Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters (Vegan)

These Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters with avocado salsa are a super flavorful snack or side dish. They’re seasoned with aromatic fresh herbs and lemon zest and pan-fried until golden brown with a crisp exterior. These egg-free zucchini fritters are vegan and Modified AIP compliant.

This post is sponsored by Good Foods Group, LLC. Products used in this recipe were sent to me by Good Foods and the opinions and text are all mine.

As the creator of an online dairy-free and gluten-free baking school, I understand how challenging it is to find dairy and gluten-free recipes that taste as delicious as their conventional counterparts. My vegan and gluten free zucchini fritters are flavor-packed and stay together perfectly without breadcrumbs or eggs for a super satiating vegetable snack.

These fritters are the perfect way to enjoy everyone’s favorite summer squash. I love adding these to my summer lunch rotation and they’re also great as an appetizer, snack, accompaniment to dinner or any main dish.

You might also like my gluten free apple fritters, cod fritters or tuna patties recipe.

Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters Recipe

These gluten free zucchini fritters are deliciously flavored with fresh, aromatic green onions, garlic, cilantro, and brightened with some lemon zest. The batter is rounded out with naturally gluten-free garbanzo bean flour which lends a slightly nutty flavor, arrowroot starch to absorb moisture, baking powder, and flaxseed meal for binding.

They’re pan-fried until golden brown with a crisp exterior. To keep these dairy-free, in lieu of greek yogurt or sour cream, I’m serving them with the most delicious salsa verde – Good Foods Avocado Salsa for a creamy, zesty, dairy-free dipping sauce. This is the perfectly complementary sauce for these fritters, made with simple wholesome ingredients like Hass avocados, lime, fresh tomatillos and a hint of jalapeño peppers! You’re going to love it – find in stores near you and thank me later!

Ingredients

• zucchini
• salt
• flaxseed meal – also called ground flaxseed, this is the main binding agent in these vegan fritters.
• green onions
• garlic
• lemon zest
• cilantro
• garbanzo bean flour – also called chickpea flour, this plant-based flour is a gluten-free flour that works really well to help keep the fritters together without gluten or eggs.
• arrowroot starch
• baking powder
• avocado oil – for frying
• Good Foods Avocado Salsa – If you’re avoiding nightshades, or on a diet like the autoimmune protocol, Good Foods Avocado Mash is the perfect alternative!

Ingredient Substitutions

• Garbanzo bean flour: You can use a gluten-free all purpose flour instead.
• Arrowroot starch: You can feel free to use tapioca starch instead.
• Avocado oil: You can also use olive oil or a high heat oil for frying the fritters.
• AIP Modifications: This recipe complies with the Modified AIP version of the AIP diet. Serve with Good Foods Avocado Mash for a Modified AIP compliant dipping sauce.

Instructions

Step 1. Prepare the zucchini

Shred the zucchini in a food processor or by using the large holes of a box grater. Add the grated zucchini to a sieve/strainer placed over a bowl and toss with 1 tsp salt. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Step 2. Make the flax egg

In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal with water and let sit to thicken and congeal into flax “eggs”.

Step 3. Remove the excess moisture from the zucchini

After 10 minutes, spoon zucchini into a large piece of cheesecloth and use your hands to squeeze out all the liquid from the zucchini. You should collect at least 2 cups of water from this process.

Step 4. Make the batter

Transfer dried zucchini to a large bowl and add green onion, garlic, lemon zest, and cilantro. Then, add the garbanzo bean flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt and stir to combine. The mixture should be dry.

Step 5. Add the flax egg

Finally, pour in the flax egg and stir until well combined.

Step 6. Cook the zucchini fritters

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and add 3-4 TBSP avocado oil. Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to transfer 2-3 TBSP of the batter to the pan. Flatten with the back of a spoon or a spatula. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip the fritters and cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Repeat until you’ve used all the batter, adding oil between each set of fritters as needed. Place the cooked zucchini fritters on a wire cooling rack or paper towel lined plate to absorb the oil.

Step 7. Serve

Serve immediately for maximum crispiness with Good Foods Avocado Salsa or Avocado Mash, garnished with green onions if desired.

How To Make Zucchini Fritters Crispy

Squeeze out excess moisture

This is the most crucial step to achieving crispy zucchini fritters as moisture is the culprit causing soggy fritters. Use a cheesecloth, nut milk bag or even a kitchen towel if you don’t have either of the above to help you in this process.

I measured about 2 cups of water that I squeezed out of the zucchini so this is the minimum you should get.

Binding Ingredients

The flax eggs, gluten-free garbanzo bean flour, and arrowroot starch all work together to keep the zucchini fritters together, absorb moisture, and create a crisp exterior.

Don’t Overmix the Batter

Overmixing can release more moisture from the zucchini so don’t overwork the mixture.

Use Hot Oil

Allow the oil to get hot in the skillet before you add the fritters. If the fritters absorb too much oil they’ll become soggy instead of crispy. Similarly, add just enough oil to coat the pan so that the fritters don’t get too greasy, adding more in between batches as necessary.

Don’t Crowd the Pan

Fry the fritters in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the skillet. Overcrowding the pan will cool the oil temperature so the fritters won’t become golden brown and crispy and will instead be softer as moisture is released. Relatedly, leave the fritters undisturbed until it’s time to flip them as they won’t get crisp with a lot of fiddling.

Absorb excess oil

Place the cooked zucchini fritters on a plate lined with a paper towel or on a wire cooling rack so the excess oil can be absorbed or drip away. This ensures the fritters can get crispy and not be soggy or oversaturated with oil.

Serve Fresh

The fritters will naturally lose some crispness once they are left out or stored. Always reheat them before serving.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

Always serve these gluten-free zucchini fritters warm as they will soften and lose their crisp once they cool or are refrigerated.

Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezer: Store in a ziplock bag or glass container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in an air fryer. You can also thaw the fritters in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for about 30 minutes then reheat them in the oven or on the stovetop.

Reheating Instructions: Reheat in an air fryer at 400F for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop over low-medium heat, 2-3 minutes per side.
Reheat in the oven at 400F for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.

I hope you love these Vegan and Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters. If you do, I would appreciate it if you would give the recipe a rating and review. Be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious and using the hashtag #healmedelicious. 

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