Baked Zucchini Fritters with Creamy Yogurt Sauce
Serve delicious Baked Zucchini Fritters as a vegetarian main dish or high-protein side dish. Similar in taste and texture to a crab cake, these filling cakes feature shredded zucchini, artichokes, and chickpeas. These veggie forward patties are perfect with a simple homemade tangy yogurt sauce.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Vegetarian
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Baked Zucchini Fritters
- 14–oz marinated artichoke hearts drained
- 14–oz chickpeas canned, drained, and rinsed
- 1 zucchini or yellow squash, grated – about 2 cups
- 1/2 cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs*
- 1/4 cup almond flour**
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise***
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- zest from one lemon
- 1 lemon, juiced or 1/4 cup; reserve 1 tablespoon for yogurt sauce.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Yogurt Sauce
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced into small pieces
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoon fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Greek seasoning, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º F.
- Shred the zucchini with a box grater, using the side with the large pieces. There is no need to skin the vegetable. A medium zucchini will yield 2 cups. Place pieces in a clean dish towel and roll up to absorb the water for a few minutes.
- Process the drained chickpeas and artichoke hearts in a food processor using the blade shaped like a propeller. Pulse for a few seconds and repeat, pushing the mixture away from the sides with a spatula a few times. The ingredients should be chunky. Transfer to mixing bowl.
- Mix fritter ingredients. Gently pat the zucchini in the towel to remove excess moisture. Add the grated zucchini, panko, almond flour, mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice, zest, and all seasonings to the chickpea mixture. Mix well to combine.
- Make Fritters. Using a 1/3 cup cookie scoop, form 12 patties. Place them on a large sheet pan. I use a half-sheet pan that is 12″ x 17″, or a cookie sheet can also be used, but the patties will be close together.
- Bake at 400º for 15 minutes. Turn and bake for another 10 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and serve it with yogurt sauce.
- Yogurt Sauce – Mix all the ingredients for the yogurt sauce in a serving bowl: Greek yogurt, diced cucumbers, lemon juice, and seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This sauce keeps for 3 days.
- Store Leftovers. Any leftover baked zucchini fritters should be covered and stored in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days. See the reheating instructions in the notes below.
Notes
*If you do not follow a gluten-free diet, saltine or Ritz crackers can be used instead of panko. Pulse enough crackers to make 1/2 cup of crumbs in the food processor.
**If you don’t have almond flour on hand, increase the panko or crumbled crackers to cracker to 3/4 cup.
***Avoid mayonnaise, which uses highly refined inflammatory oils. Look for brands using cold-pressed plant oils, like olive oil or avocado.
Leftovers can be stored in a lidded container in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days. To freeze, allow them to cool and lay flat in the freezer for a few hours until firm. Transfer frozen fritters to zip-lock bags or a lidded container and place the date on the package. Patties will be good for 3-4 months.
To reheat zucchini cakes:
- Microwave – heat on 80% for 1 minute. Repeat as needed.
- Skillet – preheat the skillet with a little oil and heat patties on both sides until warmed through.
- Air Fryer and Toaster Oven: Bake at 375º for 3 – 5 minutes.
Find it online: https://www.suppersanity.com/baked-zucchini-fritters/
