These delicata squash fritters make a tasty appetizer that is packed full of flavor. Crispy and delicious, with lots of melty cheddar cheese, this gluten free fritters recipe will please a crowd.
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Have you tried fritters? They are crispy on the outside and they melt in your mouth. They are so easy to make gluten free. You can make fritters with many vegetables, but I love to use winter squash. Winter squash is sweet and full of flavor.
The holiday entertaining season will be here before you know it and I am starting to pull together my favorite appetizer recipes.
I like to plan everything out because it makes it so much easier when I know what I am bringing. This recipe for squash fritters is so good, you won't mind that they are mostly squash!
My gluten free fritters recipe can be made with any winter squash. If you love appetizers, don't forget to check out all of my best gluten free appetizer recipes.
If you are an appetizer fiend like me, try these Stuffed Pepper Jack Mini Peppers or these BBQ Chicken Nachos.
What is Delicata Squash?
Have you tried this sweet mild winter squash? Delicata squash is a long yellow squash with green stripes. You can buy delicata squash at most grocery stores, and even at your local farmer's market.
I love to use squash in recipes because it is so easy to conceal in recipes. My kids don't really know there is something healthy hidden in these fritters! If you don't believe me, try these Gluten Free Delicata Squash Brownies.
How to roast delicata squash:
For this recipe, I used raw grated delicata squash. It is very easy to grate delicata squash. (You can also cook the squash, though it won't be as crispy throughout.)
I am going to share both my long way and a quick and easy way to cook squash. There is nothing better than delicata squash roasted so the flavors caramelize, but if you are in a hurry, I have those directions too.
- To grate, cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Use a peeler to remove the outer thin skin of the squash. Cut long strips of the squash and run over a grater.
- If you prefer to use cooked squash, you can roast it in the oven with a little good quality olive oil. Depending on if I am using it for something savory or sweet, I may add a little salt.
- If you are in a hurry, don't worry! There is a quick and easy way to cook this squash. Cut the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the delicata squash face down on a microwave-safe plate. Add a little water to the plate and microwave for 5-7 minutes until soft.
You can't blame me for wanting to devour all of these little gluten free fritters. Their cheesy crispiness is so hard to resist. One crunchy bite and you will understand. These may make you an appetizer fiend as well!
If you love these fritters, you are going to love these Indian Mixed Vegetable Pakora too!
Recipe step by step directions:
It is so easy to cook delicata squash! Are you ready to get started?
Step 1: Use a grater or food processor to grate the winter squash. Put it into a large bowl.
Step 2: Add all of the fritter ingredients into the bowl with the winter squash and mix well.
Step 3: Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet. Drop spoonfuls of the squash mixture in and use a metal spatula to press them flat. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. You will want the squash to be crispy like above before flipping them over.
Step 4: As the fritters are done cooking, move them to a paper towel lined plate so it can absorb extra oil.
Serve hot with sour cream and chives as a garnish. If you like to spice things up, add a few drops of sriracha!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
When frying foods, it is important to use an oil that can tolerate high heat. I use mostly avocado oil for frying, but depending on the flavor of the dish, coconut oil can also work well.
Heat avocado oil, or another high heat oil to a pan and drop the dough into the hot oil. (I don't recommend olive oil for this because it can not take the high heat you will need to get the outsides of these cheese fritters nice and crispy.)
To test if the pan is hot enough to add the fritter batter, add a drop of water into the pan. If the water sizzles immediately, it is ready for you to add the fritter mixture. The oil should be 375º F.
You can use a dairy-free cheddar cheese to make these fritters. I have used vegan parmesan and I do not think the flavor is close enough to mimic the flavors so you would need to omit it and adjust the liquid levels.
These fritters will keep up to 3 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
To reheat these fritters, you will need to bake them at 350º F for 10-15 minutes.
What kind of squash is best to make fritters?
You can make fritters out of any squash! I used delicata squash in this recipe but you can also use:
- Butternut squash - butternut squash fritters are so full of sweet flavor!
- Acorn squash
- Zucchini (if you use zucchini to make fritters, you must use paper towels to dry the shredded zucchini otherwise they will be soggy!)
- Riced cauliflower also makes delicious fritter-like pancakes!
More winter squash recipes:
📖 Recipe
Delicata Squash Cheddar Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups shredded delicata squash * see note
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
For frying
- ½ cup avocado oil or other high heat oil
Instructions
- Peel the rind off a delicata squash.
- Cut the squash in half and remove the seed.
- Use a grater to grate the squash into a bowl.
- Add all other ingredients.
- Mix well.
- Set up a large platter with paper towels on the bottom.
- Heat oil over high heat in a pan.
- When the oil is hot (drop a drip of water in, if it sizzles, it is hot enough) Target 375º F for the oil temperature.
- Drop the batter into the hot oil.
- Cook 2-3 minutes then flip so the other side cooks.
- Remove the fritters from the oil and set onto the paper towels.
- Top with sour cream and scallions.
Notes
- You can use any winter squash in this recipe! I recommend also trying butternut and acorn squash.
- To make this dairy-free you can use vegan cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. So far VioLife is one of my favorites.
- You can use any gluten free flour blend for this recipe.
- These fritters will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
- To reheat, bake the fritters in the oven at 350º F for 10-15 minutes. This will help the fritters stay crunchy when reheating them.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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(*This post was updated from a 12/21/15 post.)
Ellie
Any recommendations for how to up the protein content of these? Could I add peas or black beans?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Ellie, You could try black beans...flavor-wise that would be a great combination.
Janet
Great Recipe! I did use regular all-purpose flour and added a handful of chopped scallions (green part) into the mix...the cayenne pepper gave it a nice kick. I used a very well-seasoned cast iron skillet on high temp (gas stove) so I only coated my pan with oil (I used regular canola oil) so the fritters were not too oily and had a nice crisp coat on the outside. I liked the earthy taste of the raw squash. The other ingredients blended well together so the squash was still the central taste. My family loved these and look forward to me making them again. Thanks!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you liked my recipe...it is one of our favorites too!
Nika
Cons : The recipe asks for too much oil. My fritters came out so so oily. You only need a little oil to fry.
Pros : Other than the fact that it was too oily, they were perfect and so simple and super duper yummy. It was so easy and quick to make and a very cheap snack indeed. Loved it.
Overall I totally recommend trying this out.
Sandi Gaertner
Thanks for the feedback Nika. You are right, you don't have to use as much oil. It depends on how hot the oil is. I used the burner on our grill outside to make these and had the oil very hot so it didn't absorb as much.
Chip
This recipe calls for flour. How do you make this gluten-free???
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Chip, I use a gluten free flour blend by Bob's Red Mill. It is their 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend. I changed this flour to a clickable link so people can see the exact flour I used. I appreciate your writing with this feedback. Have a nice holiday :-).
Debi @ Life Currents
These look great! I love using veggies like delicata squash that are often under-used. Thanks for the recipe.