Cheesy Zucchini Balls
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 10/28/2015 - Last updated on 05/02/2023
This recipe may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
These cheesy Zucchini Balls are delicious quick bites for any party platter, barbecue, or as a simple appetizer for Christmas or Thanksgiving.
Zucchini Balls are not only scrumptious, but they’re also gluten-free, keto-friendly, and have only 1.6 grams of net carbs per serving.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Zucchini Balls are amazing because:
- Ready In 30 Minutes
- Gluten-Free
- Keto-Friendly
- Big Batch Ready
- Healthy
How To Make Zucchini Balls
These baked zucchini balls are perfect snacks or appetizers with a delicious cheesy texture and garlic flavor.
Ingredients
They are very easy to make using only a few simple ingredients:
- Zucchini – keep the skin on to add fiber and decrease the net carbs. Zucchini is a perfectly low-carb vegetable.
- Almond Flour – prefer ultra-fine almond flour over the grittier coarse almond meal. Learn how to choose the best keto flours.
- Psyllium Husk – a simple ingredient loaded with fiber and nutrients.
- Eggs
- Hard Grated Cheese – grated mozzarella is my favorite as it gives the best cheesy texture to those zucchini bites. You can also use mature cheddar or Emmental. Learn which cheeses are keto-friendly.
- Garlic
- Paprika
- Oregano
- Cumin
Making The Zucchini Mixture
Grate the zucchini with a food processor.
This recipe is better when the zucchinis are as dry as possible. To do so, place the grated zucchinis in a clean towel and squeeze it as hard as you can.
Measure the grated zucchinis and place them in a large bowl.
Beat the eggs with an electric beater or a fork in another bowl and pour them on the grated zucchinis.
Add the garlic, almond flour, psyllium husk, dried herbs, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and mozzarella cheese freshly grated with a box grater.
Combine the zucchini ball batter with a spoon and start kneading with your hands when it becomes too sticky.
Baking The Balls
Form 18 zucchini balls using a mechanical ice cream scoop and roll the zucchini batter in your hands.
Place them on a large baking tray lined with lightly oiled parchment paper.
Bake the zucchini balls for 20 to 30 minutes at 400°F (200°C) until the zucchini balls start to turn golden and crispy.
Serving Zucchini Bites
They are delicious warm appetizers or snacks. But they become even better when dipped into 4-Ingredient Guacamole, Homemade Ketchup, or sour cream.
You can also serve them as a side dish to a delicious cooked steak, or next to a Keto Chicken Marsala or a Steak Alfredo.
Storage Instructions
You can store these zucchini balls for up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
If you want to make a large batch, double the recipe and freeze the baked zucchini bites in an airtight container leaving half a thumb of space between each ball to make sure they don’t stick to each other.
Rewarm the zucchini balls in a hot oven at 300°F (150°C) on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until hot in the middle and crispy outside.
No need to defrost or thaw them before rewarming.
Allergy Swaps
You can’t swap the egg in this recipe, but you can replace the psyllium husk and almond flour with non-keto ingredients.
- Almond Flour: Swap the Almond Flour and Psyllium Husk for Panko Breadcrumbs.
- Zucchini: if you don’t like zucchinis, make my Spinach Balls instead.
- Mozzarella: you can’t make this recipe without cheese, but if you don’t like the taste of mozzarella, you can use parmesan cheese instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can also cook them by frying them in an air fryer or in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
Baked Zucchini recipes are delicious with simple dips like guacamole, tomato sauce, or green goddess dip.
Zucchini Balls are best cooked in the oven, but you can also place them in an air fryer. Since you need to put them on a single layer, you have to bake several batches.
Zucchini Balls and courgette balls are the same things. Zucchini is the Italian name for the vegetable known as Courgette in France and several countries (UK, South Africa, etc.).
More Party Food Recipes
If you like this quick party-food recipe, I recommend trying the other low-carb party food below to pair with the zucchini bites.
Don’t forget to share your creation with me on Instagram!
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Zucchini Balls
Ingredients
Keto version
- 1 ½ cup Grated Zucchini packed, squeeze to remove all juice
- 3 large Beaten Egg
- 3 Garlic Cloves finely crushed
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- 2 tablespoons Whole Psyllium Husk
- 1 tablespoon Dried Oregano or dried parsley, or Italian mix
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ tablespoon Ground Paprika
- 1 cup Grated Mozzarella or cheddar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Classic version – not keto
- 1 ½ cup Grated Zucchini packed, squeeze to remove all juice
- 3 large Eggs
- 3 Garlic Cloves finely crushed
- 1 ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumb
- 3 tablespoons Dried Herbs parsley, oregano, Italian mix or mint or cilantro
- ¾ cup Grated Mozzarella or cheddar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Homemade Sugar-free ketchup to dip
- 1 batch Homemade Ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Wash the zucchini and remove the ends. Keep the skin on. Finely grate using a food processor or manual grater.
- Squeeze the grated zucchini in a clean towel to extract all the zucchini juice, then pack the dried grated zucchini into a measuring cup. Measure 1 1/2 cup, set aside in a bowl.
- Stir in the beaten eggs, crushed garlic, almond flour, psyllium husk, dried herbs, cumin, paprika, salt, and grated mozzarella cheese.
- Combine with a spoon, then knead with your hands, squeezing the batter to ensure that all the ingredients come together. It should take 1 minute of squeezing/kneading until it forms a consistent batter.
- Form 18 zucchini balls, golf size balls rolling the batter within your hands.
- Place each ball onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. If your parchment paper tends to stick to food, brush a teaspoon of olive oil on top to prevent the zucchini balls from sticking to the paper.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the outside is golden and crispy.
- Serve immediately with a dip of your choice like my homemade sugar-free ketchup or simple guacamole recipe, or sour cream.
Storage
- Store up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Freeze the baked zucchini bites in an airtight container leaving half a thumb of space between each ball to make sure they don't stick to each other.
- Rewarm in hot oven 150°C (300°F) on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until hot in the middle and crispy outside. No need to defrost before rewarming.
Notes
Tools
Getting Started What Is Keto? Macro Calculator Sweetener Converter Intermittent Fasting Keto Fruits Keto Vegetables Keto Flours Fighting Keto Flu Healthy SweetenersWant My Kitchen Equipment?
Nutrition
About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
Disclaimer
The recipes, instructions, and articles on this website should not be taken or used as medical advice. You must consult with your doctor before starting on a keto or low-carb diet. The nutritional data provided on Sweetashoney is to be used as indicative only.
The nutrition data is calculated using WP Recipe Maker. Net Carbs is calculated by removing the fiber and some sweeteners from the total Carbohydrates. As an example, a recipe with 10 grams of Carbs per 100 grams that contains 3 grams of erythritol and 5 grams of fiber will have a net carbs content of 2 grams. Some sweeteners are excluded because they are not metabolized.
You should always calculate the nutritional data yourself instead of relying on Sweetashoney's data. Sweetashoney and its recipes and articles are not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose, or treat any disease. Sweetashoney cannot be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or advice found on the Website.
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The zucchini balls look wonderful
I am going, low carb, and nut free
Would love to make these but a lot of recipes call for almond flour! Please help me with some substitutes
All low carb recipes using almond flour can be made sesame flour or sunflower seed flour. Both are nut-free and low-carb.
Can I sub in hemp hearts for the psyllium?
No sorry it won’t work, they are two different ingredients, husk is pure fiber it absorb liquid and bind dough. Hemp is pure protein and fat, it won’t bind ingredients.
Love this recipe! The next time I would use less cumin, but that’s a personal preference. I dipped in low carb marinara. Would definitely recommend this recipe!
Tried zucchini balls. Loved them thank you.
Can I use psyllium husk powder instead of whole? If so, how much?
Sure, but don’t use husk powder supplement like metamucil, its not suitable for baking. Otherwise husk powder made that is suitable for baking can be used in same amount as whole husk. Enjoy! XOXO Carine
May I sub yellow summer squash if firm? I am having some success growing them this season and would love to share with grandkids…thank you! Love your recipes…going to find your sugarless ketchup recipe next!
Definitely a great idea! And these zucchini balls will taste amazing dipped in the sugar free ketchup recipe ! Enjoy the recipe with your grand kids. XOXO Carine
I’ve made these twice, second time with only 2 eggs (all I had) and bacon bits chopped really small. I also used mature grated cheese as I had no Mozzarella. They were so yummy second time round that I think they may be a regular item in my recipe book
made these yesterday, did not care for the paprika flavour. Would increase cheese and garlic in future.
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Take care, XOXO Carine
Is the psyllium husk necessary? I’ve never heard of it before. Looked it up and it’s for fiber?
Psyllium husk is pure fiber often used in keto baking to hold low carb flour together, absorb moisture and give a bready texture to food. Here you need the husk or the balls will sprea an flatten, no chew at all. You can find this online (this is my amazon affiliate link) or in the healthy food section of most supermarket. Enjoy the recipe, XOXO Carine
These were delicious! So easy to make, we loved them as an appetizer!
Thank you so much! I am so happy to read your feedback. Enjoy the recipes on the blog, XOXO Carine
Below nutritional panel is the following: “Nutrition panel is for one zucchini ball using pork rind.”
There is no pork rind in the Keto version, although substituting them for the panko would seem to be an easy change. Also wondering why the significant difference in the herbs for Keto….to cover almond flour taste?
Sorry for that, I updated that line as the nutrition panel is for the keto recipe, no pork rinds. Many of my readers are vegetarian so the pork rinds option can be used if you eat meat, swap the breadcrumb in the regular recipe by pork rinds. The variations of spices in the keto recipe cover the slighty yeasty flavor of husk. Enjoy the recipe, XOXO Carine.
Is there a more vegetarian keto option for the pork rinds?
More cheese Miriam ! They don’t shape as well into ball but more cheese works well yes. Otherwise, almond flour with coconut flour but I am not sure how much I didn’t try this option yet. Enjoy, XOXO Carine.
Can the mixture be put into a casserole dish, baked and cut into squares when set a bit?
That is a very good idea but as I didn’t try I am unsure how it will turn out. Let me know if you try! Enjoy, XOXO Carine
Recommend flavor of dip?
Sure! I love to dip them into my sugar free ketchup or in a simple avocado dip. Other great sauce are mustard or sriracha. Enjoy the balls! XOXO Carine.
Hello
Do you think I can use bread crumbs instead of panko crumbs? ????
Yes! Or even pork rinds if you ar eon low carb/keto diet. Enjoy the recipe ! XOXO Carine.
Thank you. My kids loveeee these and they don’t even like zucchini. ????
There is no better comment possible ! If kids are happy I am happy too 🙂 you made my day. I know how difficult it could be to sneak zucchini to your kids plate – mine are not big fan of this veggie but they love my zucchini balls too. Enjoy all the recipes on the blog. XOXO Carine.
Hi – these look good, but i’m doing keto. Do you have a recommendation for swapping out the panko crumbs (maybe some mix of almond and coconut flour)? Thanks
Many people report success using ground pork rinds. I didn’t try myself by I guess this will work well 🙂 Enjoy the recipe XOXO Carine.
Hi I just made these today and they came out very dry? Not sure what I did wrong? Any idea as to why?
The only thing I can think about is baking time. You probably overbaked them. I would recommend you to remove them from the oven as soon as they are crispy outside and golden. Pick with a skewer and see if it is set in the middle. If so, don’t bake longer. Also, grated mozarella makes them softer and cheesy – my kids prefer this cheese. Let me know if you try again ! Have a lovely time baking those. XOXO Carine.
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I just made them and they’re delicious. I can’t wait to try out the spinach balls.
Hi Emily, Thnk you SO much for this lovely comment 🙂 You will definitely love the spinach balls as well I always have a batch of those in the freezer to serve as an appetizer or fill the kids lunchbox. So good! Thanks to read the blog and try my recipe. XOXO Carine.
Do you know Howe much sodium is in pne?
Hi, based on the breadcrumb and cheese I bought in New Zealand you have got 54.5 mg of sodium per zucchini balls. I updated the nutrition panel for you but be careful or the breadcrumb and cheese you buy from the store! It will impact the sodium very much. That is why I usually don’t show the sodium information, it is not really relevant depending on each ingredients. For example emmental or mozzarella will contain less sodium than cheddar etc. Enjoy the recipe. XOXO Carine.