Zucchini Pizza Bites

These zucchini pizza bites and soft textured with cheesy goodness. They are a fun way to incorporate zucchini into your little one’s diet!

These mini zucchini pizza bites are a fun take on classic pizzas. They are packed with nutrients from the zucchini but still full of cheesy flavor!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Here is what you’ll need to make these zucchini pizza bites:

• Zucchini: The main star ingredient for these bites.
• Breadcrumbs: I like to use plain flavored panko breadcrumbs.
• Egg: Used as a binder to help hold the crust of the bites together
• Shredded Cheese: Used to add flavor to these fritters/bites. I used Mozzarella cheese in this recipe.
• Italian Seasoning: Used to add extra pizza flavor to the bites.
• Salt: Optional for a little added taste.
• Mini Pepperoni: Optional ingredient for more pizza flavor! You can use any toppings of choice or skip this for plain cheese zucchini pizza bites!

PROCESS

1. Shred the zucchini using a cheese grater. I used the smallest sized holes on my box grater to get the mixture to be as smooth as possible, but if you prefer larger chunks of zucchini in the pizza crust, use a larger sized hole on the grater. You should end up with about 1.5 cups of packed shredded zucchini.
2. Use your hands or a towel to squeeze out as much moisture from the zucchini as possible. You may also place the zucchini over a sieve and use the back of a spoon to press down on it to remove the moisture. Once you remove the moisture, you should end up with around 3/4 cup of packed shredded zucchini.
3. Add the zucchini to a bowl along with the other ingredients. Mix well until combined.
4. Scoop out 1/2 tablespoon sized portions into a silicone mini muffin pan. Use the back of a spoon to press down the mixture into the mini muffin tins to form the crust.
5. Bake the crusts at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until the edges begin to slightly brown.
6. Remove them from the oven and sprinkle in the remaining cheese. Top each mini bite with 3 pieces of mini pepperoni (or topping of choice). Place the zucchini pizza bites back into the oven for an additional 3 minutes so that the cheese can fully melt.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

Once cooled, store the zucchini fritters/bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, bake the fritters at 350 degrees for 5 minutes or microwave for 15-20 seconds or until warmed through. To freeze, place the cooled fritters in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag with parchment paper lined between each one and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before reheating, or quickly reheat on high in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Zucchini: If you are looking for some bites that use a different type of veggie as the base, you can try these broccoli and cheese bites!
• Eggs: For an egg-free version, substitute the egg with a flax egg by mixing one tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal with three tablespoons of water and letting it sit in the fridge for 15 minutes to set and thicken.
• Breadcrumbs: I use panko breadcrumbs in this recipe, but for a gluten-free version, replace the breadcrumbs with almond flour.
• Cheese: For a dairy-free version, substitute the cheese for dairy-free shredded cheese.

RECIPE NOTES

• It is extremely important to remove as much moisture from the zucchini as possible. Excess moisture will result in an over moist mixture that will cause the bites to be soggy. You can use your hands or a towel, but I find that using a nut milk bag is the easiest way to remove the most moisture.
• This recipe makes 24 mini zucchini pizza bites.
• When making bites, I like to use a silicone muffin pan to bake them as they pop out easily without any sticking. If using a regular mini muffin pan, be sure to coat with a cooking spray beforehand. Avoid using paper liners as these bites will stick.
• I love serving these bites with marinara sauce to dip into. My favorite brand is the Rao’s Homemade marinara.

You may also like:

• Broccoli and Cheese Bites
• Cauliflower Tots
• Zucchini Carrot Tots