least half a cup of water here. If you skip this, your bites will be soggy mush.
3. Get Your Oven Ready Crank it to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Don’t skip the parchment – trust me on this.
4. Mix It All Up Dump that squeezed-dry zucchini into a bowl with the egg, cheese, breadcrumbs, grated garlic, and all your herbs. Season with salt and pepper like you mean it. Mix it all together until it looks like it wants to hold together.
5. Roll ‘Em Out I use a small cookie scoop for this because it keeps them all the same size, but a spoon works too. Roll them into little balls about the size of a walnut and plop them on your baking sheet.
6. Bake Until Golden 15-18 minutes at 400°F. They’re done when they look golden and feel firm when you poke them. Don’t open the oven door too early – let them do their thing!
Notes
Here’s what I wish someone had told me before I started making these. First, make a test bite before you shape them all – bake one little guy for a few minutes and see if it holds together. If it falls apart, add more breadcrumbs one tablespoon at a time.
Use a cookie scoop if you have one – they’ll all cook evenly that way. And don’t crowd them on the pan! They need space to get crispy. If you’re using dried herbs instead of fresh, use way less – like half the amount – and let them sit in the mixture for a few minutes to wake up.
Oh, and here’s a weird tip my mom taught me: take out that green center bit from your garlic clove. It makes garlic taste bitter, and nobody wants bitter bites.
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1bite
- Calories: 95
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 35mg