These healthy zucchini fritters are a total veggie game changer when it comes to getting both kids and adults to eat their veggies. They’re perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and cheesy on the inside. Easy to make, delicious and take less than 20 minutes to prepare! Great for baby-led weaning or as a finger food for toddlers. {Gluten-free, low carb & vegetarian}
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Healthy Zucchini Fritters
I’m so excited to share this recipe for healthy zucchini fritters with you!
This is one of those recipes that we always like to make on repeat because EVERYBODY in the family loves them and they’re so easy to prepare.
These zucchini patties are not only perfect for baby-led weaning, and a tasty finger food for toddlers, they’re also great for grown ups and make for a delicious veggie-loaded snack or side dish.
Such a delicious way to get some extra goodness in!
If you’re looking for more easy recipes for zucchini, be sure to check out these Spinach Zucchini Frittata Fingers, Zucchini Chicken Poppers and Healthy Mini Carrot Zucchini Muffins.
Why We Love This Easy Zucchini Fritters Recipe
- Quick and easy: It takes no more than 20 minutes to prepare and cook a batch of these crispy zucchini fritters.
- Make ahead: These patties are perfect for meal prep and are freezer friendly too.
- Kid-friendly: If you’re looking for a fun way to incorporate more veggies into your little ones’ menu, these zucchini pancakes are the perfect option! Plus, they’re easy enough that the kids can help assemble them too!
- Healthy: These fritters contain no shortage of nutrients. They’re jam packed with fibre, protein, calcium, vitamin C, and K just to name a few.
Ingredient Notes
- Zucchini: The zucchini is shredded with a box grater before being mixed with the other ingredients. I generally don’t peel the zucchini, but if you have very picky eaters, you can always remove the skin so they can’t see the extra green.
- Egg: To bind the ingredients together. You can also try using an egg replacer if you can’t do eggs.
- Flour: I use oat flour to make these fritters since it provides some extra soluble fibre, but you can use other flours as well.
- Seasonings: Onion powder, salt and pepper provide extra flavour. You can also add in other dried herbs and spices as well such as dried oregano or paprika to switch up the flavours.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar adds a great flavour, texture, and boost of calcium for growing bones. You can also sub in another type of cheese if desired.
- Green onion: Finely sliced and added to the fritters for a mild flavour boost. You can also sub in finely chopped chives as well.
How to Make Zucchini Fritters – Step by Step Instructions
- Place shredded zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Let it sit for about 10 min.
- Using your hands or cheesecloth, squeeze out as much water as possible from the zucchini.
- Add all of the ingredients, other than the olive oil to a medium-sized bowl.
- Mix together well to combine.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Using your hands, pack the zucchini mixture into about 8-10 small fritters. Place them in the hot pan about an inch or so apart.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side or until slightly browned and crispy.
- Serve warm or at room temperature alone or along with a dip.
Tips for the Best Zucchini Fritters
I’ve made these zucchini fritters quite a few times and have learned a few tips along the way.
- Make sure that you’re getting as much of the water out of the shredded zucchini as possible so that you don’t end up with soggy fritters.
- In order to eliminate the extra moisture, place the shredded zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Allow the colander to sit in the sink or over a bowl for about 10 minutes. The salt will help to draw the extra water out of the zucchini.
- Next, you’re going to wring the zucchini out. I recommend doing it in batches. Give it a good squeeze with your hands or you can also use cheesecloth. It’s amazing how much water actually comes out of that stuff! It’s an interesting little science experiment.
- If the fritter mixture seems too moist after wringing out the zucchini, add a bit more oat flour to the mixture.
- Resist the temptation to press down on the zucchini fritters while they’re cooking or they may become too thin and flimsy.
- Allow the fritters to cool for a few minutes before serving to allow them to firm up.
- If preparing these fritters for babies, I recommend leaving out the added salt to limit sodium.
Recipe FAQs
Can you freeze zucchini fritters?
Yes, you can freeze them for up to three months. If stacking them, be sure to separate them with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together.
You can also flash freeze them individually and place them in a freezer safe bag. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
What type of flour should I use for these fritters?
Through the process of recipe testing, I tried using a few different types of flours and the flour that give the best outcome and most nutritional benefits was oat flour. You can find oat flour in most grocery stores, OR, better yet, you can make it at home by simply blending up oats in a blender until it reaches a flour-like consistency.
That being said, you can sub in white flour, whole wheat flour, brown rice flour or almond flour. They should all produce similar results.
How to make crispy zucchini fritters
The key to getting the fritters crispy and golden brown on the outside is to pack the mixture into small patties using your hands and cook them in some oil in a hot pan for about 2-3 minutes per side.
This should result in fritters that are slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Can I bake zucchini fritters?
Yes! To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the zucchini fritters on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes per side or until lightly browned on the outside.
Is this zucchini patties recipe healthy?
Yes! The amazing thing about these fritters is that you not only reap the benefits of the nutrients from the vegetables themselves, you also get an extra dose of nutrients from the other ingredients as well, making for a perfectly balanced snack or side.
- Zucchini: A good source of potassium and manganese and an excellent source of vitamins C and B6. Zucchini also has been found to be relatively high in lutein and zeaxanthin, which can help support overall eye health.
- Cheese: Contains a host of nutrients like calcium, protein, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin B12, which can help strengthen bones and teeth. This is especially important for growing children!
- Eggs: An excellent source of high quality protein which is essential for building and repairing muscles, organs, skin, hair and other body tissues. They are also a good source of choline which plays an important role in brain development and function.
- Oat flour: A good source of soluble and insoluble fibre which can help stabilize blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and keep you feeling full and regular!
Storage & Reheating Guidelines
How to Store
Store the zucchini fritters in the fridge for up to four days in an airtight container. I recommend lining the container with some paper towel to absorb any excess moisture. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat
I found that the best way to reheat these fritters is in the oven. Place them onto a baking sheet and into a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes until they are warmed through.
What to Serve with Zucchini Fritters
You can get creative when it comes to serving up these fritters.
Personally, I think they taste best served warm and paired with a tasty dip such as a marinara sauce, sour cream or Greek yogurt. This is especially fun for kids too! Who doesn’t love dipping their veggies, especially in fritter form?
However, you can also eat them at room temperature or cold as a snack or a side. It’s totally up to you!
They taste great along with any of the following:
- Healthy Roasted Potatoes
- Mini Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
- BBQ Baby Meatloaf Muffins
- Salmon Patties with Crackers
- Crockpot Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Recipe Variations
These healthy zucchini fritters are pretty delicious as they are, but you can easily adapt them to suit your tastes.
- Vegetables: You can also add shredded carrot or corn.
- Flour: Use white, whole wheat, brown rice flour or almond flour instead of oat flour.
- Herbs: Try subbing in or adding chives, fresh dill or parsley.
- Cheese: Instead of cheddar, you could also add feta or ricotta.
What Readers Are Saying
“I tried it! It came out amazing. Thank you so much for the recipe.” – Mirian
“Love them!” – Joann
“These were really good and easy! I made without the green onions and salt to let my 6.5 month old baby try them as we’re doing baby led weaning. I cut in thick pieces and he loved it! I ended up making more.” – Amanda
“Loved these.” – Maya
“Grated carrots instead of onion & added a bit of garlic and turmeric powder :)” – Karolina
Looking for more delicious recipes? Check these out:
- Sweet Potato Fritters
- Toddler Snack Ideas
- How to Make Zucchini Fries in Air Fryer
- Beet Kale Salad
- Healthy Banana Cookies
- Arugula Feta Salad
- Easy Breakfast Burritos
- Mini Potato Recipe
- Apple Baked Oatmeal
- Mini Sweet Potato Muffins
- Spinach Frittata Recipe
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Healthy Zucchini Fritters {Gluten-free}
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place shredded zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Let it sit for about 10 min.
- Using your hands or cheesecloth, squeeze out as much water as possible from the zucchini.
- Mix together the zucchini, egg, oat flour, onion powder, cheese, salt, pepper and green onion in a medium-sized bowl.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Using your hands, pack the zucchini mixture into about 8-10 fritters. Place them in the hot pan about an inch apart.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side or until slightly browned and crispy.
- Serve warm or at room temperature alone or along with a dip.
Video
Notes
- Make sure that you’re getting as much of the water out of the shredded zucchini as possible so that you don’t end up with soggy fritters.
- In order to eliminate the extra moisture, place the shredded zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Allow the colander to sit in the sink or over a bowl for about 10 minutes. The salt will help to draw the extra water out of the zucchini.
- Next, you’re going to wring the zucchini out. I recommend doing it in batches. Give it a good squeeze with your hands or you can also use cheesecloth.
- If the fritter mixture seems too moist after wringing out the zucchini, add a bit more oat flour to the mixture
- Resist the temptation to press down on the zucchini fritters while they’re cooking or they may become too thin and flimsy.
- Allow the fritters to cool for a few minutes before serving to allow them to firm up.
- If preparing these fritters for babies, I recommend leaving out the added salt to limit sodium.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted April 2019 and was updated in May 2021 to include better tips and photos.
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I’m a little confused about what you do with the sliced zucchini. Do you just added into the mixture with the drained, shredded zucchini? thanks
I’m sorry, but I’m not quite sure where you’re seeing the sliced zucchini. You’re just going to shred the zucchini using a box grater, strain any excess moisture and then mix it in with the rest of the ingredients listed. No sliced zucchini required! Hope that helps :)
These were fantastic and so easy to make substituted some of the ingredients and spices flour etc with what we already had my daughter was reluctant and not buying any of it at first especially when she heard there was zucchini in it .. My response just try it you might be pleasantly surprised.. This was later met with a hey their not bad …🙌 A quick healthy dish alternative served hot or cold ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Amazing! So glad your daughter came around and decided to give them a try! Thanks so much for returning to leave a review!
These were amazing!
We don’t eat eggs. What’d be a good substitute?
I haven’t tried it myself, but you could try subbing in a chia or flax egg. To make it, you combine 1 tablespoon of chia seeds or flax seed with 3 tablespoons water. Combine in a small cup or bowl. Wait for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture forms a gel. Use as a substitute for one egg in your recipe. Let me know how it goes if you try it out!
This was so good and easy! I let my 6.5 month old son try it and he loved it!
Ooh that’s great! So glad it was a hit with your baby! Such a fun way to eat veggies!
Love them.. my 11 month old son is now going through a phase where he will eat nothing but these fritters 😏 Thanks for sharing
Haha! I remember my little guy going through the exact same phase! So glad your son is loving the fritters!!
Easy to make. We ate them warm for dinner, then cold the next day for lunch.
So happy you enjoyed the zucchini fritters! Thanks so much for stopping by to comment :)
Would almond flour work in place of oar flour?
I haven’t tried almond flour with this particular recipe, but you could certainly try subbing it in. Let me know how it goes if you decide to try it out!
Hi, I tried this recipe today and subbed the oat flour for the same amount of almond flour and it worked really well. My zucchini was small so I also grated some carrot. Such a great recipe and my toddler enjoyed them just as much as we did! Also, such a great tip about rubbing salt on the zucchini and then squeezing out the water. I was amazed at how much water came out compared to when I’ve squeezed it without rubbing salt and letting it sit. Thanks for all your healthy yet delicious recipes. I’m slowly working my way through trying as many as I can!
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback Rathina! I’m happy that the fritters worked out well with almond flour and I love the addition of the carrot too! It really is amazing how much more water comes out of the zucchini after sprinkling it with a bit of salt. I appreciate you stopping by to comment and leave a rating! I hope you enjoy the other recipes you try out too :)