Vegan Zucchini Fritters are crispy, light and perfect when you have abundance of garden zucchini! Made with just 7 ingredients and ready in about 30 minutes.
Zucchini fritters make a great light meal, appetizer or snack. I love eating them with a little vegan sour cream on top. If you have a garden with a lot of zucchini that needs to get eaten, then you will want to save this one!
You could make a lot of fritters at once and freeze the leftovers, simply double, triple or quadruple the recipe.
Want more recipes to use up all your garden zucchini? Try any of these:
- Vegan Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Roasted Squash and Zucchini
- Vegan Sour Cream Enchiladas
How to make vegan zucchini fritters
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Trim the ends of the zucchini, then shred using the large holes of a grater (or food processor with a shredding attachment).
Place the zucchini in a fine strainer over a bowl or in the sink, toss with a little salt and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible with your hands and place in a bowl. This helps the fritters not be soggy, so don’t skip this part!
While the zucchini sits, get out a large mixing bowl and add the ground flaxseeds and water to it. Mix a little and let it sit for a few minutes to thicken. When the zucchini has been squeezed out, add it to the bowl with the flaxseed mixture, along with the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, green onions and optional fresh dill or parsley.
Stir until well incorporated. Heat a large pan and add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Place about 2 tablespoons of the zucchini mixture on the pan and flatten the tops with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip and cook 2-3 minutes more.
Can I bake them instead?
Yes, you can bake them instead of frying in a pan. Use parchment paper or a baking sheet sprayed with oil. Place a few tablespoons of zucchini mixture on the pan at a time, and flatten somewhat. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then flip and bake 15 more minutes until crispy on the outside.
How to store leftover zucchini fritters
- Refrigerator: Place fritters in a covered container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven or an air fryer until warm and crispy.
- Freezer: Cool cooked fritters completely, then place in a freezer friendly bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen, place directly in the oven or air fryer until warm and crispy.
Frequently asked questions
If they are soggy there is too much moisture in the batter. Draining the grated zucchini in a colander with salt should help, but if the batter still seems too wet, you can add a tablespoon or so of flour until it comes together better.
I use flaxseeds and water for the egg replacement in this recipe, but you can use a different egg substitute, such as JUST Egg (1/4 cup).
If not serving immediately, transfer the cooked fritters to a large pan and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. That way they won’t lose their crispness.
What to serve with vegan zucchini fritters?
You can eat them as a light meal or snack with some vegan sour cream, or pair with more filling items, such as:
- Basmati Rice, brown rice or quinoa
- Oven Roasted Potato Wedges
- Vegan Baked Beans
- BBQ Tofu or BBQ Tempeh
- Marinated Tofu
- Vegan “Chicken” (Seitan based)
- Vegan Naan, hummus and vegetable sticks such as carrots and cucumbers
- Vegan Caesar Salad
Vegan Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 2 pounds zucchini (3 large or 6-7 small, I recommend weighing before shredding)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 5 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour (or gluten free mix if needed)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch (or arrowroot)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3-4 green onions, chopped small (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or parsley, optional
- olive oil, for frying
Instructions
- Trim the ends of your zucchini and shred it using the large holes of a grater. You can also use the shredding attachment on a food processor if you have one.
- Place the shredded zucchini in a strainer over a bowl or in the sink. Toss with the salt and let sit for 10 minutes.
- While the zucchini sits, get out a large mixing bowl. Add the ground flaxseeds and water to it, stir a little and set aside to thicken for a few minutes.
- Once the zucchini has rested for 10 minutes, use your hands to squeeze out all of the excess liquid you can, and place the squeezed zucchini in the bowl with the flaxseed mixture. Don't skip this part or the fritters will turn out soggy.
- To the same bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, green onions and optional fresh dill or parsley. Stir with the zucchini until well incorporated.
- In a large pan (non-stick or cast iron preferred), heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add about 2 tablespoons of the zucchini mixture to the pan, and flatten the tops with the back of a spoon. Fry for 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
- Repeat with all of the fritter mixture, adding more oil as needed. If you have a really good non-stick pan you may not need much oil at all. Place the cooked fritters on a paper towel lined plate.
- Serve immediately with vegan sour cream and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Serving suggestions: Serve as a light meal or snack, or with rice, roasted potatoes, baked beans, marinated tofu, naan or Caesar salad.
- Leftovers: Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and reheat leftovers in the oven or air fryer until crispy.
- Freeze: Once the cooked fritters are completely cooled, freeze in a freezer friendly container or bag for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven or air fryer directly from the freezer until crispy and warm.
- Gluten free? Substitute a quality gluten free flour mix. Almond flour might work as well but I haven’t tested it.
Want to try but i don’t have flax. I’m new to vegan recipes and I don’t want to go shop but I want to make today. Substitute?
Other commenters have used 2 to 3 tablespoons of JUST Egg as a substitute. Aquafaba (the liquid in a can of chickpeas) or ground chia seeds should also work. Hope this helps!
Question! How many fritters is considered 1 serving? Recipe says it makes 4 servings and the fritters are about 2 tablespoons.
So would one serving be 3 or 4 fritters?
Made this vegan and gluten free about 5 times. We love this! Sometimes if my zuchini is too soggy after squeezing the life out of it I add the flax mixture last. I actually waited too long one time (3 days) and it was way too dry! Experimentation is key for this one.
Yes, about 3-4 fritters, depending on how big or small you make them. I’m so glad you are enjoying them!
Loved the recipe Nora! For anyone interested in (almost) OF baking at high-elevation (I’m at 6500ft), I used a convection oven @500 degrees for 20-25min (internal temp 200 degrees) and they came out fantastic. Quick spray of Avocado oil on top but not sure they needed it TBH.
Could I use squash instead of zucchini?
Yes, that should be fine.
Hi what’s a good dip to use for these? Ketchup?
Hi Nadine. Any dip you prefer! I like mine with vegan sour cream! Enjoy!
Can I sub flour with breadcrumbs?
I’ve never tried it but I don’t think breadcrumbs would work quite as well as flour.
Can I make the mixture the night before?
I’ve made these before and love them!
I’m glad you are loving the fritters, Angela! Yes, you can make the mixture the night before and cook the next day. Happy cooking!
I’m making these for a 3rd time in 2 weeks. So good and easy!
I’m so glad you love them! 🙂
Is it possible to cook these the first time in an air fryer?.
I haven’t tried cooking these in an air fryer, however I think it would work. I would say at about 350 degrees, for maybe 10-15 minutes. Check often to make sure you don’t burn them and they get crispy enough. I would also spray them with oil to get them crispy. Hope this helps!
Hi, this looks great, thanks! Any suggestions on a substitute for the flax?
I’m not sure if Just Egg would work as a binder the same way flaxeggs do, but it’s worth a try! You can use 2 to 3 tablespoons. Hope this helps!
Hi Nora- I finally tried the zucchini fritters and they came out nicely. I’m not one to be in the kitchen so I like that it was simple, healthy and delicious?
Thank for sharing your recipes with us!
You’re so welcome, Stacy! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the fritters. Thank you for your wonderful review!
Just wondering what the cornstarch adds to the outcome? These were delicious! I used shallots instead of green onions. Thanks for sharing!
It makes them get a bit crispier and holds them together. So glad you enjoyed them!