These Cauliflower Fritters are a crispy, cheesy treat! You only need four ingredients and a few simple spices to make these low-carb fritters. Top them with sour cream and chives for a satisfying side!
Friends, if you are missing a good crispy, crunchy side dish, don’t worry; I have the perfect solution! I asked my keto Facebook group what they missed most, and potatoes were the overwhelming answer. While this is a cauliflower recipe, it does contain some qualities that a good potato fritters recipe also has! You will love how easy this side is and how it goes great with breakfast, lunch or dinner! Follow along below for the step-by-step guide.
Ingredients for Cauliflower Fritters
As always, this is a quick overview of the ingredients needed to make this dish. For the complete, printable recipe scroll to the recipe card below.
- Cauliflower: the star of the show! You use riced cauliflower for this recipe, so this can be a fresh cauliflower head that you pulse in the food processor or a bag of frozen cauliflower rice. The important thing is the quantity. No matter which style of cauliflower you choose, you will need two cups of finely riced cauliflower.
- Almond Flour: this keeps it low-carb and keto-friendly. If you wish to use something besides almond flour, you can use pork rind panko.
- Parmesan: for this recipe, we are sticking to shelf-stable grated parmesan cheese, not shredded cheese. Shredded cheese resulted in fritters that fell apart very easily so stick to grated.
- Eggs: Large-sized eggs are used in this recipe. I have not been able to come up with an egg free substitute for this recipe.
- Spices: garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
- Oil: you will need oil for frying; you can use any variety you prefer. I used avocado oil.
How to Make Cauliflower Fritters
In addition to the ingredients listed above you will need a food processor if using a whole head of cauliflower. As well as a mixing bowl, spatula, and pan. I’ve documented the entire process below so you can make the best crispy veggie fritters at home.
Rice the Cauliflower
Add the cauliflower to a food processor and pulse until finely riced. Measure out 2 cups into a large bowl. If you prefer to start with a bag of frozen cauliflower rice go ahead and steam the cauliflower according to the package directions. Squeeze the liquid from the cauliflower and measure out 2 cups.
Combine the Batter
Add the almond flour, parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and stir until well combined. The mixture should easily stick together. It will be thick like the photos, not thin and pourable like pancake batter. Scoop ¼ cup of the mixture into your hand, press together, and form a flat disc. Place the fritters in the freezer 10 minutes. This helps them keep their form as you flip.
Fry
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, then add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan completely. Add the fritters to the hot oil carefully. Cook until crispy and browned on one side, about 1-2 minutes, then carefully flip and cook another 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and continue to cook until all 10 fritters are done.
Serve
Serve the fritters warm, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with a sauce of your choice. I really loved these with sour cream and chives. However, they would also be good with sugar-free ketchup, Greek yogurt, or tzatziki. This is such a versatile side dish. It is great served with any protein classic Roast Chicken, a Pork Tenderloin, or especially delicious with this Cajun Shrimp.
Storage
- Cool: Allow the fritters to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. These fritters can be kept up to 4 days.
- Reheat: To reheat I suggest avoiding the microwave, because it results in a soggy fritter. Instead warm a frying pan over medium heat and lightly spray with oil. Heat until the fritter is warmed through. Alternatively, reheat these in a microwave at 350 degrees F for 2-3 minutes until warmed through.
- Freeze: If you wish to freeze I suggest following the instructions up until you form the patties. Place the patties in a single layer and freeze until solid. Store the patties in a freezer safe bag and cook according to the directions when ready to prepare. Do not thaw before cooking.
Tips and Tricks
- Be gentle flipping these. They can fall apart if you are not careful. As they cool, they become more stable and do not fall apart as easily.
- To switch things up you can add a few tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley. These are also very good with cajun seasoning if you prefer a more flavorful version.
- Cauliflower Florets will work; just be sure you pulse them in the food processor first.
Recipe FAQ
Each fritter contains 94 calories. The complete nutrition information is found below the recipe card. This includes carbohydrates, fiber, and net carbs.
Any of your preferred cooking oils will work. I used avocado oil when making these fritters.
Yes, this recipe is low-carb, gluten, and grain-free.
I suggest using a dairy-free parmesan instead of excluding that ingredient entirely to maintain the correct texture.
Other Snack Recipes
- Zucchini Fritters
- Cinnamon Roll Chaffles
- How to Make Pimento Cheese
- Supreme Pizza Bites
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
Crispy Cauliflower Fritters
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely riced cauliflower*
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- Cooking oil
- Sour cream and/or chives for garnish
Instructions
- Add the cauliflower to a food processor and pulse until finely riced. Measure out 2 cups into a large bowl.
- Add the almond flour, parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and stir until well combined. The mixture should easily stick together.
- Scoop ¼ cup of the mixture into your hand, press together, and form a flat disc. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes (this helps ensure they stay together when flipping.)
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, then add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan completely.
- Add it to the hot oil carefully. Cook until crispy and browned on one side, about 1-2 minutes, then carefully flip and cook another 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and continue to cook until all 10 fritters are done.
- Serve with sour cream and more chives!
Notes
- If you are using frozen cauliflower rice, you will need to steam the rice as directed, then squeeze as much moisture as possible from the cauliflower.
- The cooking time will vary based on the size, thickness, and moisture content of the fritters. You must watch carefully and remove the fritters from the skillet when they are golden brown on each side.
- Because these are gluten-free, they are still fragile while warm and need to be carefully flipped in the pan and carefully removed from the pan as well. Once cooled, they’re much easier to handle.
- Note I did not use fresh cheeses in this recipe. During testing, the cheese made everything fall apart no matter what, so I went with the dry parmesan cheese and it worked great!
