Gluten-free and vegan zucchini fritters that are savory and crispy and perfect for a breakfast, snack or light meal.
Why you'll love these vegan zucchini fritters
- They taste fresh and delicious with all the veggie goodness packed in them. This is one of my family's favorite ways to enjoy zucchinis (courgettes), and we are a family that loves zucchini (see the plethora of zucchini recipes on this blog, including vegan zucchini bread, vegan zucchini cake, garlicky zucchini rice, zucchini kofta curry and pan-roasted zucchini.)
- They are everyone friendly because they are gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free. You can even fit them into a low carb diet with an easy tweak, see the FAQs below. And if you have kids you can rest assured they'll adore them.
- They are extremely easy to make and anyone can make them. I let the food processor grate the zucchini, bell peppers and onions for me and the rest of the recipe is just mixing a few spices into the veggies. You can just use a box grater or any regular grater, just make sure you use the large holes on the grater.
- You don't have to squeeze out any of the zucchini juices. This step is necessary in some zucchini recipes because zucchini contains a lot of moisture and if you want to get it crispy you need most of that liquid to scoot. Unfortunately that also means you are getting rid of water soluble vitamins and nutrients in the veggie, including vitamin B and C. In this recipe we'll keep all of that moisture in and use it to bind the flour together, saving time and your vitamins.
- You can make them as low in fat as you like. You can use vegetable oil or cooking spray to fry the fritters. Using cooking spray will reduce your added oil to almost zero but it will also result in a less crispy fritter. Using a cast iron pan will help brown the fritters better, however.
Ingredients for vegan zucchini fritters
- 3 medium zucchini (600 grams). You can also use yellow squash or patty pan squash or any thin skinned summer squash in this recipe.
- 2 small bell peppers (200 grams). Any color is fine, I used green.
- 1 medium onion
- 1 cup besan or chickpea flour. This helps bind the veggies together and boosts protein and healthy fiber in the recipe.
- ½ cup rice flour. Rice flour in fritter recipes helps add crispiness so use it if you can. If you don't want to use rice flour you can just use more chickpea flour, but I highly recommend using the rice flour.
- ¼ cup fresh herbs. The herbs add amazing freshness and flavor to this recipe, so use them liberally. I used a mix of chives, oregano and thyme. Fresh dill or cilantro would be awesome here, as would parsley or basil.
- 1 teaspoon cayenne or paprika. You can use as much or as little of this spice depending on your tolerance for heat and whether you are feeding little ones.
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ajwain or carom seeds (optional). You can leave these out if you don't have them or sub with cumin seeds. They add a lovely savory flavor to the pancakes.
- Salt to taste
- Vegetable oil or cooking spray for frying the fritters. Use an oil with a higher smoking point like avocado oil or canola oil, preferably. Olive oil would not be suitable here.
How to make vegan zucchini fritters
- Grate the zucchini (skin and all), bell peppers and onions using the largest holes on the box grater or in your food processor.
- Place the shredded zucchini and other veggies in a bowl. Add to it the fresh, chopped herbs and all of the remaining ingredients (except the oil or cooking spray).
- Let the batter stand 10 minutes. This will give the veggies time to express all their juices so you know exactly what the consistency of your batter will be. Don't be tempted to add more liquid right after mixing. The batter will look very thick in the beginning but it will loosen up as it stands and the veggies express more moisture. After 10 minutes, if the batter is looking very dry and there are dry streaks of flour you can add a bit of water, but it should not be necessary. This will be a very thick batter but there should be enough liquid to bind all the veggies, flours and spices together.
- Heat a nonstick griddle or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Oil the griddle or coat with cooking spray.
- Once the oil is hot scoop approximately a fourth of a cup of batter into the griddle and, using a spoon or the bottom of the cup (if the cup is heat resistant) press down on the batter to shape it into a round as thin as possible, about 3 ½ to 4 inches in diameter. A thinner pancake will be crispier.
- Once the fritter looks like it's drying on top and the edges are crispy and golden brown, flip the fritter and cook the other side until done.
- Serve immediately.
What to serve with zucchini fritters
- Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream or any hot and sweet sauce. I often eat them with ketchup. This time I tried dunking some in my basil oil and they were scrumptious.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Once you've made the fritters you can store them in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Freeze: Flash-freeze the fritters first by placing them in the freezer on a baking tray without overlapping. Store the pancakes in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to three months.
- Reheat: Reheat refrigerated or defrosted pancakes on griddle over medium heat.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add other veggies into the recipe?
You can substitute the bell peppers with other quick-cooking veggies like carrots or cauliflower or spinach in this recipe. You can use this vegan zucchini fritter recipe as a master recipe to make fritters with almost any quick-cooking veggie, including carrots, scallions, cabbage, cauliflower, many leafy greens like spinach and chard, mushrooms and more. Keep in mind that you will need to monitor the moisture in the batter closely as some of these will express more or less juices than the zucchini. Add more flour if the batter is too wet and add water if it's too dry.
Can I skip the rice flour?
The rice flour adds amazing crispiness to these pancakes. However, if you are cutting down carbs you can leave it out and just use more chickpea flour instead. This will cut down net carbs in each fritter to 9 grams instead of 13.
Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh?
You certainly can. Cut down the amount to a tablespoon, however, as dried herbs have a more intense flavor.
Can I use all purpose gluten free flour or regular all purpose flour instead of the chickpea and rice flours?
Yes, just use 1 ½ cups of the apf flour, regular or gluten free.
Can I make these in the air-fryer or can I bake them in the oven?
Yes, but you will need to make some modifications. This is a thick batter already but you will need to add some more chickpea flour to the batter to make sure it doesn't drip through the holes of the air fryer basket. Start by adding ¼ cup more of chickpea flour and form patties about ½-inch thick and 2 inches wide. If the patties don't hold their shape add more flour. Brush the air fryer basket with oil and place the zucchini fritters on top without overlapping. Air fry at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
If making these in the oven, create a thick batter as you would for the air fryer and place the patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until golden brown on both sides.
More vegan zucchini recipes you might enjoy
- Easy Zucchini Dal
- Vegan Zucchini Halwa
- Vegan Zucchini Breakfast Strata
- Vegan Zucchini Lasagna
- Garlicky Zucchini Quinoa Cakes
Vegan Zucchini Fritters
For these vegan zucchini fritters, zucchini, onions and bell peppers are stirred into a batter of chickpea flour, rice flour, turmeric and herbs like oregano, chives and thyme and then pan-fried to golden crispy perfection on a griddle.
Course Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword Vegan zucchini fritters
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 four-inch fritters
Calories 103kcal
Equipment
- Food processor or box grater or handheld grater with large holes
- Non-stick griddle or cast iron griddle or skillet
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini
- 2 small bell peppers
- 1 medium onion
- 1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
- ½ cup rice flour
- ¼ cup fresh herbs (chopped. I used a mix of chives, oregano and thyme. Cilantro, mint, parsley, dill and basil are also great choices.)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (or paprika. Use more or less depending on your preference for heat)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds. Leave it out if you don't have it or use a little more cumin)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil (or cooking spray, for frying the fritters)
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini (skin and all), bell peppers and onions using the largest holes on the box grater or in your food processor.
- Place the grated vegetables in a bowl. Add to it the fresh, chopped herbs and all of the remaining ingredients (except the oil or cooking spray).
- Let the batter stand 10 minutes. This will give the veggies time to express all their juices so you know exactly what the consistency of your batter will be. Don't be tempted to add more liquid right after mixing. The batter will look very thick in the beginning but it will loosen up as it stands and the veggies express more moisture. After 10 minutes, if the batter is looking very dry and there are dry streaks of flour you can add a bit of water, but it should not be necessary. This will be a very thick batter but there should be enough liquid to bind all the veggies, flours and spices together.
- Heat a nonstick griddle or cast iron griddle over medium high heat. Oil the griddle or coat with cooking spray.
- Once the oil is hot scoop approximately a fourth of a cup of batter into the griddle and, using a spoon or the bottom of the cup (if the cup is heat resistant) press down on the batter to shape it into a round as thin as possible, about 3 ½ to 4 inches in diameter. A thinner pancake will be crispier.
- Once the fritter looks like it's drying on top and the edges are crispy and golden brown, flip the fritter and cook the other side until done.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream or any hot and sweet sauce. I often eat these vegan zucchini fritters with ketchup and they are delicious. Or eat them by themselves.
- You can substitute the bell peppers in the recipe with other quick-cooking veggies like carrots or cauliflower or spinach in this recipe. You can also use this vegan zucchini fritter recipe as a master recipe to make fritters with almost any quick-cooking veggie, including carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, many leafy greens like spinach and chard, mushrooms and more. Keep in mind that you will need to monitor the moisture in the batter closely as some of these will express more or less juices than the zucchini. Add more flour if the batter is too wet and add water if it's too dry.
- If you use dried herbs cut down the amount to a tablespoon as dried herbs have a more intense flavor.
- Refrigerate: You can store leftover fritters in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Freeze: Flash-freeze the fritters first by placing them in the freezer on a baking tray without overlapping. Store the pancakes in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to three months.
- Reheat: Reheat refrigerated or defrosted pancakes on a hot griddle coated with oil or cooking spray.
Nutrition
Serving: 1fritter | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 665IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
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