10-Minute Zucchini & Corn Fritters
These Zucchini and Corn Fritters are the mix of two classic summer veggies into one delicious and easy recipe. Perfectly crispy, enjoy them as a savory breakfast, as a snack, or as as veggie-loaded side dish to any meal!

Zucchini and Corn Fritters
My weekly CSA has been a great source for recipe inspiration as of late. It is like I can see the seasons slowly starting to change from spring to summer with the shift of produce that I get each week.
Like with the endless zucchinis and corn this week! So much of both that it just called for a little veggie-loading experimenting in the kitchen to help us enjoy the tastes of the season. I love recipes with corn, but had a hankering to try it in something other than my ‘ol standby recipes. I got to thinking and dreaming about simple vegetarian breakfast recipes and these fritters were soon taking form.
These Zucchini and Corn Fritters are so easy, delicious and make the perfect little savory pancake. They are a great way to get veggies in at breakfast, add to lunch with some smashed avocado or put on the dinner menu to get some bonus veggies on the table in a different and exciting way! Prep takes me about 5 minutes, everything is mixed in one bowl and cooking is done in about 10 minutes. They are a perfect addition to any meal.
How to squeeze out your zucchini
If you are a regular here on The Natural Nurturer, you will know that I LOVE adding grated zucchini to all the foods. But more often than not, I (and many other recipe developers) HIGHLY recommend in our recipes to squeeze out the moisture before adding it to the batter.
Why? Because zucchini holds onto a lot of water naturally that will ultimately make your recipe wetter than expected.
Booooo. Wet recipes are no fun. So let’s squeeze out the moisture from the zucchini before adding it to this (or other) recipe! Here is how!
- Place grated zucchini in the middle of 1-2 clean paper towels or clean tea towel.
- Wrap the towel around the zucchini to create a bundle.
- Press down on the wrapped zucchini to help draw out the water, or gather up the towel, twist and squeeze out excess water over the sink.
- Let the wrapped zucchini hang out in the towel for a few minutes while you get the rest of the ingredients for these corn fritters ready. This will let the towel absorb as much water out of the zucchini as possible.
Tips for making Zucchini and Corn Fritters
- Be sure to squeeze out the zucchini! I know we are all busy and kitchen shortcuts are life. But don’t skip this step! Zucchinis are naturally high in water and skipping on squeezing out the moisture might make for a soggy fritter. Blah.
- If using frozen corn, be sure to defrost and drain off extra water. Frozen veggies also tend to release extra water when they defrost and can throw off the balance of a recipe. So before adding frozen corn to the fritter batter, thaw it out and pour the extra liquid down the drain.
- Add dried or fresh herbs to the batter! Jazz these up with herbs you have on hand or to meet your personal taste preferences.
- Add some spice! Add some paprika, red pepper or even some finely chopped jalapeños to the batter to add a kick of spice.
Why are my fritters falling apart?
There are a few reasons your Zucchini & Corn Fritters aren’t staying together like mine. Here are two of the most common culprits:
A binding agent was omitted. Like the egg or cheese. These two ingredients are quite important in holding together the fritters, so don’t skip them. If you need egg-free, you likely can use a product like Just Eggs (an egg replacement) instead of the egg. For dairy-free, you might be able to use a vegan cheese that gets melty. I like Chao brand, but haven’t tried it in this recipe yet.
The zucchini wasn’t squeezed out enough. Those suckers hold onto a lot of water. Not squeezing out as much moisture as possible will result in mushy fritters that fall apart. So give the zuc a good ‘ol squeeze before tossing it in the batter.
Are these Zucchini & Corn Fritters vegan?
This recipe is vegetarian, but not vegan since it has cheese and eggs. I have not tested it with plant based alternatives, but if you do, let me know how they work!
Are Zucchini & Corn Fritters gluten free?
There is a little whole wheat flour in these fritters, so the recipe as written is not gluten free. But, you can sub the wheat flour with a gluten free cup-for-cup flour blend (I like this one)
Suggested adaptations for Zucchini and Corn Fritters
- Use whatever cheese you have on hand. I love these with shredded cheddar but mozzarella, parmesan or whatever you have on hand will work, too.
- Use whatever corn you have on hand! Cut fresh off the cob, defrosted from the freezer and drained, or drained corn from a can.
- Replace the zucchini with grated summer squash! Just be sure to also squeeze out the moisture before adding it to the batter!
Other zucchini loaded recipes
- Savory Vegetable Muffins
- Healthy Zucchini Lemon Muffins
- Healthy Zucchini Bread
- Veggie-Loaded Chicken Bites
- Chickpea Vegetable Nuggets
Did you try this veggie-loaded recipe and now you’re hungry for more?
Sign up so that my newsletter is delivered straight to your inbox. And be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all kinds of veggie-loaded living ideas!
The Veggie Loaded Roadmap
Find the recipes + tips to help you eat more veggies with my free ebook.
10-Minute Zucchini & Corn Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 cup corn, fresh, canned or defrosted & drained if frozen
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- olive oil or avocado oil for cooking
Instructions
- Place grated zucchini in the middle of a paper towel. Squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can.
- Place drained zucchini with all other remaining ingredients except oil in a medium bowl.
- Mix to combine everything.
- In a large skillet, warm your cooking oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, use a heaping tablespoon to portion the fritter batter into the hot pan.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the fritter starts to turn golden brown. Flip, gently press down to flatten the fritter a bit and cook for another 2 minutes or until cooked through.
- Remove from pan and enjoy warm with sliced avocado, sour cream or dipping sauce of choice.
I’ve already made two batches since my family ate the first one all up before I got a chance to have any 😂. They are that good! Even my toddler was eating them and he is NOT a zucchini fan
Oh my goodness! I haven’t even finished cooking them but they are amazing. So delicious! Thanks for a great recipe! I used all-purpose flour and garlic powder as that’s what I had on hand. A little more salt and they are perfect!
Well. I’m addicted. Oh and so is my 10 month old. I get yelled at for offering her oatmeal instead of fritter at breakfast today.
By the way these are easy enough to make that I did it while feeding baby and enjoying my morning tea.
Yessssss! Baby approved and one-handed recipes are the best!
Omg they are so delicious! Not planning on it but just in case can I freeze these if I want to make a big batch?
I haven’t tried yet but I bet they would freeze beautifully!
Made a version of this recipe and it is fantastic, thank you, saying a version because I used a yellow squash (didn’t have zucchini) and almond flour and buckwheat as I don’t have wheat flour either, even with those alterations the taste is amazing, can’t wait to make again with the ingredients the recipe calls for.
I’m so glad I found you on IG!
So glad you found me too! Welcome to the TNN community! Love the little changes you made and good to know this works with different flours!
Do I need to cook the fresh corn first?
I just cut it fresh off the cob without cooking!
These are great! Yummy and super easy to throw together. Would work as a side for almost anything or as a snack on their own.
I am so glad you enjoy them as much as we do!
These are so so good! These are probably gonna be a weekly favorite this summer! the whole family loves them!
Yay! We love them too! I agree, they are perfect for adding to pretty much any summer meal.
Delicious! I didn’t have onion powder so I substituted Trader Joe’s vegan chicken-less seasoning for the salt and onion powder. I also used frozen corn. think they turned out so good. Thank you!
Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed!
Can I substitute or remove the egg?
I haven’t tried, so I can’t speak to the success of it, but a “flax egg” might work! If you try, let me know how it goes!
Do you happen to have nutrition info for this recipe?
Yes. For some reason my recipe card did not show the nutritional info on this recipe, but I’ve updated it now. You can find it at the bottom of the recipe now!
These were so easy and delicious! This will be a new go-to for our family when we have zucchini from the garden. I highly recommend!
I’m so happy you enjoyed them so much!
These are delicious. Tucked a few into the freezer. Can’t wait to see how they crisp up in the air fryer. Thanks for the great recipe.
One of my top favourite recipes from your site ! Simple and tasty !
Yay! I am so glad! We love this recipe so much too💚
Can you substitute the cheese or leave it out for dairy free?
nevermind I see where you said it can be substituted!
I haven’t tried it with a dairy-free cheese yet and feel like it would depend on how the “cheese” melted. The cheese helps bind the fritters, so I would suggest replacing it with an extra egg…again, just a guess as I haven’t tried it that way. I would also consider adding some extra seasoning or maybe even some nutritional yeast to boost the flavor of the fritters if you skip the cheese.
There is 1/4 milk listed in the ingredients. In the picture of the ingredients in the bowl it doesn’t look like there’s milk, and in the video you don’t list it. Is it supposed to be in there or not?
Yes, it is supposed to be there. Thank you for pointing out that the video needs to be updated.
Mmmmm they were so good! And the best thing is that they’re healthy. I recommend!!
I am so glad you enjoyed them!!
Do you think these would work cooked like pancakes without oil? I’d love to cook them with my students but don’t want to risk splattering hot oil…
I think if you used a little cooking spray and had a good pan, that should work!
Made this tonight as we had fresh zucchini and corn. Recipe was easy and the fritters tasted great! The only changes I made were using regular white flour and pepper jack cheese. I will definitely make these again!
Yum! I bet these were amazing with pepper jack! Need to try that next time!
Made these for dinner tonight to go with my air fried chicken thighes. Shame on me. I hope there will be some left as I keep going back to “sample” them.
Ha! Love this review! So glad they made a good app as you cooked dinner!
Hi, would like to know if I could make these as waffles??? Nancy
Hi Nancy! I haven never tried these as waffles but they might work! If you give it a go, please share how they turn out!
I made this again last night. I doubled the recipe & made larger fritters. Got 12. THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!!!! This recipe is perfect. Thanks so much. Nancy
Aw. I am so glad you love them so much, Nancy!
this will be a regular lunch in our household, always looking for great recipes that have zucchini as we grow so many at this time of year.
So glad you enjoyed them, Karyn!
Hi, can we bake these? What would be the steps when baking?
I honestly have not tried baking them. If I gave it a go, I’d probably try baking them at 425F for 12-15 minutes, flipping if possible. Again, this is just a guess and not something I’ve tested, but if you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
5 very nice
Glad you enjoyed them, Phil! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Very yummy. I mixed some cumin with Greek yoghurt to have with the fritters & it was delicious! I think next time I’ll put some cumin into the batter. Looking forward to reheating the leftover fritters in the air fryer
Love the cumin idea, Linda! Must try that in my next batch!
I made this. It’s so delicious! The second time I made it, I added chopped chicken to it, doubled the recipe, for a great meal. Can’t wait for the fresh sweet corn to come in to add the freshness. Absolutely try this recipe
Love the idea of the added chicken!
Oh my goodness! I haven’t even finished cooking them but they are amazing. So delicious! Thanks for a great recipe! I used all-purpose flour and garlic powder as that’s what I had on hand. A little more salt and they are perfect!
So glad you enjoyed them so much, Rose!
Can I use a gluten free flour to keep these gluten free? If so, which flour do you recommend?
You could use a cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend. I like the one from Bob’s Red Mill.
Thank you!
Like all the other commenters – nothing to say but good things about this recipe. Easy! Fast! Delish! Nutritious! Portable – perfect picnic food! Lunch able! Pairs so nicely with other yummy veggie dishes (cup of soup, and coleslaw.) Open to small additions (added some green onion from our garden and 1/3 cup of black beans for a mex-icali touch, served with them w avocado slices and salsa as a dip, mexi rice on the side. Yum!)
So happy to hear that, Marlene! Thanks for taking the time to share you experience!
Love these! I did add Tajin seasoning as I like a bit more spice and am not too much of a sauce girl. I didn’t have whole wheat flour so I used regular all purpose. They turned out great!Â
So happy to hear you enjoyed these! Love the addition of the Tajin!
Do these keep well in the fridge? Judging from the other comments, they’re eaten before the fridge can be considered, but I’m only one person!
They do! We often cook them ahead of time to have as a quick veggie-loaded snack. I like to reheat them in the microwave for 30 seconds before enjoying