For a sweet way to use up a bumper crop of squash, stir up a zucchini dessert or two! This veggie makes for delectable cakes, cookies and other sweets.
22 Zucchini Dessert Recipes That’ll Make Everyone Want to Eat Their Veggies
Updated on May 22, 2024
Blueberry Zucchini Squares
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
1/22
2/22
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
3/22
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
4/22
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
5/22
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
6/22
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
7/22
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
8/22
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
9/22
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
10/22
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
11/22
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
12/22
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
13/22
Carrot, Zucchini and 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.
14/22
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
15/22
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
16/22
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
17/22
Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Coconut Frosting
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Grated zucchini makes this cake really moist, and the topping adds a nice crunch. When zucchini is in season, I shred, measure and freeze it in 2-cup amounts for this favorite recipe. —Lois M Holben, Creal Springs, Illinois
18/22
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
19/22
Summer Squash Pound Cake
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This golden brown, tender pound cake is the perfect treat to make when you have an abundance of summer squash or zucchini in your garden. It’s not overly sweet, so it appeals to everyone. —Lisa Brockwell, Necedah, Wisconsin
20/22
Dark Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
2 loaves (12 slices each)
From the Recipe Creator:
A colleague brought this in one day for someone’s birthday. I grow zucchini in my garden so I had a lot of opportunities to experiment with the recipe. My mother-in-law loves it, and not just because it’s pretty good for you! —Sally Newton, Smethport, Pennsylvania
21/22
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
22/22
Yummy Zucchini Chocolate Cake
Total Time
50 min
Servings
18 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
As a confirmed chocoholic, this is my all-time favorite treat. I found the original recipe more than 20 years ago, but have lightened it up quite a bit. Everyone asks for the recipe, and no one suspects that it's lighter than most chocolate cakes. —Carleta Foltz, Sunrise Beach, Missouri
