Jalapeño Vegan Corn Fritters (Two Ways!)

Crispy on the outside, moist and bursting with juicy summer corn kernels on the inside, these crave-worthy vegan corn fritters are flavored with a touch of cumin and (optionally) topped with spicy jalapeño slices!

I finally harvested the first of this year's backyard vegetable garden crop last week. Just a couple of cherry tomatoes so far. Is it just me, or is it a bit late in the season for that? My neighbors' gardens all look a bit fuller than mine at this point, so I'm guessing the answer is yes, but given the fact that my plants have all gotten pretty out of hand in years past, I'm thinking that might be a good thing.

I also took a cue from my mistakes of previous years and planted way less this time around. Things have been much more manageable, so I'm thinking that may have been a wise decision. I've got a few tomato plants (including not just the ones that I planted, but also a few that sprung up on their own), a bell pepper that's just starting to flower, a cucumber with one cucumber growing on it, and an eggplant plant that looks like it might be a lost cause at this point, as it's getting attacked pretty badly by bugs.

One thing I am a little bummed about skipping is the hot peppers. I love my hot peppers and can really never have to many of them.

I had to got to the store to snag a couple of peppers for these fritters. Actually though, you can make these with or without the jalapeño slices. I maybe should have called this post Vegan Corn Fritters (Four Ways!) but that seemed a bit overwhelming. The two ways I was talking about in the post title were baked and fried, but you could do baked with or without peppers and fried with or without peppers. That's four. Yes, I tried baking and (lightly) frying these little guys, and both ways worked!

Let's face it though, this type of recipe is totally customizable, so the ways are infinite. I debated throwing in some lime juice, bell peppers, scallions, fresh cilantro, coconut bacon. Endless possibilities, all vegan. Regular old corn fritters, I've noticed, rely heavily on eggs. I guess that's a big deal since you've got a lot of stuff to hold together without much batter. I opted to try a mix of non-dairy milk with some flax seeds. It was perfect! Just the right amount of binding, just enough richness in the cashew milk to give these fritters a soft and tender bite while staying totally vegan.

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Jalapeño Vegan Corn Fritters (Two Ways!)

Crispy on the outside, moist and bursting with juicy summer corn kernels on the inside, these crave-worthy vegan corn fritters are flavored with a touch of cumin and (optionally) topped with spicy jalapeño slices!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 240 kcal

Author Alissa

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh corn kernels, about 4 ears of corn
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
• olive or canola oil, optional, see instructions
• 2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced (optional)

For serving (pick your favorites):

• salsa
• avocado slices
• lime wedges
• fresh cilantro
• hot sauce

Instructions

1. Stir corn, flour, cornmeal, flaxseed, cumin, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add non-dairy milk and stir just until blended. Allow batter to sit for about 5 minutes.

For Pan-Fried Vegan Corn Fritters

1. Generously coat the bottom of a large skillet with 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and place over medium heat. When oil is hot, drop batter onto skillet in dollops of about 3 tablespoonfuls. If using jalapeños, arrange a few slices on top of each fritter. Allow to cook until they're firm enough on the bottoms that they can easily be flipped without falling apart, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until nicely browned on opposite sides, about 3 to 4 minutes more.
2. Remove from skillet and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Repeat until all batter is used, adding oil to the skillet as needed between batches.

For Baked Vegan Corn Fritters

1. Preheat oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop batter onto parchment in about 3 tablespoon dollops. If using jalapeños, arrange a few slices on top of each fritter. Optionally, spritz the tops with a bit of oil (this helps them to crisp).
2. Bake 10 minutes, gently flip and bake 10 minutes more, until browned on both sides.

Serve

1. Serve with toppings or sauces of choice.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition information is for baked fritters.

Nutrition Facts

Jalapeño Vegan Corn Fritters (Two Ways!)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 240 Calories from Fat 34

% Daily Value*

Fat 3.8g6%

Saturated Fat 0.5g3%

Sodium 396mg17%

Potassium 497mg14%

Carbohydrates 47.6g16%

Fiber 6g24%

Sugar 4.2g5%

Protein 7.7g15%

Calcium 110mg11%

Iron 5.8mg32%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.