Giant Zucchini: 7 Easy Recipes That Actually Use It Up

I went looking for something sensible to do with two oversized zucchini and realized I had crossed a line somewhere between “nice garden harvest” and “small agricultural emergency.” If you grow zucchini, you already know the trick: everything looks normal, you miss one day, and suddenly there is a green club hiding under a leaf like it has been waiting to mug you.

Bottom Line: Giant zucchini are not ruined zucchini. Peel the tough skin if needed, scoop out the oversized seeds and soft center, then use the firm flesh for stuffed boats, chocolate cake, zucchini bread, bread pudding, fritters, Parmesan casserole, or the freezer. The bigger the zucchini, the more important that prep becomes.

The good news is that those giant squash are actually useful because there is so much of them. The bad news is also that there is so much of them. So instead of pretending one loaf of zucchini bread is going to solve the situation, here are several ways to attack the pile.

First: How to Prep a Giant Zucchini

Young zucchini can usually be cooked skin, seeds and all. The oversized garden version needs a little more attention. Cut it lengthwise first. If the seeds are large and the center feels spongy or watery, scrape that section out with a spoon. If the skin is thick enough that your vegetable peeler starts negotiating overtime, peel it.

For shredded recipes, grate the firm flesh and give it a light squeeze in a clean towel. Do not wring it into sawdust. Zucchini bread and cake need some of that moisture. You are simply trying to stop the batter from becoming a swimming pool.

1. Cheesy Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchini
• 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt, pepper and a little olive oil

Method

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cut the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the seedy center, leaving a sturdy shell.
3. Brush lightly with olive oil, season, and pre-bake cut-side up for 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, brown the meat with onion and garlic. Drain if needed, then stir in marinara and Italian seasoning.
5. Fill the zucchini shells, top with mozzarella and Parmesan, and bake another 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes if you want the cheese browned and bubbling.

This is probably the best option when the zucchini has officially become dinner-sized. One half can be a meal by itself, which is not something I expected to say about a vegetable when I planted it.

2. Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled, shredded zucchini, lightly squeezed
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch pan.
2. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. In another bowl, mix eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then fold in zucchini and most of the chocolate chips.
5. Spread in the pan, scatter the remaining chips over the top, and bake 35 to 45 minutes.

This is where zucchini performs its greatest trick: disappearing into chocolate. You get a moist cake, not a vegetable-flavored punishment disguised as dessert.

3. Classic Cinnamon Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups peeled, shredded zucchini
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Optional: 1 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients together.
3. Beat eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla until combined.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients, fold in the zucchini, then add nuts or chocolate chips if using.
5. Divide between pans and bake 50 to 65 minutes, checking around the 50-minute mark.

Dessert move: Use 3/4 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup pecans, then sprinkle a little brown sugar and cinnamon over the tops before baking.

Once the giant zucchini is prepped, one vegetable can stretch into several very different meals and desserts.

4. Warm Cinnamon Zucchini Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 5 to 6 cups cubed day-old bread
• 2 cups peeled, shredded zucchini
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons melted butter

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and butter a baking dish.
2. Whisk eggs, milk, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and melted butter.
3. Add the bread and zucchini, stir well, and let it soak 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Bake 40 to 50 minutes until the center is set and the top is browned.

If you want to make this even less responsible, mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 2 tablespoons softened butter and scatter it over the top before baking.

5. Cinnamon-Sugar Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded zucchini, squeezed fairly well
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• Oil for shallow frying
• 1/4 cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon for coating

Method

1. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
2. Stir in egg, milk, vanilla and zucchini until a thick batter forms.
3. Drop spoonfuls into a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat and flatten slightly.
4. Cook until golden on both sides, drain briefly, and toss or dust with cinnamon sugar while warm.

These land somewhere between pancake, fritter and excuse to eat cinnamon sugar over the sink.

6. Zucchini Parmesan Casserole

Ingredients

• 6 cups peeled zucchini, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1/2 pound browned Italian sausage or ground beef, optional
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 cup ricotta, optional
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Salt the zucchini slices lightly and let them sit about 20 minutes, then blot them very dry.
2. Heat the oven to 375°F.
3. Layer marinara, zucchini, meat if using, mozzarella, Parmesan and small spoonfuls of ricotta.
4. Repeat the layers, finishing with cheese.
5. Bake 35 to 45 minutes until bubbling. Rest 10 minutes before cutting.

The salting step matters. Giant zucchini carry a lot of water, and skipping it can turn an otherwise good casserole into lasagna soup with identity issues.

7. Freeze the Rest Before the Zucchini Wins

Shred whatever remains and freeze it flat in labeled bags. Two-cup portions are handy for chocolate cake. Three-cup portions line up nicely with the bread recipe. When thawed, zucchini releases more water than fresh zucchini; drain some of that excess before using it, but do not automatically squeeze it bone-dry if the recipe depends on moisture.

This is the point where the giant zucchini finally becomes less intimidating. Instead of one absurd vegetable occupying half the counter, it becomes several future breakfasts and desserts occupying a reasonable amount of freezer space.

A Few Tools That Actually Fit This Job

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Lodge 10.25-Inch Cast Iron Skillet

Useful for fritters, browning sausage for stuffed boats, and the rest of the jobs that somehow begin with “just grab a skillet.”

View the Lodge Skillet on Amazon

KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer

Not required for zucchini bread or cake, but handy if you are doing several loaves at once because the garden has decided you now run a bakery.

View the KitchenAid Mixer on Amazon

SONKIR 3-in-1 Soil Meter

A better fit for preventing next year's garden surprises: it checks soil moisture, light and pH so you can keep an eye on growing conditions.

View the Soil Meter on Amazon

One Giant Zucchini, Several Meals

Oversized zucchini are easy to make fun of because they look ridiculous sitting on the kitchen counter, but they are not a lost cause. The firm flesh is still perfectly useful once the tough skin, large seeds and watery center are dealt with.

If I had to rank the easiest wins, I would start with stuffed boats for dinner, zucchini bread for breakfast, and chocolate cake for the part of the day when we stop pretending this was all about eating more vegetables.

My actual strategy: make one savory recipe, make one dessert, freeze the rest, and promise myself I will check under the zucchini leaves earlier next time. I make no promises about honoring that last part.