Switch up your waffle routine with these savory zucchini waffles with cheddar cheese! They are super simple to make and delicious when served up with a fried egg and avocado.
Post originally published May 2017; updated April 2024.
For the longest time, you couldn’t convince me to go savory for breakfast. I was all about the pancakes, smoothies, donuts… These days, I find myself learning to appreciate a good savory breakfast entree like these savory zucchini waffles.
I was craving waffles a couple of weeks ago and decided to try a savory version this time around and I loved how they turned out! You can easily make these for breakfast OR dinner. I’m thinking these will be the first of many savory breakfast dishes to appear on the blog.
If you love waffles, you’ll also want to check out my vegan blueberry whole wheat waffles, carrot cake waffles, and chocolate peanut butter waffles.
Savory Zucchini Waffle Ingredients
- Zucchini: if you have an abundance of summer zucchinis that you need to use up, this is a great recipe to have on hand! Make sure to squeeze out any extra moisture from your zucchini after shredding for this recipe.
- Flour: use all purpose flour, whole wheat all purpose flour, or a combination of the two – we’ve made it every different way with good results.
- Baking Powder: adds fluffiness to the waffle.
- Egg: helps these waffles hold together.
- Milk: use dairy or unsweetened non-dairy milk for this zucchini waffle recipe.
- Olive Oil: adds some fat and moisture to these waffles.
- Cheddar Cheese: we love the flavor of cheddar cheese in these zucchini waffles, but you could use another favorite cheese like parmesan, manchego, or Swiss.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use a different squash: you can swap out the zucchini and use yellow squash for these too.
- Use a different cheese: we love cheddar but you could also use shredded parmesan, mozzarella, manchego, or Swiss in place of the cheddar.
- Add herbs or spices: infuse these waffles with more flavor by adding some fresh or dried chives, dill, or parsley. For spices, you could try adding onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, or any other favorite spices.
- Make them mini: have a mini waffle maker? Make mini zucchini waffles!
How to Make Zucchini Waffles
Prep the Zucchini: Shred zucchini with a box grater into a colander or onto a sheet of cheesecloth. Squeeze some of the liquid out of the zucchini and set aside.
Whisk Dry Ingredients: Add flour, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl and stir well with a wire whisk.
Make the Batter: Add the egg, milk, oil, cheese, zucchini, and black pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixed.
Cook the Waffles: Heat up your waffle iron and spray with cooking oil. Add 1/3 cup of the batter to your waffle iron and cook according to manufacturers directions. There should be enough batter to make ~6 waffles.
What to Serve with Cheddar Zucchini Waffles
- Topping Suggestions: My favorite way to serve these tasty cheddar zucchini waffles with some sautéed spinach, fried egg, sliced avocado, and a drizzle of hot sauce.
- On the Side: for a simple breakfast, serve these savory waffles with some yogurt and fresh fruit (or a fresh fruit salad). On mornings when I’m short on time, I will heat one of these waffles up in the toaster oven and pair it with a plant-based smoothie. If serving these as a breakfast for dinner, try pairing them with a salad like this pesto arugula salad or this lemon kale caesar.
How to Store
Fridge: store any leftover zucchini waffles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or toaster oven.
Freezer: I stored the extra waffles in the freezer in a ziploc bag and reheated them throughout the week in the toaster oven. They were just as good as they were the day I made them!
Recipe FAQs
Honestly, you can serve savory waffles with any of your favorite breakfast sides from eggs to sausage to fresh fruit. We like to serve these zucchini waffles with a fried egg and sautéed spinach.
Savory waffles are made from the same ingredients as a sweet waffle like flour, egg, milk, and baking powder but with some savory ingredients added like shredded cheese or herbs.
Even though there is zucchini in these waffles, you can’t really taste it! We love making these to sneak in a bit of extra veggies into the day since they just taste cheesy with delightfully crisp outer edges.
More Savory Breakfast Recipes
Did you love this recipe? Make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and tag #dietitiandebbie on instagram!
Savory Zucchini Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 small zucchini shredded (~1 cup shredded)
- 1 cup whole wheat all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup dairy or non-dairy unsweetened milk
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Dash of ground black pepper
Instructions
- Shred zucchini with a box grater into a colander or onto a sheet of cheesecloth. Squeeze some of the liquid out of the zucchini and set aside.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl and stir well with a wire whisk.
- Add the egg, milk, oil, cheese, zucchini, and black pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixed.
- Heat up your waffle iron and spray with cooking oil. Add 1/3 cup of the batter to your waffle iron and cook according to manufacturers directions. There should be enough batter to make ~6 waffles.
- Serve with fried egg, sautéed greens, avocado, hot sauce, or whatever toppings you desire!
Notes
Nutrition
Make this recipe?
Share it with me on Instagram @dietitiandebbie and tag me #dietitiandebbie
Comments & Reviews
This was a simply recipe. I made it just as directed. It was very delicious. I have a Belgium waffle maker. Crispy outside and soft in the middle. Next time will use 2 different cheeses to make it MORE delicious. I will definitely be making these when the garden is FULL of zucchini. Something filling for breakfast.
So glad you liked it!
great recipe crispy o outside tender on inside reheats great in toaster this time I am going to try the airfryer to heat up
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is the 3rd, and by far the BEST, recipe for zucchini waffles I have tried. I have am old, possibly antique waffle iron. Preheating is so important.
These waffles were just the way I like them. Crispy on the outside, and just so delish.
They had a bit too much salt for my taste, I will cut salt in half next time. This recipe has been added to my breakfast line-up of recipes. I cannot wait to make them again!
No left overs today, so I will double the next batch so I can freeze some to pop in the toaster for a quick breakfast.
I didn’t grow zucchini in my garden this year, but just added them to my garden planning for next year.
I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes. Cooking has been my go to pleasure during the past crazy year avoiding COVID-19.
Thanks for this great recipe!!!
This made me very happy today.
Thanks so much Linda! So glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Look beautiful, outside nice and crunchy, taste ok but the inside stays mushy as hell, even after I added cornstarch for the 2nd edition. I will try again with nuked and drained courgettes. The taste of the crunchy part is lovely. In the picture it looks like your waffle maker gives thinner waffles than mine, so it might need a different MO. Will keep you posted.
Thanks Sasha. I’m guessing it may be the difference in the waffle makers. Let me know if you try it again sometime!
I did find the solution. Instead of using a box grater, I shredded the courgettes using the Kitchen Aid cylinder grate. The vegetable grating comes out much drier and looser. Crunchy results.