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Home » Dietary Preference » Vegetarian » 10-Minute Zucchini & Corn Fritters

10-Minute Zucchini & Corn Fritters

By Taesha Butler May 28, 2020 (Updated January 8, 2023) 48 Comments

Servings10 fritters
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Jump to Recipe
5 from 32 votes

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!

4 zucchini and corn fritters stack on a white plate with sliced green onions scattered around and a spring of fresh thyme next to the plate.

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.

a two image graphic showing how to squeeze moisture out of grated zucchini for zucchini and corn fritters. The first images shows grated zucchini in a pile in the middle of paper towels. The second shows the zucchini wrapped in the paper towel with a hand pressing down to help draw out the moisture.

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!

  1. Place grated zucchini in the middle of 1-2 clean paper towels or clean tea towel.
  2. Wrap the towel around the zucchini to create a bundle.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
The unmixed ingredients for zucchini and corn fritters in a glass bowl on top of a white table with a white tea towel on the side. There is a spatula rest on the side of the bowl, ready to mix the ingredients.

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)

The batter for zucchini and corn fritters all mixed together in a bowl, before it has been cooked.

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? 

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Zucchini and Corn Fritters on a small white plate with a sprig of thyme and avocado half on the side. A fork is next to the plate.
Corn and zucchini fritters
Print Recipe
5 from 32 votes

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.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: corn fritter, healthy fritter, savory pancake, zucchini fritter
Servings: 10 fritters
Calories: 71kcal
Author: Taesha Butler

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1fritter | Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!

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Filed Under: Side Dishes, Snacks, Vegetarian Tagged With: corn, zucchini

Previous Post: « Savory 3-Veggie Muffins
Next Post: Chocolate Zucchini Paleo Muffins »

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    Recipe Rating




    Comments

  1. Jessica

    May 28, 2020 at 9:02 pm

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
  2. Jessie Root

    May 29, 2020 at 5:13 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Taesha

      May 30, 2020 at 4:06 pm

      Yessssss! Baby approved and one-handed recipes are the best!

      Reply
  3. Cristina

    May 30, 2020 at 8:47 pm

    5 stars
    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?

    Reply
    • Taesha

      May 31, 2020 at 6:37 pm

      I haven’t tried yet but I bet they would freeze beautifully!

      Reply
  4. Michelle

    May 30, 2020 at 8:59 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Taesha

      May 31, 2020 at 6:37 pm

      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!

      Reply
  5. hedy

    June 1, 2020 at 12:01 am

    Do I need to cook the fresh corn first?

    Reply
    • Taesha

      June 2, 2020 at 4:05 pm

      I just cut it fresh off the cob without cooking!

      Reply
  6. Lindsay

    June 5, 2020 at 10:18 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Taesha

      June 8, 2020 at 4:39 pm

      I am so glad you enjoy them as much as we do!

      Reply
  7. Heather

    June 8, 2020 at 12:48 am

    5 stars
    These are so so good! These are probably gonna be a weekly favorite this summer! the whole family loves them!

    Reply
    • Taesha

      June 8, 2020 at 4:37 pm

      Yay! We love them too! I agree, they are perfect for adding to pretty much any summer meal.

      Reply
  8. Minda

    July 7, 2020 at 1:36 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Taesha

      July 7, 2020 at 3:07 pm

      Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
      • Fjay

        August 19, 2020 at 6:08 am

        Can I substitute or remove the egg?

        Reply
        • Taesha

          August 19, 2020 at 6:41 pm

          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!

          Reply
  9. Erin

    July 12, 2020 at 6:17 pm

    Do you happen to have nutrition info for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Taesha

      July 13, 2020 at 2:44 pm

      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!

      Reply
  10. Bethany

    August 13, 2020 at 11:06 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Taesha

      August 14, 2020 at 2:44 am

      I’m so happy you enjoyed them so much!

      Reply
  11. Kate

    September 4, 2020 at 12:44 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  12. Maurine

    November 16, 2020 at 3:28 pm

    5 stars

    Reply
  13. Rachelle

    November 19, 2020 at 6:27 pm

    5 stars
    One of my top favourite recipes from your site ! Simple and tasty !

    Reply
    • Taesha

      November 19, 2020 at 8:22 pm

      Yay! I am so glad! We love this recipe so much too💚

      Reply
  14. Suneera

    December 31, 2020 at 2:42 pm

    Can you substitute the cheese or leave it out for dairy free?

    Reply
    • Suneera

      December 31, 2020 at 2:44 pm

      nevermind I see where you said it can be substituted!

      Reply
    • Taesha

      December 31, 2020 at 4:56 pm

      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.

      Reply
  15. Eldora

    August 25, 2021 at 6:30 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      August 25, 2021 at 12:25 pm

      Yes, it is supposed to be there. Thank you for pointing out that the video needs to be updated.

      Reply
  16. Alyssa

    March 1, 2022 at 3:34 am

    5 stars
    Mmmmm they were so good! And the best thing is that they’re healthy. I recommend!!

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      March 1, 2022 at 12:13 pm

      I am so glad you enjoyed them!!

      Reply
  17. Rachel

    June 7, 2022 at 4:12 pm

    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…

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      June 7, 2022 at 8:26 pm

      I think if you used a little cooking spray and had a good pan, that should work!

      Reply
  18. Michelle

    August 9, 2022 at 8:35 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      August 10, 2022 at 9:02 am

      Yum! I bet these were amazing with pepper jack! Need to try that next time!

      Reply
  19. Marianne

    September 6, 2022 at 11:12 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      September 6, 2022 at 11:32 am

      Ha! Love this review! So glad they made a good app as you cooked dinner!

      Reply
  20. nancy g visconti

    September 25, 2022 at 1:22 pm

    Hi, would like to know if I could make these as waffles??? Nancy

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      September 26, 2022 at 9:05 am

      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!

      Reply
  21. nancy g visconti

    October 11, 2022 at 8:39 am

    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

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      October 12, 2022 at 8:17 am

      Aw. I am so glad you love them so much, Nancy!

      Reply
  22. karyn smith

    November 27, 2022 at 5:25 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      November 28, 2022 at 6:55 am

      So glad you enjoyed them, Karyn!

      Reply
  23. arattan

    December 27, 2022 at 5:32 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, can we bake these? What would be the steps when baking?

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      December 31, 2022 at 8:49 am

      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!

      Reply
  24. phil

    January 23, 2023 at 5:55 am

    5 stars
    5 very nice

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      January 23, 2023 at 9:26 am

      Glad you enjoyed them, Phil! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Taesha! I help busy people fall in love with healthy eating with my simple, family-friendly, veggie-loaded recipes. I believe vegetables can and SHOULD be delicious. Here, let me show you how!

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