These Zucchini and Corn fritters are the mix of two classic summer veggies into one delicious and easy recipe. Perfect as a savory breakfast, as a snack or a veggie-loaded side to any meal!
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Corn and Zucchini Fritters
My weekly CSA has been a great source for recipe inspiration as of late. It is like I can see the seasons slowly start 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 but without getting bored!
These Corn and Zucchini 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!
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 recommended 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.
- 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 must water out of the zucchini as possible.
Tips for making corn zucchini 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 their added 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 have extra water they release 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 what 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.
Suggested adaptations for corn and zucchini 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.
- Make dairy-free by subbing cheese for vegan cheese.
- 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
Zucchini and Corn Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 cup corn fresh, canned or defrosted & drained 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
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!