Zucchini and corn fritters are a delicious and easy-to-make savory breakfast, snack, or healthy meal. Packed with vegetables and a crispy texture, these fritters are perfect for any time of day. Just like potato fritters, they're ready in less than 30 minutes and easily made gluten-free and vegan/dairy-free.
Despite it being early spring, I'm already dreaming about zucchini season. Give me stuffed zucchini, zucchini risotto, and, of course, chocolate zucchini bread for dessert.
If you're looking for more delicious ways to sneak vegetables into your diet, these crispy zucchini and corn fritters have got you covered.
Deeply savory with a light & fluffy interior and a golden & crispy exterior, it's hard to remember that these zucchini corn cakes are an easy and healthy option when you're looking for a satisfying breakfast, snack, or meal that's ready in 30 minutes.
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⭐️ Why These Fritters are the Best
- Quick & easy corn and zucchini fritter recipe with just 10 simple ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes
- Healthy savory pancakes that are veggie-packed, high in fiber, nut-free, nutrient-rich, with a gluten-free and vegan/dairy-free option
- Deeply savory with a light & fluffy interior and a crispy & golden exterior
- A great way to use classic summer vegetables
- If you want to avoid frying, baking instructions are provided
💦 How to Squeeze Water Out of Zucchini
Squeezing water out of zucchini is a very important step when making zucchini fritters. It ensures a perfectly crispy texture that is ideal for fritters; no one wants soggy fritters!
To do this, place a small colander over a medium bowl. Toss the grated zucchini with ½ teaspoon of salt and place in the colander to "sweat" for 10 minutes. Wrap the zucchini in a kitchen towel or paper towel and squeeze dry.
🌽 Ingredient Notes
- Zucchini - any variety of summer squash can be used in this recipe, as long as you make sure to squeeze the water out before using.
- Whole wheat flour - Absorbs any excess moisture and helps with binding the fritter mixture. All-purpose flour will work just as well.
- Baking powder - This is our leavener, which ensures light and airy fritters on the inside
- Dried basil - Adds fresh herby flavor that pairs beautifully with our summery produce
- Garlic powder - Adds deeper savory flavor
- Egg - Acts as a binder to prevent our fritters from falling apart
- Milk - Any variety of milk will work here, including plant-based milk
- Corn - You can use fresh corn (right off the cob - no need to cook it), frozen corn (thawed and drained), or canned corn that's been drained
- Parmesan cheese - Provides rich umami flavor
- Fresh basil - I love the flavor of fresh basil paired with summer produce, but this is an optional garnish.
- Vegetable oil or olive oil - Any neutral oil will work for frying your fritters. Olive oil will give them a slightly fruity flavor, but will still be delicious.
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Herbs. Substitute your favorite herb in place of basil. Thyme, rosemary, or dill would all be tasty.
- Spicy. Give your fritters a spicy kick by adding 1 sliced jalapeño, ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, or serve them topped with Sriracha aioli.
- Gluten-free fritters. You can easily make gluten-free fritters by substituting a 1:1 ratio of gluten free all-purpose flour.
- Make dairy-free/vegan: You can omit the Parmesan cheese completely, or substitute nutritional yeast. For the egg, I recommend making a flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes until it becomes gelatinous.
- Cheese. Substitute your favorite cheese! Mozzarella or cheddar cheese would work great.
- Bake fritters: If you want to avoid frying them in oil, baking is also an option. To bake fritters, follow recipe instructions to make the batter, then scoop fritter batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with oil, and bake in a preheated 400 degree F. oven for 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve warm.
🔪 How to Make Corn and Zucchini Fritters
Place a paper towel on a large plate and set aside.
Place a small colander over a medium bowl. Toss the grated zucchini with ½ teaspoon of salt and place in the colander to "sweat" for 10 minutes. Wrap the zucchini in a kitchen towel or paper towel and squeeze dry.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole-wheat flour, baking powder, dried basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Add egg, milk, drained zucchini, corn, and Parmesan cheese, and whisk just until combined.
In a large skillet, add 2-3 tablespoons of oil and warm over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, use a ¼ measuring cup to portion the fritter batter into the hot skillet.
Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the underside of fritters starts to turn golden brown. Using a spatula, flip fritters and gently press down to flatten them. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until cooked through.
Transfer cooked fritters to paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Repeat with remaining batter. Garnish fritters with fresh basil (if using) and serve with basil aioli.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Storage: Fritters are best served fresh, but they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: Place completely cooled fritters in a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight.
- How to reheat: Place fritters in a skillet over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, until heated through. Alternatively, place your fritters in an air fryer preheated to 350 degrees F. and reheat for 3-4 minutes.
- Squeeze water out of zucchini. Since zucchini contains a lot of water, it's important that you squeeze the water out of your zucchini to avoid soggy fritters.
- Be patient. Don't flip fritters until the underside is golden brown. Flipping too soon might cause them to fall apart.
- Don't crowd the pan. If there are too many fritters in the pan at once, they will steam instead of fry; aim for 4 fritters at a time.
- Use a box grater. For the best texture, avoid finely shredded zucchini. Instead, shred zucchini with a box grater using the medium holes.
- Use hot oil. Make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the fritters to the pan. If the oil is not hot enough, the fritters will absorb the oil and become too greasy.
🍽 What to Serve with Zucchini Fritters
- Serve with a dipping sauce like basil aioli, Sriracha aioli, or marinara sauce
- Pair fritters with a light side salad, like black bean corn salad or cucumber apple salad
- You can't go wrong if you serve your corn zucchini fritters with this summery gazpacho or corn on the cob
- For a healthy breakfast or brunch, pair them with my healthy smoothie
- Make a fritter sandwich by using ciabatta rolls
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Fritters can sometimes fall apart if the batter is too wet or if they are not cooked long enough. This is usually the result of either too much moisture from not squeezing the water from your zucchini, and/or not having a binding agent (like eggs) in the fritter mixture. Another tip is to make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the fritters to the pan. If the oil is not hot enough, the fritters will absorb the oil and become too greasy.
Soggy fritters mean too much moisture in the batter. To fix this, add flour (1 tablespoon at a time) to the batter until you reach the desired consistency.
Corn fritters can sometimes fall apart if the batter is too wet or if they are not cooked long enough. This is usually the result of either too much moisture and/or not having a binding agent (like eggs) in the fritter mixture. Another tip is to make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the fritters to the pan. If the oil is not hot enough, the fritters will absorb the oil and become too greasy.
🍅 Related Recipes
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Crispy Zucchini and Corn Fritters Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup zucchini, coarsely grated (1 medium zucchini)
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup fresh corn (or frozen corn that's been thawed and drained)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (optional garnish)
- vegetable oil or olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- Place a paper towel on a large plate and set aside.
- Place a small colander over a medium bowl. Toss the grated zucchini with ½ teaspoon of salt and place in the colander to "sweat" for 10 minutes. Wrap the zucchini in a kitchen towel or paper towel and squeeze dry.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole-wheat flour, baking powder, dried basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add egg, milk, drained zucchini, corn, and Parmesan cheese, and whisk just until combined.
- In a large skillet, add 2-3 tablespoons of oil and warm over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, use a ¼ measuring cup to portion the fritter batter into the hot skillet.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the underside of fritters starts to turn golden brown. Using a spatula, flip fritters and gently press down to flatten them. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until cooked through.
- Transfer cooked fritters to paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Repeat with remaining batter. Garnish fritters with fresh basil (if using) and serve with basil aioli.
Notes
- Storage: Fritters are best served fresh, but they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Squeeze water out of zucchini. Since zucchini contains a lot of water, it's important that you squeeze the water out of your zucchini to avoid soggy fritters.
- Be patient. Don't flip fritters until the underside is golden brown. Flipping too soon might cause them to fall apart.
- Don't crowd the pan. If there are too many fritters in the pan at once, they will steam instead of fry; aim for 4 fritters at a time.
- Use a box grater. For the best texture, avoid finely shredded zucchini. Instead, shred zucchini with a box grader using the medium holes.
- Use hot oil. Make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the fritters to the pan. If the oil is not hot enough, the fritters will absorb the oil and become too greasy.
Scott
Such delicious savory flavor for such a simple recipe! Next time I will double the recipe since 7 fritters disappeared very fast.
MaryAnne
Yay! And yes, they can be easily doubled or tripled.