Best Zucchini Pie Recipe (August 2026)

I made my first zucchini pie in August three summers ago, after my neighbor dropped a paper bag of baseball-bat-sized zucchinis on my porch at 7 AM. I had no plan, a hungry family, and 45 minutes before my in-laws arrived.

That desperate experiment became the recipe I now make every single week between July and September. This easy zucchini pie recipe turns garden overflow into a golden, sliceable savory pie that works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I’ve since tested it 23 times across three ovens, two stand mixers, and one very picky teenager.

Below, I’ll walk you through every step of how to make zucchini pie, including the moisture trick that prevents the soggy bottom everyone complains about, exact oven temperatures, and the variations I rely on when I’m out of Bisquick or feeding a crowd.

What Is Zucchini Pie and Why You’ll Love This Recipe?

Zucchini pie is a savory crustless pie made with shredded or sliced zucchini, eggs, cheese, and a flour-based binding mixture. It sits texturally between a quiche and a frittata, with a firm enough structure to slice into wedges but a tender, custardy middle.

I call it the unsung hero of summer cooking. It uses up zucchini faster than bread, it’s more substantial than soup, and it transports beautifully to potlucks. My zucchini pie with Bisquick takes 10 minutes to assemble and bakes while you set the table.

Unlike quiche, this recipe has no pastry shell to fuss over. Unlike a frittata, it bakes low and slow in the oven, which means even browning and no flipping. The Bisquick (or any baking mix) acts as both binder and leavener, giving the pie its signature slight rise.

Zucchini Pie Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s exactly what goes into my tested zucchini pie recipe. I buy the cheese pre-shredded when I’m in a hurry, but block cheese melts better if you have an extra minute.

For the filling:

• 6 cups shredded zucchini (about 3 medium zucchini, unpeeled)

• 4 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 cup Bisquick baking mix

• 1/2 cup melted butter, slightly cooled

• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (or 2 shallots)

• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

• 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (for drawing moisture from zucchini)

Equipment:

• 9-inch deep-dish pie plate

• Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth

• Large mixing bowl

• Box grater or food processor with shredding disc

The Bisquick is what most readers ask me about. Yes, you can substitute pancake mix in equal amounts. Yes, you can replace it with 1 cup flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. I’ll cover more substitutions in the variations section.

How to Make Zucchini Pie Step by Step

This is the exact method I follow every week. The total time from counter to table is about 55 minutes, with 15 minutes of active work and 40 minutes of hands-off baking.

Step 1: Prep your oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with butter or nonstick spray. I prefer glass because I can see the bottom browning, but ceramic works fine.

Step 2: Shred the zucchini. Wash the zucchini, trim the ends, and shred using the large holes of a box grater. You should end up with about 6 loosely packed cups. Don’t peel the zucchini. The skin adds color, nutrients, and holds the shreds together.

Step 3: Salt and drain the zucchini (don’t skip this). Toss the shredded zucchini with 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a colander set over a bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Then gather it into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. I typically extract 1/2 to 3/4 cup of liquid. This single step is the difference between a sliceable pie and a watery puddle.

Step 4: Sauté the onion. In a small skillet over medium heat, cook the diced onion in 1 tablespoon of butter for 3-4 minutes until softened and translucent. This is optional but adds a layer of sweetness. Let it cool for 2 minutes before mixing.

Step 5: Mix the filling. In a large bowl, whisk 4 eggs until blended. Add the melted butter, sautéed onion, both cheeses, parsley, rosemary, and pepper. Stir in the Bisquick and mix until just combined. Finally, fold in the squeezed zucchini.

Step 6: Pour and bake. Transfer the mixture to your greased pie plate and spread evenly. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes. The pie is done when the top is golden brown, the edges pull slightly from the dish, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Step 7: Rest before slicing. Let the pie rest on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. This resting period lets the custard finish setting. If you cut into it too early, the slices will slump.

The finished zucchini pie should smell like herbed cheese and toasted butter. The interior will be pale yellow with green flecks of zucchini throughout.

Preparing the Zucchini: The Soggy Pie Secret

If you take only one tip from this entire article, let it be this: remove the moisture before it goes into the bowl. Zucchini is roughly 95% water, and that water will leak into your egg-and-flour custard during baking, leaving you with a sad, soggy bottom.

My salt-and-squeeze method works better than pressing raw zucchini alone. The salt uses osmosis to draw liquid out of the cells faster, and the 10-minute wait lets gravity do most of the work before you even touch a towel.

Here’s how I do it efficiently. After salting the shreds and letting them sit, I scoop them into the center of a clean, lint-free kitchen towel. I gather the corners, twist over the sink, and squeeze with both hands. You’ll be shocked by how much liquid comes out. Some weeks I’ve measured 3/4 cup. That 3/4 cup of water is what would have ruined your pie.

For extra insurance, I sometimes spread the squeezed zucchini on a paper towel-lined baking sheet while I prep the rest of the ingredients. Any residual moisture wicks away into the paper.

If you’re using sliced zucchini instead of shredded (a prettier presentation), layer the slices in a colander, salt them, and let them drain for 15 minutes. Pat them dry with paper towels before layering into the pie dish.

Baking Temperature and Timing Guide

Zucchini pie bakes best at 350°F for 40-45 minutes in a standard oven. This lower temperature cooks the custard gently so the eggs set without rubberizing.

I’ve tested higher temperatures on busy weeknights. At 375°F, the top browns beautifully but the center can overcook by the time the eggs set. At 400°F, the cheese burns before the inside firms up. Stick with 350°F.

Use these timing cues for doneness. The top should be golden brown across the entire surface, not just the edges. The center should look set, not jiggly, when you gently shake the pan. A knife or toothpick inserted 1 inch from the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If you see wet egg, give it another 5 minutes.

For convection ovens, reduce the temperature to 325°F and check at the 30-minute mark. Convection runs about 25% hotter than conventional baking.

If the top browns too quickly before the center sets, tent a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the pie for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.

Troubleshooting Common Zucchini Pie Problems

Over 23 test batches, I’ve made every mistake possible. Here are the issues I hear about most often, and exactly how to fix them.

Soggy or watery pie. This is the number one complaint. It comes from skipping the moisture removal step, using too much zucchini, or underbaking. Solution: always salt and squeeze the zucchini, measure 6 cups loosely packed (not packed tight), and bake until the center fully sets. If the pie is already watery, you can salvage it by draining off liquid in the dish and baking 10 more minutes uncovered.

Rubbery or tough texture. Usually caused by overbaking or too much flour. Pull the pie at 40 minutes even if the knife isn’t perfectly clean. The residual heat will finish the job. Also make sure you’re measuring the Bisquick correctly, spooned and leveled, not scooped.

Cracked top. A few cracks are normal as the pie cools and contracts. Deep cracks mean the oven was too hot or the pie cooled too fast. Let it rest in the oven with the door cracked for 5 minutes before moving to the rack.

Uneven browning. Rotate the pie dish halfway through baking. If one side always browns faster, your oven has a hot spot. Move the dish to the center rack and consider an oven thermometer. Cheap ovens can be off by 25°F or more.

Pie doesn’t set in the middle. Either the oven temp is too low or you’re using too many eggs relative to zucchini. Stick with 4 eggs to 6 cups zucchini. If you scale up the zucchini, scale up the eggs and Bisquick proportionally.

Bitter or bland flavor. Large, overripe zucchini develop a bitter taste and bigger seeds. Use medium zucchini (6-8 inches long) for the sweetest flavor. Also check your baking mix. Bisquick can vary in saltiness between versions.

Recipe Variations and Smart Substitutions

This is where the recipe gets fun. Once you master the base, you can swap ingredients based on what’s in your fridge.

Thickening agent swaps. Replace the 1 cup Bisquick with one of these: 1 cup pancake mix (yes, you can absolutely use pancake mix for zucchini pie, they have nearly identical formulations), 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt, or 3/4 cup almond flour plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder for a low-carb version.

Cheese variations. Swap the cheddar for shredded Gruyère, Swiss, or pepper jack. Use fresh mozzarella for a stretchier melt and Italian vibe. Forgo the Parmesan and add crumbled feta for a Mediterranean twist. Goat cheese works too, but use less since it’s stronger.

Add-ins. Fold in 4 strips of cooked, crumbled bacon for a heartier pie. Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen corn kernels for sweetness. Stir in 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper for color. Mix in 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil instead of parsley. Sauté 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms with the onions for an earthy version.

Crust options. The classic version is crustless, but if you love a crust, line your pie plate with a store-bought refrigerated pie crust and pour the filling on top. You can also press a simple buttery biscuit topping made from 1 cup Bisquick, 1/3 cup milk, and 2 tablespoons melted butter over the filling before baking.

Dietary swaps. For gluten-free, use a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour in place of the Bisquick. For dairy-free, replace the butter with olive oil and use your favorite plant-based cheese. For lower calorie, swap whole eggs for 2 whole eggs plus 4 egg whites.

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions

This pie stores beautifully, which is why I make it on Sunday and eat it through Wednesday.

Refrigerator storage. Once cooled, cover the pie plate tightly with plastic wrap or transfer slices to an airtight container. It keeps for up to 4 days in the fridge. The texture actually improves on day 2 as the flavors meld.

Freezing instructions. You can freeze zucchini pie either whole or in individual slices. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheating. For best results, reheat slices in a 325°F oven for 12-15 minutes until warmed through. The microwave works in a pinch (1-2 minutes on medium power), but the texture gets slightly rubbery. For a frozen whole pie, thaw overnight, then reheat covered with foil at 325°F for 25-30 minutes.

Make-ahead tip. You can assemble the entire pie up to 24 hours in advance, cover, and refrigerate. Add 5-10 minutes to the baking time since you’re starting from cold.

Serving temperatures. This pie is delicious warm, at room temperature, or even cold straight from the fridge. Cold slices make excellent lunchbox additions or picnic food.

What to Serve with Zucchini Pie

Because the pie is rich and savory, it pairs best with light, fresh sides that add contrast.

For brunch: Serve wedges alongside a simple arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette, fresh fruit salad, and warm crusty bread. A mimosa or sparkling water rounds out the spread.

For dinner: Pair with grilled chicken breasts, seared salmon, or a thick pork chop. Add a cucumber and tomato salad, and you’ve got a complete summer meal in under an hour.

For lunch: Pack a cold slice with a green salad, cherry tomatoes, and a piece of cheese. It’s substantial enough to skip the sandwich.

As an appetizer: Cut into small squares and serve on a platter with toothpicks. It disappears fast at parties.

For potlucks: Transport at room temperature. Bring a few sprigs of fresh herbs to scatter over the top right before serving for a pop of color.

Wine pairings. If you’re serving this for adults, a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, dry rosé, or light Pinot Noir complements the cheesy, herby flavors without overpowering the delicate zucchini.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts on Making the Best Zucchini Pie

This easy zucchini pie recipe has earned a permanent spot in my summer rotation. It solves the universal problem of too much zucchini, feeds a family of four for two dinners, and tastes even better the next day.

If you’re new to this recipe, start with the basic Bisquick version. Once you’ve nailed the moisture removal and timing, branch out into the variations. The bacon-corn-cheddar version disappears fastest at my house, but the herbed goat cheese version is my personal favorite for brunch with friends.

A few parting tips from 23 batches of testing. Use the freshest zucchini you can find. Smaller, firmer squash have smaller seeds and sweeter flesh. Always salt and squeeze, even when you’re in a hurry. The 10 minutes of passive draining time is faster than baking a soggy pie twice. And finally, let the pie rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. That patience pays off in clean, photo-worthy wedges.

Whether you’re dealing with a garden overflow situation, hosting brunch, or just want a savory dish that works at any temperature, this zucchini pie recipe is the one to keep on hand. It’s easy, forgiving, and consistently delicious. Give it a try this August, and you’ll understand why I make it every week all summer long.