If your garden is overflowing with an abundance of zucchini, this zucchini fritters recipe with fresh milled flour is a must-try! Crispy and flavorful and made with only a couple simple ingredients.
If you’re an avid gardener or a homesteader like me, you have likely encountered a summer season where you are overwhelmed with an abundance of zucchini.
While I have tried to preserve the bounty by freezing or dehydrating the vegetable, my preferred way is to just eat it fresh.
Most recipes will have you grate the squash and “hide” it amongst some sweet batter or chocolate. And while my family does love a good zucchini brownie, we greatly enjoy turning fresh zucchini into fried fritters.
The taste and texture is splendid. And with an added touch of sweet shredded carrots, it is a summer side dish we just can’t get enough of.
Using freshly milled flour adds extra nutrition without weighing the fritter down. If you have a picky eater in the home, try this zucchini fritters recipe with fresh milled flour. They have a mild flavor, are fried (who doesn’t love fried food?!) and pack a punch of nutrition.
Why is Fresh Milled Flour Better for You?
Fresh milled flour is better due to the incredible amount of nutrition you receive in each and every single bite of bread, baked good or side dish such as these zucchini fritters. Milling your own flour ensures you get the most nutrients, vitamins and fiber and it can help to improve digestion, blood sugar and overall wellness.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Great Way to Use Excess Zucchini – There are some summers where the garden is flooded with zucchini. When this happens, I love to turn a zuke into a delicious zucchini fritter recipe with fresh milled flour.
Delicious – Made with simple ingredients and fresh milled flour, you can feel good about eating an entire plate of from scratch zucchini fritters.
Versatile Side Dish – While I usually serve these fritters at dinner or lunch time with a cut of meat and a loaf of bread, I think they also make a great snack or even as a breakfast side dish instead of the traditional hash browns.
How to Make Crispy Zucchini Fritters
- Adding salt to the zucchini and carrots helps to draw out the moisture which aids in a crispy finished product rather than soggy.
- After the vegetables have been salted and rest for at least 10 minutes, there should be a pool of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Toss the shredded zucchini and carrots into a cheesecloth or clean dish towel and squeeze! Wringing out the remaining liquid will again help to ensure a crisp, tender fritter.
- Fry a few fritters at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan. Using the back of a spatula, flatten each fritter so that it cooks evenly.
- When the fritters are finished frying, set them on a plate lined with a paper towel. If there is any excess oil on the fritters, the paper towel will absorb it, keeping those beloved fritters fresh and crisp.
Tools You May Need
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. In any case, I only link to products we actually use on our homestead and that I believe can truly benefit to you. See my full disclosure here.
Bowl
Fine mesh strainer
Cheesecloth or a kitchen towel
Food processor or box grater
Cutting board
Ingredients
Zucchini – A large zucchini or two smaller ones should equal about 2 1/2 cups of shredded zucchini. I love picking them fresh from the garden but your local farmers market or grocery store should have some available. If you don’t have any zucchini on hand, try another variety of summer squash, like a crookneck or Alexandria squash.
Carrots – Adds a great pop of color and touch of sweetness to the zucchini fritters recipe.
Salt – Used to not only add flavor but also to draw out the moisture from the vegetables to help create a crisp fritter.
Eggs – Helps hold the fritters together when frying.
Fresh Milled Flour – Hard white wheat is what the recipe calls for but hard red wheat, spelt or even soft white wheat will do.
Oil
Tips
- Do not skip the first or second step. Adding the salt and wringing out the excess moisture creates a tender, crisp fritter rather than a mushy one.
- A cheesecloth works great to help drain the moisture from the veggies, however a kitchen towel will work too. Occasionally, when I am in a hurry I have used a spatula to push the zucchini against the fine mesh strainer to drain the liquid instead of squeezing it in a cloth.
- The oil should always be hot. If the oil isn’t warm enough, the fritters won’t fry correctly and will absorb the oil which in turn will give you a sad, soggy fritter.
- You will know when the fritters are done frying when the outsides are a nice golden brown and the inside is no longer doughy.
How to Make Zucchini Fritters
Makes: 12 fritters
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
2 cups shredded carrots (about 3 carrots)
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup freshly milled hard white wheat flour
1/4 cup oil
Directions
Using a food processor or box grater, shred zucchini and carrots. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and add shredded vegetables. Allow to drain for about 10 minutes. Dump liquid from bowl.
Wrap the zucchini and carrots in a piece of cheesecloth or a kitchen towel and squeeze out any excess liquid. Put the zucchini and carrots back into the bowl and stir in eggs until combined. Add flour and mix together.
In a skillet (I like to use my Lodge cast iron pan), add oil and turn heat to medium. Drop several two tablespoons portions of batter into hot skillet. Gently flatten with a spatula. Cook first side until golden brown, then flip and finish cooking the second side. Place fritters on a paper towel-lined plate.
Add additional oil to pan, if needed. Repeat the process with remaining batter. Serve fritters and enjoy! Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days.
What Do People Eat With Fritters?
Many people enjoy eating the fritters with a dipping sauce such as tzatziki, sour cream or yogurt. I think kefir ranch dressing would be delicious with the fritters. I usually serve the fritters with a main dish such as salisbury steak, roast beef or baked chicken.
How to Reheat Zucchini Fritters
To reheat the zucchini carrot fritters recipe, heat oven to 375° F. Place fritters on a sheet pan and warm for 5-7 minutes. The oven works best to reheat and make the fritters crisp again. Do not use a microwave as this will make them soggy.
Can I Substitute Yellow Squash for Zucchini?
Yes! Any summer squash will work will in this recipe for zucchini fritters with fresh milled flour. I love to use our yellow crookneck squash when I don’t have any zucchini on hand.
More Delicious Recipes To Try
Zucchini Fritters Recipe With Fresh Milled Flour
If your garden is overflowing with an abundance of zucchini, this zucchini fritters recipe with fresh milled flour is a must-try! Crispy and flavorful and made with only a couple simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
- 2 cups shredded carrots (about 3 carrots)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup freshly milled hard white wheat flour
- 1/4 cup oil
Instructions
- Using a food processor or box grater, shred zucchini and carrots. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and add shredded vegetables. Allow to drain for about 10 minutes. Dump liquid from bowl.
- Wrap the zucchini and carrots in a piece of cheesecloth or a kitchen towel and squeeze out any excess liquid. Put the zucchini and carrots back into the bowl and stir in eggs until combined. Add flour and mix together.
- In a skillet (I like to use my Lodge cast iron pan), add oil and turn heat to medium. Drop several two tablespoons portions of batter into hot skillet. Gently flatten with a spatula. Cook first side until golden brown, then flip and finish cooking the second side. Place fritters on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add additional oil to pan, if needed. Repeat the process with remaining batter. Serve fritters and enjoy! Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days.
