Baked Zucchini Fritters

These baked zucchini fritters are SO easy to make and require just 5 ingredients. They’re made in the oven and come together in about 30 minutes. The best part is that they’re gluten free and paleo, and a great make-ahead recipe!

Ohhhh boy I’m excited to share this zucchini fritters recipe with you! I first tried zucchini fritters a few years ago, but I remember making them with breadcrumbs and frying them in a skillet. While that’s one way to go, I wanted to create a healthier baked version that uses almond flour instead of breadcrumbs.

WHY THESE ZUCCHINI FRITTERS ARE SO GOOD

• They’re made with almond flour, meaning they’re gluten free and therefore suitable for most dietary preferences
• They’re easy to meal prep and enjoy throughout the week
• These fritters are flavored with garlic and a little bit of Italian seasoning to keep things simple and garlicky (I don’t know about you, but garlic is my FAVORITE).

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS INGREDIENTS

• Zucchini: I know this is pretty obvious, but you’re going to need zucchini in order to make fritters. In the recipe card below, I recommend using 2 medium/large zucchinis, but if you can only find smaller ones then make sure to use 3 zucchini.
• Garlic: Garlic is what gives these babies flavor! The first time I made these I used garlic powder and it didn’t quite do the trick. Make sure to use actual garlic cloves in this recipe.
• Eggs: Eggs are used to bind the shredded zucchini together. You can try using flax eggs if you’re allergic to eggs (combine 2 tbsp flaxseed meal with 5 tbsp water, then wait 10 minutes for the flaxseed to absorb the water), but I haven’t tried this myself. If you can eat eggs, I say stick with actual eggs.
• Almond flour: In order to keep these paleo, I used almond flour to hold everything together and absorb some of the liquid. Substitutions include: technically, any paleo-friendly flour should work, but I prefer the taste of almond flour so that’s what I used.

HOW TO MAKE BAKED ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

Grate the zucchini: This is key! The first time I attempted these I ran the zucchini through my food processor, which resulted in too much liquid. I recommend using a box grater to grate the zucchini into a large bowl. This might take an extra minute or two, but the results will be so much better.

Squeeze out the liquid: Pour the grated zucchini on top of 3-4 paper towels, then squeeze the liquid out (I did this over the kitchen sink). You’re won’t be able to get all of the liquid out, but we want to squeeze out most of the moisture, which will allow the fritters to get nice and crispy in the oven. If you don’t squeeze out the liquid, they may end up being too soggy.

Bake until crispy: Bake times vary depending on your oven, so I recommend baking for anywhere between 8-12 minutes per side.

CAN YOU FREEZE ZUCCHINI FRITTERS?

Yes! Once the fritters have completely cooled, you can place them in a plastic bag in the freezer, and they should keep for at least a week. You can also individually wrap them in plastic wrap to help them hold shape.

WHAT SAUCE GOES WITH ZUCCHINI FRITTERS?

Honestly? Pretty much anything, in my opinion. For this recipe, I used Greek yogurt and then topped it with some chopped chives and found that to be super easy and delicious. You could also use mayonnaise, sriracha, any kind of hot sauce, etc.

OTHER PALEO RECIPES

• Chimichurri Cauliflower Steaks
• Avocado Tuna Salad
• Whole30 Chicken Salad