Easy Vegan Zucchini Fritters Recipe (Gluten-Free)
Aug 04, 2019 • Updated Aug 28, 2024
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Healthy, veggie-packed, and tasty Vegan Zucchini Fritters made with sweet corn, kale, and zucchini. Crispy, delicious fritters made gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and completely vegan. The ultimate summer lunch!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Vegan Zucchini Fritters
Make the most of summer veggies with these Sweet Corn and Kale Vegan Zucchini Fritters. It’s a healthy, fresh, and light side dish that gets its flavor from fresh veggies and requires zero oil or deep frying.
You can serve them with your favorite dip, or even make mini tacos using these fritters! I kind of like to think of them as pancakes, but savory pancakes, and a fabulous way to get your veggies in. It’s a perfect light meal to whip up quickly.
These vegan fritters are made with only 6 simple, whole-food plant-based ingredients like chickpea flour, zucchini, sweet corn, kale, scallions, and ground flax instead of eggs.
If you’re looking for more zucchini recipes, check these out: Asparagus Zucchini Soup, Vegan Ricotta Zucchini Ravioli, and Roasted Zucchini.
The Details
- This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, and grain-free.
- You can choose to pan-fry these fritters with a little bit of oil, or deep fry if you’d like, but you can make them oil-free easily!
- Freeze leftovers for an easy snack or to make a meal-prep-friendly dish.
Ingredient Notes
- chickpea flour: I use this instead of all purpose flour to keep these grain free and gluten free.
- grated zucchini
- charred corn
- scallions/green onions
- kale
- flax eggs: You can make these by using ground flax seeds + 5 tbsp water.
- garlic powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
- olive oil: Optional, for pan frying, if desired.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded zucchini, corn, and kale with scallions. Toss with seasonings and allow to coat evenly.
- Fold in flax with a spatula, and fold in chickpea flour. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes so the flour can absorb the excess moisture from the veggies.
- Using a non-stick pan on medium heat, pour 1/4 cup of zucchini mixture and use the back of a spoon or spatula to form pancake-shaped fritters. Cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes or until the edges are crisp and golden brown.
- Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream or cashew sour cream (make my simple cashew cream + added apple cider vinegar and lemon juice) or condiments of choice!
Secrets to Success
- To make extra crispy fritters, you can choose to squeeze the excess water out of your fritters with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, but I actually used the moisture in the zucchini shreds instead of any added liquid to bind the chickpea flour.
- Grate your zucchini with the large holes of a box grater– I’ve found this is the easiest method!
- Using frozen corn is a great way to save time and simplify the recipe. I recommend using frozen corn that’s already charred, for extra flavor.
- Don’t forget to chiffonade your kale, or slice it very thinly, for the best texture and binding.
- If you’re missing any of the veggies or prefer to play around with them, feel free to experiment!
- You can add chopped green onions or red onion for extra crunch and flavor, a little nutritional yeast for a vegan cheese alternative, or any other veggies you prefer! Substitute spinach for kale if desired.
- Finally, if cooking oil-free, be sure to use a great non-stick pan, and be patient before flipping carefully.
Serving & Storage Tips
Serve these healthy zucchini fritters by themselves or with your favorite dipping sauce.
To store, place your leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Separate layers with parchment paper to keep them from sticking together. Reheat in the air fryer, stovetop, or oven to crisp them up.
To freeze, let the cooked fritters cool completely at room temperature, then store in a freezer bag or another freezer-safe sealed container and store for up to 2 months. Reheat straight from frozen.
More Delicious Vegan Recipes
If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a star rating and comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!
Easy Vegan Zucchini Fritters Recipe (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chickpea flour
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup charred corn
- 1/4 cup kale chiffonaded (finely finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds + 5 tbsp water let sit + thicken
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine zucchini, corn and kale with scallions. Toss with seasonings and allow to coat evenly.
- Fold in flax with a spatula, and the fold in chickpea flour. Allow mixture to sit for a few minutes so the flour can absorb the moisture from the veggies.
- Using a non-stick pan on medium heat, pour 1/4 cup of mixture and use the back of a spoon or spatula to form pancake shaped fritters. Cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes or until edges are crisp.
- Serve with cashew sour cream (make my simple cashew cream + added apple cider vinegar and lemon juice) or condiments of choice!
Notes
Secrets to Success
-
- To make extra crispy fritters, you can choose to squeeze the excess water out of your fritters with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, but I actually used the moisture in the zucchini shreds instead of any added liquid to bind the chickpea flour.
-
- Grate your zucchini with the large holes of a box grater– I’ve found this is the easiest method!
-
- Using frozen corn is a great way to save time and simplify the recipe. I recommend using frozen corn that’s already charred, for extra flavor.
-
- Don’t forget to chiffonade your kale, or slice it very thinly, for the best texture and binding.
-
- If you’re missing any of the veggies or prefer to play around with them, feel free to experiment!
-
- You can add chopped green onions or red onion for extra crunch and flavor, a little nutritional yeast for a vegan cheese alternative, or any other veggies you prefer! Substitute spinach for kale if desired.
-
- Finally, if cooking oil-free, be sure to use a great non-stick pan, and be patient before flipping carefully.
Serving & Storage Tips
Serve these healthy zucchini fritters by themselves or with your favorite dipping sauce. To store, place your leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Separate layers with parchment paper to keep them from sticking together. Reheat in the air fryer, stovetop, or oven to crisp them up. To freeze, let the cooked fritters cool completely at room temperature, then store in a freezer bag or another freezer-safe sealed container and store for up to 2 months. Reheat straight from frozen.Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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