These gluten-free corn fritters will be the best you've ever had. They're made with zucchini, yellow squash and a little jalapeño pepper for just a touch of heat, and fresh herbs. They're perfect topped with a kale, mango and avocado salad.
Make the batter ahead if you're making these for a party, and cook them off just before you need them!
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Summertime cooking calls for easy dishes that celebrate fresh produce. Bonus points for anything that can be made ahead. If that fits what you need for your next summer BBQ, then these zucchini and corn fritters should be on your speed dial.
In fact, any vegetable fritter is perfect for summer since you can make the batter ahead and then cook them off whenever you need them. Make them small for an appetizer, medium for a side dish, and larger for a lunch or dinner entree. If you just want a zucchini fritter, no corn, check out these zucchini fritters made with potato and quinoa.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Healthy. These are healthy corn fritters because they're not deep fried, but rather sautéed in just a slick of hot oil.
- Gluten free. They're gluten-free since they use corn flour.
- Veggie forward. The batter is mostly veggies instead of mostly, well, batter. So these fritters are more about the corn, zucchini and yellow squash than about a sour cream batter that many corn fritters have.
- Make ahead. For a summer party, make the fritter batter ahead of time, form the patties, and store in the refrigerator wrapped individually in plastic wrap for up to 2 days before cooking them off.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minutes meal or less.
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions for this corn fritter recipe, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Corn kernels - I use fresh corn instead of canned corn, and slice the corn kernels from the cobs. But canned corn and frozen corn that's thawed works fine. I also use sweet corn, but if you prefer yellow corn, go ahead and use that!
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash - also called crookneck yellow squash.
- Jalapeño pepper
- Green onions - or spring onions.
- Garlic
- Fresh herbs - I use fresh basil, mint and parsley.
- Monterey Jack cheese - Fontina cheese also works great.
- Eggs
- Corn flour - I do not recommend corn meal unless it's fine ground. The medium and coarse ground corn meal will give the corn fritters a gritty mouth feel.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping soooo much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
- Chef's knife
- Box grater or a cheese grater with large holes.
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
- Large skillet
- Spatula
📝 Main Steps
Detailed instructions for making these gluten free corn fritters are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview of the main steps!
Step 1
Slice the corn kernel from the cob. There are a few ways to do this, and I've tried all the ones I've seen out there. Read this post for my favorite way to cut the kernels off a corn cob.
Step 2
Grate. Using a box grater or other grater that has large holes, grate the zucchini, yellow squash, and cheese.
Step 3
Mix. Finish prepping the pepper, green onion, and herbs. Using a large wooden spoon, mix all of the ingredients (except the olive oil) together in a large bowl.
Step 4
Relax. Set the bowl on the counter for 15 - 20 minutes to allow the corn flour absorb the egg. This is important because the egg is the only liquid in the recipe, so this makes the fritter batter. Corn flour doesn't absorb liquids as quickly as wheat flours, and needs a little time. As soon as the egg appears to be absorbed, you're ready to go.
Step 5
Make fritters. Form the fritters. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the fritters to a golden brown on both sides.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- If you don't want to use corn flour, in order to keep these corn fritters gluten free, use a general gluten free flour.
- For a little heat, instead of minced jalapeños, use chili powder or hot paprika.
🥬 Make it Vegan
Here are some ideas for making these corn fritters a vegan recipe:
- Use an egg substitute that's a liquid in place of the eggs, such as Just Egg Plant Based Liquid Eggs, or flax egg.
- Substitute plant based dairy-free cheeses for the Monterey Jack cheese.
⏰ Can You Make These Corn Fritters Ahead of Time?
Definitely yes. The best way to do this is to form the patties, wrap them individually in plastic, and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before cooking them off.
Be sure to bring them back to room temperature before sautéing. This ensures they'll cook evenly.
👩🍳 Ways to Serve Corn Fritters
Here are some ideas of how to serve these fritters, whether as an appetizer, side dish or entree:
- Top with a mango - jalapeño salsa.
- Serve with a salad that includes avocado and mango, dressed in a vinaigrette.
- Add a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chili powder or smoked paprika.
- Go in a Mexican Street Corn direction, and spread some mayonnaise (or sour cream) over the tops of the finished fritters, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, chile powder, a little lime juice, salt and pepper. Slide under the broiler for a minute or two until it's bubbly.
- For more Mexican Street Corn inspo, check out this Mexican Street Corn Casserole and Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad.
- Top with Avocado Crema.
- Keeping in with a corn theme, serve with Jiffy Mexican Cornbread.
Healthy Gluten Free Corn Fritters with Zucchini
Ingredients
Corn and Zucchini Fritters
- 2 cups sweet white corn (2 ears of corn)
- 1 cup grated zucchini (using the largest holes on a grater)
- ½ cup grated yellow crookneck squash (using the largest holes on a grater)
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced jalapeño about ½ jalapeño, seeded
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions white and light green parts
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese
- 3 large eggs well beaten
- 1 ½ cups corn flour
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kale-Avocado-Mango Salad
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 mango diced
- 1 Fresno chile finely minced (optional)
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
- 2 cups thinly sliced kale leaves
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Corn and Zucchini Fritters
- Slice the corn kernels from the cobs using a sharp knife. Place in a large mixing bowl.Pro-tip: There are a couple of ways of doing this that work well. (1) Position the ears upright in a large bowl and slice the kernels into the bowl, or (2) lay the shucked ears down on a cutting board and slice along the side of each ear, turning them a little at a time (my personal favorite).
- Add the grated zucchini, yellow squash, jalapeño, green onions, garlic, basil, mint, parsley, salt, and cheese. Toss well with a large wooden spoon.
- Stir in the beaten eggs and corn flour. It won't look like a batter as it's mostly vegetables and cheese. The idea is to have just enough flour and egg to hold the fritter together during cooking.
- Let it all relax in the bowl for 20 minutes so that the egg is absorbed by the corn flour, while you make the salad.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil In a large heavy pan over medium heat. You don't want more than just a slick of oil for these fritters. Working in batches, scoop about ⅓ cup of the fritter batter into your palm. Form the batter into a ball using both of your hands, about the size of a golf ball. Place it on the pan and gently press it down just enough to flatten the top. Repeat with enough fritters to be able to easily flip them in the skillet. I cook only 3 at a time.
- Allow to sauté about 5 minutes until the bottom edges begin to brown. Carefully flip them over using a spatula. At this point they should hold together very well. Cook for another 4 - 5 minutes until lightly browned on both sides.
- Remove to a plate lined with paper towels, cover with foil to keep warm, and repeat the process with another tablespoon of oil.
- These fritters are best served warm. Top with the kale, avocado and mango salad.
Kale Avocado Mango Salad
- Combine the avocado, mango, chile, green onion and kale in a large bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the lime juice and salt until the salt dissolves. Whisk in the oil.
- Pour over the salad and lightly toss.
Librarian Lavender
What a great recipe! Too bad you lost the photos! My computers constantly crash and not everything can always be saved... I hope you can make it again and it doesn't sound too bad to eat this once more 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much! And yes, the photo loss was disappointing, but it's not my first time to lose photos, word docs, or entire blog posting when my mac hiccups. And we'll definitely be making them again :-). This was a vegetarian dish Carnivorous Maximus (my husband) really, really liked. Yay!
Carnivorous Maximus
Don't often comment on my wife's blog, but have to give these little guys a big thumbs up. Tasty! CM
Rosemary
Hey -- that's a great endorsement! I've also passed this along to a GF friend who thought it looks great and I'm adding to my list to make SOON!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Oh yay! I'm not GF myself, but I like to highlight things that are usually GF. I just got The Homemade Flour Cookbook and am really looking forward to experimenting with other flours. Thanks for passing this onto your friend, Rosemary!
cheri
Hi Susan, be still my heart, these look amazing. You even got a thumbs up from Carnivorous Maximus. So sorry about your computer, I'm lost without mine. (sounds kind of sad, doesn't it)
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I've been totally lost, Cheri! Crazy, I know. But it's like my brains were gone 🙂
lizthechef
Such a creative recipe, very much a "Susan recipe" - delicious, original and beautifully photographed.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Liz! Unfortunately most of the photos I took were lost in the hard drive crashing. Luckily I had these left over....
Sandi Gaertner
Absolutely drooling over these!! Thank you for making these gluten free so they are easy for me to enjoy!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so glad!!! I have a close friend who's trying to go gluten free for health reasons, and I'm trying to be more aware of places where I can do some easy substitutions 🙂
apuginthekitchen
Love these fritters and OMG with that kale avocado and mango salad, totally delicious. Thats my favorite kind of meal.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
These were really so good, Suzanne!! You've gotta try them 🙂
Choc Chip Uru
This recipe looks delicious, I am pretty sure the fritters are perfect for a midnight snack! 😀
And sorry to hear about the photo loss, it has happened to me before so I know the feels!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Yes, this is a shared pain for all us food bloggers, CCU!
Oui, Chef
I don't need to cook gluten free, but I absolutely NEED to try these great looking fritters!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Steve! I don't need GF either, but it seemed like a good way to go with corn flour since they were corn fritters 🙂
Terra
I so want to make this recipe! I have been trying to include kale in my meals. They look so hearty and full of healthy love! Yum, Hugs, Terra
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I've made these three times in the last month, Terra! They just really hit the spot - and they were a big hit at a small dinner party. Hope you give them a try 🙂
Catalina
I love vegetables and this is the best way to have them! My family will love it!