These easy homemade zucchini fritters are quick to make and are the perfect simple and healthy light lunch, dinner or brunch! These fritters are made dairy free and are crispy on the outside and tender in the centre. They are my absolute favourite way to enjoy fresh summer zucchini!
Featured Comment
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I just made these and they worked perfectly! Thanks so much… I used a bit of pesto instead of mixed herbs and parmesan and my little one loved them – Liz
I grew up a fussy eater and one thing that has stayed with me into adulthood is a dislike for zucchini, except in these fritters. I don’t know what it is but these fritters are so good it’s the only way I’ll eat zucchini and I’ll do it very happily.
This is also a special recipe for me as I’ve been publishing some form of content on this blog for long time, and back in 2015 when this website’s first iteration began (it was neither a food focused site, nor called Eight Forest Lane then however) I published this recipe for my dairy free zucchini fritters.
Even when I didn’t know anything about publishing content online, I knew that this was the absolute best recipe to enjoy zucchini.
So if that doesn’t make you trust me these are good, I don’t know what will.
You’ll Also Love: Easy Zucchini Slice
Key Ingredients
I love this recipe as if you have a bunch of fresh zucchini needing to be used, you can usually find most ingredients in your pantry ready to go. Plus it’s versatile and adaptable.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Zucchini – depending on the size of your zucchini’s will depend on how many you need but 3 small ones or 2 medium zucchinis is approximately what we need.
- Self raising flour – a common ingredient in Aussie and UK kitchens, this flour already contains a leavening agent which will mean our fritters are light and fluffy rather than dense. If you don’t have SRF, you can make your own by sifting 2 teaspoons of baking powder through every 1 cup of plain flour.
- Nutritional yeast – this is the secret to the delicious umami flavour in these fritters that really makes these so much more than just zucchini. Also referred to as ‘nooch’, you can now almost always find nutritional yeast at the supermarket without needing to go to a specialty health food store, and it’s a great pantry staple, adding a cheesy flavour that perfectly seasons a range of dishes without the dairy.
- Mixed herbs – you can use any dried herbs you like here, I like a combination of basil and oregano as that’s what I usually have on hand, but the pre-bought dried mixed herbs works well.
- Egg – binds the fritters together so they hold their shape and structure and forms a sticky batter with the flour.
Step-By-Step Instructions
You don’t need any speciality equipment to make these zucchini fritters making them a really simple recipe for all skill levels.
Firstly, grate the zucchini using a box grater and add to a mixing bowl. If you have a food processor with a grater attachment, you can use that to grate the zucchini if you prefer and save your arms!
Sprinkle the zucchini with salt and mix through. Set aside for about 5 minutes. The salt will draw the water out of the zucchini and prevent your fritters from becoming soggy. This is an essential step if you’re wanting to achieve crispy zucchini fritters.
Using your hands, carefully squeeze out all excess water from the zucchini with your hands and add the dry zucchini into another large mixing bowl.
To this bowl, add in the self raising flour, nutritional yeast, mixed herbs and egg. Mix everything together well using a spatula or wooden spoon until a thick and sticky batter forms.
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add some olive oil. Scoop ¼ cup amounts of the batter and add into the hot pan, gently pressing them down to form a patty shape.
Cook for a couple of minutes until golden brown before flipping and cooking on the other side. Remove the fritters from the pan and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil and repeat until all of the batter has been used.
Season your fritters with a sprinkle of salt and serve with your favourite creamy sauce such as mayonnaise or garlic aioli and fresh parsley if desired. These fritters are also great served with a poached egg if you’re having these for breakfast or brunch.
Recipe FAQs
I have discovered that the absolute best way to reheat these fritters is in the air fryer. About 5 minutes or so at 200C and you have super light and crispy fritters and the centres are soft and tender. Honestly they might be better than freshly fried.
I’ve been making these and keeping them in a container in the fridge and just heating up a couple for breakfast using the air fryer and it’s so good.
If you don’t have an air fryer, reheating them in the oven will have a similar result but it will take around 10-15 minutes.
If you want to use vegetables other than just zucchini which is a vegetable with a high water content, I recommend using my vegetable fritters recipe instead as its base batter will work better with any vegetables you choose to add such as peas, carrot, broccoli or corn.
There are a couple of main reasons for this. The most common reason is that not enough moisture was removed from the zucchini before adding the rest of the ingredients. Really squeeze the zucchini and make sure as much water has drained away.
The second reason could be that the fritters were added to the pan too early and the oil soaked in. Make sure the oil is hot before adding in the batter so that it sizzles and then make sure to drain the excess oil by sitting them on a paper towel first before serving.
Yes, these fritters will store in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 2 months. You can let them thaw at room temperature or in the fridge and then follow the reheating instructions above.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More healthy-ish lunch ideas:
Vegetarian Fresh Spring Rolls
Tofu Lettuce Cups with Peanut Sauce
Healthy Corn Fritters (Gluten Free)
Vietnamese Noodle Salad
Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium zucchinis
- pinch salt
- ¾ cup self-raising flour
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon mixed herbs
- 1 egg
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Grate zucchini and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and set aside for 5 minutes. The salt will draw out the excess liquid.
- Using your hands, squeeze out as much excess moisture from grated zucchini as possible. Place zucchini back into a bowl and add flour, nutritional yeast, herbs and the egg. Mix everything together until well combined.
- In a non stick pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Scoop about ¼ cup amounts of the batter per fritter into the pan, pressing down to ensure the fritter cooks evenly. Cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden brown on each side and cooked through. Transfer onto a plate lined with a paper towel and repeat with remaining mixture, adding more oil as necessary until all batter is used. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Marlene Newland says
What is seasoned yeast? What can I substitute instead
Will be making these very soon
Thanks for sharing
Sally says
Savoury yeast flakes or nutritional yeast can be found at grocery stores or health food shops and is used in this recipe to give a ‘cheesy’ flavour while remaining dairy-free. There is no real substitute so you can simply leave it out.
Terry K. says
I am thrilled with this easy recipe. I had a recipe i used for years but it is complicated & takes to long. I am happy with this recipe. Yummy too. Thanks so much for your wonderful proven great tasting recipes. I am looking for quick, easy & very healthy & always all organic ingredients.
Sally says
Thanks so much for your comment Terry, so glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Liz says
I just made these and they worked perfectly! Thanks so much… I used a bit of pesto instead of mixed herbs and parmesan and my little one loved them
Sally says
That’s go great! They are my favourite when I just want something light! Thanks so much for sharing!
Liz says
I would like to give these a try, thanks! I have used the savoury yeast before for a dish (I think for a raw food dish but it was a long time ago so I’m not sure) and they were great. I’ve tried a couple of fritter recipes and they haven’t worked so well