These warm and zesty vegan zucchini fritters! Made in just 20 minutes, they make the perfect breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Top with vegan sour cream and fresh green onions for a simple and delicious meal.
I'm pretty excited today, friends.
Next week, my partner and I take off for a 10 day trip to Italy. Italy has been high on my list for years and I can't believe that in a few short days I will be landing in Rome. After spending some time in Rome, we are taking the train up to Cinque Terre and hopefully stopping in Pisa on the way.
I can't wait to see all the things. And eat all the Italian food. It's going to be pasta, red wine, and olives for the next week and a half!
I will be stopping by here with a few posts along the way but before I go, I wanted to share with you this newest post on My Darling Vegan, these vegan zucchini fritters made with my FAVORITE olive oil named after a small city in - you guessed it - Italy!
Recipe Video
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
The ingredients you'll need for these zucchini fritters are pretty straight-forward. In fact, they are ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Here is everything you will need.
- All-Purpose Flour - Use 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Baking Blend for glute-free zucchini fritters.
- Nutritional yeast
- Oil - For this recipe I used Butter Infused Olive Oil for extra flavor. You will also need a high heat oil for frying. My favorite high heat oils for this recipe are avocado and coconut oil.
- Baking powder
- Garlic
- Green onions
- Vegan Parmesan - I recommend Violife parmesan. It is creamy, melty, and tastes exactly how I remember parmesan to taste. If you don’t have access to Violife, you can make your own parmesan.
- Salt and Pepper
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe, you will need a high-quality food processor. You will also need a large frying pan (I recommend cast iron), basic kitchen utensils, including a colander and chef's knife. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
Butter Flavored Olive Oil
For this recipe, I use Bari's Butter Infused Olive Oil. This gives the zucchini fritters a DELICIOUS buttery flavor that you are going to love.
And yes, Bari's Butter Infused Olive Oil is 100% vegan. They use a plant-based butter flavoring that has all the taste of butter while offering the healthy fats that come from high-quality oil. I love this butter infused olive oil in this recipe but have also enjoyed it on popcorn and as a dipping sauce for garlic bread.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, Bari Olive Oil Co. is a California-based company that has been making high-quality olive oil for over 80 years. They are a family run company that is dedicated to producing the highest-quality products available. All their olives are grown in California, supporting local growers and organic small-batch processing, ensuring that their promise of high-quality is never compromised.
Bari’s products are found throughout stores in California. But, fear not all you non-California dwelling readers. You can find all their incredible products online, too. So, go ahead and do a little shopping – perhaps some last-minute gifts for this Valentine’s Day – and fill your cupboards with these beautiful, high-quality oils and vinegar.
How to Make Zucchini Fritters
Step One - Shred the Zucchini
I highly recommend using a food processor with a shredding attachment. A food processor can shred the zucchini in under a minute and you don't have to worry about shaving off the tips of your fingers! But if you do not have a food processor, a handheld shredder will do. Using a cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer, squeeze any excess liquid out of the zucchini.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Step Two - Mix it Together
Combine all the ingredients (besides the cooking oil) in a large metal bowl. Stir it together with a wooden spoon or your hand until the batter is uniform.
Note that while traditional zucchini fritters use an egg to bind the batter together and give the fritters some rise, the olive oil and baking powder do the trick in this recipe.
Step Three - Shape and Fry
Once the batter is made, heat 1 tablespoon of high-heat oil in a large non-stick skillet. Scoop ¼ cup of the batter at a time and shape it into a patty that is ½ inch thick and about 3" in diameter.
Place the fritters on the hot oil and pan-fry them for about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the fritters onto a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
Serving and Storing
Storing - Serve these zucchini pancakes with vegan sour cream and green onions These vegan fritters make a great breakfast, lunch, or even dinner. Serve with a side salad or bowl of soup.
Storing - Once cooked, zucchini fritters should be eaten immediately or they will get soggy. Any uncooked batter can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, follow the cooking instructions above.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure the oil is hot. The fritter batter should sizzle when it hits the pan.
- Use a non-stick skillet with plenty of oil.
- Flatten zucchini fritters to about ½ inch. If they are thicker, the inside won't cook properly.
- Oil between batches to ensure the bottom of the pan does not burn.
More Vegan Zucchini Recipes
- Mexican-Style Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Zucchini Noodles with Vegan Pesto
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Zucchini Noodle Lasagna with Seasoned Tempeh
- The BEST vegan Zucchini Bread
More Bari Olive Oil Recipes
- Garlic Rice Pilaf with Shiitake Mushrooms
- Portobello Steaks with Pomegranate Balsamic Glaze
- Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil
- Lemon Olive Oil Cake
- BBQ Tofu Steaks with Grilled Pineapple Salsa
Vegan Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded zucchini, about 1 pound
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup Bari Butter Infused Olive Oil
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. vegan parmesan, optional
- 2 green onions, diced
- 2 tbsp. oil, for cooking
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor with your shredder attachment, shred the zucchini. Alternatively, you can use a handheld shredder. Using a cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer, squeeze any excess liquid out of the zucchini.
- Transfer the zucchini into a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the cooking oil. Mix together until you have a uniform batter. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large nonstick sauté pan. Once the oil is hot, scoop fritter batter, ¼ cup at a time, onto the hot oil and flatten into a fritter that is about 3" around. Sauté for 3-4 minutes per side, until edges are crispy brown and the zucchini is cooked all the way through. Repeat until all the batter is used.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Tui Myers says
Delicious. I used 2 cups grated zucchini, 1 cup sweet corn and 1 cup grated carrot (I didn't have enough zucchini). I also used wholemeal flour.
I used spray oil for the fry pan.
Turned out amazing!! My 13 month old daughter loves them too! Will use this recipe weekly. Thank you
Mary says
In the video it shows adding the olive oil with the rest of the ingredients, but in your recipe it states to add the ingredients together except the olive oil. Does the olive oil get added to the mixture?
Tui Myers says
There are 2 oils in the ingredients list. Add the 1/4 cup to the bowl. Then use the 2 top oil for the fry pan
Tui Myers says
2 tbsp oil** for the fry pan
Claudette Rolle says
Very delicious, I only had olive oil for cooking them. I added grated carrots and finely chopped fresh mint leaves. I also used chickpea flour. I will try them again very often
Sue says
Lovely recipe -used a bit more oil to fry than recipe called for -didn’t have bari oil -just used olive. Doubled the scallions and garlic. Delicious!
Gloriak1 says
Yummy fritters, I had no problem with it binding but the inside was still a little soft after I cooked each side for four minutes. I’m going to try to pop them in the toaster oven and see if that cook the inside better but overall a delicious recipe
Henda says
I love this recipe but my mixture doesn't bind and the fritters end up all scrambled when I try to flip them over. Can I add a flax-egg to bind it better?
Sarah McMinn says
Yes, that would work.
Zoya says
Can we bake them instead?
Sarah McMinn says
I haven't tried this. I imagine it would work but I'm not sure how long you would want to bake them.
Asma G says
Can’t wait to try this out! Do I need to squeeze out the liquid after shredding the zucchini and before mixing in the other ingredients?
Sarah McMinn says
That would be best, yes!