Vegan Sweet Potato and Zucchini Fritters

3 zucchini and sweet potato fritters in a stack on a plate

These delicious patties feature grated vegetables and mashed pinto beans to help bind them. They're seasoned with cumin, lime, green onion, and garlic. Serve them for dinner for the whole family (even the baby) or freeze for later.

Course Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 20

Total Time 45

Servings fritters

Calories 156kcal

Author Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Ingredients

2 heaping cups grated zucchini from about 1 medium zucchini (approximately 11 ounces)
3 cups grated sweet potato from 1 medium sweet potato (approximately 13 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
1 15-ounce can pinto beans drained and rinsed
⅓ cup sliced green onion
⅓ cup whole wheat flour more if needed
2 teaspoons lime zest from 1 lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for frying, more if needed

Instructions

Grate the zucchini and sweet potato. Transfer to a mesh strainer over a bowl. Toss with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Let the veggies sit in the strainer for 10 to 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Every couple of minutes, stir the veggies and press them with the back of a spoon to release water through the strainer into the bowl.
After 10 to 15 minutes, transfer the grated veggies to paper towels or a clean dish towel. Wrap them up and wring out the towel over a bowl or the sink to squeeze out the water from the veggies. Repeat until you release most of the water. If you're short on time, you can skip putting the veggies in the strainer first and just squeeze out the water using a towel. If you do this and your batter seems too wet, just add a little extra flour.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the pinto beans. Add the grated veggies and green onion to the bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, lime zest, cumin, garlic powder, and the rest of the salt.
Add the flour and spice mixture to the larger bowl with the other ingredients. Stir until everything is coated.
Scoop out some of the batter, using an ice cream scoop or ⅓ cup measuring cup. Form the batter into a patty. Repeat until you have 9 patties.
Warm olive oil in a medium or large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, put the fritters in the pan. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. If you don't have a big skillet that can fit them all at once, repeat this step until all of the fritters are cooked.
Serve on their own or with a dipping sauce of choice. Enjoy!
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Notes

Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet with a little olive oil for a couple minutes on each side or until warmed through.
Freezing: Let the fritters cool completely then wrap each one with plastic wrap. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container, seal tightly, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat straight from frozen in a skillet.

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