Zucchini Pizza Bites
Healthy, nutritious pizza bites that come together in just 15 minutes with only 5 ingredients!
Jason and I ordered a late-night pizza the other day as “post vacation recovery” food. But when I woke up the next morning, I felt so nauseous and bloated the entire day. I know I don’t have the metabolism of an 18-yr old but man – I don’t think I can do late night pizza runs anymore!
So when I had another pizza craving 2 days later, I just had to try these 5-ingredient zucchini pizza bites instead. And boy, was in for a treat.
I honestly didn’t know what to expect using a zucchini round as a pizza base. After all, carbs and I (particularly pizza crust carbs) have a love affair happening. But little did I know that these zucchini rounds were an amazing substitute for all those heavy calories.
The zucchini rounds were so great for portion control, and such fun finger foods to pass along the table. You can also control the amount of cheese to top off – if you’re really watching your calories, a little bit goes a long way. Plus, the mini pepperonis make these even more fun to eat!
Zucchini Pizza Bites
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup marinara sauce
- ½ cup finely grated mozzarella
- ¼ cup pepperoni minis
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to broil.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add zucchini and cook, flipping once, until golden, about 1-2 minutes on each side; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place zucchini rounds onto a large baking sheet. Top each zucchini round with marinara, mozzarella and pepperoni minis.
- Place into oven and cook until the cheese has melted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with Italian seasoning, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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We absolutley loved these, great hit. My zucchini came out cooked throughout, soft and delicious. These pizza bites do not taste like zucchini to us. Its perfect. Thank you for sharing.
will the zucchini come out ok if I just put it in the oven with all the toppings instead of frying it first?
Unfortunately, the zucchini will not cook through entirely.
I made it! I used chicken instead pepperoni. Thank you for this delicious recipe. Regards from Colombia.
These are great, I just finished making them.
My husband is pretty much inhaling his portion 🙂
This is really good!! I’ve made these twice. As per the directions (with the pepperoni) and loved it, then instead of the pepperoni I used mushrooms and an olive slice to bring to my in-laws, (my in-laws are vegetarians), and we LOVE!!!
and by the way its more than 5 ingredients!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these! And yes, there are technically more than 5 ingredients – 7 to be exact – but olive oil, salt and pepper don’t really count. 🙂
Made these for me and my roommates today and it was a hit!!! So yummy and quick and easy
These were super tasty! Question for you though, because I’m not sure if I’m doing this right. Should the zucchini be firm and almost crunchy-ish or a little more soft? I’m not sure if I should have left them in the pan longer.
Thanks! Such an easy recipe.
The zucchini has more of a tender-soft-texture.
What a great idea! I’m always on the lookout for quick, healthier meals and cannot wait to try these!
PINNED!!!!!
just made these and they are so delicious!!
what a fun thing for me to try with the kids! They are not so big on zucchini by itself so this is a way i can try and “mix it up”
I have been craving pizza, and this was the perfect lunch! Yummy and healthy! It was also a great way to use the extra tomato sauce I had in the fridge.
What type of marinara sauce did you use?
I used what I had on hand (I can’t remember if it was a generic brand or not). But you can really use any brand you choose to – it’s up to you!
Omg. I’m 9 months pregnant and my little family has been eating pizza like 2x a week. I LOVE pizza. This? It satisfies me the same. The best part? I can eat a whole pan, guilt free!!!
Found these on the Paleo website, but thought dairy products were not allowed. Am I missing something, or is this veggie cheese?
I’m not entirely sure what Paleo website you found this on but this recipe is not classified as Paleo-friendly.
This would be great with tiny diced red bell peppers instead of pep.
How long would these hold up in the fridge? Do you think they could be frozen?
They should keep for 1-2 days but I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! I recommend using your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I’m home today, craving something warm for lunch, but limited by my diet and these look AWESOME. I want to try them RIGHT NOW. Catch: I don’t have zucchini – I have cucumbers. Any idea if they’ll hold up like zucchini?? Seems like they’re a little juicier??
You can certainly substitute cucumbers but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. It is always best to use the ingredients listed in the recipe to obtain the best results possible.
This is a great idea for an after school snack. So much healthier than frozen pizza rolls
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