For more corn deliciousness, check out our vegan corn chowder and savory vegan corn pudding. Who wouldn’t love corn fritters? These classic southern American fritters are crispy, savory, and gorgeously tasty, making them perfect eats in any season and at any hour of any day. This is my vegan recipe for corn fritters, which I have been making for years now when we want a quick snack or savory breakfast, although you could serve them as a side at dinner as well. Corn fritters are often pan-fried or deep-fried, but when I first made them and shared them in this space, I made them largely oil-free, except for a quick spritz of cooking spray on the skillet. This time I did use some oil to coat the bottom of the pan but you can still make them with just cooking spray. I’ll share how in the tips below. These corn fritters are eggless, of course, and they are infused with so much tasty goodness from shallots, scallions and chives, which are doing quite well in my summer garden despite the quirky temperatures, which dip low one day and careen skyward the next. Try ’em, and let me know if you do!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Crispy, savory and delicious. Each fritter cooks up crunchy on the outside and the sweet corn adds delicious creaminess in each bite. Healthy. The corn is packed with goodness, the herbs and onions add more nutrition, and there is barely any fat in this recipe. Allergy-friendly. Corn fritters usually use all purpose flour as a binder but I use a mix of cornmeal and rice flour, which makes them gluten-free. And they have no nuts or soy. Easy recipe. Anyone can make these corn fritters. They are quite foolproof.
How to make vegan corn fritters
Prep the corn: Drain the corn if using canned corn. If using frozen, make sure it has thawed. Place in a colander to ensure any water drains out. Chop the other ingredients: the shallots, scallions, chives, garlic and cilantro or parsley should be chopped really fine. You don’t want big pieces of these because you want them to flavor but disappear into the background: the real star of this recipe is the corn. Mix the batter: Mix the corn and the herbs first, then add in the cornmeal and brown rice and mix it in thoroughly, making sure everything at the bottom of the bowl is also incorporated. Begin adding the water a little at a time. I needed a cup and a half of water and you could just seem some liquid in the bowl, not a lot. This won’t look like a pancake batter, but don’t worry, it will hold together in the skillet. Heat the skillet: Use a cast iron or non-stick skillet and make sure it is screaming-hot before you begin frying the fritters. Fry the fritters: Pour a teaspoon or two of oil on the skillet and brush it to coat the skillet. Alternative spritz on some cooking spray. I used a level ¼th cup measure to scoop the batter into the skillet, and it makes the perfect size fritters for me. Use the bottom of the cup to shape the fritter into a round after placing the batter in the skillet (a steel cup works best for this, don’t use a plastic cup on a hot skillet. Or just use the bottom of a spoon).Wait until the edges of the fritter appear dry and golden-brown before you flip them. The fritters will hold but be careful as they are still delicate. You can add more rice flour if you find that the fritters break up on you, or make smaller fritters, which will be easier to flip. Serve the fritters right away.
Store
Refrigerate: Store the fritters in the fridge in an airtight container for up to six days. Freeze: Flash-freeze the fritters by placing them side by side on a baking sheet, then place them in a freezer-safe container, then freeze for up to four months. Reheat: Reheat frozen fritters directly on a nonstick skillet or well seasoned cast iron skillet until heated through and crispy again.
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