This cheesy zucchini casserole is the epitome of healthy comfort food. Teeming with veggies, it’s perfect served by all by itself or as a unique side dish.
This casserole isn’t quite a quiche and isn’t quite a cake. It’s somewhere in between and absolutely delicious. What’s better is its versatility. It can be served as a main course at dinner, breakfast on the go, or an unexpected side dish.
Made with grated zucchini and carrots, diced onions, a little flour, and cheese, it packs a hefty serving of veggies and tastes decadent. It’s also super simple to make, requiring only one bowl and a handful of steps. Let’s get started!
What is a Savory Zucchini Casserole Bake?
This zucchini casserole bake is made with grated veggies, fluffy eggs, and melty cheese. Below, find an overview of the flavor, texture, and cooking time.
- Flavor: Savory zucchini casserole bake is a little sweet from the carrots and zucchini, salty from the mozzarella, and slightly buttery from the eggs.
- Texture: The texture of this cake is best described as a quiche that is equal parts egg to veggies. It’s full of bite but still soft and moist enough to slice off the perfect bite with a fork.
- Time: From start to finish, this recipe takes about an hour and 20 minutes to make.
How to Make a Zucchini Casserole Bake
Making this casserole only requires a handful of ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen and a few simple steps to make. Below, find an overview of the recipe before you dive in.
- Prepare the Eggs & Veggies: In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and set them aside. Next, grate the zucchini and carrots on the largest side of a standard cheese grater. Dice the onion into small pieces. Place all the veggies into a big mixing bowl.
- Add the Dry Ingredients: Add the flour and baking powder into the bowl with the veggies. Stir to combine.
- Add Eggs, Oil, & Cheese: Next, add the eggs, oil, and cheese, stirring to combine. Season with salt.
- Bake & Serve: Pour the batter into a well-oiled round pan. Bake at 350°F for 60 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for a bit, slice, and enjoy!
Serving a large group? Double the recipe and bake it in a traditional casserole dish.
Tips for Making the Best Zucchini Casserole
Below, find a collection of tips and tricks to make the best zucchini casserole bake on the planet.
- Use the freshest zucchini you can find. The fresher the zucchini the better. Grab a haul from your local farmer’s market if you can!
- Don’t over-salt the batter. Keep in mind that the cheese will add a bit of salt, so resist going overboard.
- Grate the carrots and zucchini large. You’ll want the casserole bake to have a bit of bite, so grate the zucchini and carrots on the largest slots of the cheese grater. If you go any smaller, they will turn to pulp and alter the texture.
- Don’t forget to oil the pan. This casserole back is prone to sticking, so make sure to coat the pan with a generous amount of oil or cooking spray.
Serving a Zucchini Casserole Bake
Although this zucchini casserole bake could be eaten like a meal all on its own, you can pair it with a handful of side dishes and entrees. Serve savory zucchini casserole bake for breakfast alongside some classic smashed potatoes and fruit (just like you would a quiche or frittata). Or, you can pair it with air fryer pork chops (or any other protein your craving!) and a classic garden salad for dinner. It’s truly a unique side dish that will surprise your dinner guests!
Storing a Zucchini Casserole Bake
- Refrigerator: Store your zucchini casserole bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Allow the zucchini casserole bake to cool down completely. You can freeze it whole or in slices by placing it uncovered on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and popping it into the freezer. Once frozen, wrap the entire cake/slices in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. It will keep fresh for up to 3 months.
Reheating Tip: Reheat refrigerated or frozen slices of zucchini casserole bake in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until warmed through. If you froze the entire casserole bake, pop it into the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350°F.
FAQ
How do I prevent the zucchini from turning mushy?
The zucchini won’t get mushy for this recipe because it’s put into the batter raw. As it bakes, it will soften, but it won’t turn soggy.
Can I use frozen shredded zucchini?
Using frozen shredded zucchini is not recommended in this recipe. It holds too much moisture and will affect the texture of the casserole.
Can I use a different cheese than mozzarella?
You can definitely use a different cheese! Parmesan cheese and sharp cheddar cheese work particularly well.
Can I make this gluten-free?
You can make this recipe gluten-free by swapping out standard all-purpose flour for gluten-free all-purpose flour. Bob’s Red Mill has a really great variety. Just remember, if you omit the flour completely the texture will be more like a frittata than a casserole.
Other Zucchini Recipes to Try
- Cheesy Zucchini Breadsticks – Low-carb zucchini “breadsticks”
- Grilled Zucchini And Mushrooms – Simple veggie side dish
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries – No-guilt breaded veggie fries
- Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups – Low-carb lasagna bake
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 small zucchini (about 2 lbs)
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 medium onion
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- Whisk eggs in a bowl. Set aside.
- Peel the carrots and zucchini and grate them on the largest side of a cheese grater. Dice the onion and place all the veggies into a large bowl.
- Add flour and baking powder to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Add whisked eggs, oil, and cheese to the bowl and stir again to combine. Season mixture with salt, keeping in mind that the cheese will add a burst of salty/savory flavor.
- Brush a 9 in. or 11 in. pan with oil. Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 350°F for 60 minutes.
- Let the cake cool for a few minutes in the pan. Slice and enjoy!
Hi! I tried this recipe tonight and did it all to a T ! What exactly is the texture supposed to be ? Mine was a mushy mess. My baking powder was new, I oiled the glass pan and it seems like it needed to be baked longer. It taste great but it is falling apart 🙁
Hey Lana- I'm sorry to hear that! The texture should be quiche- like, there is a photo in the recipe of the insdie. I'm glad it tasted great but if it was falling apart it may have needed more time.
Hi Natalya,
Please HELP! I made this casserole and it’s delicious, but I accidentally over salted!:( any ideas/recommendations on how I can still save this recipe before I toss it away?
Thanks so much!!
Hey Alisha, if you serve it as a side with something nonsalty, otherwise it's hard to go back.
Can I make this the day before? If so, any suggestions for reheating?
Hello, you would reheat refrigerated or frozen slices of zucchini casserole bake in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until warmed through. If you froze the entire casserole bake, pop it into the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350°F. Enjoy!
Hello Natalya! Made this twice already. Perfect recipe, reheats really well.
Blessings
Hi 🙂 I'm so glad you loved it, thank you for taking the time to comment!
What a delicious and very tasty casserole! My family and I enjoyed this for breakfast today, and we absolutely loved this! Definitely going to make this again and a new favorite of ours!
Thank you for your feedback, Beth!
I knew I had to make this with all of my zucchini and I am so glad i did! It was amazing!
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you for your feedback!
Tasty & so savory!! It's a delicious way to use zucchini & perfect for brunch or any time of day!
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you for your feedback!
This sounds so good! I plan on making it tonight! Maybe will even post a pic to the comments later on. 🙂
Oh yeyy! Looking forward to that 😉
Ok! Here it is! For some reason I couldn't view the comments from my phone's browser. 🙁 I ended up baking it in a regular 9x13 dish, because blonde me, couldn't figure out which way to place the bottom of my springform pan, and liquid kept oozing out. Haha, I always mean to mark B for bottom, but ALWAYS forget. So, almost 1/2 of it was gone by the time I got the chance to take a picture! And the rest was gone when my husband came home and ate it for dinner and packed it for lunch. 🙂 Let's just say we loved it. Thank you!
This works perfectly! Thanks for sharing. Btw, you made me laugh about springform pan, I still dont know where the bottom of it is. 🙂
I made this yesterday and had it for lunch today. A simple dish that is delicious. I omitted the 1/2 cup of olive oil to make this low calorie.
Mike I am so glad you loved it! Low calorie idea is a good one 😉
mmmm this looks good and tasty! on my to do list 😉
Hope you love this recipe!
I love zucchini .will try to make this soon!!!
Inna, I hope you love this recipe!
Wow! I make something similar but do not use carrots and instead of flour I add bisquick. Thank you!
Hmm, that sounds interesting. Does bisquick rise better?
Yes, it does, I really like using it, try it you will notice a big difference ?
Forgot to mention that when you use bis quick than don't use any baking powder.
Thanks for the tip. I want to check it out.