No-Mess Zucchini Bread Pancakes

EASIER

VEGETARIAN

Makes twelve 4-inch pancakes

Zucchini pancakes are sure tasty. They’re also a mess: The grated zucchini shreds must be squeezed to remove excess moisture. But our recipe factors in that moisture so you can make the batter right in a blender—no squeezing required. And with a couple of baking sheets, you can make a whole batch at once. One warning: The pancakes won’t brown as deeply as if you made them in a frying pan, but you won’t still be making pancakes when most everyone else is done with their breakfast.

1 small zucchini (about 8 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, plus additional for greasing the baking sheets

½ cup whole, low-fat, or fat-free milk

1 large egg

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon table salt

Unsalted butter and orange marmalade for serving, optional

1. Set two racks in the oven so they divide it into thirds; heat the oven to 400°F. Generously oil two large lipped baking sheets. Slip them into the oven while it heats.

2. Working in this order, put the zucchini, oil, milk, egg, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large blender.

3. Cover and pulse to make a thick but pourable batter, stopping the machine to scrape down the inside of the canister at least twice.

4. Carefully remove the (hot!) baking sheets from the oven. Pour the batter into 3-inch rounds across the surfaces, about 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake. Return the sheets to the oven and bake the pancakes, turning once, until set, 4 to 5 minutes in all. Serve warm with butter and marmalade, if desired.

Test Kitchen Notes

• If you only have one baking sheet, do this recipe in batches: Position the rack in the center of the oven. When the first batch is done, just repeat pouring the 3-inch rounds of batter onto the pan. There’s no need to grease the pan again or let it cool between batches.

• This recipe doesn’t require a fancy, high-end, million-RPM blender, but it does require a sharp blade to handle the pieces of zucchini. If in doubt, consider replacing the one in your model. Almost all manufacturers sell replacement blades (or the whole housing with the blade under the canister) for a reasonable cost.

To make these pancakes the standard way, heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat for a minute or two, then add about a tablespoon of oil or butter and swirl it across the hot surface. Working with about 3 tablespoons of batter at a time, form your pancakes on the hot surface, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook until bubbles open up near the edges of the pancake, less than 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and continue cooking until brown, about 1 minute longer.