These Vegan Zucchini Bread Pancakes are the perfect breakfast treat. Just like a warm slice of zucchini bread, these pancakes are moist and fluffy with just the right amount of natural sweetness. Loaded with gooey bites of chocolate and drizzled with maple syrup, they’re vegan, easy to make and just so good!

Ingredients in Vegan Zucchini Bread Pancakes

Zucchini: This May seem like a weird pancake ingredient, but it’s what gives these vegan zucchini bread pancakes their amazing texture. You can’t really taste it either, but the zucchini helps the pancakes retain moisture while cooking so they end up super soft and chewy.

Mashed banana: A little ripe mashed banana will help keep the pancakes from falling apart. It also adds a nice natural sweetness so choose a banana with lots of dark brown speckles.

Vegan butter: Because the zucchini keeps the pancakes so moist, we really don’t need to add too much fat. I like the flavor of vegan butter but any neutral oil would work too. You will also need more for cooking the pancakes if you don’t have a non-stick pan.

Maple syrup: For a touch of sweetness and to pour on top!

Dairy free milk: I always use soymilk or oatmilk but choose your favorite plantbased milk!

All purpose flour: I haven’t tried this recipe with any other types of flour, so I don’t recommend making any substitutions.

Baking powder: For light and fluffy pancakes, make sure your baking powder (not soda!) is fresh by checking the expiration date.

Chocolate: While this is optional, a handful of chocolate chips really takes these pancakes to the next level. I like to chop up a dark chocolate bar but dairy free semisweet chocolate chips work great too.

How to Make Vegan Zucchini Bread Pancakes

Grate/drain the zucchini: I used a box grater to shred the zucchini using the small holes. No need to peel it. Measure out about 1 cup then transfer the grated zucchini to a cleakitchen towel or several sheets of paper towel. Squeeze out a good amount of moisture to prevent the pancakes from getting soggy and set aside.

Make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, maple syrup, vegan butter, and dairy free milk. Use a spatula to combine the wet with the dry. To avoid dense pancakes, be very careful not to overmix. A few small pockets of flour is fine.

Finally, fold in the zucchini and chocolate if using. Just a few turns of the spatula is all you need.

Cook the pancakes: I like to use a nonstick pan, but if you have a cast iron or griddle pan, I recommend melting about a tbsp of vegan butter in the pan before cooking each batch. Spoon about a 1/3 cup of batter on to the hot griddle and cook until you see the top begin to bubble. Flip and cook until both sides are golden brown. Repeat for the remaining batter.

Serve: Enjoy your zucchini bread pancakes warm with a generous drizzle of maple syrup and a few slices of banana.

Can I freeze Vegan Zucchini Bread Pancakes?

While it’s hard to beat a pancake fresh off the griddle, these can be stored and reheated later. To freeze, allow the pancakes to cool completely before layering between pieces of parchment and storing in an airtight container. These will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer and 5 days in the fridge.

To reheat, I recommend thawing in the microwave and then popping in the toaster for a few minutes to crisp up.

More Vegan Treats to Try:

• Chocolate zucchini snack cake
• Whole wheat blueberry buckle
• Chocolate tahini oat cups
• Jumbo cinnamon rolls

Made this recipe? Tag @wandering_chickpea on Instagram and follow along on Pinterest for more delicious recipes!