You want something with protein and vitamins, and all that good stuff, but you also want something fried and delicious: What do you do? You make fritters using healthy ingredients! These fritters are packed with protein. They contain beans, nuts, seeds, and nutritional yeast, which are all excellent plant-based sources or protein. Each fritter contains about 6 grams. They’re also rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fiber, and healthy fats.
But that’s enough about the health stuff, let’s talk about the taste… These fritters taste like something that should be really bad for you, and I mean that in the best way possible. The texture reminded me somewhat of the potato cakes I made awhile back. The outside was crispy and crunchy but the inside was surprisingly light and airy. While I really enjoyed them with just the sauce, I think they would be really good as a burger or in a pita – the sauce, too.
This recipe makes about one dozen fritters, which is quite a lot, so if you have left overs you can keep them in the fridge for a few days or you can freeze. I stored my leftovers in the fridge overnight and reheated them in the oven the next day, and they were just as good, if not better, than the first time.
High protein fritters that are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Pan-fried to perfection and served with a spicy mayo sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 cans great northern beans
- 1 cup raw cashews or nut of choice, soaked (at least 2 hours)
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp ground flax
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 cloves garlic
- Equal parts vegan mayo, Sriracha, and chili garlic sauce
- Fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Add nuts and garlic to a food processor and pulse a few times until finely chopped.
- Add beans, nutritional yeast, baking powder, and spices, and pulse until well combined.
- Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and add bread crumbs. Gently incorporate bread crumbs with a rubber spatula until the mixture starts to resemble a soft dough.
- Add 1 tbsp of grapeseed oil or cooking oil of choice to a non-stick frying pan and heat for a few minutes on medium. Form fritters into small patties and fry on each side until golden brown – about 1 min on each side. Add more oil as needed. Alternatively, you can bake them at 400º F for 15 min.
- Combine mayo, Sriracha, chili garlic sauce, and a squeeze of lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk thoroughly.
Notes
The cook time depends on how many you can fry at once. I was able to do 3 at a time.
I didn't want my fritters to turn out too oily, so I only used a small amount of oil. If you want a crunchy fritter that is golden brown and crispy all around, then you should use a heavy bottom pan, and add enough oil to submerge the fritter at least halfway.
