Zucchini Slice! If you’re after a tasty, savoury zucchini recipe, this classic Australian slice is hard to beat. It’s quick to prepare, versatile and delicious — ideal for breakfast, lunchboxes or a simple dinner served with a salad.
What Is Zucchini Slice?
Zucchini slice is a popular Australian bake made from grated zucchini blended into an egg-based batter with cheese, onion and typically bacon. Its texture sits somewhere between a savoury quick bread and a crustless quiche — soft and fluffy, yet firm enough to eat with your hands.
Because the zucchini is grated and mixed with flavorful ingredients, even people who don’t usually enjoy zucchini often love this dish. It’s a great way to sneak in vegetables without a strong squash flavour.
Reasons You’ll Love It
Here are a few reasons this zucchini slice is so loved:
- Simple to make: Combine the ingredients, pour into a pan and bake.
- Few pantry staples: Uses basic ingredients you likely already have.
- Versatile: Serve hot or cold — great for breakfast, snacks, picnics, lunch or a light dinner.
- Meal prep friendly: Freezes and reheats well.
- Kid friendly: Mild zucchini flavor and lots of cheese make it popular with children.
- Delicious: Cheese and bacon make this slice especially satisfying.
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make this zucchini slice you will need a handful of common ingredients:
- Zucchini: Grated — the main vegetable in the slice.
- Bacon: Chopped: adds savoury, salty flavour (optional for vegetarians).
- Onion: Finely chopped; red or brown onion works well.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar or your favourite melting cheese.
- Eggs: Large eggs form the batter.
- Flour: All-purpose works well; you can also use spelt or whole wheat.
- Baking powder: Gives a little lift.
- Oil: Avocado oil, olive oil, melted butter or ghee will work.
- Salt and pepper: To taste.
Full ingredient amounts and detailed directions are in the recipe card below.
What kind of pan should I use?
An 8″ x 12″ (20 x 30 cm) cake pan or a Lamington pan works well. A 9″ x 13″ pan can be used too — just note that baking time may change depending on the thickness of the mixture in your pan.
How To Make Zucchini Slice
Making zucchini slice is straightforward:
STEP 1: Preheat and prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Line your pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
Tip: Use metal binder clips to hold the parchment in place while you pour the batter.
STEP 2: Cook bacon and onion. In a frying pan, cook chopped bacon over medium heat until it renders some fat and begins to brown. Add the onion and cook until soft and the bacon is crisp. Set aside to cool slightly.
Note: Some recipes use uncooked bacon and onion. Cooking them first adds caramelised flavor and a firmer texture.
STEP 3: Mix the batter. Whisk eggs in a large bowl, then add flour, baking powder and oil. Stir in the grated zucchini (squeezed of excess water), shredded cheese and the cooled bacon-onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper and combine gently.
Tip: Squeeze excess moisture from grated zucchini to avoid a soggy bake. Smaller zucchinis tend to contain less water.
STEP 4: Bake. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake 30–40 minutes until set and lightly golden. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean. Let rest a few minutes, then cut into squares. Serve warm or cold.
Ways To Serve
Zucchini slice is tasty straight from the oven or chilled. Serving ideas:
- Breakfast/Brunch: Quick morning option or part of a brunch spread.
- Lunchboxes: Handy cold snack that travels well.
- Snack: An easy after-school or on-the-go bite.
- Lunch/Dinner: Pair with a green salad for a light meal.
Variations
This recipe adapts easily to what you have on hand:
- Add extra veggies: Try grated carrot, corn or finely diced bell pepper.
- Use ham: Dice ham instead of bacon (no frying required).
- Change the cheese: Swap cheddar for gouda, gruyère, parmesan or goat cheese.
- Make it vegetarian: Omit the bacon.
- Use self-raising flour: Replace the flour + baking powder with self-raising flour.
- Seasonings & herbs: Add chopped fresh herbs, garlic powder or your favourite spice mix for extra flavour.
FAQ
Stored in an airtight container, it will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Yes. Portion and wrap individual pieces, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat or enjoy cold.
Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the grated zucchini before folding it into the batter and use smaller, less watery zucchinis if possible.
A box grater works fine; alternatively use a food processor with a shredding disc to save time.
Did you try this zucchini slice? I’d love to hear about it — leave a comment below or share a photo on Instagram and tag the creator.
Zucchini Slice
- Author: Vanessa | Maple + Mango
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: 8–12 slices
- Category: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Snack
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Australian
Description
Zucchini Slice! This savoury Australian bake is easy to make, versatile and delicious — perfect for breakfasts, lunchboxes or a simple dinner with salad.
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup avocado oil (or olive oil / melted butter)
- 375 g (about 3 cups) zucchini, grated
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare pan: Preheat to 350°F / 180°C. Line an 8″ x 12″ (20 x 30 cm) pan with parchment paper.
- Sauté bacon and onion: Cook chopped bacon over medium heat until fat renders and it starts to brown. Add onion and cook until soft and bacon is crisp. Set aside to cool.
- Mix batter: Whisk eggs, then add flour, baking powder and oil until smooth. Fold in grated zucchini (well squeezed), cheese and the bacon-onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake: Pour into the prepared pan and bake 30–40 minutes until set and golden. Cool briefly, then cut into squares. Serve hot or cold.
Notes
- Storage: Keep in the fridge up to 5 days or freeze portions for up to 3 months.
- Pan size: An 8×12 inch pan is ideal, but a 9×13 will work — adjust baking time as needed.
- Flour: All-purpose, spelt or whole wheat can be used. Whole grain flours produce a denser texture.
- Drain zucchini: Remove excess moisture from grated zucchini to prevent sogginess.
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