These vegan corn fritters are extra-crunchy and absolutely irresistible. Every bite is a vivid medley of herbs, garlic and sweet, juicy corn.
Who doesn't love corn fritters? These classic southern American fritters are a summertime treat of juicy corn kernels mixed into a batter of flour and eggs, then pan-fried until crunchy and golden. They are savory, flavorful and quite irresistible.
My vegan corn fritters recipe retains all the deliciousness of this classic food, skips the eggs, and kicks up the flavor several notches. Try them once, even if you eat eggs, and you will never go back.
Here are my secrets for making the best vegan corn fritters:
- Use more corn kernels than flour. Some recipes make the fritters too doughy, but I like tasting the corn, not the flour.
- Season the fritter batter generously. The sweetness of corn is amazing with herbs like chives, cilantro, chili peppers, scallions and garlic. Don't be afraid to add more flavor into the corn fritters. This is not grandma's recipe - it's yours.
- Make the corn fritters extra thin. This means you get extra crunch from all that corn on the surface that caramelizes so beautifully.
You can make this recipe with fresh, frozen or canned corn kernels. If using canned kernels, drain the corn thoroughly. I kept this recipe gluten-free using rice flour, but you can easily substitute all-purpose flour if you want to. The rice flour also helps make the fritters crispier.
To keep these corn fritters healthy, I use very little oil. Just a quick spritz of cooking spray or oil to coat the bottom of the skillet is enough. They are wonderful for breakfast or a snack or even a light meal. We snack on them all summer long.
Recipe card
Vegan Corn Fritters
Ingredients
- 4½ cups corn kernels (Three 15-oz cans. Can also use fresh or frozen corn. Thaw frozen corn and make sure there is no water in it before adding to the bowl.)
- 2 medium shallots (leeks are great too. Chop a leek, white and green parts, finely)
- 2 tablespoons chives (finely chopped)
- 6 spring onions (scallions. Chop finely. You can skip these if using chives, or vice-versa)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 jalapeno pepper (minced. Deseed if sensitive to heat)
- ¼ cup cilantro (finely chopped, can sub with parsley)
- ¾ cup rice flour
- ¾ cup stone ground corn meal
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (or more)
- Salt to taste
- 1½ cups water
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil (for frying, or use a cooking spray)
Instructions
- Place corn kernels, shallots, chives, spring onions, garlic, cilantro and jalapeno pepper in a bowl and mix.
- Add in the cornmeal, rice flour, salt and ground pepper. Mix, making sure there is no dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.
- Begin adding the water a little at a time. I needed a cup and a half of water. This shouldn't look like a thick pancake batter - there should be some liquid visible in the bowl.
- Heat a cast-iron or non-stick skillet and coat the bottom with oil. Alternately, for oil-free fritters, spritz on some cooking spray. Use a spoon or cup measure to drop the batter into the pan. Use the bottom of the cup measure or spoon to shape the fritters and flatten them carefully. The fritters should be quite thin, like pancakes, because you want them to cook through.
- When the edges of the fritters begin to dry and appear golden brown, carefully flip them using a spatula. Cook a couple more minutes before removing the fritters to a plate.
Nutrition Information
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Vegan corn fritters FAQs
The amount of flour in these fritters is enough to hold them together. But if you make the fritters too big, it is likely they will fall apart as you flip them. Don't make them any larger than three inches. You can also make these fritters smaller, which would make it easier to flip them.
Also mix the batter each time you scoop it out as the water has a tendency to separate since there is not that much flour in this recipe.
Corn fritters are traditionally served as a side at lunch or dinner, and they'd be a really great side with any vegan meal, like this Vegan Meatball Fricassee, or these Vegan Irish Whiskey Tofu Steaks.
In our home, I usually serve these vegan corn fritters for breakfast or as a snack. They are really great with a creamy sauce or vegan mayo.
Store the fritters in the fridge in an airtight container for up to six days. To freeze, flash-freeze the fritters by placing them side by side on a baking sheet, then place them in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to four months.
The corn fritters are very crispy if eaten rightaway, when they are piping hot. But because they are pan-fried and not deep-fried in oil they will lose some of the crispness at room temperature. To reheat and make them crunchy again pop them back on a hot skillet or place on a baking sheet in a hot oven for a few minutes.
Recipe first posted April 8, 2011. Updated and re-published on May 29, 2021.
Tanya Chung-Gardiner
Tried this recipe with a few alterations but came out perfect. Everyone loved them...thanks for sharing!
Vaishali
Awesome, happy to hear!
Juliana
Looks and sounds yummy! does it have to be stone-ground corn meal or can I use regular yellow cornmeal?
Thanks!!
Vaishali
Yellow cornmeal is fine!