These easy low carb keto zucchini fritters are made with creamy ricotta cheese and are a fantastic, low carb, gluten free, nut free, keto side dish for any meal! Just 2 g net carbs for 2 keto zucchini fritters!
Easy Keto Zucchini Fritters Recipe
There's just something about zucchini in season in the summer months that just make me want to make all recipes using zucchini!
I can't get enough of it, and hopefully you can't either and are looking for more ways to use this delicious vegetable!
Today's recipe is a very easy zucchini fritter recipe that is perfect to use up zucchini if you have a garden and have an overload.
Simply double or even triple the recipe to make more to have on hand in the fridge for the rest of the week. You could even cook these and freeze them for another time in the next month when you just need a simple side.
Carbs in Traditional Fritters
Traditional fritters can be made with any veggies you like but most veggie fritters that are not low carb are usually made with corn or potatoes. If they are made with zucchini, often all purpose flour is used which makes them high carbs.
Nutritional information from the Cronometer app shows deep fried zucchini fritters have about 22 grams of carbs for 4 ounces. Too high for a keto lifestyle but may work for a low carb diet.
Carbs in Keto Low-Carb Fritters
Fresh zucchini are a perfectly low carb and a great choice whether you are on a keto diet or low carb diet.
According to the app Cronometer, a small zucchini that weighs about 118 grams has 3.7 grams of carbs.
A medium zucchini with 196 grams in weight has 6.1 grams of carbs and a large zucchini weighing 323 grams has about 10 grams of carbohydrates.
For our low carb zucchini fritters, we are using medium zucchini with the stem cut off and peel on, weighing 400 grams total. With that amount and combining the rest of the ingredients you should be able to make about 10 fritters.
One serving of our low carb zucchini fritters is 2 fritters. Total carbs for 2 fritters is 8 grams with 6 grams of fiber. If you count net carbs it's 2 g net carbs for 2 fritters which is pretty fantastic if you ask me!
The rest of the nutritional data is at the bottom of this page in the printable recipe card.
Can I Swap Coconut Flour with Almond Flour?
Using coconut flour helps absorb some of the moisture and excess water typically found in grated, shredded zucchini.
If you don't like coconut flour and want to swap it with almond flour you would need to use more like 1- 1.5 cups of almond flour to make these hold together well.
I would highly suggest trying the coconut flour though as you honestly won't even taste a coconut flavor. The spices with the ricotta cheese and flavor of zucchini are the stars in this recipe.
Can I swap the ricotta cheese?
Yes you can swap out the ricotta cheese for cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese or even cheddar cheese. I do not recommend feta cheese or parmesan cheese as they are both too dry.
Can I bake these Zucchini Fritters instead?
This easy recipe for keto zucchini fritters can be baked instead of pan-frying if you prefer.
Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Drop 10 scoops of zucchini batter onto the baking sheet pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes until they are golden brown.
Can I Air Fry these keto fritters?
Yes you can air fry these if you prefer. Place the zucchini fritters in a single layer in the air fryer basket. It is helpful to use a silicone or parchment liner so they don't stick.
Air fry for about 8-10 minutes at 400 or until they are golden brown.
Low Carb Main Dishes to Serve with Zucchini Fritters
These keto zucchini fritters are a delicious side dish and adding them to any protein entree works great!
Enjoy with some delicious recipes that are all low carb meals like my Low Carb keto Chicken wings, Crock Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken or Crock Pot Maple BBQ Pulled Beef.
Or try these delicious low carb salads:
- Spring Roll Salad
- Cauliflower Potato Salad
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Salad
- Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers
Keto Zucchini Fritters
Keto Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini (about 400 grams or 14 ounces), ends removed
- 3 ounces ricotta cheese or see notes above for swapping
- ½ cup coconut flour or see notes above for swapping
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest or lime zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped or fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- olive oil, avocado oil or coconut oil for frying
Instructions
Pan Fry Instructions
- Grate or shred the zucchini and place in a colander to drain for 10 minutes.
- Place into a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and squeeze as much excess moisture and as much water from the grated zucchini until almost dry.
- Place drained zucchini in a large mixing bowl and add all of the other ingredients, except for the oil, and mix really well.
- Refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes to allow it to thicken.
- Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a frying pan or large non-stick skillet over medium heat and drop about ¼ cup of mixture at at time into the oil, using a spoon to neaten the edges and spread it out to a fritter. You should be able to make about 10 fritters.
- Fry until golden brown on both sides. Enjoy immediately.
- Store keto fritters in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Baking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Drop 10 scoops of zucchini batter onto the baking sheet pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes until they are golden brown.
Air Fry Instructions
- Place the zucchini fritters in a single layer in the air fryer basket. It is helpful to use a silicone or parchment liner so they don't stick. Air fry for about 8-10 minutes at 400 or until they are golden brown.
Brenda Mackey
Made these for the first time tonight and followed the recipe exactly. Very good served with a dollop of sour cream and fresh chives.
Next time I may add just a bit of finely chopped onion for added flavor.
Brenda Bennett
Glad you liked them!
KC
Had a couple zucchini I needed to use up, so I whipped these up for brunch. Served with sri racha mayo. Delish! Really appreciate all the effort & money you put into perfecting recipes so we don’t have to. Thanks, Brenda!
PS no coconut taste, for those concerned
Brenda Bennett
Thank you so very much!
Josie
Any chance you can airfry these?
Brenda
I think so though I've not tested it out. I'd probably air fry at 400 degrees for maybe 10 minutes.
Stephanie
Hi Brenda,
Do you think the recipe would work with almond flour instead of coconut flour?
Thanks,
Steph
Brenda
You might need a lot more almond flour because about 1/4 cup coconut is equal to about 1 cup almond, so it's a big difference but its possible, I've just not tested it out.
Michael
I like the idea of many of your recipes; however I find that some of the ingredients are very difficult to get here (Canada). It is unfortunate.
Otherwise good stuff!
Mike
Sue Ostrowski
Hi Brenda! I'm a new fan...question...can these zucchini fritters be broiled or baked rather than fried? If so, how would the recipe change?
Thanks so much and I will be following your wonderful recipes!
Brenda
I think baked then broiled at the end to crisp them up would work nicely.
Dee Hoertz
Is one fritter considered a serving?
Brenda
No 2 fritters are 1 serving
Janeth H.
Hi there Brenda! These look fantastic, so I'll be fixing them for tonites side dish with grilled chicken. I'll let you know how my veggie-phobic husband likes them, unless veggies are disguised by frying or battered, he won't even look at them. Fingers crossed!! Thank you for being my keto-veggie-gluten & sugar free Queen!
Brenda
Thank you so much!