Keto Zucchini Fritters is one of my favorite low carb recipes that I have learned to make. It’s easy and quick to make and of course delicious to eat. It’s like fried food without the guilt. They can be served as an appetizer, or a side dish with your meal.

These healthy Keto zucchini fritters are made from only a few simple ingredients, zucchini being the primary ingredient. It’s great because zucchini is a low carb and low calorie vegetable and very versatile in recipes like this one. 

We have made these low carb zucchini fritters so many times and our friends and family don’t even know they are eating low carb food. When that happens it makes us smile because that means that we have done a good job.

What are Zucchini Fritters?

Have you ever heard of keto zucchini pancakes or keto zucchini patties? Think pancakes but call them fritters.

To simplify things, keto zucchini pancakes are basically the same as zucchini fritters. When they are made not as a low carb recipe, they are made with flour which makes a pancake like batter. They are similar to potato latkes or potato pancakes, all of them fried in oil to brown the outside and be firm and delicious on the inside.

All of them being topped with sour cream or applesauce, especially when you are on a budget because you can make a meal out of them that tastes delicious and does not cost very much money. 

Later on in the recipe we will show you how to change them around so that they are low carb zucchini fritters without flour but just as delicious.

Are Zucchini Fritters Healthy?

Zucchini itself is healthy, it’s one of those veggies that has lots of vitamins and minerals and is loaded with water,  it is low in calories and low in carbs.

Yes these low carb zucchini fritters are very healthy. They are packed with veggies, and are keto friendly, also gluten-free. Kids even love them which makes for a healthy snack or side dish for kids. It is a yummy way that kids can eat some veggies too.   

As a rule, normal zucchini fritters made with breadcrumbs are between 200-250 calories each and are about 40-50% carbs, as opposed to our keto zucchini fritters which only have 62 calories each.

Are Zucchini Fritters Low Carb?

Normally, zucchini fritters are high in carbs because of the flour that is in them. On average they have 11 Net Carbs each.

Instead, our Keto zucchini fritters are only 2 Net Carbs each. That’s a huge difference, meaning you can eat way more of them and still stay on a low carb diet.

The first major thing that we have to replace in the low carb zucchini fritters is the flour. We replaced it with almond flour instead which is low in carbs. All of the other ingredients are also very low in carbs or no carbs at all so there is no problem.

What Ingredients are in Keto Zucchini Fritters?

• Zucchini – A very healthy vegetable that is low in carbs and is the main ingredient in these yummy keto zucchini fritters.
• Eggs – These help bind Keto zucchini patties together so that it won’t fall apart.
• Garlic Powder – A favorite spice that adds so much flavor.
• Paprika – It adds just a very slight kick to foods.
• Pepper – Black pepper is the variety used here.
• Salt – A common everyday seasoning that enhances the flavors of food.
• Almond Flour – This is a low carb super fine flour made from just almonds which is low carb and gluten free.
• Scallions – A mild onion tasting veggie that is just enough flavor without overpowering the other ingredients.

Filler Options

If you are looking for a low carb filler for your keto fritters, pork rinds are always a good filler. They are not only low carb but when wet they expand to take up space. We use them in low carb stuffing with turkey and they do the same thing.

If you can eat dairy, cheddar cheese in the zucchini fritters will also bind them together and cheddar is always better!

Best Oil to Use?

My 2 oils of choice are Olive oil and Avocado oil, which will not burn too easily and leave the zucchini cakes golden brown.

One thing that you should not use to fry healthy zucchini fritters is butter. Even though we all like the taste of butter, in this instance if you use butter in the frying pan to cook the keto fritters there could be a problem with them burning on the outside and not being cooked enough on the inside.

Different Variations of Zucchini Pancakes

What’s nice about the zucchini fritters is that they are so simple that you could add many different things to them to pick up a different flavor.

If you want them to have more veggies you could add some yellow squash, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, cauliflower…etc.

If you are looking for a mexican flare, just add some shredded mexicamn cheese, cilantro and some finely chopped jalapeno peppers.

You could even add some salmon or crab meat to them because both types of seafood are used in salmon cakes and crab cakes.

How to Make Keto Zucchini Fritters from Scratch?

We are going to share with you the steps how we make the zucchini fritters. There are not too many steps, so they are easy to make. You can whip up a batch rather quickly if you are looking for an appetizer or side dish etc.

Shredding the Zucchini

When making this keto zucchini fritter recipe we have found that using a box grater to shred the zucchini is the best method. It’s really quick and in just a few minutes we can have a few zucchinis shredded.

1. After washing and drying off the zucchini, just cut off the ends.

2. Then hold the box grater on top of a large cutting board and with one hand on the grater and the squash in the other hand, then run it up and down on the grater until it all gets shredded.

Remove it from the board and put it in a colander and continue the same shredding process until all of the squash has been shredded.

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3. The next step is the most important one and it is to squeeze out all of the water. Take small amounts at one time and by using a piece of cheesecloth, paper towels, or coffee filters squeeze out all of the water with all of your strength.

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When you think that you got all of the water out, then get a clean piece of cheesecloth, paper towel or coffee filter and squeeze again. 

4. Once all of the squash is in the bowl, you can start adding the other ingredients.

Add the eggs, almond flour, black pepper, salt, paprika, and scallions.

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5. Mix together with a large spoon or even with your hands until all of the ingredients are blended well.

Frying the Keto Zucchini Cakes

6. The next step is to form your mixture into patties. There are 2 ways to make the patties:

1. One is to form them into patties beforehand and lay them out on a piece of parchment paper so they will be easy to transfer into the pan. 
2. The other way is to form them into loose balls, put them in the pan, and while in the pan proceed to flatten them out.

7. Get a nonstick frying pan and add some oil to the pan. Not too much or else the fritters will become soggy.

8. Now brown up the keto zucchini patties on one side, then flip them and brown on the other side. About 5-7 min on each side on medium-high heat.

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9. Remove from the pan and place the keto zucchini fritters on some paper towels to drain.

Should You Salt Zucchini Before Making Fritters?

When making different zucchini recipes, the idea of salting the squash is often mentioned in order to help the squash to release some of the water out of it. Some recipes call for salting it before making the fritters, before cooking and some don’t.

In my opinion, the salting process is a messy one and is not needed when making Keto zucchini fritters. It brings the water to the surface but does not get rid of it altogether and makes the zucchini taste salty, along with being mushy.

When they are too wet and soggy zucchini fritters fall apart and become soggy. The less water there is in the zucchini cakes, the better the almond flour and the eggs will keep them together while frying them.

Should I Peel the Zucchini?

Peeling the zucchini is not a needed step. In fact it’s easier to shred when it still has its skin on. The skin is also nutritious to eat so do yourself a favor and don’t take it off.

How to Make Zucchini Fritters Less Greasy

Instead of frying your Keto zucchini fritters on the stove in oil you can cook them a couple of other ways. 

• Baking them in the oven
• Air frying them

This will make them come out less greasy, and healthier for you.

Best Tips for the Best Zucchini Fritters

It’s always good to have help when making a recipe that you have never made before so here are some tips that we can share with you from our experience.

• The most important step in this recipe is to squeeze ALL the water out of the shredded zucchini. When you think that you have gotten all of the water out then squeeze it again…double squeeze. The dryer, the better for making zucchini fritters.
• It’s easier to wring the water out of the squash if you do it in small batches.
• For the best tasting zucchini fritter, use almond flour which is fine, and not almond meal, which is more coarse and gritty.
• Shred the zucchini thin, which will hold the keto zucchini pancakes together better, instead of coarse shreds which will not hold the fritter as tightly together.
• When you fry your low carb fritters don’t use too much oil because if they are submerged in oil they will get soggy instead of crispy.
• Use a thin spatula for flipping the Keto zucchini fritters over because it will be easier to get underneath to flip them better.
• Using a non stick frying pan to fry the keto fritters is the best way.

Different Cooking Methods

Baking

You can make your zucchini fritters in the oven instead of frying them. 

1. Prepare the fritters the same way and then place the formed patties on a piece of parchment paper that is lining a baking sheet and sprayed with a light spray for olive oil Pam or avocado oil Pam.
2. Bake these easy zucchini fritters at 400 degrees for 15 minutes on one side and then 15 minutes on the other side. If you find that they are baking too fast, then do 10 minutes on each side or lower the temperature to 375 for 15 minutes on each side.

Air Fryer

1. The first thing that you have to do in order to make zucchini fritters in an air fryer is to spray the air fryer basket with avocado or olive oil spray. Or you can line it with parchment paper. 
2. Mold your keto fritters and flatten them out and spray with oil.
3. Close the air fryer and cook at 385 degrees at 11-12 minutes or until they reach your desired crispness, flipping and spraying halfway through.

Other Diets This Recipe is Good For

• Gluten-free – Because we use almond flour instead of wheat flour there is no gluten in our no flour zucchini fritters.
• Vegetarian – Another winner recipe for vegetarians. It’s nice to have such a yummy treat that a vegetarian can have for a meal or appetizer.
• Dairy-free – There is no dairy in our zucchini cakes.
• Paleo – It’s hard to find recipes sometimes that fit into a paleo, look no further…this one is a good choice.

What to Serve with Keto Zucchini Fritters

Keto Zucchini fritters make such a good base for so many meals.

Breakfast

• They make a good substitute for hash browns so serve them with your eggs and bacon.
• You can even drop an over easy egg or a soft boiled egg on top of a fritter.
• You can serve healthy zucchini fritters with sour cream or yogurt on top.

Lunch

• Make up some chicken salad, egg salad or tuna salad and place a scoop on top. Then put the whole thing on top of a bed of lettuce.
• You can put some chicken on top with a slice of avocado.
• Use zucchini fritters without flour to act as 2 slices of bread with some deli meat in between, like ham and cheese.

Dinner

• Use keto zucchini patties like they were a hamburger bun and make mini sliders.
• Serve keto zucchini cakes as if they were crispy potatoes on the side of your steak.
• Top the low carb zucchini fritters with chili.

Dipping Sauces

These keto zucchini cakes are so good that in my opinion they do not need any sauce to make them taste good. But if you are a sauce person you can try a few options which are all low carb.

• Tzatziki Sauce 
• Sour Cream
• Onion Dip
• Our sauce that we use with our Keto Crab Cakes is an amazing pairing and has mayo, dill, and mustard.

Make-Ahead & Meal Prep

For sure you can form these no flour zucchini fritters ahead of time and cook them a couple of hours later for dinner. Then use some of the above suggestions of things to have alongside your fritters for a complete meal.

You can make keto fritters ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

How to Store

If you have any zucchini fritters leftover you can just put them in an airtight plastic container and refrigerate them for 4-5 days. 

If you have several layers of them just divide the layers with a piece of paper towel or parchment paper. This way it will help them to hold their shape better and be easier to take them out one at a time.

How to Reheat

It is so easy to reheat zucchini fritters, here are 3 ways:

• Place them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds and they will be hot and ready to eat.
• You could heat them in the oven for 5 minutes on a baking sheet at 350 degrees.
• Placing them in a non stick frying pan on the stove with a pinch of olive oil is another way to reheat them.

Can You Freeze Zucchini Fritters?

This keto zucchini fritter recipe is a good one because they do freeze well if wrapped properly. Store them in an air-tight plastic container or in a ziploc freezer bag.

It’s always good to layer them in the freezer with parchment paper in between them so that they do not stick together. As a result they will be easier to thaw out a few of them at one time  or you can thaw out one at a time.  

Spread them out on a cookie sheet and heat them in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through about 15 minutes.

More Zucchini Recipes

If you’re in the mood for some other Zucchini Recipes then try our:

• Crispy Zucchini Chips
• Stuffed Zucchini Boats
• How to Make Zucchini Noodles
• Keto Zucchini Bread
• Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
• Easy Zoodle Salad

They all are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will be a hit at your next party!

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More Low Carb Appetizer Recipes

If you’re in the mood for some other Low Carb Appetizers then try our:

• Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries
• Baked Jicama Fries – Keto French Fries
• Easy Parmesan Crisps
• Keto Buffalo Chicken Wings
• Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Low Carb Pepperoni Pizza Dip
• Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus