Ditch the deep-fryer in favour of these healthier and easy-to-make crispy patties - These light Baked Cauliflower Fritters are a delicious vegetarian dinner option and are ready in less than 30 min!
When I was a kid, cauliflower was absolutely out of question for me.
No matter what, I would avoid at all costs being anywhere near cooked cauliflower. Except for one thing, fritters.
My mum cleverly came up with these yummy bites to help me and my brothers get over the smelly veggie, and it did work! We used to totally love cauliflower fritters and begged her to make them over and over again.
I have to say, I still have issues with plain cooked cauliflower, but I do love it in all sorts of recipes now.
However, making fritters is still my favorite way to enjoy them. I like preparing a big batch of these little guys, and an extra batch of my baked zucchini fritters and serve them as finger food at parties and dinners.
They're light, full of flavour and usually disappear within minutes!
Ingredients
This healthy version of baked cauliflower fritters only requires 7 simple ingredients such as:
- steamed cauliflower florets
- garlic
- aromatic herbs
- panko breadcrumbs
- egg white
- optional Parmesan cheese
- a little flour
Instructions
This recipe takes only 30 mins to prepare, making these simple patties a great dinner option on busy days.
To make these baked cauliflower fritters all you have to do is mix together the ingredients in a large bowl, just as you would do with meatballs.
Then, form small patties with the help of your hands and lightly dust them with flour.
Spray a little olive oil on both sides of each fritter and arrange them on a baking tray, or heat a large pan with some olive oil (in this case you don't need to spray them with oil beforehand).
I prefer to bake the fritters in the oven, but you can also give them a go in the airfryer.
However, if you prefer to fry them (I won't judge), the best advice I can give is to fry the fritters in small batches so they get extra crispy and turn into that lovely golden-brown colour.
Dairy-free Cauliflower Fritters
To keep them 100% dairy-free, take the Parmesan out and substitute with extra panko and fresh aromatic herbs. You won't compromise the flavour, I promise!
Can I Freeze These Fritters?
Absolutely, I do that all the time! Once the fritters are ready and cooked through, place them in airtight containers, with baking paper between the layers of fritters, and freeze for up to 1 month.
Serving Tips
Serve them piping hot plain as they are with a squeeze of lemon on top if you like.
Or even better, try them dipped in this spicy marinara sauce.
For a healthy breakfast, serve them with poached or scrambled eggs.
Try them with a large nutritious quinoa salad for a balanced meal.
These cauliflower fritters are so good you'll want to make them over and over again!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook! Looking at your pictures always makes me smile *and super hungry*!
Baked Cauliflower Fritters
Ingredients
- 300 g cauliflower florets, steamed
- 1 egg white
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- a bunch of fresh parsley and basil leaves, chopped
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, optional
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- all purpose flour, for dusting
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for spraying or frying
To serve:
- lemon wedges, optional
- 1 cup marinara sauce, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/395°F.
- In a large bowl or food processor, mix together panko, fresh parsley/basil, minced garlic and Parmesan if using. Season with salt and pepper.
- Fold in the tender cauliflower florets and egg white and mix all the ingredients until you have a dense mixture. Add in more panko if too wet, or an extra egg if too dry. Adjust seasoning.
- Form small patties with your hands and lightly dust with flour.
- Spray with olive oil on both sides and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in the oven for 10 min of each side, or until crispy and golden-brown.
- Serve the fritters piping hot, and enjoy plain, or with a squeeze of lemon on top and optional marinara sauce on the side.
Notes
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
MaleRN says
Awesome recipe. Anyone can customize it with different kind of spices. I added onion and paprika and substituted. Turned out very well. Even fooled one of my kids that it’s a potato pancake. I definitely will switch up the spices next time and try chives, curry, and tumeric to make it taste like a falafel or Italian seasoning to make it taste like arancini balls
SQS says
And no temp for the oven? Come on!
Andrea says
Hi! The oven temperature is stated in the first line of the recipe 🙂 Hope you like the fritters!
Patti says
I make these all the time, I love them! So very easy to make and they are very filling.
Linda Greiss says
Can you use cauliflower that has been put in the food processer made as rice.
Louise says
It’s not clear in your instructions if you cook the fritters before freezing.
Andrea says
Hi Louise, yes, you need to bake them before freezing! 🙂
Suzet says
Instructions
Report this ad
Preheat oven to 200C/400C.
Which one is it?? And do you know the degrees in Fahrenheit??
Andrea says
Ooops, thanks for spotting the typo! The temperature should be 200C or 395F.
Mary Coyle says
These look absolutely delicious! Healthy too!
Andrea says
They're so light and tasty Mary! Thank you for stopping by, I hope you like them 🙂