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This baked zucchini fries recipe is made to satisfy the toughest cravings for golden, crispy potatoes — in a healthier way! I’ve been making them for years, and even my kids have enjoyed them since they were toddlers. These parmesan zucchini fries require no breadcrumbs and need just 5 basic ingredients you might already have on-hand. They are a fun alternative to plain roasted zucchini, which is also delicious.
What Are Zucchini Fries?
Oven baked zucchini fries are sticks of zucchini that are breaded and baked (or fried!). I used Parmesan cheese for the breading as a healthier alternative to breadcrumbs. Like jicama fries and rutabaga fries, they’re low carb and very easy to make… and dip!
Even though these are naturally keto zucchini fries, no specialty flours or ingredients are needed.
Why You’ll Love This Baked Zucchini Fries Recipe
- Savory garlic and parmesan taste
- Light, crispy outside, tender inside
- 5 simple ingredients
- No bread crumb mixture or deep frying needed
- Fast cooking time, done in 30 minutes
- Naturally gluten free, low in carbohydrates, and perfect for dipping
- Easy, healthy appetizer or side dish
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for baked parmesan zucchini fries, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Zucchini – Use small or medium zucchini. Yellow squash would also work.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – Many recipes use panko bread crumbs or flour, but parmesan makes the perfect breading in this recipe and adds so much flavor! (It also makes these keto zucchini fries, but anyone can enjoy them.) Finely shredded cheese can also work, but may not stick to the zucchini as easily.
- Egg – Use a whole, large egg. A flax egg may work as an egg substitute, but I have not tried it.
- Spices – Garlic powder and (optional) black pepper. You can also add other spices if you like, such as Italian seasoning.
How To Slice Zucchini Fries
- Cut your zucchini in half lengthwise, then cut each half lengthwise again.
- Repeat cutting lengthwise until you get thin enough pieces.
- Stack the pieces and cut them crosswise to get the length you want your fries to end up.
You can check the pictures (in the next section) or video (on the recipe card below) to see what the pieces look like before breading them.
How To Make Zucchini Fries In The Oven
This section shows how to make zucchini fries baked (without breadcrumbs!), including step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Prep. Cut the zucchini as explained above. Prepare two shallow small bowls, one with whisked egg and one with grated parmesan cheese and spices.
- Dredge. Dip each zucchini fry (see above for how to cut them — or below for a visual) in the bowl with egg, shake off any excess, and press into cheese mixture to coat.
- Arrange. Place the fries in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. (Or for even crispier results, use an unlined nonstick pan or line with aluminum foil. You’ll need to coat with cooking spray if you go with this option.)
- Bake. Cook keto zucchini fries in the oven until deep golden brown, flipping the fries and rotating the pan halfway through.
Tips For Crispy Zucchini Fries
The parmesan coating does a pretty good job of making these oven baked zucchini fries crispy. But, here are a few extra tips to ensure that happens:
- Use small zucchini if possible. Larger zucchini will have a higher moisture content.
- Pat dry. If you have particularly “wet” zucchini, pat them dry with paper towels.
- Do not salt. Salting the zucchini before baking makes them mushy and too salty in flavor. The parmesan is already salty, so no extra salt is needed
- Help the “breading” stick. To ensure that it does, use one hand for breading and the other hand for the egg mixture. Try to avoid touching the breading with the wet hand. Doing this will prevent the parmesan mixture from clumping. If it clumps, it won’t stick.
- Let them breathe. Air flow is important for crispy results, so make sure to leave space between the fries on the baking sheet.
- Crisp up after baking. Broil zucchini after baking to make them extra crispy. Alternatively, you can also lightly pan fry them, or even cook the whole recipe in the air fryer instead, which yields more crispy results than the oven does.
Storage Instructions
For crispy zucchini fries, it’s truly best to eat them fresh. However, they can be stored for later as well:
- Store: Keep any leftovers from this zucchini fries recipe in an airtight container in the fridge between layers of paper towels. They may get a little soggy, so you’ll need to crisp them up again when reheating.
- Reheat: Pan fry or broil to reheat and make zucchini parmesan fries crispy again.
- Freeze: After baking, place onto a parchment lined baking sheet to freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Instead of thawing, bake from frozen until hot and crispy. (Thawing can make them mushy.) Lightly pan fry if needed to crisp up more.
Dipping Sauces For Parmesan Zucchini Fries
Dipping sauce is optional, but adds to the fry eating experience! (And since there aren’t a lot of carbs in zucchini, you totally have room for a sauce even if you’re trying to be low carb.) Try these easy sauces:
More Healthy Zucchini Recipes
If you enjoy oven zucchini fries, I have a whole collection of delicious healthy zucchini recipes for you! Try some of my favorites below:
Recommended Tools
- Baking Sheet – It’s nonstick and helps make fries crispy.
- Chef’s Knife – Makes effortless work out of slicing zucchini.
- White Bowls – The perfect size for dredging and dipping.
Zucchini Fries Recipe
Baked Zucchini Fries Recipe (Easy & Healthy!)
This parmesan zucchini fries recipe uses just 5 ingredients and it's low carb! Baked zucchini fries are golden, crisp, and easy to dip in 30 minutes.
Go Ad-FreeRecipe Video
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line and lightly grease a baking sheet. (Parchment paper works best, but foil might be okay if you grease it very well.)
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Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise 4 times (to make eight long sticks from each squash). Then cut the sticks once crosswise, making 16 sticks from each squash, approximately 4 in (10 cm) long and 1/2 in (1 cm) thick. If the zucchini sticks feel "wet", pat them dry with paper towels.
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Prepare two shallow bowls – one with beaten egg and one with a mixture of grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and black pepper. Dip each squash stick in the egg, shake off the excess, then press into the parmesan mixture, coating all sides. (Use one hand for the egg and the other for the parmesan, to avoid getting too much egg in the parmesan which will make it clumpy.) Place on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer without touching.
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Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping the fries and rotating the pan halfway through, until fairly dark golden.
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Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until darker golden and crispy.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Readers Who Liked This Easy Recipe Also Made:
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 8 baked zucchini fries, about 4″ long each
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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209 Comments
Kate Hackworthy
0These zucchini fries sound delicious! I love how crispy they look on the outside but soft inside. Can’t wait to make them.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I hope you like them, Kate!
Tisha
0These parm zucchin fries sounds so yummy and look crispy! I’m not sure I would share a batch!!
Michelle
0Hi, I made these tonight. The parm batter was crispy kind of, but the zucchini was totally mush to bite. I even left it in the oven at 200 for maybe an hr. Hoping it would dry out a bit.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michelle, Everyone’s oven is a bit different and it sounds like they were baked too long if they were mushy inside.
Tim Simmons
0I made a batch of these for game day not telling anyone that they were low carb and everyone thought that they were FANtastic. Will now be a regular addition when we host any kind of get together.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Tim! I’m so glad everyone liked them!
Jennifer
0The cheese didn’t stick to the egg wash at all.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jennifer, Sorry to hear you had this issue. Did you do everything the same as the recipe card, and check the video? It’s hard to say what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. My guess would be that your zucchini might have been “wet”, which makes the egg wash not stick well and therefore the cheese too. You can try patting dry first next time.
Jennifer
0These were absolutely delicious!!! We did fry ours in coconut oil to add some healthy fat. Which made these amazing. This recipe will be a regular addition to our Keto diet. These are a must try!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the zucchini fries, Jennifer! Please come back soon!
Amelia
0I don’t care for Parmesan cheese. I’m not sure if you could use another kind of cheese. What do you think would be a good substitute?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Amelia, It would need to be another very hard cheese, like Pecorino Romano.
Sue
0My husband says hands down best way to eat zucchini. The second time I made them I made one change: salted the zucchini for 30 minutes then patted them dry. Much less watery.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much for sharing, Sue! I’ll need to try that!
Penny Saucerman
0Delicious! Quick, easy prep. The control on my oven just went out and I couldn’t use the broil function, so I just turned off the oven after 20 minutes and baked them a couple more minutes. Even without broiling to finish them off, they were crispy and delicious. My husband loved them. I served them with organic marinara and that was delicious. I think ranch would be great, too. I also looked up your spicy appetizer sauce and will make it in the future when I have more time. Husband is diabetic, so I am always searching for reduced-carb recipes. It’s especially hard to find recipes for crispy, crunchy foods. I wonder if larger zucchini would work for those who said theirs was soggy since they tend to be drier. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad they still worked for you, Penny. We love them with the spicy appetizer sauce – hope you’ll try it.
Breanna
0THANK YOU!! It was delicious, every one was fighting over them. Especially my parents.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yay, that’s great to hear, Breanna!
Cherie
0Hi! Love these! I mixed a little half and half with my eggs to them less thick. I also added onion powder to cheese and used chipotle black pepper in place of black pepper. I breaded the zucchini by placing Parmesan mixture in a zip top back. Baked very crispy on parchment and no sticking. Will definitely try again! Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you love them, Cherie! Those spices sound delicious to add. Great idea to bread the zucchini by shaking in a bag.
Jill Franklin
0I’ve had problems with the breading on the zucchini as well as my onion rings. However, I like the idea of using a ziploc bag. That prevents too much handling between bowls. I’ll try that next time.
Nancy Sutton
0I love your recipes!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Nancy!
Amy T.
0Worked out well. My Parmesan was fresh grated kind from the store and the larger grating doesn’t stick as well as finer grated, for people’s reference. I took the advice on the no clumpy eggs in cheese but it ended up happening b/c I did what you said not to, haha! Just grabbed pinches and smooshed against the zucchini and it worked fine. I had some smaller and some larger pieces. The smaller are less watery as people say than the larger ones. The broiler helped but baking a bit longer is fine to crisp them up too. I did the bake and broil thing…two minutes for the broiler for me. Came out great though and hoping to entice my sick diabetic partner to eat some (she loves cheese and has stomach issues but tolerates zucchini). They smell so good when baking too. Great recipe, thanks! ps. used zucchini from my garden. Good recipe to keep in my garden Pinterest board for what to do with things after they come out of the garden. 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I a so happy you liked them, Amy! Please come back again soon!
Elmira
0Couldn’t get parm mix to stick to zucchini so I ended up sprinkling it on top on cookie sheet. Added some Italian seasoning, red pepper, garlic powder, too.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Elmira, I have some tips about this in the post above the recipe card. Make sure you are using different hands, so that you try to minimize touching the dry mixture with wet hands covered in egg.
Linda
0How many in a serving or are you calling 1 medium zucchini a serving?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Linda, It’s 8 fries in a serving.
Rhonda
0Sounds awesome..trying tonight!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I hope you love it, Rhonda!
Nati
0Sounds good! Can I serve the next day too without having to heat them up?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nati, These are best fresh. They get soggy after you store them.
Teresa
0Mine were soft and not sure why. I wanted them crispier.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Teresa, Try placing them under the broiler at the end. I updated the instructions to include this step.
Stephanie
0I love zucchini and am always looking for new ways to eat it. I can not wait to try these. I’m hoping I’ll be able to get my boys to try them since they look like fries.
Elizabeth
0They turned out great! I subbed cotija for Parmesan (I use them interchangeably in most recipes). I think using parchment is key—no sticking, and easy cleanup. Delicious with keto ranch and my keto oven bbq chicken. Thanks for a keeper recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing with us, Elizabeth!
Melissa Szucs
0Hi Maya
I just tried this tonight and OMG, they were amazing and so simple! Thank you so very much for this great receipe!!! Im sure i will find more just like this on your website!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Melissa! Thanks for stopping by!
Diane Willis
0I made the Zucchini Fries today and they were good, but they didn’t brown like yours on the video. You turned them 1/2 way through the cooking period and they were brown on the bottom. I started to turn mine 1/2 way through and although the tops were beginning to brown (unlike yours), the bottoms were wet and completely unbrown. The parchment paper seemed wet. I cooked them longer… about 25-30 minutes and they were somewhat browned, and tasted good, but they weren’t really crispy… a little limp.
What do think caused this difference?
BTW, the flourless chocolate cake is to die for!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Diane, It might be that your oven runs a little cooler than mine, since you needed to cook them for longer to get them to brown, OR your zucchini pieces were bigger. Try increasing the temp a bit next time. Another possibility is you had particularly “wet” zucchini; you can pat them dry a bit before coating if they feel damp. Finally, I added a step to place them under the broiler at the end, so that should help with the crispiness.
Gaye Miller
0These are great! My husband really liked them too. That makes them double great! We like spicy food, so I mixed Cajun seasoning in with the parmesan cheese. Using parchment paper and flipping them is the secret to them turning out crispy. Thanks for thiś recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you and your husband liked them, Gaye! Thanks for stopping by!
Pam
0How can these have 21 g of protein?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Pam, The protein comes from the eggs and parmesan cheese.
Lola
0These recipes are wonderful. Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Lola!
Roe
0So, First of all they tasted delicious! But mine sort of turned out more like zucchini cheese scramble lol. I did grease the tinfoil really really really good but the zucchini just stuck right to the tin foil. I couldn’t flip them. They were pretty soft, I’m guessing because I didn’t turn them halfway through. Also, I can’t have garlic bc I have IBS and garlic is an irritant. I skipped the powder but do you think some sort of powder is necessary to help with the crust? Do you have any other methods for getting the fries crispy?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Roe! I’m glad they were delicious despite the flipping issues. I think that was definitely the biggest reason they weren’t crispy. Using parchment paper next time can help if they still stick for you using greased foil. The garlic powder isn’t necessary so you can definitely skip it!
Rhonda
0Awesome perfect snack. I chose a low carb spicy marinara to dip. Delicious!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Rhonda! Love these zucchini fries with marinara.
mEGAN
0I made these with dairy free cheese and they turned out great! Slightly different flavor than when I made them with regular parmesan, but still delicious!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Good to know! Thank you, Megan!
Barbara
0Making them as we speak, also added some eggplant fries
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I hope you like them all, Barbara! Thanks for stopping by!
Carol
0Awesome! These are delicious. Thanks for the recipe
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Carol!
Jill
0In the oven now. I used garlic salt and onion powder on mine. Cannot wait try these!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Jill! I like to add those, too.
Kay
0Made these for my tea today – scrumptious. 😀
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Kay!
Rebecca
0Would it work to substitute yellow squash in this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rebecca, I haven’t tried it but it would probably work. Let me know how it goes if you do!
Barbara
0yellow squash, zucchini and eggplant…awesome
Travis
0In the video it appears that you use partchment paper…if that is true it would be nice if the recipe were to reflect that. As other comments have said these stick to a commercial non stick pan. I will try one more time with parchment paper but I am not optimistic.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Travis, The recipe card originally stated to line the pan, so it was never recommended to place the fries directly on a non-stick pan. I added to the recipe card that parchment paper works best, though foil might be okay if you grease it very well. I always use parchment paper when making these fries and they never stick. Hope you like them!
Michele
0Do you think avocado could work? I used up our zucchini yesterday. 🙁
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michele, Yes, that sounds like a great idea!
Holly Woods
0I have been eating low carb for a month now and there are not very many veggies that I care for (including zucchini). But they looked so good I thought I would try these tonight. I made them for me and my husband. They were delicious! And so easy to make! My husband loved them too! Makes me very happy because I needed to add more vegetables to my low carb diet and these definitely do the trick! Thanks so much!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0You’re welcome, Holly! I’m glad you and your husband enjoyed these.
Mari
0These were a nightmare to make and were no better than when I just saute squash. What a waste of my time and Parmesan cheese!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mari, Sorry to hear that they weren’t for you. What was difficult about making them? I have a video posted above the recipe card and it’s pretty straightforward. Other than that, I find them different from sauteed squash and have gotten the same feedback from others. If you prefer pan frying, you could try this fried zucchini and squash recipe instead, which is even more crispy.
Andrea Hosage
0Delicious, thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Andrea!
Jaygee
0This looks tasty and interesting. Have you tried, or do you think that, using an air fryer would work for this?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jaygee, I don’t have an air fryer so haven’t tried it or had experience with it unfortunately. I don’t see any reason for it not to work, though. I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it!
Hanya
0My fries stuck to the baking foil even after I put some grease on it. How can you prevent this from happening?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Hanya, You might need to grease it more generously if using foil. Another option would be to use parchment paper. Or, you could use these non-stick pans – they are truly non-stick and easy to clean even without lining them.
Lisa jones
0Could you fry these? Are they really crispy baked like this?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lisa, Yes, frying them should work too. I haven’t tried it, but they will likely be even more crispy that way. (Let me know how it goes if you give it a try.) Otherwise, the fries do come out crispy right out of the oven, and you could put them under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp up more. But, they do lose their crispiness if you let them sit for a while, so they’re best eaten right away.
Kaylyn
0Wow! I made these tonight and they will definitely be a new go-to side for me! So easy and delicious!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Kaylyn! They’re a go-to side for me, too.
Ariel
0So the parmesan cheese, you get it out of the bottle like you would use on spaghetti? Could you use the bagged kind that’s with the cheese in the store?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ariel, I use this parmesan cheese. Any finely grated parmesan will do – it doesn’t matter what container it comes in or if you want to grate it yourself. The only bagged kind I’ve seen is shredded, not grated, though.
Abby
0I used freshly grated Parmesan and they turned out great!!! Will definitely make again and again!
Michele
0Silly question, but did you use fresh parm here or the canned stuff? I never use the canned stuff, but I think here it might coat better?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michele, I used the kind from a can but either one should work as long as it’s finely grated. Let me know how it turns out if you try the fresh kind.
Marcee
0Just made a batch of these and they are delicious!!! I dip mine in ranch.
Missy
0Oh my goodness…I know what I’m doing with my zucchini this week! Yum!
KalynsKitchen
0Happy Friday! Just letting you know I featured this in my weekly Low-Carb Recipe Love on Fridays post. Hope a lot of my readers will tap over here and get the recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Kalyn! I appreciate the share! I have one of your recipes in an upcoming roundup I’m doing, too.
Kathy
0Is just one zucchini “fry” a serving?
Maya
0Hi Kathy, I wouldn’t consider one fry to be a serving (that’s a crazy tiny serving!), but that is how the nutrition info was listed initially. I changed it to be more reasonable – 4 servings in the recipe, 8 fries per serving. Thank you for pointing that out!
Renee Kohley
0My girls would love these! Super fun!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Renee! Yes, zucchini fries are such a great way to help kids get their veggies in. My daughter loves them!