Zucchini Pizza Boats

Last Updated on May 3, 2022 by Kayla Berman

We are living in world where vegetables can pretty much become anything and everything under the sun. I’m looking at you cauliflower rice, carrot bacon, and zucchini noodles. Now i’m not going to lie … I can’t get behind most of these but I can definitely get behind turning zucchini into pizza. And that’s mainly because Zucchini Pizza Boats are stuffed with your favorite marinara sauce, melty mozzarella cheese, flavorful pepperoni, and more delicious Italian flavors. They are a fun, kid friendly, and healthy take on pizza … nothing like any of those other boring veggie dishes!

Zucchini Pizza Boats are going to be your new favorite healthy comfort food. This low carb, gluten free, and veggie packed version of pizza packs all the flavor of the classic, but is of course a much healthier option!

zucchini pizza boats on a baking tray

What are Zucchini Boats?

Zucchini boats are exactly what they sound like! They are a vessel, a boat if you will, for delicious ingredients. In this case pizza! Zucchinis are perfect for this because they have a neutral flavor, so the star of the show really is the filling. This recipe is also a great way to get some extra veggies in!

Another great thing about zucchini boats is that the filling choices are pretty much endless. This recipe is of course pizza themed, but you could go in so many different directions! Taco, asian inspired, or even buffalo chicken zucchini boats would be delicious.

baked zucchini boats with a side of mozzarella cheese & marinara sauce

Ingredients needed for Italian Zucchini Boats…

These Italian Zucchini Boats call for only a few simple ingredients to get the delicious job done! You will truly get all the Italian flavors flowing with only the 8 ingredients below. They’ll leave your kitchen smelling like a 5 star Italian restaurant. Ugh, so good!

  • Zucchini: Zucchinis are of course the base of this recipe. You will need 4 zucchinis!
  • Marinara Sauce: Add your favorite marinara sauce! I used 1 cup of this kind.
  • Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: Now for the best & most important part of pizza … the cheese! Add 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese to these pizza boats for an authentic Italian flavor.
  • Pepperoni Slices: For some extra flavor we’re adding pepperoni to this recipe! I used 15-20 slices of pepperoni but you can really add as much or as little as you would like.
  • Garlic Powder: Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of garlic powder evenly over the zucchini boats. Or more because lets be honest … you can never have enough garlic!
  • Salt & Pepper: Add lots of salt and pepper of course!
  • Fresh Basil: Lastly, garnish this recipe with chopped fresh basil for the perfect final touch.

And that’s all you need for this fun & easy recipe!

Italian zucchini boats

How to make Baked Zucchini Pizza Boats…

This recipe is super super simple to make … honestly one of my easiest recipes yet! You pretty much scoop, fill, bake, & enjoy. Its as easy as pie … pizza pie more specifically! Lol.

  1. Set the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Start by cutting your zucchinis in half and scooping out the middle with a spoon.  Scoop out as much or as little as you want, depending on how thick you want your boats to be!
  3. Fill each boat with the marinara sauce.  Then top with the mozzarella cheese & pepperoni slices.  Sprinkle the garlic powder, salt, and pepper evenly over all boats.
  4. Bake for 18 minutes or until the cheese is perfectly melted & browned.
  5. Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil.
  6. Enjoy!
stuffed zucchini boats recipe

Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe Tips…

Check out the tips below to get the perfect stuffed zucchini boats each and every time!

  • Scoop out the insides to your desired amount! My number one tip to make sure you enjoy these zucchini boats is to scoop out your desired amount. If you love zucchini you can scoop out less, but if you really want to mask the veggie flavor with this pizza goodness scoop out more! Totally up to personal preference.
  • Extra toppings! To bring this recipe to the next level add some extra toppings. You can add literally anything you want – olives, red pepper, onions, sausage, pesto sauce, parmesan cheese, etc! And dare I say pineapple? I don’t know how we all feel about pineapple on pizza but I am most definitely a fan.
  • Do not over-bake! I recommend baking these zucchini boats for exactly as long as instructed! Eighteen minutes will leave the cheese melty, gooey, golden – literally all the things. But won’t make your zucchini too mushy. Its perfect!
zucchini pizza boats on a plate

How to store Zucchini Pizza Boats…

Store Zucchini Pizza Boats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days! Although this recipe is most delicious served fresh, you can most definitely store and save for later as described above. Any longer than about 5 days though and these pizza boats will most likely be too soggy to enjoy to their full deliciousness!

To reheat this recipe simply pop back in the oven or toaster oven for about 5-10 minutes. Just make sure the cheese is melted again and the zucchini boat is warm all the way throughout!

baked zucchini boats

Need some more healthy & delicious dinner recipes? Check out the ones below…

Connect with me!

If you make Zucchini Pizza Boats or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

Italian zucchini boats
zucchini pizza boats

Love this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating! I love to see and it helps me continue to develop delicious recipes for this blog.

Print

Zucchini Pizza Boats

Zucchini Pizza Boats are a fun, kid friendly, and healthy take on pizza!  These boats are stuffed with your favorite marinara sauce, melty mozzarella cheese, and flavorful pepperoni.  Low carb, gluten free, and veggie packed … this version of pizza packs all the flavor of the classic and is bound to be your new favorite healthy comfort food!

  • Author: Kayla Berman
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 18 Minutes
  • Total Time: 28 minutes
  • Yield: 8 Boats 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baked

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 zucchinis
  • 1 cup marinara sauce
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1520 slices of pepperoni
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • salt & pepper
  • fresh basil

Instructions

  1. Set the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Start by cutting your zucchinis in half and scooping out the middle with a spoon.  Scoop out as much or as little as you want, depending on how thick you want your boats to be!
  3. Fill each boat with the marinara sauce.  Then top with the mozzarella cheese & pepperoni slices.  Sprinkle the garlic powder, salt, and pepper evenly over all boats.
  4. Bake for 18 minutes or until the cheese is perfectly melted & browned.
  5. Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil.
  6. Enjoy!

Keywords: zucchini pizza boats, baked zucchini boats, Italian zucchini boats, stuffed zucchini boats recipe

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2 Comments

  1. Barbara Manador

    I really like this recipe but one thing I did to improve it was instead of adding straight Marinara sauce and cheese I mixed the cheese and sauce together and scooped it in and it was way better and less mess

  2. Madeline H

    I made this a few nights ago & we loved it! Great recipe!

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