I call these fresh vegan corn fritters “end of summer deliciousness on a plate.” But don't worry, these can be made any time of year with frozen organic sweet corn.
As most of us know, there is nothing like a cob of sweet corn in the summer, but there is a lot of confusion about corn.
Introduced in the mid-1990s, genetically modified (aka GMO) seeds now produce nearly 90% of the field corn in the United States.
Field corn is a commodity crop used in the manufacture of products like corn syrup, tortillas, cereals, processed food, cereal, ethanol and for feeding livestock. Field corn is allowed to mature fully before being shelled off the cob.
Sweet corn varieties have more sugar and less starch, and it is ready to be picked as soon as the ears have completely filled out in a less mature stage.
Over the years, sweet corn farmers have been reluctant to use GMO seeds, and approximately 55% of all sweet corn is non-GMO. But, GMO sweet corn is taking over. Always buy organic sweet corn if possible which has not been grown from GMO seeds.
Hope that cleared up a couple of things about corn.
Now, back to these vegan corn fritters with sweet corn and zucchini. I choose naturally gluten-free, protein packed, chickpea flour as my binder along with aquafaba which is the chickpea liquid from cooked chickpeas. Both of these elements have a wonderful binding quality so these sweet corn fritters don't fall apart.
As far as spice goes, I went for Mexican flavors by adding jalapeño, cilantro, red onion, and cumin. You could switch it up to basil, tarragon, or parsley. Any spices or combination of spices goes.
Hope you enjoy these vegan corn fritters as much as we did. If you love sweet corn as much as I do, you will probably love my Easy Corn Chowder with Potatoes, Red Pepper and Dill .
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Vegan Corn Fritters with Sweet Corn and Zucchini Recipe
- 2 small to medium zucchini, grated
- 1½ cups sweet organic corn kernels (approximately 2-3 ears cut from the cob) if using frozen, make sure they are thawed
- ½ cup red onion, chopped
- ¼-1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or parsley)
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped jalapeno
- 2 cloves garlic, grated (optional)
- 4 tablespoons aquafaba liquid (liquid from cooked chickpeas)
- ¾ cup chickpea flour
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil for sautéing or bake without oil (see note)
- Place the grated zucchini in a colander over the sink. Add ½ teaspoon salt and gently toss to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes. Using a clean dish towel, squeeze out the moisture from the zucchini.
- In a large bowl, combine the corn, onion, jalapeño,cilantro, zucchini, grated garlic, salt, ground black pepper and aquafaba liquid and toss to mix. Add the flour and toss with your hands making sure everything is evenly coated with flour. The mixture should be a tiny bit damp.
- In a large heavy saucepan, heat the oil. Gather the batter into patties about 3 inches in diameter and gently place it in the saute pan. If necessary flatten gently with a spatula.
- Saute until golden brown, approximately 2½ minutes on each side.
- *You could also bake these on a baking sheet lined in parchment paper. Cook at 375 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes until golden brown- gently turning once.
- Serve with vegan sour cream, salsa or sliced avocado
Is chickpea powder the same as chickpea flour?
No I don’t think so Helene – I don’t know what chickpea powder is – Chickpea flour is also called Garbanzo Bean flower – I will add that to the recipe. Thanks for the heads up and I hope you enjoy them.
What can be used in place of chickpea powder and aquafaba?
Hi Linda – You can use any flour you would like and you could substitute the aquafaba eggs for ground flax eggs. Just add two tablespoons of ground flax to 5 1/2 tablespoons of water – whisk and put in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to thicken. I like the aquafaba eggs better than any other plant-based egg replacement because the starch really helps the fritters bind together.
Thank you for your response. I don’t use a lot of chick peas so to buy them for the juice would not be feasible. I always have ground flax on hand so that will be good.
Thanks bunches.
Concerning my post below concerning the benefits of GMO’s. That and the replies need read to understand this post. I generally believe the truth is opposite of fearporn being pumped at anything. It includes GMO”s. As far as past generations having infertility problems, read the Bible. Generation after generation had infertility issues. Was it mycotoxins? I don’t know that it was. But, I don”t know that it wasn”t. Furthermore concerning GMO’s, read about “jumping genes from species to species. Nature is experimenting in a magnitude exponentially beyond Monsanto’s feeble endeavors. Monsanto did not create those genes. Monsanto merely moved nature’s genes from one species to another. Monsanto GMO’s are more than about Roundup. It is also about other natural pest controls moved from selected species to our crop species. This has permitted a large drop in my pesticide usage in my 40 year farming career. Farming is a war against nature. Nature wants to eat a farmer’s production before mankind does. Try it before arm chair quarterbacking. Consider, there may be another side to the story. Peace. http://wasabimon.com/
Do you cook the Corno the cob first?
Good question Cathy – No you don’t have to cook it first. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for being part of our healthy community!
Thanks Nancy! Loving your recipes! 😊
Thank you Cathy and thanks so much for taking the time to comment. Have a wonderful day!
Hi Nancy, I just made them. They are absolutely delicious!!! Thank you for sharing your recipe! 😊
Thanks for the feedback Cathy – & yes so yummy!!
Just made these and my husband and I loved them! Thank you for all you do for us.
Hi Monique – Thanks for the kind words and I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
these look delicious! Can you make these ahead and warm them in the oven for a fun “corn” twist for Thanksgiving??
Hi Carolyn – Thank you and yes I don’t see why not. Have a wonderful holiday!
Hi! Where can I get the Aquafaba liquid? Do I get it from a can of chickpeas and then cook the can of beans before using the liquid? I am new to this. I would like to know more about it. Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth – Aquafaba liquid is the liquid that is in a can of cooked chickpeas. The chickpeas are already cooked so you don’t have to cook them before using. I hope that helps and thank you so much for being part of our healthy community. Have a wonderful day! Nancy
I just love these! I just made them. Before I added the binder (I used two flaxseed eggs instead of aquafaba) and the garbanzo bean flour, I tried to ingredients mixed together and it was so delicious. Modifications that I made were based on wanting to keep it simple. I added 2 zucchini , medium sized. I added a little extra onion and about a 1/2 teaspoon more of cumin because I like cumin. I added a little more of the garbanzo flour because I needed it less wet after the flaxseed eggs. so basically I probably added another 1/2 more of the recipe to serve more. I cooked 3 zucchini corn pancakes on top of the stove with very little oil in the nonstick and they were fantastic! a little soft on the inside but delicious. The rest I’m currently cooking in the oven to see what the difference will be. I suspect a little drier but cooked all the way through. I ate 3 and dipped them into “The Original Bitchin’ Sauce that comes from California. All the flavors are amazing and I use them for dipping. It’s made out of almonds/Braggs/Nutritional Yeast, etc… and is non GMO, Vegan, Gluten free, and “K” (not sure what that is). Anyway Thumbs up Nancy!!!!
I love and look forward to continuing trying all your oil free items. They are terrific.
Maia – thank you so much for your feedback and wonderful suggestions. Now I’m hungry for some corn fritters right now with “the original Bitchin” sauce. Also, I appreciate your kind words. They make me want to work harder. Have a wonderful day!
Nancy
These sound great. Can you air fry them, and if so, any idea temp and time?
Hi Shanna – I am sure you can but I don’t have an air fryer so I have no idea. But I did find a corn fritter recipe on an air fryer website and this was their directions Preheat Air Fryer to 400
Spray with cooking oil
Air Fryer for 10 minutes and flip over for an additional 5 minutes.
Hope that helps – thanks for stopping by