Just when we thought summer’s most perfect veggie couldn’t get any more delicious, corn FRITTERS graced our palettes. These crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside, lightly spiced fritters are a must-try appetizer or side!
Not only are they incredibly delicious, but these fritters are vegan, optionally gluten-free, and SO easy to make! Grab your mixing bowl and 10 basic ingredients, and you’ll be enjoying fritters in 30 minutes or less. What are you waiting for? Let’s do this, friends!
How to Make Vegan Corn Fritters
Giving traditional corn fritters a vegan spin requires a couple adjustments. First, instead of eggs for binding, we rely on flaxseed meal. And instead of milk, we rely on a neutral-flavored, unsweetened dairy-free milk (homemade cashew being our favorite). The rest of the ingredients are pretty classic, but we gave these fritters our own flavor spin and also made them gluten-free!
Besides flaxseed meal and dairy-free milk, the ingredients for the batter include baking powder for fluffiness; salt, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast for flavor; and all-purpose flour or gluten-free blend to thicken it.
You’re looking for a thick, fluffy batter, which can be achieved by adding more flour or dairy-free milk as needed. With the batter ready, we’re just 3 ingredients away from fritter time!
Next up, fresh corn gets nestled into the chunky batter, along with finely chopped jalapeño for a subtle heat. While we love using fresh ingredients when it’s summertime, this recipe also works with frozen corn — just let it thaw at room temperature, then pat dry with paper towels to remove extra moisture. And if you don’t have fresh jalapeño, a pinch of cayenne would likely work as well!
Now for the frying! Instead of deep frying, we go with a shallow fry, cooking for 2-3 minutes per side in avocado oil in a cast iron skillet. Not only do we find shallow frying less daunting, but it minimizes the amount of oil needed and maximizes the health benefits. Win, win, win! And still, major YUM!
When the fritters are golden on both sides, it’s time to enjoy! They’re incredibly flavorful on their own (we were snacking right off the cooling rack), but they’re also amazing paired with a sauce. Try our Go-To Guacamole, Creamy Cashew Jalapeño Sauce, or Easy Vegan Ranch Dressing.
We hope you LOVE these corn fritters, friends! They’re:
Savory
Crispy
Naturally a little sweet
Just a little spicy
Quick & easy
& SO delicious!
This is the perfect appetizer or side to make during peak summer, when fresh corn and jalapeños are in season! However, they’re so delicious you may find yourself craving them year-round (in which case, using frozen corn is also a great option).
What to Serve with Corn Fritters
These fritters are flavorful without being heavily seasoned, making them a good fit for pairing with a variety of other sides and mains, especially grilled proteins, side salads, and anything BBQ seasoned (hello, summertime!). Here are several delicious pairings:
- BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches with Sweet & Spicy Slaw
- Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Herbed White Beans
- BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches with Avocado Slaw
- 1-Pot BBQ Baked Beans
- Easy Vegan Coleslaw
- Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken (30 Minutes!)
More Fresh Corn Recipes
- Grilled Corn with Sriracha Aioli
- Cheesy Jalapeño Corn Dip
- Simple Summer Corn Soup
- Grilled Corn Salad with Vegan Chipotle Ranch Dressing (30 Minutes!)
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Jalapeño Corn Fritters (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1/2 cup dairy-free milk (we used homemade cashew milk // any neutral-flavored, unsweetened milk will work!)
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup MB 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend (or store-bought* // if not gluten-free, you can use all-purpose flour)
- 1 ½ cups corn kernels (cut off the cob, or thawed from frozen and lightly dried // 2 small ears corn yield ~1 ½ cups or 235 g)
- 1-2 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeño (depending on preferred spiciness)
- Avocado oil (for cooking // or sub other neutral oil)
FOR DIPPING optional
Instructions
- Prepare a baking sheet by placing a layer of paper towels on it and flipping a cooling rack upside down on top of them. This will catch any extra oil from frying and keep your fritters crispy.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flaxseed meal and dairy-free milk. Let this sit for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, add the nutritional yeast, baking powder, sea salt, and garlic powder to the flax mixture. Whisk everything to combine, then add the flour and whisk once more — it should be a thick batter. Finally, fold in the corn and chopped jalapeño. If the mixture is too runny, add extra flour. If it’s too thick, add a little more dairy-free milk.
- Coat a large skillet (we used a 10-inch cast iron) with a thin layer of oil (~1 Tbsp) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (test it by dropping in a small dollop of batter — it should sizzle), begin cooking your fritters. Drop in 3 Tbsp portions of batter (we used this cookie scoop heaped with batter) and press with the back of your cookie scoop or spoon. Work in batches, adding only as many fritters as will fit comfortably in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove from the skillet, placing the fritters on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to your skillet as needed.
- Enjoy with guacamole, cashew jalapeño sauce, or vegan ranch. Best served immediately but can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, place the fritters in a lightly oiled skillet or 350-degree Fahrenheit (176 C) oven until warmed through.
Video
Notes
*Depending on the water content of your corn, it can pop a little, so wear an apron and avoid standing too close to your pan while shallow frying.
*We tested freezing after cooking and the corn fritters were okay, but definitely best when fresh! If freezing, it may work better to freeze (on a silicone-lined baking sheet) before cooking then pan fry from slightly thawed. Let us know if you test it!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with homemade cashew milk, 1 Tbsp oil for frying, and without optional ingredients.
Carol says
Fabulous! My hubbie says this is right out of his childhood because his grandma used to make him corn fritters. Super easy to make and doesn’t take many ingredients so basically, you could make this if you were low on funds (which a lot of people are these days). We did as you said and put smidge of vegan ranch on top…delicious and they hold together perfectly. We used avocado oil when frying in our cast iron. Worked out perfectly
We’re so glad you and your husband enjoyed them, Carol! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
The Vegan Goddess says
I have not made this but wanted to place a request for something that is missing from your site and should be added pronto! : )
That is: Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie
And if you could make it without refined sugar, all the better! Are you up to that challenge?
We will definitely add that to our list! Seems like a possibility!
SpaseCase says
Would these work with canned corn? I have more than I would like to admit as I bought it in bulk without thinking 😂
I imagine so if it were stained and patted dry like one might do with canned chickpeas 🤔
That should work!
Gretchen Chertov says
I made this last night and it was delicious!!! These are the first vegetable fritters I’ve made that actually held their shape during cooking. I used a little more oil than recommended to cook them (because I’m a oil hedonist) and they came out so delightfully crispy while soft inside. The combination of ingredients was tasty and next time I will try adding chopped cilantro. I could have eaten more and more of these wonderful fritters. Thanks so much for this recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Gretchen! We like to cook them in a little more oil sometimes too! Thank so much for sharing. xo
Gina says
Delicious! Have made many attempts at “fritters”, with various veg ingredients, over the years and this recipe is the best I’ve ever tried. Many thanks.
We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed them, Gina! Thanks so much for the lovey review. xo
Terri Bailey says
Can these be air fried?
We haven’t tried it but it might work! You would probably need to pan fry them a little first to help them stay together!
Isabelle de Fays Comina says
Hi! This looks like a very yummy recipe. Could the fritters be baked instead of fried?
Thank you!
Hi Isabelle! They won’t get as crispy if they are baked, but you could always try spraying them with oil and then baking in the oven! Let us know if you do any experimening!
Jack Kirchhoff says
I haven’t made this fritter yet, but I’m always looking for jalapeño recipes and corn is just coming into season here, so I have a plan. I do need to get flaxseed meal and nutritional yeast before I start, but a couple of other questions: If I don’t care about vegan, can I use regular milk? Also, and I know this is sort of incidental, but can I use pickled and/or candied jalapeños in place of fresh?
You can definitely use regular milk and pickled jalapeños here! We hope you enjoy!
Or Carmi says
Have you tried baking these instead of frying? I don’t like to fry anything, I think I’ll try baking these instead:)
They won’t get as crispy if they’re baked but let us know if you try it!