These crispy corn fritters are easy, eggless, and vegan. Made with fresh corn, onions, flour, and coconut milk, they are pan-fried until golden and crisp. A quick 30-minute snack or appetizer made with fresh corn, with step-by-step photos and a quick video tutorial.
Fresh summer corn is in season, and I love trying different ways to use it. This crispy corn fritters recipe is a family favorite, and I also make fresh corn salsa and grilled corn salad. My kids love these fritters too, so I often make them for their after-school snack.
They are so good that you'll want to go back for seconds - I always do. Serve them with tomato ketchup, sauce, or any of your favorite dips. The best part is that they come together quickly, so you can make a batch whenever you have fresh corn.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Crispy and soft: These vegan corn fritters are crispy on the outside and soft and juicy inside.
- Easy to make: They come together with simple ingredients and are pan-fried instead of deep-fried.
- Eggless and vegan: Made without eggs or dairy, using coconut milk instead.
- Easy to customize: Add your favorite vegetables and seasonings to change up the flavor.
About This Corn Fritters Recipe
Traditional corn fritters are usually made with corn kernels, egg, flour, milk, and butter. You can deep-fry, shallow-fry, or bake them.
For this recipe, I made a few simple changes to keep the corn fritters eggless and vegan. I skipped the eggs and used coconut milk instead. I also reduced the amount of all-purpose flour and added ground corn kernels to help bind the batter.
I season the fritters with chili powder, cumin, pepper, and salt. Instead of deep-frying, I shallow-fry them in a pan until golden and crisp. They turn out crispy on the outside, soft inside, and not greasy.
The corn gives these fritters a natural sweetness, while the spices add a nice savory flavor. These are one of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh corn.
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Ingredients for Corn Fritters
See the recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredients, quantities, and a printable version.
- Corn kernels: I used fresh sweet corn kernels for this recipe. Blanch them in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain well before using. You can also use canned or frozen corn. Check the recipe card notes for how to use them.
- Ginger & garlic: I recommend using finely chopped ginger and minced garlic for the best flavor. You can use ginger-garlic paste instead. Garlic powder can also be used in place of fresh garlic. If you don't have ginger, skip it.
- Baking powder: A little baking powder helps make the fritters lighter and softer inside.
- Coconut milk: I used coconut milk to keep these corn fritters vegan. You can use any unsweetened non-dairy milk. If you are not vegan, regular milk will also work.
How to make Crispy Corn Fritters with Step-by-Step Photos
1) Prep the corn kernels: If using fresh corn, blanch it in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain well. If using frozen corn, thaw and drain it well. If using canned corn, drain and pat it dry.
2) Make the ground corn paste: Grind ½ cup of the prepared corn kernels in a food processor or blender without adding water. You want a slightly coarse texture, not a completely smooth puree. Set the ground corn kernels aside (images 1 & 2).
3) Prepare the corn fritter batter: In a large bowl, add the remaining corn kernels, onion, ground corn kernels, ginger, garlic, cilantro, baking powder, lemon juice, all-purpose flour, red chili powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder & salt. Mix well (images 3 & 4).
4) Add coconut milk & stir to make the batter. Do not over-mix the batter. Set it aside (images 5 & 6).
5) Pan-fry the corn fritters: Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to coat the base. When the pan is hot, pour the batter with a spoon.
6) Press the batter gently with the back of the spoon to flatten it (like a pancake). You can also use a cookie scoop to scoop out the corn fritter batter.
7) Let the fritters cook on one side for 2-3 minutes. Don't try to flip them immediately after adding the batter, as they may break.
8) After 2 minutes, gently lift one fritter to check the bottom. Once it turns golden, flip and cook the other side until golden and crisp. Serve hot with tomato sauce or your favorite dip.
Tips for Making Crispy Corn Fritters
- Batter consistency: Make the fritter batter slightly thick. The fritters will be crisp when fried. The batter should have less water content. If you add more milk than required, it will make the corn fritter batter soggy.
- Check the oil temperature: The oil should be hot enough for the corn fritters to cook and turn golden without absorbing too much oil. To test, carefully drop about ½ teaspoon of batter into the oil.
- If it sizzles gently and starts cooking right away, the oil is ready.
- If it doesn't sizzle and sits in the oil, the oil needs to be hotter.
- If it sizzles rapidly and browns immediately, the oil is too hot. Reduce the heat and let it cool slightly before testing again.
- Do not over-mix the batter: Mix just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can make the fritters dense and tough. A gently mixed batter gives a better texture.
- Do not overcrowd the pan: Fry the fritters in batches, leaving enough space between them. Overcrowding can lower the oil temperature and make the fritters greasy instead of crisp.
What to serve with fritters?
Corn fritters are great as a snack, breakfast, or light meal. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve them:
- Dipping sauces: Serve with aioli, harissa paste, fresh corn salsa, or guacamole. For a non-vegan option, serve with sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- Salads: Pair them with a refreshing cucumber tomato salad or Asian slaw. For a non-vegan option, serve with Greek yogurt coleslaw.
- For kids: My kids love them with tomato ketchup on the side.
Recipe Card
Crispy Corn Fritters Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 Frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cup fresh, frozen, or canned corn kernels
- ½ cup finely chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped/minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro or coriander leaves substitute parsley or dill leaves
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or use red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder refer notes to make cumin powder.
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup coconut milk or any non-dairy milk (For non-vegans, use dairy milk.)
- oil for shallow frying
Instructions
- Prep the corn kernels. If using fresh corn, blanch it in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain well. If using frozen corn, thaw it and drain it well. If using canned corn, drain and pat it dry.
- Grind ½ cup of the prepared corn kernels in a food processor or blender without adding water. You want a slightly coarse texture, not a completely smooth puree. Set aside
- In a large bowl, add the remaining corn kernels, onion, ground corn kernels, ginger, garlic, cilantro, baking powder, lemon juice, all-purpose flour, red chili powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder & salt. Mix well
- Add the coconut milk and gently stir to make the batter. Do not overmix. Set aside.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to coat the base. When the pan is hot, spoon the batter into the pan, leaving some space between each fritter.
- Press the batter gently with the back of the spoon to flatten it (like a pancake). You can also use a cookie scoop to scoop out the corn fritter batter.
- Let the fritters cook on one side for 2-3 minutes. Don't try to flip them immediately after adding the batter, as they may break.
- After 2 minutes, gently lift one fritter to check the bottom. Once it turns golden, flip and cook the other side until golden and crisp. Serve hot with tomato sauce or your favorite dip.
Notes
- If using frozen corn, thaw and drain it well. If using canned corn, drain and pat it dry. Excess moisture can make the batter watery.
- Keep the batter slightly thick: The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape when spooned into the pan. If it looks too dry, add 1-2 teaspoons of milk at a time. Avoid adding too much, as a thin batter can make the fritters soggy.
- Don't over-mix: Mix the batter just until everything is combined. Overmixing can make the fritters dense and tough.
- Check the oil temperature: The oil should be hot enough for the corn fritters to cook and turn golden without absorbing too much oil. To test, carefully drop about ½ teaspoon of batter into the oil.
- If it sizzles gently and starts cooking right away, the oil is ready.
- If it doesn't sizzle and sits in the oil, the oil needs to be hotter.
- If it sizzles rapidly and browns immediately, the oil is too hot. Reduce the heat and let it cool slightly before testing again.
- Don't overcrowd the pan: Fry the fritters in batches, leaving enough space between them. This helps them cook evenly and turn crisp.
- For even fritters: Use an ice cream scoop to portion the batter. This gives you fritters of a similar size, so they cook evenly.
- Storage: Let the fritters cool completely before freezing. Store them in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw for about 30 minutes and reheat in a pan until hot and crisp.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Shanaya
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