Vegan Zucchini Fritters: a tasty, light appetizer for any occasion
If you're looking for a delicious vegan-friendly recipe that will excite your taste buds instead of regular zucchini fritters, try these crisp vegan zucchini fritters. Perfectly crispy on the outside with a moist, tender inside, these are a delicious way to take advantage of zucchini season.
They're a perfect light appetizer that goes with classic everything from casseroles to portobello burgers, stir-frys, and more. Of course, you don't need to be vegan to enjoy these tasty fritters. Anyone can enjoy the savory, delicious flavor of these amazing crispy vegan zucchini fritters!
Vegan Zucchini Fritters Ingredients
Head to your local farmers' market and pick up some fresh zucchini. Both green and yellow zucchini work for fritters and you can either leave them skin-on or peel the zucchini.
Salt helps season the zucchini and draws out excess moisture.
Nutritional yeast, garlic, and scallions add loads of flavor to the fritters.
You'll need some vegan butter and flour to make the batter.
Don't forget baking powder – this will help the fritters to puff up slightly and get nice and crispy.
You'll also need oil for frying.
How to Make Vegan Zucchini Fritters
Ready to get cooking? Gather up your ingredients, and let's get started! Mix your grated zucchini with one teaspoon of salt. Set it aside for 10 to 15 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as possible from the zucchini. This is one of the most important steps – if you leave too much water in the zucchini, you'll wind up with runny, soggy fritters. Pop the zucchini in a clean bowl.
Next, combine the flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder, garlic, and scallions with the zucchini. Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine. You may need to use more or less butter depending on how much water is left in the zucchini. Your batter should be relatively thick. If it's too runny, add a bit more flour.
Preheat your oven to 200F. This is essential for keeping your fritters warm while you cook the whole batch. Heat oil in a skillet. Scoop about ¼ cup of batter into the pan. Cook the fritters for a few minutes on each side.
Take them out, and put them on a parchment-lined baking tray, and place the tray in the oven. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with chopped scallions and vegan sour cream, and enjoy!
Tips for Making Crisp Vegan Zucchini Fritters
After measuring out your zucchini, remove as much water as possible. Salting and then allowing the grated zucchini to rest will draw out moisture. This will give you crispy, delicious fritters as opposed to soggy ones.
Make sure not to overcrowd the skillet when frying.
Instead of green onions, garnish your zucchini fritters with fresh chopped herbs like thyme, rosemary, or basil.
You can easily make your vegan zucchini fritters in your air fryer. Heat the air fryer to 350F. Cook the fritters for 5 to 7 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. They should be golden brown and crispy.
To make baked vegan zucchini fritters, cook the fritters for 30 minutes at 400F, flipping once halfway through.
Can You Make Vegan Zucchini Fritters Gluten-free?
You can make your vegan zucchini fritters gluten-free by substituting AP flour for gluten-free flour. Coconut flour, chickpea flour, and almond flour are a few excellent options to try.
What to Serve with Vegan Zucchini Fritters
Serve your fritters with a side of vegan sour cream or cashew cream. You can also serve them over a bed of quinoa or rice or have them as a side with your favorite tofu, bean, or potato dishes.
Their light, crispy texture and savory, subtly garlicky flavor go with pretty much anything!
How to Store and Reheat Vegan Zucchini Fritters
Like most fried food, vegan zucchini fritters taste best when freshly cooked. However, you can store and reheat leftovers for later. They'll last up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat your fritters, pop them in a skillet and saute until heated.
Can You Freeze Vegan Zucchini Fritters?
You can freeze your vegan zucchini fritters for later. They last up to 3 months frozen. When you're ready to enjoy them, allow the fritters to thaw overnight in the fridge, then cook them in your skillet until crispy.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Place the grated zucchini in a bowl. Combine the zucchini with 1 teaspoon of salt. Set it aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
Squeeze out as much water as possible from the zucchini. Put the zucchini in a clean bowl.
Preheat your oven to 200F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Mix the flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder, garlic, and scallions into the zucchini.
Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine.
Heat oil in a skillet. Scoop ¼ cup of batter into the pan. Gently press down the fritters with a spatula.
Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook for 3 more minutes.
Remove from the oil and set on the baking tray and place the tray in the oven to keep the fritters warm.
Repeat with the remaining batter.
Notes
You can use coconut oil or avocado oil instead of olive oil.
