These healthy Vegan Corn Fritters are made with bell peppers, wholewheat flour, and flax eggs. Ready in just 30 minutes, they are lightly pan-fried (not deep fried) but still lightly crispy and a delicious savory brunch. Top with avocado and tomato salsa for a fresh and zesty flavor hit.
Sometimes, I’ll go through phases of brunching at home to save money. If you like slow weekend mornings in the kitchen too, then you’ll have to try some of my other favorite recipes like my Breakfast Burritos or for something sweet – Chocolate Chia Mousse or Blender Oat Pancakes.
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Why You’ll Love These Vegan Corn Fritters
Healthy – these fritters aren’t deep fried; they’re pan-fried, so they’re less oily than what you might get at a café! They also use whole wheat flour for extra protein and fiber. Plus, if you top them with avocado and tomato salsa, you’ll enjoy extra veggies and healthy fats.
They actually stick together – I was intimidated about making fritters at home, especially vegan ones, because I was convinced they would fall apart! But these are so simple and don’t fall apart, thanks to the flax eggs and wholemeal flour.
They taste just like regular (non-vegan) fritters – you can’t even taste the flax egg! Just delicious notes of corn, bell peppers, and onion.
Affordable – so much cheaper than paying café brunch prices for fritters; depending on where you live, these can be as low as $2.50 per serving!
Ingredients
All the ingredients with specific quantities are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here is a shopping list of ingredients to make it extra easy 😊
- Frozen corn
- Red bell pepper
- Green bell pepper
- Red onion
- Unsweetened soy milk
- Flaxseed meal
- Smoked paprika
- Cumin
- Avocado
- Tomatoes
- Fresh cilantro (coriander)
- Lime
How to make Vegan Corn Fritters
Making these corn fritters is very simple and almost identical to making non-vegan fritters. I just swap real eggs for flax eggs. There are detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but for a step-by-step overview with images, then read on!
Step One: Make your flax eggs by combining a flaxseed meal with water and leaving it to sit for a few minutes until thick and gelatinous.
Step Two: Mix your batter. Add all ingredients into a large bowl and mix until combined.
Step Three: Pan-fry the fritters in a non-stick pan with a small drizzle of olive oil. Cook for 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook for a further 3 minutes until golden on the other side.
Step Four: Serve immediately and top with avocado and tomato salsa for a fresh hit.
Hint: make sure to let the fritters cook through for a good 4 minutes on the first side to avoid them splitting when you flip them or being undercooked in the center 🙂 Also, a non-stick pan is also SO helpful if you are trying to use minimal oil when cooking. I use Anolon pans – they are an investment but serve me so well.
Substitutions
Here are some easy substitution ideas that would work well with the fritters:
- Different veggies – not a fan of bell peppers? You could try adding any small or finely diced vegetable. Peas, pre-roasted sweet potato or pumpkin, mushrooms, or baby spinach would all be delicious. Just make sure you don’t add too much, and the pieces of whatever vegetables you use are finely diced – otherwise, the fritters might not hold together.
- Swap out the onion – if you don’t like red onion, you could use pre-cooked caramelized onion for a sweet flavor addition. Or you could omit it altogether or use diced scallions (spring onion) instead.
- Flour – you can swap out the wholewheat flour for regular plain flour or gluten-free flour.
- Milk – use any unsweetened plant-based milk you’d like; almond or oat would also work well (although, FYI, they do have less protein than soy milk). If you’re not vegan, dairy milk is also fine. The only plant milk I wouldn’t recommend, though, is coconut or rice milk. These tend to impart sweetness and flavor that don’t taste great in savory meals.
Storage Instructions
The fritters are crispiest and have the best texture when enjoyed immediately after pan-frying, but can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them (they thaw surprisingly well!).
How to reheat these corn fritters
Here are some options for reheating the fritters from chilled (fridge) temperatures. You will need to add extra time if reheating from frozen.
- Microwave – zap them on high at 30-second intervals until heated through. Keep in mind they will not be as crispy.
- Pan fry – pan fry for 3 minutes on each side with a teaspoon or two of olive oil (just enough so they don’t stick).
- Oven – pop the fritters in the oven at a low temperature (160C/320F) on a lined baking tray until they heat through.
- Air fryer – air fry at 180C/350F for 4 minutes, flipping halfway through. This will give the fritters an even crispier texture.
Serving suggestions
I love these fritters for brunch with the avocado, tomato and coriander salsa as it is so fresh and zesty with lime juice.
Here are some other serving suggestions, though – fritters are pretty versatile!
- Side salad – serve the fritters with a big leafy salad in addition to the avo salsa to make them a more lunch-style meal (rather than brunch)
- Burger – make the fritters a little bigger when you pan-fried them, and use them as a burger in a bun! They would be delicious with a slice of cheese and some creamy coleslaw.
- Sandwich filling – load up a salad sandwich with a fritter in the middle for a delicious left-over lunch.
- Finger food – make the fritters a little smaller into bite-size patties and serve with hummus for a tasty appetizer. If you’re not worried about a bit of extra oil, you could even deep fry them to make them EXTRA crispy… they would look something like this recipe. Of course, it’s not the healthiest option, but it is just an idea for a treat 😉
FAQs
You can use flax eggs at a 1:1 ratio for real eggs. Make a flax egg by combining 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp of water and leaving it to sit for 5 minutes until it becomes gelatinous. Then mix into your batter as you would regular eggs.
If your fritters aren’t crispy after pan-frying, it could be because you didn’t use quite enough oil, or the oil wasn’t hot enough. Make sure to allow the oil to heat before placing the batter onto the pan
If your fritters are falling apart, it could be because you need to use more of a binding ingredient or not allow the fritter to cook through well enough before flipping. Consider adding an extra flax egg or leaving for a full 4 minutes on the first side or until the fritter is nearly cooked through before flipping.
Watch me make these corn fritters
Serving Suggestions and More Recipes
If you’re loving these Corn Fritters, you’ll definitely want to check out my Vegan Chilaquiles with Tofu — it’s a total crowd-pleaser!
I hope you enjoy these quick and easy corn fritters. Let me know what you think in the comments below 😊
Easy Vegan Corn Fritters
Ingredients
Flax Egg
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed approx. 14g
- 6 tbsp water approx. 90ml
Fritters
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels thawed; approx. 285g
- ¾ cup red and green bell pepper finely diced; approx. 107g
- ½ medium red onion finely diced; approx. 70g
- 1 cup whole wheat flour approx. 113g
- 2 tsp baking powder approx. 8g
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt approx. 3g
- to taste black pepper freshly cracked
- olive oil for pan-frying
Avocado Salsa (optional)
- 1 medium avocado diced; approx. 150g flesh
- 1 cup tomato diced; approx. 180g
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves roughly chopped; approx. 4g
- 1 medium lime juiced; approx. 2 tbsp or 30ml juice
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed and water. Let sit for 5–10 minutes until thickened and gel-like.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the corn, bell pepper, red onion, flour, baking powder, paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper, and the prepared flax egg. Stir until fully combined. The mixture will be thick and chunky.
- Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. With wet hands or a spoon, scoop about ¼ cup of the batter and gently shape into a patty. Place it into the pan and lightly press to flatten.
- Cook each fritter for about 4 minutes on the first side, or until golden and set. Flip and cook another 3 minutes on the other side, until browned and cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as needed between batches.
- (Optional): In a medium bowl, gently toss together the avocado, tomato, cilantro, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Enjoy fritters warm or at room temperature, topped with avocado salsa if using.
Umair says
Already made this three times… it’s unbeatable!!
Hong Nguyen says
I’m new to being full time vegan. Your recipes make it really easy to change over my diet.
Tine says
turned out super delicious, when I made them last night. i kept sneaking bites while cooking haha