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    Home | All Recipes | Breakfast Recipes

    Easy Broccoli Fritters Recipe

    Published: Sep 11, 2021 · Modified: Jan 13, 2022 by Elle

    Jump to Recipe

    This broccoli fritters recipe is so easy, yet tasty, it's unbelievable! It only requires broccoli, eggs, all-purpose flour, and some seasoning to create the veggie fritters, which are then lightly fried until golden in some olive oil. These fritters are a great breakfast, brunch, or afternoon snack treat, and can be personalized with some sour cream, bacon, or with the addition of cheese, such as Parmesan or cheddar, although the recipe as it stands is dairy-free. Enjoy!

    broccoli pancakes savory broccoli fritter recipe
    Jump to:
    • Broccoli Fritters Ingredients
    • Recipe

    Tasty, freshly steamed broccoli florets as mushed with eggs, seasoning, and all-purpose flour to create the perfect broccoli fritters in this simple, yet delicious recipe.

    You will need very little prep time, mainly to clean and boil the broccoli, and only a handful of minutes to cook these broccoli pancakes [they are a bit of a cross-over between fritters and pancakes] to perfection.

    They can be served on their own or as part of a larger breakfast and can be personalized with the addition of cheese [a nice tablespoon of Parmesan cheese works wonders] or different seasonings to the batter [chili flakes, anyone?].

    Get your florets ready, this brunch is going to be unique!

    brunch savory pancakes broccoli fritter recipe

    Broccoli Fritters Ingredients

    • Broccoli Florets: Fresh or frozen broccoli will work well in this recipe.
    • Whole Eggs and All-Purpose Flour: The binding factor.
    • Seasoning: To taste.
    ingredients broccoli pancakes

    How to cook broccoli fritters?

    1. To start, divide your broccoli florets from the broccoli stalks using a sharp knife on a cutting board, as these can be quite tough when raw; boil the broccoli in a large pan of salted water until tender, but not overdone (this should take about 6 minutes, depending on the size of the broccoli stems).
    2. Once the broccoli florets are ready, drain them and mash them; this can be done in two ways, depending on the consistency desired. Should you prefer to have some small pieces of broccoli in your broccoli fritters, then like me, you can use a potato masher or a fork, should you instead prefer a smoother consistency, then you can use a food processor to do so.
    3. Allow the mashed broccoli to cool down for 5-10 minutes before proceeding with the next step.
    4. In a large bowl add the all-purpose flour, black pepper, and salt and mix well; next add the eggs and mix well once more, until a smooth batter is achieved.
    5. Lastly, to finish preparing the batter, add the boiled and mashed broccoli florets to the large bowl and mix well once more.
    mash boiled broccoli
    1. To cook the broccoli pancakes, warm up a frying pan or non-stick skillet on medium-high heat and coat it with olive oil; once this is warm, using a soup ladle, cookie scoop, or a large spoon, create the fritters on the pan and allow to cook on medium heat until half-way ready. Once the pancakes are halfway done, flip them and finish cooking them thoroughly. To eliminate any excess grease, rest them on a piece of parchment paper or a paper towel; do this until all the batter is used.
    2. Enjoy!
    flip the broccoli fritter recipe
    broccoli fritter recipe savory pancakes
    Can I make these broccoli cheese fritters?

    Good news, broccoli fans, you can turn this broccoli fritter recipe into a cheesy one very quickly! Should you wish to make these cheesy, simply add the chosen type to the batter and mix well; when doing so, be sure to reduce the quantity of flour and salt used. As the recipe calls for 3 spoons of flour, should you decide to use Parmesan cheese, then perhaps try with 2 spoons of flour and one of parmesan. Another great cheese option for this recipe is cheddar cheese (ps: adding cheese is great also when making cauliflower fritters!)

    Can I make these fritters gluten-free?

    Absolutely yes. This broccoli fritter recipe would work very well with chickpea flour or almond flour, which are both gluten-free; given these are salty pancakes, I would not recommend using sweeter options, like coconut flour. Just swap the all-purpose flour for your chosen alternative and adjust the quantity of required.

    Can I prepare these broccoli fritters in advance? How to reheat broccoli pancakes?

    These broccoli pancakes can be prepared in advance; once prepared, allow them to cool down and then store them in the fridge in an airtight container, where they will keep well for a couple of days. To reheat them, simply place them on a non-stick pan with a little olive oil and warm up on both sides until piping hot, or place them in the microwave and heat until ready, checking on them every 15 seconds.

    Should you have one, a toaster oven is also a great tool to reheat these veggie fritters.

    broccoli fritter recipe with gammon and maple syrup
    Broccoli fritter recipe... served with cured bacon and maple syrup!

    A few notes:

    • Crispy broccoli fritters: to make these extra crunchy, simply shallow fry them in olive oil or sunflower oil a little longer, and once ready (perfect when they are golden brown) rest them on a baking sheet or cookie sheet.
    • Favorite dipping sauce: these fritters pair very well - especially if eaten without the bacon - with sour cream or unsweetened Greek yogurt, but also with a bit of ketchup.
    • More flavor: add some garlic powder to the batter for extra taste; this would work extra well also if preparing zucchini fritters if looking to prepare this recipe in a different way.
    • Make it cheesy: if you find any special cheese in the grocery store and you think it could work with these salty pancakes, then why not give it a try? Not only parmesan or cheddar cheese, think gorgonzola (try it with some crumbled Gorgonzola Dolcelatte by Galbani!) , stilton (classic with broccoli), or pecorino. These would definitely elevate your broccoli cakes!
    • Side dish: you can treat this fritter recipe as a side dish and serve it with almost anything, like grilled chicken, skewers, or poached eggs.
    • Leftover broccoli: this is a great way of using up leftover broccoli! Although fresh broccoli that is still warm is easier to mash using a potato masher, leftovers can be lightly warmed in the microwave!
    • Keto broccoli fritters: to make these broccoli patties keto-friendly (so lower in carbohydrates), simply change the type of flour for an approved substitute. A good option is almond flour, which may be the most used substitute when making a recipe keto-friendly! Also, remember that cheese is a keto-approved ingredient, so you could go 50-50 for a twist.

    This recipe is absolutely easy, delicious, and a great way to make brunch fun!

    If you are a fan of broccoli, you will love this in any case, but if you know someone who is not, I am sure this will be the way to make them enjoy an entire head of broccoli without a single question!

    If you loved this, take a look at these too: 

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    Recipe

    broccoli fritter recipe savory pancakes

    Easy Broccoli Fritters Recipe

    Elle
    An easy broccoli fritter recipe without cheese for a tasty and healthy brunch option!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Breakfast, Brunch
    Cuisine American, british
    Servings 2 portions
    Calories 279 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 300 g Broccoli in small florets
    • 2 Whole Eggs Large
    • 3 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
    • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • Salt and Pepper to Taste

    Instructions
     

    • Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the broccoli florets until soft.
    • Drain the broccoli well and then, using a potato masher, break them down. You do not need to make them smooth, as a bit of a bite can be pleasant.
    • To the mashed broccoli add the flour, parmesan, salt, black pepper, and egg and mix well, until uniform and without flour knots. The consistency will be thicker than the one of regular pancakes, but resist the temptation to add any liquid to the batter: the broccoli are full of it and will release some while cooking.
    • In a frying pan, add the olive oil, and warm-up; once it is warm, add ¼ of the broccoli batter to it, spread it evenly like a pancake (I do mine about 5mm thick), and allow to cook on a low flame. This will take, on a low flame, about 4 minutes on each side, so if you have a large pan, you may do two or more at the same time.
    • Once one side of the pancake is cooked, flip; allow to finish cooking through and through.
    • Enjoy!

    Notes

    This recipe is ridiculously easy for being this good, but I have a couple of notes:
     - It is best to mash the broccoli while they are warm, as they are softer, but add them to the batter once they have cooled down a bit. 
    - If you decide to add some cheese, such as parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese, ensure that you balance the salt out, as these can be quite salty. 
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 11gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 112mgPotassium: 547mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1172IUVitamin C: 134mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword broccoli, Brunch, Gammon, healthy breakfast, Healthy Brunch
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jen

      October 20, 2022 at 10:33 am

      I made these and the end result is still quite mushy. Is there a hack to make it less so? Or is this just the nature of a fritter?5 stars

      Reply
      • Elle

        October 20, 2022 at 4:37 pm

        Hi Jen,

        Thank you for your comment!

        May I ask whether they came out like pancakes? If so, then it's about adding a bit less egg, draining the broccoli better, and perhaps frying them in a bit more oil for crispiness.

        If they didn't stick together at all, then there is too much water [from the broccoli, for example] and not enough egg and/or flour to keep them together.

        Also, make sure you heat up the oil well and keep the flame at least medium while cooking them.

        My fritters usually come with a light crunch outside and softer inside, they are not super crispy, as I don't add too much flour and like to keep the taste of broccoli.

        Please let me know how it went and whether I can help more!

        Also - thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to write, it is really appreciated!

        Elle

        Reply
    2. Mary

      February 17, 2021 at 11:32 am

      So good ?

      Reply
      • Elle

        February 17, 2021 at 1:02 pm

        Thank you, Mary! ? And healthy!

        Reply
    3. Liz

      February 17, 2021 at 11:32 am

      Omg, I’ve just made these, I’ve been craving a Pancake for a while now, delicious and healthy!5 stars

      Reply
      • Elle

        February 17, 2021 at 1:02 pm

        Thank you, Liz! ? I love broccoli and pancakes, so I'm happy to have them together! ??

        Reply

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    Elle Author (Spice and Life)

    Thank you for being here. If you are having a look around, it is most probably because you too love cooking with herbs and spices and are looking for your next recipe, tip, or trick. 

    I love food, the sun, good music, and having a laugh, and if you want to know how this small-town Italian got this site together, then

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