These Easy Courgette Fritters with Lemony Herby Crème Fraîche are a game changer for weeknight meals. They are gluten-free and combine eggs, courgette, and a delicious mix of herbs and spices that make them yummy while being light.
At home, at least once a week, we eat omelettes for dinner. In order to vary from the traditional Spanish potato omelette and French omelette, I very often use veggies to mix in with the eggs (one of my all times fave is aubergine omelet). Alternatively, I sometimes make fritters or savoury pancakes that have less egg in proportion and are more crispy on the outside.
Today I am bringing to you a home staple, my Courgette Fritters (or Courgette Pancakes if you prefer) with a fresh and tangy Lemony Herby Crème Fraîche dip. Simple, quick, and versatile, this courgette fritters recipe makes a perfect dinner or packed lunch. They are also great finger food for toddlers and both kids and adults love them alike. Why? Because they are utterly delicious!
To round it all up, I accompany the fritters with a super creamy dip. It’s the perfect balance to the heat of the cayenne pepper if you use it and it pairs perfectly with the courgette and spices.
Bonus! These fritters are nutritious, low in calories and a perfect way to sneak in some veggies for those picky eaters. It’s a great recipe to add to your repertoire.
Courgette Fritters Ingredients
These courgette fritters are a marriage made in vegetable herb heaven. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Courgette: it’s the core of the patties. They are at its best when in season. If you’re asking yourself what to make with all the summer courgette, fritters are the answer!
- Onion: adds crunchiness and flavour.
- Eggs: they are needed to make the batter moist and fluffy in the inside, and for binding.
- Almond Flour: needed to bind it all together. You can swap it with wheat flour, buckwheat flour or chickpea flour even.
- Spices and Seasoning: they bring more flavour to the courgette, which can be quite bland.
Dips to Serve the Courgette Fritters with
I love them with a creamy lemony dip. For the creamiest texture, I have used crème fraîche, which is richer than yoghurt. You can easily swap this with Greek Yoghurt if you prefer or you don’t have crème fraîche on hand.
This lemony herby crème fraîche dip also calls for chives which enhance the oniony flavour in the patties. Finally, there’s a squeeze of lemon for a subtle tangy touch that couldn’t pair better with the courgette.
Other dips that would go well with these fritters are:
- Avocado Cream
- Mayo or Sour cream
- My cream cheese sauce
- My feta sauce
Variations at Home
This is a very versatile recipe that accepts a lot of variations. Some ideas to inspire you are:
- Herbs. You may use whatever spices and herbs you like – rosemary, oregano, dill, parsley, coriander or chives, all work great.
- Cheese. Feel free to add cheese! I very often make them with crumbled feta, but crumbled goat cheese or chopped halloumi would make wonders in here. If you want something pungier, use Parmesan or Pecorino. If you are looking for goey melted cheese, then use grated Cheddar, Provolone or Mozzarella.
- Vegetables. Cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, sweet potatoes or even leafy greens like Spinach and Chard would taste beautifully in addition to or replacement of the courgette. If you use a hard vegetable, prepare it as instructed for the courgette. Fresh Spinach or chard need to be blanched, drained and chopped, if frozen just ensure they are completely thawed that and that you’ve squeezed all the water out.
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Courgette Fritters
- Drain for Crispy Fritters: Courgettes have a high percentage of water. Not removing some of it before cooking it would make them very soggy. Make sure to squeeze out any excess water. For an even crispier result you can use chickpea flour (like in pakoras), rice flour or polenta (cornmeal) instead of almond flour.
- Vegetable size. The courgette and onion should be chopped very finely or grated so that the fritter holds better together.
- Hot pan. Before dolloping your batter into the pan, make sure it’s properly heated with the oil. You’ll know it’s ready if your batter sizzles when it touches the pan.
Can I Cook Them in the Oven?
Yes, you can bake courgette fritters too! This is a perfect cooking option if you are planning to make a great batch since you can make many in one go.
Preheat your oven at 220ºC. Dollop the batter in a baking tray lined with parchment paper and shape it into a pancake. Spray or brush a light coating of oil on the top of the pancakes and bake for 12-15 minutes.
How to Store Courgette Fritters
Fridge: Place the cooled fritters in an airtight container and store for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Freezer: Place the cooled fritters in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag with parchment paper in between them if possible. The paper prevents them from getting stuck to each other. Store for up to 2 months in the freezer.
To Reheat: thaw the fritters either overnight in the fridge or on the counter for about 30 minutes. Then simply reheat on a pan with a bit of oil (you can reheat them in the microwave too, but they get a bit mushier compared to reheating them on the pan).
More Easy Weeknight Meal Ideas
If you make these Courgette Fritters, be sure to leave a comment and rate it. Hearing from you is everything! Oh, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Easy Courgette Fritters
Ingredients
Fritters
- 600 g courgette - grated through the large holes of a grater box (approx 2 medium courgette)
- 100 g onion - finely chopped (approx 1 medium onion)
- 50 g almond flour
- 2 L eggs - beaten
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper - optional
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt - plus extra tablespoon for the courgette to release its water
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dip
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche
- Juice of half a lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp chives - finely chopped
Instructions
- Place grated zucchini in a colander over the sink or a bowl. Add the tablespoon of salt and gently toss to combine. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, ideally 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the dip. In a bowl mix all the dip ingredients until combined. Set aside
- Squeeze out the liquid from the courgette by either pressing it between your hands, using a tea towel or a cheese cloth. Drain the courgette thoroughly.
- In a large bowl, combine the courgette with the onion, almond flour, eggs, spices, salt and pepper.
- Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a couple of heaped tablespoons of batter and shape it into a pancake (60ml per patty). Once the edges start to brown, flip and cook on the other side, it takes about 2min per side. Once done, reserve them and continue with the rest of the batter until it is finished.
- Serve with the dip and enjoy.
Notes
- This is a very versatile recipe that accepts a lot of variations. Some ideas to inspire you are:
- Herbs. You may use whatever spices and herbs you like – rosemary, oregano, dill, parsley, coriander or chives, all work great.
- Cheese. Feel free to add cheese! I very often make them with crumbled feta, but crumbled goat cheese or chopped halloumi would make wonders in here. If you want something pungier, use Parmesan or Pecorino. If you are looking for goey melted cheese, then use grated Cheddar, Provolone or Mozzarella.
- Vegetables. Cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, sweet potatoes or even leafy greens like Spinach and Chard would taste beautifully in addition to or replacement of the courgette. If you use a hard vegetable, prepare it as instructed for the courgette. Fresh Spinach or chard need to be blanched, drained and chopped, if frozen just ensure they are completely thawed that and that you’ve squeezed all the water out.
- Fritters storage
- Fridge: Place the cooled fritters in an airtight container and store for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: Place the cooled fritters in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag with parchment paper in between them if possible. The paper prevents them from getting stuck to each other. Store for up to 2 months in the freezer.
- To Reheat: thaw the fritters either overnight in the fridge or on the counter for about 30 minutes. Then simply reheat on a pan with a bit of oil (you can reheat them in the microwave too, but they get a bit mushier compared to reheating them on the pan).
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @paulasapron on Instagram and hashtag it #paulasapron.