Cheesy Zucchini Pizza Bites
Mini muffin-tin pizza bites with zucchini and spinach baked right into a cheesy batter. A lunchbox-friendly snack that tastes like pizza.
Anything that tastes like pizza disappears fast in a house with picky eaters. These bites use that to our advantage.
Grated zucchini and finely chopped spinach go straight into a cheesy, pizza-seasoned batter that bakes up puffy and golden in a mini muffin tin. Serve them warm with pizza sauce for dipping, or pack them cold for school.
Cheesy Zucchini Pizza Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup zucchini, finely grated, about 1 small zucchini, squeezed dry
- 1 cup baby spinach, finely chopped
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella, divided
- ½ cup mini pepperoni or diced ham, optional
- ½ cup pizza sauce, for dipping
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin.
- Grate the zucchini on the fine side of a box grater, then squeeze it hard in a clean kitchen towel until no more liquid comes out.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the eggs and milk, then fold in the zucchini, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella and the pepperoni.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them almost to the top, and sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until puffed and golden. Cool for 5 minutes, then serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping.
Contains DairyContains EggContains Gluten
Tips for success
- Squeeze the zucchini really dry. Wet zucchini makes soggy bites.
- Chop the spinach as finely as you can. Tiny green flecks look like herbs, big leaves look like vegetables.
- They keep for 3 days in the fridge and make a great cold lunchbox snack.
- Freeze cooled bites in a bag and reheat them for about 30 seconds in the microwave.
Questions
Can I make these in a regular muffin tin?
Yes. Fill 12 regular muffin cups and bake for 22 to 25 minutes.
Can I leave out the pepperoni?
Of course. They're just as good as cheese pizza bites, or add finely diced bell pepper instead.
Will kids taste the zucchini?
Squeezed dry and baked into a cheesy batter, zucchini is practically invisible. The spinach shows up as little green flecks, so call them herbs.
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