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Crispy, tender, and full of delicious cheesy corn flavor, this healthy corn fritters recipe is a real crowd-pleaser! These crispy fritters make the perfect side dish for picky eaters and can be eaten in so many ways!
HEALTHY CORN FRITTERS RECIPE
If you have fussy eaters, you need to try these healthy corn fritters for toddlers! They are so simple to make, and it’s tough to resist their crispy texture and tender, cheesy inside.
They’re also really easy to hold, so they’re ideal for toddlers or baby-led weaning!
What Are Corn Fritters?
These easy corn fritters are like a cross between hush puppies and cornbread. After blending the corn with a little milk, you’ll mix it into a batter made from flour, egg, baking powder, some spices, and cheddar cheese. Then, you’ll drop the batter into a little hot oil, giving the outside a crispy, crunchy texture that’s just heavenly!
These healthy sweet corn fritters are a delicious side dish that can be served with any meal, and they are a great substitute for the starch at your next meal.
healthy corn fritters
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Why We Love This Healthy Homemade Corn Fritters Recipe
- Quick and easy: Making homemade fritters from scratch doesn’t sound easy, but I promise you, it is! If you can blend a couple of simple ingredients, stir a few ingredients together, and heat some oil, you can absolutely make this easy recipe. Don’t let it intimidate you!
- Kid friendly: Kids of all ages love the sweet flavor of corn, especially when it’s fried and battered with cheese. You’ll get no complaints about these healthy vegetable fritters, and you might not have any leftovers, either.
- So versatile: These healthy sweetcorn fritters might seem like a side dish for dinner, but you can really serve them at any meal. They’re great with some scrambled eggs or as part of a healthy lunch!
Ingredient Notes
- Sweet corn kernels: You can use any type of corn for this quick recipe. Choose fresh corn cut from the cob, drained canned corn, or defrost and drain frozen corn.
- Milk: This will be blended together with some of the corn kernels to replace the typical creamed corn you find in some recipes, and also add some tenderness to the batter. You can use any fat percentage.
- White whole wheat flour or wheat flour: Whole wheat flour will add some extra fiber without taking away from the flavors in this great recipe.
- Egg: The egg will bind the batter together to keep its shape while you’re frying.
- Baking powder: For light, fluffy corn fritters without heavy cream, use fresh baking powder.
- Onion powder: Onion powder adds a little savoriness to this homemade recipe without being too intense.
- Salt: This is optional. You can skip it for babies under the age of one.
- Pepper: Pepper will add a little extra flavor to the thick batter before you fry it.
- Cheddar cheese: The cheese will melt into the batter while it’s frying, adding a delicious cheesy flavor your kids will love.
- Finely chopped green onions: These are optional, but they add a lovely herby flavor that balances the sweet corn and savory cheese so well!
- Oil: Choose either olive oil or avocado oil for frying.
How to Make Healthy Corn Fritters – Step-by-Step
- In a small blender, blend together 1/2 cup of corn kernels with 1/4 cup milk until smooth.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, egg, blended corn mixture, baking powder, onion powder, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Fold in the remaining 3/4 cup of corn kernels, shredded cheese, and green onions until evenly distributed.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. In batches, cook spoonfuls of the batter (about 2 tablespoons for each fritter) for two to three minutes on each side or until golden brown. Continue until all remaining batter has been used.
- Cool slightly, placing on paper towels to absorb moisture. Serve alone or along with your favorite dipping sauce.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
RECIPE TIPS
- To keep these simple healthy corn fritters from getting too wet, be sure to remove as much moisture from the corn as possible.
- Feel free to adapt the spices to your preferences. Add garlic powder, paprika, or even a little cayenne pepper, depending on your family’s preferences.
- Have leftover corn on hand from dinner? Feel free to use previously cooked corn as a way to use up your leftovers.
- Although most kids do not like spicy foods, you can easily adapt these to any preference. Feel free to add some cayenne pepper, chopped red onion, or even chopped jalapenos for the grown-ups or kids who love spicy foods.
- Every stove is different. You may need to heat your frying pan over medium heat to get the perfect texture.
- Place the cooked fritters on a plate with paper towels to absorb any extra oil.
Recipe FAQs
Most corn fritters are not the healthiest option. They contain lots of oil, cheese, heavy cream, and other calorically dense foods and are much richer and heavier than something you should eat every day.
Fortunately, there are easy ways to modify your recipe to make a healthier version. For example, try using whole wheat flour and pan-frying in oil instead of deep frying. These little changes make homemade fritters a little healthier so you can enjoy them more often.
If your fritters are not crispy, it’s possible the oil was not hot enough before you started frying. If you add batter while the oil is still warming up, the batter will absorb the excess oil and become soggy and greasy.
To prevent soggy fritters, heat your oil until it is approximately 350 degrees F before frying.
Absolutely! Corn fritters are usually an easy food to convince kids to eat. They’re crispy and tender with a sweet corn filling and melted cheese. They’re great with a dollop of sour cream, your favorite dipping sauce or to enjoy plain as well!
Storage Guidelines
- Refrigerator: Store leftover fritters in an airtight container in the fridge. Layer paper towels between the cooked fritters to absorb excess moisture.
- Freezer: You can also freeze the fritters in a freezer bag for 2-3 months.
- To reheat: To serve, thaw in the fridge, then reheat by baking in a toaster oven at 350 degrees F for 2-3 minutes or until nice and warm.
Serving Suggestions
These healthy corn fritters can be served as the starch for any meal, but it’s especially delicious with some dipping sauces. These are some sauces the whole family will love!
- Yogurt dill sauce
- Yogurt dip
- Homemade hummus
- Ketchup
- Campfire sauce (BBQ with mayo or Greek yogurt)
Recipe Variations
- Make corn fritters for 2: This recipe makes 8 fritters. To make just 2 fritters, you’ll need to use 1/4 of each of the ingredients.
- Use a griddle: Instead of frying, add a little oil to your griddle and make these fritters like pancakes! This is an easy way to serve them for breakfast, too.
- Corn fritter nuggets: Instead of large fritters, drop small spoons of the fritter batter into a little oil and remove them as soon as they turn golden brown. So yummy!
- Sweet potatoes and corn fritters: Replace half of the corn with pureed sweet potatoes for a fun twist!
- Dairy-free: Use non-dairy milk and skip the cheddar cheese. For a vegan option, make these without eggs and choose an egg substitute.
- Gluten-free corn nuggets: Use a 1:1 gluten free flour mixture to make these fritters without flour.
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Healthy Corn Fritters Recipe {Easy & Crispy!}
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups cooked sweet corn kernels divided (fresh, canned or defrosted and drained)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 1/4 teapoon pepper
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a small blender, blend together 1/2 cup of corn kernels with 1/4 cup milk until smooth.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, egg, blended corn mixture, baking powder, onion powder, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Fold in the remaining 3/4 cup of corn kernels, shredded cheese, and green onions until evenly distributed.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium low heat. In batches, cook spoonfuls of the batter (about 2 tablespoons for each fritter) for two to three minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Cool slightly and then serve alone or along with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- To keep these simple healthy corn fritters from getting too wet, be sure to remove as much moisture from the corn as possible.
- Feel free to adapt the spices to your preferences. Add garlic powder, paprika, or even a little cayenne pepper, depending on your family’s preferences.
- Have leftover corn on hand from dinner? Feel free to use previously cooked corn as a way to use up your leftovers.
- Although most kids do not like spicy foods, you can easily adapt these to any preference. Feel free to add some cayenne pepper, chopped red onion, or even chopped jalapenos for the grown-ups or kids who love spicy foods.
- Every stove is different. You may need to heat your frying pan over medium heat to get the perfect texture.
- Place the cooked fritters on a plate with paper towels to absorb any extra oil.
