Zucchini Fritters (WFPB, Vegan)
Being a food blogger means eating different versions of zucchini fritters multiple nights in a row until you nail it. Thanks to my husband and kids for never complaining and supporting my endeavors!
The potato-based fritters were too gummy. The flax-seed egg binding was also gummy. Fritters without eggs or cheese are tricky! Thankfully, I learned from Minimalist Baker that chickpea flour works well for fritters. This recipe is adapted from her recipe you can find here.
This is one of the most delicious ways to eat your summer zucchini harvest! My kids love fritters, and so do I. They are easy for children to eat, and they don’t taste like vegetables even though they are made of them.
They seem to begging for a sauce, but I honestly just prefer them plain. You could make a tahini lemon dressing, but mine didn’t turn out that delicious. You could use dairy-free sour cream or yogurt, or thinned out hummus. Or just enjoy them as little hand-held zucchini cakes.
Enjoy these for any meal of the day! Make extra to freeze and later pop into your air fryer or oven for a quick meal.
These are the most delicious plant-based fritters I've tried! Fritters without eggs or cheese can be tricky, but that has been overcome!
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 cup shredded zucchini
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chopped spinach or mixed greens
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp dried dill (or 1/4 cup fresh)
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
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Cook quinoa if you haven't already. About 3/4 cup dried quinoa will yeild over 2 cups of cooked. Combine 3/4 cup quinoa with 2 cups water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until fluffy and no liquid remains.
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Grate the zucchini, measure 2 cups, and then put it in clean kitchen towel and squeeze all the water out of it into the sink.
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Combine the chickpea flour and water in a small bowl to create a runny paste. This acts like an egg.
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Saute onion and garlic over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, adding small amounts of water as necessary to prevent sticking. Add the grated, squeezed zucchini and chopped spinach. Cook a few more minutes until liquid has cooked off and zucchini appears tender.
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Remove from heat, and add the quinoa, chickpea flour mixture, almond flour, dill and salt and pepper. If your skillet is not big enough, you can transfer it all to a bowl. Mix well.
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Heat a clean skillet or griddle to medium heat, about 350 degrees. Spray with cooking oil, if you'd like. Use a 1/3 cup measure to create equally-sized fritters, and form flat patties with your hands. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
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You can crisp them further in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes, or just eat as is. My family loves them plain, but you could serve with dairy-free sour cream, hummus, or tahini dressing.
*Instead of almond flour, you can use a gluten-free flour blend, or probably any flour. The almond flour gives a delicious flavor, but it will still be yummy with a different kind.
You can freeze individual raw patties and then later cook them in your air fryer for 10-15 minutes at 370 degrees. Or, freeze cooked ones, and later let them thaw and reheat on the stove.
