Healthy tiny pizza! These Easy Zucchini Pizza Bites are a great way to use up the oceans of zucchini you are drowning in. A simple 15-minute recipe that can be a snack, appetizer, or hey, even dinner if you’re like me. Originally published July 28, 2015.
Table of Contents
- You´ll love these easy zucchini pizza bites
- Key ingredients
- How to make zucchini pizza bites
- Making zucchini pizza bites in a toaster oven or air fryer
- How to store leftover zucchini pizza bites
- How to reheat zucchini pizza bites
- Can I freeze these?
- Easy Zucchini Pizza Bites (Healthy & Low Carb) Recipe
- More easy zucchini recipes
My mom regaled us with stories all growing up about how when SHE was a little girl, her mother made the same 7 meals each week with no variation. Roast beef on Sunday, Tuna-Noodle Loaf on Monday, Enchilada Loaf on Tuesday…
(Yes, really, Enchilada Loaf is a thing, and it has Fritos, Velveeta, and cinnamon in it. I’m not lying. You can’t make this stuff up.) We served a giant vat of it at my Grandma’s 80th birthday party last summer for nostalgia’s sake.
I always wondered if my mom was exaggerating, but a while back she showed me this old meal-planning notebook of my Grandma’s. The entire thing was filled with pages that looked EXACTLY like this:
(Creepy-looking food stains? Check. Adorable cursive? Check. Jello? Check. All the things you need for a Grandma recipe card.)
I know those two lists aren’t exactly the same, but there were a LOT of repeats throughout the notebook. That Salmon-Loaf just kept coming back again and again. I can’t be judgmental, though; Grandma was a working mom and didn’t have the internet or the Food Network. I’d probably be making Salmon Loaf every week too.
You´ll love these easy zucchini pizza bites
There were a ton of other loose recipes tucked into this notebook of my Grandma’s that I was flipping through, and one of them was an idea for zucchini pizza. I eat my weight in zucchini and cheese. And these are so good, and easy to boot! Just slice up a zucchini (you’ve got a million right now, right??), dollop on some pizza sauce, sprinkle with cheese/toppings, broil, and voila! A perfect summer appetizer. Or after-school snack. Or dinner, if you eat enough… It definitely beats Enchilada Loaf!
Key ingredients
- Smaller to medium zucchini are best here, since they’re generally less watery and have fewer seeds than those giant, “baseball bat sized” garden zucchini. This helps keep your pizza bites from getting soggy.
- Freshly grate your mozzarella if you can. Pre-shredded cheese is often coated in anti-caking agents that can keep it from melting smoothly and evenly under the broiler.
- Since you’re only adding a small dollop, use a thick, high-quality pizza sauce to add flavor and help keep the toppings in place.
How to make zucchini pizza bites
Start by slicing your zucchini into even rounds. You want them thick enough to hold all the toppings without getting floppy, but not so thick that they take forever to cook.
Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and add a small dollop of pizza sauce to each one. Don’t spread the sauce all the way to the edges; it will just bake off.
Sprinkle each zucchini round with mozzarella, then top with your favorite pizza toppings. Keep the toppings light. Remember, these are little bites, after all. Too much can make them harder to eat.
Now, the most important part: preheat your broiler to high and make sure your oven rack is in the top position, about 4–6 inches from the heating element. Broil the rounds until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and develops small golden-brown spots. Keep a close eye on them, because this process moves QUICKLY.
Once you remove them, let the pizza bites cool before serving. But only for a minute or two, since they’re best when they’re hot and bubbly!
Making zucchini pizza bites in a toaster oven or air fryer
If you want a little snack or are just making a few of these, you can use a toaster oven. As you would when using a broiler, arrange the rounds on a small baking sheet, top with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Then, using the toaster oven’s broiler (again, set to “high”), broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly. This should still only take about 3–6 minutes, and remember to watch it as these can go from YUM to OH NO in just a few seconds.
To make zucchini pizza bites in an air fryer, arrange the topped zucchini in a single layer in the cooking basket and air fry until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is all melty. Again, keep an eye on them the first time, since air fryer temps and time can vary.
How to store leftover zucchini pizza bites
These are best fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure to let them cool before covering and refrigerating so they don’t trap extra moisture.
How to reheat zucchini pizza bites
Reheat the pizza bites in a toaster oven or air fryer at 375°F until hot and the cheese is bubbly — again, about 3–5 minutes. You can microwave them in a pinch, but they’ll come out softer and more watery.
Can I freeze these?
I don’t recommend freezing these. Zucchini contains a lot of water, so freezing and thawing can make the bites mushy. They’re quick enough to make fresh that I’d stick with refrigerating leftovers.
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Easy Zucchini Pizza Bites (Healthy & Low Carb)
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1/3 cup pizza sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella, grated small
- 12-15 slices pepperoni, chopped (or use mini pepperoni)
Instructions
- Preheat your broiler.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the zucchini into rounds. You want them to be about 1/8 inch thick, and definitely no more than 1/4 inch (see photos). The thicker they are, the crisper the zucchini will be.
- Grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Spread out the zucchini on the sheet.
- Top each round with 1/2 or 1 teaspoon pizza sauce. Don’t spread it around or it will just bake off.
- Top with shredded mozzarella. If you are using pre-shredded mozz, use a knife to chop it a little smaller.
- Top with chopped pepperoni.
- Move your oven rack to the highest position. Broil the zucchini for 3-6 minutes, or until golden on top. Don’t walk away! Eat hot!
Nutrition
More easy zucchini recipes
Recipes for Dinner
Poblano, Corn, and Zucchini Lasagna
Side Dish Recipes (& Veggies)
Baked Parmesan Zucchini and Squash
Soup Recipes
Creamy Zucchini Soup with Popcorn Garnish
Recipes for Dinner
Zucchini has changed. Where I live (central California), I was shocked to see zucchini being sold by the piece, and for an outrageous price. At Safeway, it was over $2.00 per piece, on sale the next week for $1.00. We may all need to reconsider zucchini, now that it is a luxury vegetable. Savemart was also selling it by the piece. Yikes!
I have zucchini, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Thanks for recipe. Limiting my grocery store visits to once every other week now due to Covid19 means I have to use up some stuff in the fridge. Now I can. Happy Easter, stay safe.
So great that you have the ingredients on hand Hyde! Yes, best to limit trips during this crazy time! Enjoy the pizza bites!
Yumm!!! My family loves squash
Then this is the pizza recipe for them Linda! :)
I’ve been eating Zucchini Pizza Bites for months now. Often I just slice the zucchini, drop some pizza sauce then some cheese – then bake in the Toaster Oven. Works great if you just want a snack – or a meal. I’ve put meat on before – but just prefer the sauce & cheese only.
I’ve also started putting the zucchini in a corning ware dish, putting more pizza sauce & cheese – then baking in the Toaster Oven.
For one or two people any way works great.
I love the idea of doing it in the toaster oven Bets! Thanks for commenting!
Oh my gosh, I wish I had that kind of planning! Pinned these pizzas! I need more healthy but indulgent ideas!
Your grandma was one organized lady! How sweet that you have her kitchen notes… what a gift. I’m all about the zucchini right now.. it’s comin in droves and I’m the only one in the house who likes it! YIKES! It’s zucchini for breakfast lunch and dinner, so I need all the inspiration I can get! Thank you for this Karen!
These zucchini pizza bites look so good! Love that they’re “healthy pizza.” And your Grandma is so cute – I love that she planned her meals. She’s so organized! :)
Oh my gosh that loaf! I don’t think I’ve ever had Velveeta and cinnamon together! My mom had a rotation too – there were not many dishes that ever changed!
Love these bites! Perfect for zucchini season.
These are totally genius Karen and the perfect way to use up that fresh zucchini from the garden! LOVE!
I was so pleasantly surprised to find that real, fresh salmon is a delightful thing to eat!
And enchilada loaf – my family’s Mexican food. Hey, it had chili powder, ok?
My grandma made a salmon loaf too. I wonder if they got if from the same place!
I don’t know Laura, maybe it was a thing! My mom told me that they used canned salmon that still had soft bones in it. eewww
I was so pleasantly surprised to find that real, fresh salmon is a delightful thing to eat!
And enchilada loaf – my family’s Mexican food. Hey, it had chili powder, ok?
I love enchilada loaf! Although I’ll admit, anything with the world loaf in it is usually off putting and most of grandma’s recipes end in a loaf!
I know you do, I was expecting to hear from you :) The cinnamon is a little too weird for me. I’m no Velveeta hater :)
Haha the cinnamon is one of Paul’s favorite parts. In any other form I hate velveeta too but for some odd reason it works in that, at least for me. I love the pictures of her weekly menus, so fun that she still has them!
So healthy and low carb! Love these delicious bites :)
Thanks Medha! Love when delicious stuff is healthy :)
I could probably eat a bajillion of these. Love zucchini and pizza. So why not combine the two!
Right Jen?? I’m not saying how many I had…
This much cheesy pizza goodness should seriously be illegal. I mean, this is health food taken to a whooooole ‘nother level. I want all of these in my face PRONTO!
Thanks Sarah! I’m so glad cheese isn’t illegal though. haha, can you imagine? It would be Prohibition all over again. I would be battling the authorities for the rest of my life.