Vegan Crispy Zucchini Fritters

These Quick and Crispy Zucchini Fritters from Vegan Comfort Cooking by Melanie McDonald are super simple and easy to make. Top them with Avocado Crema for the ultimate snack or appetizer! These zucchini patties are dairy-free and gluten-free.

Vegan Comfort Cooking

I’m super excited to share my friend Melanie’s new book with you today! Vegan Comfort Cooking is full of, you guessed it, vegan comfort food recipes.

There can sometimes be a misconception that vegan food is bland and tasteless. Mel puts that fallacy to rest with this cookbook. It’s full of deliciously flavorful dish that will warm you, body and soul.

Many of Mel’s recipes are for veganized comfort food classics. These are all dishes that will please just about anyone at your dinner table, as nothing is too foreign for omnivores.  Veganized classics include such dishes as “I Can’t Believe It’s Vegan” Roasted Garlic Alfredo, Sweet and Smoky “Meatloaf”, Next-Level Mushroom Lasagna, and Dreamy Baked Berry Cheesecake.

Mel is English, so she’s also included veganized version of British classics, such as Shepherdless Pie with Root Veg Mash, Jam-tastic Victoria Sponge Cake, and Sinfully Sticky Toffee Pudding.

The dishes in this cookbook will take you all the way from breakfast through snack time, dinner, and dessert. Start your day with Black Forest Breakfast Crepes or Legit English Muffins, have a Cauli-Power Burger for lunch, and munch on Down ‘n’ Dirty Taco Fries. Then make Awesomely Easy Potato Tacos for dinner and follow them up with Ultra Decadent Peanut Butter Ice-Cream Cake.

Chapters in Vegan Comfort Cooking include:

• First, We Brunch
• Indulge Yourself
• The Munchies
• Sweet Talk
• Bits & Bobs

Quick and Crispy Zucchini Fritters with Avocado Crema

The first recipe I made from the book was Quick and Crispy Zucchini Fritters. It’s summertime, and zucchini is in abundance at the farmers market. Plus, I really wanted to try Mel’s Avocado Crema!

These little zucchini patties come together in a flash and they’re really easy to make. I used my food processor to grate the vegetables, which only takes a few seconds. There’s a little bit of hands-off time while the zucchini sits, but after that, you simply mix the ingredients together and then get cooking! Don't skip the salting step of the recipe. It's important for draining excess liquid off the zucchini, and if it's too wet, the fritters won't stick together.

The patties can be fried or baked. I chose the baking option, and they baked up perfect. The Avocado Crema only takes a few minutes to whip together while the fritters are cooking. Mel's recipe says it makes 8 fritters, but I actually got 12 out of the mixture.

These fritters make a great snack, but they’re also a terrific side dish. I was tempted to make large patties out of the mixture and serve them on a bun as a veggie burger. Maybe next time!

If you’re looking for comforting vegan recipes and veganized versions of old family favorites, this is the book for you!

Quick and Crispy Zucchini Fritters with Avocado Crema

Melanie McDonald

These fritters are super simple and easy to make. They’re crispy on the outside and moist but not soggy on the inside. They make great party food, appetizers or snacks and are also perfect for a more substantial dinner with salad, or in a bun in place of a burger. No matter how you stack them, though, one thing is certain: When it comes to crispy fritters straight from the pan, just one is not enough!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Fritters

Calories 96 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Fritters

• 3 medium zucchini
• 1 medium onion
• 1½ teaspoon (8 g) salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon (14 g) ground flaxseeds
• Zest of 1 small lemon (reserve the rest of the lemon for the crema)
• 1½ cups (138 g) garbanzo bean flour
• 1½ teaspoon (6 g) baking powder
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• Olive or vegetable oil for pan

Avocado Crema

• 1 medium avocado
• 3 tablespoon (45 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon sriracha or other hot sauce
• 2 teaspoon (10 ml) white wine vinegar
• 5 tablespoon (75 ml) water
• 2 tablespoon (30 ml) olive oil (optional)
• Salt

Instructions

 

• To prepare the fritters, grate the zucchini and onion. If you have a food processor, use the grating attachment to do this, which makes it really quick and easy. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with the salt, stir really well and leave for at least 30 minutes; longer is okay.
• Transfer the mixture to a large sieve or colander and use clean hands to press out the water; alternatively, wrap in a clean dish towel and wring out the water. It is important to get as much water out as possible.
• Return the mixture to the bowl. Add the cumin, oregano, thyme, garlic, flaxseeds, lemon zest, garbanzo flour, baking powder and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir together really well so everything is distributed well and you cannot see any dry flour. It will be a very stiff batter. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes. During this time, it will loosen up a little.
• Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Grease with a little oil if it’s not nonstick. Once it’s hot, give the batter a quick stir, and then add it to the pan, using around ⅓ cup (80 mper fritter and leaving about 2 inches (5 caround each one. Use a spoon to flatten the fritters to about ½ inch (1.3 cthick and allow to cook for about 7 minutes each side, or until golden brown. Serve them immediately or keep warm in the oven on its lowest setting while you finish cooking the rest.
• You can also bake the fritters in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop the mixture onto it in roughly ⅓-cup (80-mamounts; then flatten them to about ½ inch (1.3 cthick. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, flip them and then bake for an additional 10 minutes.
• To prepare the avocado crema, cut the avocado in half. Remove the pit and scoop out the flesh into a blender or food processor. Add all the other crema ingredients except the salt and blend until completely smooth. Season with salt to taste. You can adjust the thickness by adding a little more or less water. The olive oil is an optional addition. It makes the crema glossier, but you can easily omit it and add 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 mof extra water instead.
• Serve the hot fritters with a generous dollop of avocado crema.
• Leftover fritters keep well for up to 5 days in the fridge. They also freeze really well. They can be reheated in a skillet over medium heat or in the oven. They are also surprisingly good cold! The crema will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
• tip: Enjoy leftover crema as a dip with chips, with tacos, burritos, veggie burgers and sandwiches or thin it out with a little more water or a drop of white wine vinegar to make a great salad dressing!

Notes

Tip: Enjoy leftover crema as a dip with chips, with tacos, burritos, veggie burgers and sandwiches or thin it out with a little more water or a drop of white wine vinegar to make a great salad dressing!

 

Reprinted with permission from Vegan Comfort Cooking by Melanie McDonald, Page Street Publishing Co. 2019.

Calories: 96kcal

Tried this recipe?Tag @diannewenz on Instagram!

Other zucchini recipes you might enjoy include:

• Vegan Cheese and Zucchini Pinwheels
• Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
• Peanutty Pad Thai Zoodles
• Lemon Poppy Zucchini Muffins

Other recipes from Vegan Comfort Cooking include:

• Smashed Salt and Vinegar Potatoes
• Drool-Worthy Cinnamon Donuts
• Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce
• Smoky Tomato and White Bean Soup
• Berry Good Breakfast Cake