From tender muffins and glazed cupcakes to spiced loaves and deeply chocolaty cakes, these zucchini desserts turn summer’s most versatile veggie into bakery-worthy treats to enjoy all season.
21 Easy Zucchini Desserts Packed with Veggies
Updated on Jul. 09, 2025
1/21
Blueberry Zucchini Squares
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I saw a bar recipe using apple and lemon zest on a muffin mix. I tried it from scratch with shredded zucchini and fresh blueberries instead. It’s a nifty combo. —Shelly Bevington, Hermiston, Oregon
2/21
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake
Total Time
40 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Years ago, I added some zucchini to a peanut butter bar I had created, and this time I wanted to try adding it to a cake. The zucchini makes the cake super moist but doesn’t get in the way of the chocolate and peanut butter goodness. —Marilyn Blankschien, Clintonville, Wisconsin
3/21
Banana Zucchini Bread
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
2 loaves (16 pieces each)
From the Recipe Creator:
My grandmother made this zucchini banana bread for as long as I can remember, and I've been making it ever since I learned how to bake. Children love it for a snack, and it's good to serve at any meal. It's another delicious way to use zucchini, which is so abundant in late summer. —Eva Mae Hebert, Lafayette, LA
4/21
Zucchini Walnut Cake
Total Time
55 min
Servings
24 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
What gardener doesn't have extra zucchini? When it is abundant, I shred and freeze plenty so I have it on hand to bake this moist zucchini cake with walnuts all year long. The cream cheese frosting is yummy, and the big panful always goes fast at a picnic or potluck. —Marie Hoyer, Hodgenville, Kentucky
5/21
Zucchini Cookies
Total Time
25 min
Servings
8 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe started out as a plain zucchini cookie. But over the years, I added nuts and chocolate chips. These soft cookies never make it to the cookie jar! —Tina Lunt, Bass Harbor, Maine
6/21
Zucchini Brownies
Total Time
55 min
Servings
1-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
A fast peanut butter and chocolate frosting tops these cakelike brownies. What a sweet way to use up your garden bounty! —Allyson Wilkins, Amherst, New Hampshire
7/21
Streuseled Zucchini Bundt Cake
Total Time
1 hour 20 min
Servings
14 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Inspired by an abundance of zucchini, I found a new way to use it up in this spiced and lightly sweet cake. It even won a blue ribbon at our county fair for this zucchini dessert! —Regina Stock, Topeka, Kansas
8/21
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
2 loaves (12 pieces each)
From the Recipe Creator:
I shred and freeze zucchini from my garden each summer so that I can make this bread all winter long. My family loves this chocolaty treat. —Shari McKinney, Birney, Montana
9/21
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Total Time
1 hour 20 min
Servings
2 loaves (12 pieces each)
From the Recipe Creator:
This bread has won many ribbons at our fall fair. The recipe yields two nicely spiced loaves—one for eating and one for sharing. I like to make it for family and friends. —Chantelle Ross, Forest Grove, British Columbia
10/21
Zucchini Cupcakes
Total Time
40 min
Servings
1-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I asked my grandmother for this recipe after trying these irresistible spice cupcakes at her home. I love their creamy caramel frosting. They're such a scrumptious dessert, you actually forget you're eating your vegetables, too! —Virginia Lapierre, Greensboro Bend, Vermont
11/21
Cranberry Zucchini Wedges
Total Time
45 min
Servings
2 cakes (8 pieces each)
From the Recipe Creator:
I try to slip zucchini into as many dishes as possible. These cake wedges have wonderful flavor and a tender texture. They are pretty, too, with bits of pineapple, cranberries and zucchini. And they're perfect for brunch.—Redawna Kalynchuk, Sexsmith, Alberta
12/21
Yummy Zucchini Coffee Cake
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
The first time I made this zucchini dessert, I gave some to my daughter, who hates squash, and she said it was the best thing I ever made! It has been an excellent and wholesome way to use up all of the zucchini from my garden. If using thawed shredded zucchini, make sure to drain very well. —Tammy Kirsch, Arcade, New York
13/21
Zucchini Dessert Squares
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
16-20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
We planted one too many zucchini plants a few summers ago and harvested a lot of zucchini that year. I was looking for ways to use them, and this delicious dessert is the result. —Nancy Morelli, Livonia, Michigan
14/21
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Total Time
40 min
Servings
1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Whenever I make these zucchini chocolate chip muffins, I freeze several. As I'm leaving for work in the morning, I pull one out and enjoy it at the office with a cup of coffee. —Janet Pierce DeCori, Rockton, Illinois
15/21
Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Custard Sauce
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
The minute I can get my hands on zucchini, I start making this light and luscious cake. For years it was an often-ordered dessert at my sister's deli. —Peggy Linton, Cobourg, Ontario
16/21
Carrot Blueberry Cupcakes
Total Time
55 min
Servings
16 cupcakes
From the Recipe Creator:
Carrots, blueberries, pineapple and zucchini make an interesting and delicious combination in these unique little treats. —Patricia Kile, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
17/21
Pina Colada Zucchini Bread
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
3 loaves (12 pieces each)
From the Recipe Creator:
At my husband's urging, I entered this recipe at the Pennsylvania Farm Show—and won first place! You'll love the cakelike texture and tropical flavors. —Sharon Rydbom, Tipton, Pennsylvania
18/21
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Total Time
40 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Our family absolutely loves zucchini, especially when we grow it ourselves. We’ve found many ways to use it, including this spiced cake that’s super moist and chocolaty good. —Sue Falk, Warren, Michigan
19/21
Lemon Zucchini Drops
Total Time
30 min
Servings
about 3-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
When we lived on the East Coast, a nearby fruit and vegetable stand had a bakery featuring these soft, cakelike cookies. We missed every bite when we moved away, so I developed this recipe. —Barbara Franklin, Tucson, Arizona
20/21
Cranberry Zucchini Bread
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
2 loaves (12 pieces each)
From the Recipe Creator:
Nutmeg and cinnamon add spice to these flavorful loaves. The flecks of green zucchini and red cranberries give each slice a festive look that's just right for the holidays. —Alice Manzo, South Easton, Massachusetts
21/21
Zucchini Cobbler
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This cobbler is my surprise dessert! No one ever guesses that the secret ingredient is zucchini. Everyone says it tastes like apples. It's fantastic to make for a potluck supper or to serve to a crowd. —Joanne Fazio, Carbondale, Pennsylvania
Zucchini Desserts FAQ
What are the best ways to bake with zucchini?
The mild flavor and high moisture content of zucchini make it a versatile and useful ingredient in baked goods like brownies, cakes and muffins. Zucchini bread is one of the most common ways to bake with zucchini, but you don’t need to stick to one recipe. Try a version with sweet banana, tropical pineapple or everyone’s favorite, chocolate chips. The only bakes that are not a good match for zucchini are thin, crunchy, wafer-like cookies and pastries because the water in the zucchini, even squeezed out, will cause the dessert to soften rather than crisp.
What zucchini baked goods are best for a potluck?
The best zucchini baked goods for a potluck are dishes that look stunning, travel well and are easy to serve, like a Bundt cake or tray of rich zucchini brownies. If bringing soft cookies, pack them carefully so they don’t stick to one another in the container or break apart from the weight of too many layers stacked on top of each other. Bring the dessert whole if it’s easy for people to serve themselves, or slice it first and arrange it nicely on a serving plate.
Are there zucchini cake recipes with chocolate?
Chocolate and zucchini are a delicious combination, especially in cake. Add cocoa powder to make a chocolate-based batter, or stir in a few handfuls of your favorite chocolate chips. Zucchini will keep the cake incredibly tender, combating the drying effect that can happen with cocoa powder, and it will not make the dessert taste like vegetables. You may not even realize there is zucchini in the cake! Along with chocolate, add a dash of cinnamon, some espresso powder or chopped nuts to make the cake distinctly yours.
