This Corn Fritter recipe makes tender little fried balls of dough with bits of sweet corn inside. Serve them warm with maple syrup and honey drizzled on top.
Corn fritters can be served as an appetizer or snack. And they can also be served as a side with burgers, chicken or seafood.
What is a corn fritter?
Simply put a corn fritter is a fritter with corn in it. Which leads one to ask what is a fritter? A fritter is a small portion of fried dough with or without anything inside it. Fritters can be sweet like an apple fritter or savory like a corn fritter.
Put flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl and stir to combine.
What spices can be added to corn fritter batter?
You can add spices to your corn fritters to make them more flavorful. Here are a few suggestions:
- add ground cinnamon and more sugar for a sweeter option
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- cajun seasoning
- cayenne pepper
- black pepper
Add the milk, eggs, and melted butter.
Fold in fresh sweet corn cut from the cob. This would also be a great way to use leftover corn from boiling corn on the cob for your family!
Can I use canned corn?
We love using fresh sweet corn in this corn fritter recipe but canned or frozen corn would also work. If using canned corn, drain it first. And if using frozen corn, it needs to be thawed before using it.
Scoop the corn fritter batter using a tablespoon size dough scoop.
What else can I add to this corn fritter recipe?
We kept is basic and only added the corn to the fritters but the sky is the limit when it comes to options. Here are a few suggestions:
- crumbled bacon
- minced onion
- chopped chives
- shredded cheddar cheese
- crab meat
- parmesan
- diced jalapenos
Deep Frying Food
There are a couple of options when it comes to deep frying food at home. You can use a large heavy bottomed pot on the stovetop with a thermometer or use a deep fryer.
We opted to purchase a deep fryer to use when deep frying food. It can hold up to 12 cups of oil and 8 cups of food. You can find our exact deep fryer here. These are a few of the advantages of using a deep fryer:
- Temperature: The deep fryer heats the oil and maintains the temperature. You choose the temperature you would like the oil to be and a green light comes on when it is ready.
- Thermometer: The thermometer is built into the deep fryer. There is no need for an external one unless you want to double check the temperature.
- Wire Basket: There is a wire frying basket for lowering and raising food in the fryer.
- Cover: There is a vented, removable cover with a view window.
Our deep fryer does limit the size and the shape of the items we are frying. It also has a max temperature of 375˚ and we had to purchase it rather than use what we already had on hand.
Always keep in mind that you need to be cautious when frying food. Keep the oil at a steady temperature and always stay close by.
Carefully add the dough to hot oil and fry until golden brown, turning as needed.
Use the wire basket on the fryer or a spider spoon to lift the golden corn fritters from the oil.
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Can you freeze corn fritters?
Yes, you can freeze corn fritters after cooking them. Store them in an airtight container or freezer ziptop bag. When ready to use, thaw on the counter for 1 hour.
Can you reheat corn fritters?
You can reheat corn fritters in the oven, toaster oven, air fryer, or in a frying pan. Corn fritters can be warmed up in the microwave in a pinch but they will not be very crispy.
Want more fair food recipes? Try these next:
This Fried Cheese Curds recipe was so easy to make. These deep fried white cheddar cheese curds are the BEST appetizer and the perfect comfort food!
Corn Fritter Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 ¾ cup fresh sweet corn or 15.25 oz can corn, drained
- 1 Quart of vegetable oil or peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Add the egg, milk, and melted butter. Stir to combine.
- Fold in the corn.
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer (or use a heavy pot) to 365˚F.
- Add several spoonfuls of corn batter to the hot oil. Fry until golden brown filling halfway through.
- Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Diana says
I loved this recipe. I did add an additional teaspoon of sugar and 4 tablespoons flour since I could not make balls. The recipe was easy to make and just cook in a saucepan on the stove.
Lauralee says
I have a power xl air fryer if i put parchment paper on the rack and i able to cook them in there? If so do u recommend a temp n time?
Tonia Larson says
Hello Lauralee,
I haven’t tested them in my air fryer yet but here is what I recommend trying. Since this is a loose, wet batter you will need to thicken the batter so that it will hold it’s shape in an air fryer. You can do that by omitting some of the whole milk and adding additional ingredients such as grated parmesan, more corn, shredded cheddar cheese, or breadcrumbs. Once you thicken the batter and scoop the dough, gently press down on the top of the fritter to flatten it into a pancake shape. Work in batches to cook them at 380˚F in a preheated air fryer for 12-14 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Spray the fritters with olive oil before cooking and after flipping them. You can also freeze the patties before putting them in the air fryer to help them hold their shape.
Best,
~Tonia
Dee says
Corn fritters , just made but looked at comments added 1 1/2 cup flour, 4 tbsp.butter melted cooled, 1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder, 1 tsp. Salt, 1 tsp. Vanilla, 2 tbsp. Sugar, almost 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup less one can kernel corn drained. awesome corn fritters deep fryer 350 4-6 min.
I’m stuffed . Thank you
Gayle Alvey says
I made these exactly like the recipe, it was good but my batter wasn’t thick enough to make balls
Tonia Larson says
I’m so glad you liked them! Yes, it is a loose batter but if it isn’t working to scoop or spoon the dough you can add a little more flour a tablespoon at time until it reaches the consistency you desire.
Linton says
I realized I didn’t have corn so used zucchini and drained it really well. Worked perfectly! I think shrimp would also be great with this recipe!
Shane Ford says
These did not taste like any corn fritter i have ever had. Pretty much flour and corn and really bland. I added more sugar and some cheese to try and thicken them up and possibly give them some flavor. I would suggest no milk, one egg and use cream style corn next time maybe.
Jinou says
Easy and quick very good!
MsCrit says
Thanks for this deliciousness. They came out perfect.
I like them a bit sweeter and with cornmeal but, not corn-mealy. I added sugar, 1/2 box of jiffy and adjusted the milk. These little buggers are addictive. I will use again making different variations.
Thanks again!
Billie says
Hi,
Do you have to use the baking
Powder? Thank you
Tonia says
Baking powder is the leavener that makes the corn fritters airy. If you don’t have any, you can make a baking powder substitute by combining 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Then use 1 1/2 teaspoons of your baking powder substitute in the recipe.
Sharon says
Can I use 2% milk in place of whole?
Tonia says
Yes, you can use 2% milk instead of whole milk.
Lee says
Could I do this in an Air Fryer?
Anne says
These came out perfect. I used thawed frozen corn, an entire 15.5 oz bag. I froze what I didn’t eat, so it will be interesting to see how they taste after thawed. I will use an air fryer to reheat them.
Deborah says
These were super easy to make and so delicious!
Hannah says
Do I cook the corn first?
Tonia says
No you don’t have to cook the corn first. But if you have leftover corn that you cooked, you can certainly use it to make corn fritters!
Karen De Scossa says
These are amazing ! I just use no name canned corn add some sweet Hungarian paprika. Having tonight with tin tomatoe soup
Michelle Dane says
Mine came out a mixed up mess. Batter was too thin. I measured carefully and everything!
Tonia says
Maybe your corn was too wet so there was added liquid? I would suggest adding a little more flour to try to thicken the batter.
Lee says
Excellent recipe! They were light and fluffy. I think the batter without corn would even make tasty donuts. Simply was delicious!
Kathy says
It came out wonderfully. Almost like zeppolites—and one egg sufficed,but Iincreased the butter slightly. I divided the batter into two small batches, One was sweet, adding a little more sugar and the other savory–adding shredded cheddar, peper(next time it will be jalpeno, when I have them) and chives for a savory corn fritter
Delicious and best of all– so easy to make