These butternut squash fritters are crisp on the outside, tender on the inside and packed with savory flavor in every bite.
The key to great vegetable fritters is understanding moisture and structure. Too much liquid and they fall apart, too little and they are dense and dry. This recipe uses the right balance of freshly grated butternut squash, salty gruyere and fluffy ricotta so the fritters are crisp on the outside, but tender on the inside. This method has been refined through plenty of testing, giving you fritters that cook evenly, brown beautifully and hold together.
reasons you'll love Butternut Squash Fritters
- Versatile - Great as an appetizer, side dish or vegetarian main.
- Great with Sauces - pairs well with yogurt dips, pesto, aioli, herbed mayo or squeeze of lemon.
- Simple Ingredients - Uses simple, basic ingredients that are easy to find.
Ingredients for Butternut Squash Fritters
- Butternut Squash: great for fritters because it doesn't have as much moisture as other squash varieties.
- Gruyere: this flavor wells so well with the squash, but you can use any variety of cheese.
- Flour, Baking powder: you can use a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour in this recipe without any adjustments.
- Paprika, and salt: flavor makers.
- Fresh Herbs: I suggest using a mix of whatever you have on hand, or whatever herbs you like best.
- Eggs: size large
- Red Onion: green onions will also work.
- Ricotta: I love how fluffy ricotta provides a great texture, but you can use blended cottage cheese if you already have that on hand.
How to Make Crispy Vegetable Fritters
- Peel and shred the butternut squash. You can do this with a vegetable peeler and box grater, but it will take a little while. I find this so much easier when using a food processor with a shredding blade. You can take a peek at the step by step video if you want to see how I did this.
- Combine the shredded butternut squash, shredded cheese, flour, baking powder, salt, paprika, herbs, eggs, red onion and ricotta. Stir well until completely combined. The batter will feel quite thick.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with add enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet well (about ¼ inch deep).
- Scoop the batter out and shape into small patties (or just drop them into the skillet if you prefer) I made each fritter roughly ¼ cup. Fry in the hot oil approximately 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown on the outside and cooked through in the center. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and fresh herbs.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: store in an airtight container up to 4 days.
- Reheat: warm in a skillet or air fryer until crisp. Avoid microwaving, as the fritters will not be crispy.
- Freezer: freeze cooked fritters in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag up to 3 months. Reheat straight from frozen in a hot skillet or air fryer.
Vegetable Fritter Variations
- Cheese: you can use sharp cheddar, parmesan, or gouda in these fritters.
- Extra Crispy: coat the formed patties lightly in seasoned breadcrumbs before frying for an ultra crispy exterior.
- Meat: cooked, crispy bacon or pancetta add great flavor. You can add up to ½ cup of cooked meat to this recipe.
- Gluten Free: use 1:1 gluten free flour, such as Cup 4 Cup.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not squeezing excess moisture: butternut squash doesn't have as high of moisture content as other squash, such as yellow or zucchini squash However, it is still helpful to try to press out any extra liquid. Too much liquid in the squash mixture will prevent the fritters from crisping up.
- Patties that are too thick: make sure your patties are a nice even consistency so they cook through in the center.
- Flipping too early: let the first side become fully golden before turning. Turning the fritters too soon will cause them to fall apart more easily.
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Butternut Squash Fritters
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded butternut squash roughly 1 small butternut squash
- 1 ½ cup shredded gruyere cheese
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons mixed herbs your preference such as sage, thyme, rosemary, etc
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup red onion finely
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
Instructions
- Peel and shred the butternut squash. You can do this with a vegetable peeler and box grater, but it will take a little while. I find this so much easier when using a food processor with a shredding blade. You can take a peek at the step by step video if you want to see how I did this.
- Combine the shredded butternut squash, shredded cheese, flour, baking powder, salt, paprika, herbs, eggs, red onion and ricotta.
- Stir well until completely combined. The batter will feel quite thick.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with add enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet well (about ¼ inch deep).
- Scoop the batter out and shape into small patties (or just drop them into the skillet if you prefer) I made each fritter roughly ¼ cup.
- Fry in the hot oil approximately 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown on the outside and cooked through in the center.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and fresh herbs.
Tips:
Nutrition Information
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Hi, I'm Annie. With a Bachelor of Science degree, a minor in nutrition and nearly 20 year of both classical training, and self-taught experience, I've spent my career proving that home cooking can be practical, delicious and inspiring. What started in 2013 as one food blog has grown into a full-time business. Today, my husband Clayton and I run five food websites that connect with millions of home cooks every month.
When I'm not in the kitchen or behind the camera, I'm using fueling my love of travel, or chasing down new ideas that keep food fun and fresh.
