Crispy Cauliflower Fritters Recipe

7 Simple Steps to Make Crispy Cauliflower Fritters [Recipe]

Have you ever stood in your kitchen, wooden spoon in hand, wondering what the heck to—wait, no, that’s not right. Let me start again. The first time I made crispy cauliflower fritters was after a disastrous attempt at roasting a whole head that turned to mush in my old apartment’s temperamental oven. It was July 18th, 2019, and my AC was broken, which made the whole kitchen feel like the inside of a dishwasher mid-cycle. I’d invited friends for dinner in twenty minnutes and had nothing but a sad cauliflower and random pantry bits to work with. That’s when I created what I now call “panic-panning” (throwing things in a pan when you’re absolutely terrified of having nothing to serve). Who knew that 7 simple steps to make crispy cauliflower fritters would become my signature dish? Whatever, they’re just really good.

Table of Contents

The Road to Fritter Enlightenment

Y’know what’s weird? I used to HATE cauliflower. Like, throw-it-across-the-room hatred. My journey to cauliflower fritters started after Jeff (my neighbor who thinks he’s a chef but burns water) brought over this soggy cauliflower thing to my housewarming in 2016. It tasted like wet newspaper. But then Louise taught me her grandmother’s technique for getting moisture out—she calls it “squench-drying,” which sounds ridiculous but works.

My first cauliflower fritters were disasters… flat, greasy pancakes that my cat wouldn’t even sniff (and Muffin eats BUGS). I tried again in March, then twice more in August, then pretty much every weekend until I nailed it. The breakthrough happened on a Tuesday when I was cooking in sweatpants and accidentally spilled baking soda into the mix. The 7 simple steps to make crispy cauliflower fritters evolved through pure chaos!

Living in the mountains made it harder—things cook differently at altitude—so I had to adjust everything twice. (Plus my stove leans slightly to the left, which isn’t relevant but really annoys me.)

What You’ll Throw Together

1 medium-sized cauliflower head (about 1½ pounds) — for the love of everything holy, make sure it’s FRESH and not one of those sad supermarket ones with brown spots
2 eggs, beaten until they look like they’ve had a rough day
⅓ cup all-purpose flour (I sometimes use ¾ of a Mabel-scoop, which is what my great-aunt called the weird little cup she used for everything)
2½ tablespoons cornstarch – the secret weapon that nobody talks about
1 teaspoon baking powder (heaped, not leveled—I’m not a measuring psychopath)
1/2 an onion, diced smaller than your patience on a Monday morning
2 garlic cloves, crushed (or 4 if you’re not planning on kissing anyone)
A handful of fresh herbs – I use parsley but honestly whatever’s not dead in your herb garden
3 tbsp parm—sorry, PARMESAN cheese (not the shelf-stable powder, you monster)
Salt/pepper to the point where you question your decisions
Oil for frying – enough to make your arteries nervous (about ¼ inch in the pan)

The Fritter Formation Protocol

First, DISMEMBER THE CAULIFLOWER. Sorry, that sounds violent. Cut it into florets and steam them for 5-7 minutes. You want them soft enough to mash but not so soft they’re reminiscent of hospital food. Let’s call this the “al-caulidente” stage (yes I made that up, no I won’t stop using it).
Once they’re done steaming, here’s where everyone gets it wrong but I’ll set you straight—you need to cool them COMPLETELY and then dry those suckers more thoroughly than you’ve ever dried anything in your entire life. I spread them on a kitchen towel, then press another towel on top, then leave them for like 20 minutes while I watch cooking videos on TikTok. If they’re not dry enough, your fritters will be wet and sad, like that time I tried to make them during a humid day and they basically turned into cauliflower soup. Check out my other veggie fritter disasters here
Transfer to a big bowl and mash them up—but don’t pulverize them into oblivion! You want texture, not baby food. Aim for what I call “chunky-smooth” (think cottage cheese consistency but less gross-sounding).
Now for the amalgamation stage! Add your eggs, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, diced onion, garlic, herbs, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix it all together until it looks like something between pancake batter and mashed potatoes. The consistency should be thick enough that if you hold a spoon of it upside down for 3 seconds, it stays put—what my Grandpa Joe called the “gravity test.” If it’s too wet, add more flour, a spoonful at a time. Too dry? Well, you’ve gone too far and there’s no coming back. KIDDING! Add a tiny splash of milk.
Heat your oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. How do you know when it’s hot enough? The old-school water droplet test works, but I prefer the “wooden spoon bubble method”—stick the end of a wooden spoon in; if bubbles form around it, you’re good to go! Don’t get the oil too hot though, or you’ll have burnt outsides and raw insides—learned that the embarrassing way when I served semi-raw fritters to my boss last year.
Using a ¼ cup measure (or an ice cream scoop if you’re fancy), plop portions of the mixture into the hot oil. Press them down gently with the back of your spatula to form rounds about ½-inch thick. Don’t crowd the pan! Give these babies room to breathe—usually 3-4 per batch depending on your pan size. Our kitchen equipment guide has great frying pan recommendations.
Fry for about 3 minutes on each side, or until they’re golden brown and making that satisfying sizzle sound that tells you something delicious is happening. Flip them ONCE—I’m serious—excessive flipping leads to fritter fatalities. How do you know they’re done? They should have a crust that looks like it could win a tan competition. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil, but serve immediately while they’re still making that tiny crackling noise (that’s what I call the “fritter whisper”).

Crucial Fritter Wisdom

• CONTRARY TO LITERALLY EVERYONE: Do NOT add extra flour to “firm up” the mixture! Instead, use my “cold-setting” technique—put the whole bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up naturally.

• I developed what I call the “mid-fry pat” after a particularly soggy batch in 2020. While the fritter is cooking, gently press the center with your spatula twice during cooking. It creates an extra crispy middle section.

• Salt your fritters AFTER cooking, not before! Pre-salting draws out moisture during frying (something Old Man Jenkins at the farmers market told me after I complained about my soggy fritters).

• If your fritters aren’t holding together, you probably didn’t dry your cauliflower enough. There’s no fixing the current batch—eat it with a spoon and call it “deconstructed” if anyone asks.

• Store leftovers in the fridge, then reheat in a dry skillet (not the microwave unless you enjoy eating rubber). Check my leftover revival guide for more tips.

• For a gluten-free version, use chickpea flour instead of all-purpose. The result is slightly different—what I call “nuttier on the nib”—but equally delicious.

My Can’t-Live-Without Fritter Equipment

CAST IRON SKILLET FROM HELL ★★★★★
Found this at a garage sale where the lady said it was “haunted by good cooking.” It weighs as much as a small child but distributes heat better than therapy.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00063RWYI

FISH SPATULA (FOR NON-FISH THINGS) ★★★★★
Technically for fish but I use it exclusively for fritters. My mom would be horrified at this misuse but she also puts raisins in potato salad so who’s really wrong here?
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YDO2MK

Not-Your-Basic Fritter Adaptations

For my “Breakfast Cauliflower Wake-Up Fritters,” add cooked bacon bits and a tiny sprinkle of maple syrup to the batter. Sounds disgusting, tastes like heaven wrapped in more heaven.

If you’re feeling adventurous, try my “Thunder Fritters” variation—add 2 tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese and a pinch of cayenne. My friend Sylvia claims they cured her seasonal allergies, which is definitely not true but they ARE delicious.

For a vegan version, skip the eggs and use 3 tablespoons of aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas) instead. They won’t be quite as fluffy but they’ll still have that essential crispiness that makes the 7 simple steps to make crispy cauliflower fritters worth following!

The Burning Question

Q: Why do my fritters always fall apart when I flip them?

A: You’re flipping with fear, and fritters can sense fear! Jokes aside, this usually happens because you’re either flipping too early or your oil isn’t hot enough. Wait until you see the edges turning golden brown and looking firm—what I call the “commitment edge.” Also, make sure your spatula is getting completely under the fritter before attempting the flip. And contrary to popular chef advice, a thinner batter actually makes more stable fritters in this specific case—it’s something about how the cauliflower pieces bind together in a thinner medium. I discovered this after accidentally spilling extra milk into my batter during the Great Kitchen Flood of 2021 (when my upstairs neighbor’s washing machine broke through my ceiling).

Final Fritter Thoughts

Looking back at my journey with these 7 simple steps to make crispy cauliflower fritters, I can’t believe I ever lived without them. They’ve been the star of my dinner parties, the midnight snack that’s worth getting out of bed for, and once even served as an impromptu birthday “cake” when I forgot my nephew was coming over (topped with a candle stuck in sour cream—don’t judge me).

Will I ever perfect them completely? Who knows! Can you really perfect something that’s already so dang delicious? Is perfection even real or just something we invented to make ourselves feel inadequate about our cooking?

I’ve got plans to try a curry-spiced version next week, and maybe a Mediterranean version with olives and feta after that. THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS, PEOPLE!

Never forget: life’s too short for soggy fritters.

Chef Margie “Crispy Edges” Thompson
Runner-up, Regional Vegetable Transformation Challenge 2022