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Savoury Pumpkin Fritters (Vegan)

5 from 1 vote

These savoury pumpkin fritters are made with fresh pumpkin (or squash), curry spice and all purpose flour. Fried in a skillet with olive oil until crispy and golden, they're delicious served alongside lemony yogurt dip. Vegan and ready in 30 minutes, this is a great savoury breakfast, lunch or appetizer!

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 40

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Nov 6, 2023 by Hannah Sunderani

Savoury Pumpkin Fritters (Vegan)

These Savoury Pumpkin Fritters are the perfect fall appetizer! They’re filled with fresh pumpkin, warm curry spices, bright cilantro and green onion. Pan-fried until crispy and golden! Serve them alongside my homemade lemony yogurt dip for a dish to remember.

crispy pan fried pumpkin fritter on a white plate that's drizzled with a lemony coconut yogurt sauce and sprinkled with chopped cilantro and green onion. There is a lemony yogurt dip on the right hand side of the plate with a spoon in it. The white plate is sitting on a wood cutting board that's on a light greyish brown backdrop.

Although I love serving warm soups like Curried Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup and Vegan Pumpkin Soup during the colder months, I’m always looking for new ways to indulge in winter veggies and to delight my guests when entertaining. After incorporating fresh squash into my Savoury Oatmeal recipe, I was inspired to find more savoury ways to enjoy winter squash!

Introducing, these savoury pumpkin fritters! They’re ready in just over 30 minutes and make for a great breakfast, lunch, or appetizer. Now, let’s get into the details so you can make them at home!

These Pumpkin Fritters are…

Light
Crispy
Full of fresh pumpkin flavour
Ready in 30 minutes
The perfect pair for lemony yogurt dip
Pan-fried and perfectly golden
Ready in 40 minutes
Made with simple ingredients

side angle shot of stacked pumpkin fritters topped with lemon yogurt suace and sprinkled with fresh chopped cilantro. The stacked pumpkin fritters are sitting on a white plate on a white backdrop.

Why You’ll Love My Recipe

Pumpkin is so often used in sweet recipes like Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats, Pumpkin Chickpea Blondies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, and more. But, pumpkin can actually make really tasty savoury dishes, including fritters!

Most pumpkin fritter recipes I see online are sweet, but what are savoury lovers to do? In addition to making these pumpkin fritters entirely savoury for my savoury lovers, this recipe is also entirely vegan – something else I don’t see much online!

So get ready to switch things up this pumpkin season and indulge in the savoury side of pumpkin. (After all, it is a vegetable!).

all of the ingredients required to make these pumpkin fritters separated into individual bowls.

Ingredient Notes

Pumpkin: For the most authentic pumpkin fritters, you’ll want to use sugar pie pumpkins. These pumpkins are smaller than your typical carving pumpkins, and have a more tender flesh and sweeter flavor. During the fall months, they are typically sold in most mainstream grocery stores, but if you can’t find one, don’t worry! You can also substitute with butternut squash, hubbard squash, or kabocha squash.
Spices: These fritters are simply spiced with curry powder, paprika, and salt for an aromatic and earthy flavour profile.
Green onions: Add a mild onion-like flavour without being overpowering. Chopped chives is a great substitute.
Cilantro: Also known as “coriander” in some regions. This adds a fresh herbaceous flavour to the fritters that keeps them light and refreshing!
Flour: Classic all-purpose flour helps to bind the fritters together and makes them light and crispy when pan-fried.
Flax: Ground flax (or use ground chia seeds, if you prefer!) acts as the perfect vegan egg replacer, and like the flour, it helps to bind the fritters together.
Baking powder: These fritters don’t have a huge rise, but the baking powder helps them become as light and fluffy as possible.

How to Make Pumpkin Fritters

If you’ve made my Lentil Burger Patties, then making these pumpkin fritters will be a breeze for you!

Make the Pumpkin Mixture

To start, we’re going to boil the pumpkin. Fill a medium sized saucepan to be 1/3 high with water and bring to a boil. Add the pumpkin and boil on a medium heat until just soft, about 8-10 minutes.

a saucepan of chopped pumpkin that's simmering in boiling waster until soft. — Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the chopped pumpkin and boil until just soft, about 8-10 minutes.

Once soft, drain the pumpkin and pat dry really well with a paper towel to remove the excess water. It’s okay to squish the pumpkin a bit when drying! Everything will be puréed in the end.

Place the dried pumpkin back in the saucepan and mash the pumpkin using an immersion stick blender or potato masher. When ready, the pumpkin should be well mashed with no large clumps.

boiled pumpkin in a suacepan that has been strained of the water and is being mashed with an immersion blender. — Drain the pumpkin and pat with a paper towel to remove excess water.

Next, add in the curry powder, paprika, salt, green onions, and cilantro and mix to combine. Gradually add the flour while mixing to combine, then sprinkle in the baking powder and continue to mix until well combined. The final mixture should be a little sticky, but don’t worry – once we form them into patties and pan fry, they will be the perfect non-stick texture!

mashed pumpkin in a saucepan mixed with curry powder, paprika, salt, green onions, and cilantro and cilantro. There is a spatula in the saucepan that has been used for mixing. — Sprinkle in the curry powder, paprika, salt, green onions, and cilantro. Mix to combine.

mashed pumpkin mixture in a saucepan that's also been sprinkled with flour, flax meal and baking powder. Ready to be mixed together with a spatula that's also sitting in the saucepan. — Sprinkle in the curry powder, paprika, salt, green onions, and cilantro. Mix to combine.

Form and Pan-Fry the Fritters

Place a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle the skillet with a bit of olive oil or avocado oil for pan frying.

Next, split the fritter batter into 6 sections and oil your hands well. One at a time, shape each section into a round fritter about 1 cm thick. Repeat for all 6 fritters, oiling your hands again between each one, or as needed.

Fritter batter split into 6 sections and rolled into a round patty and placed on a paper lined baking tray. The baking tray is on a white/grey backdrop. — Shape the fritter mash into a rounds discs, about 1 cm thick. Repeat for all 6 fritters.

Place the fritters into the hot, oiled pan and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden, about 2-3 minutes.

Three fritter patties in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil ready to be pan fried. — Place the fritters into a hot, oiled pan and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Three pan fried fritter patties in a skillet. The skillet is on a grey backdrop. — Place the fritters into a hot, oiled pan and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Place the fluffy pumpkin fritters on a kitchen towel or paper towel placed over a cooling rack as you go and work in batches if needed.

Serve while warm with lemony yogurt dressing and additional fresh cilantro, or as desired! Enjoy!

Pan-fried fritter patties that have been placed on a plate lined with kitchen paper towel to soak up the excess oil. The plate is sitting on a white/grey backdrop. — Place the fluffy pumpkin fritters on a paper towel placed over a plate or cooling rack.

Close of up of the pan-fried pumpkin fritters on a white plate that's been drizzled with lemony yogurt sauce and sprinkled with chopped cilantro. There is a bowl of the lemony yogurt dip on the right hand side of the plate. The plate is sitting on a wood cutting board on top of a white/grey backdrop. — Place the fluffy pumpkin fritters on a paper towel placed over a plate or cooling rack.

How to Make the Lemony Yogurt Dip

Simply add the coconut yogurt, green onion, cilantro, and lemon juice to a small mixing bowl and whisk with a fork to combine!

Image of a bowl of lemony yogurt dip for dipping the pumpkin fritters. The bowl is white and it's sitting on a white/grey backdrop. — To make the dip: Add the coconut yogurt, green onion, cilantro, and lemon juice to a small mixing bowl and whisk combine!

Serving Suggestions

These savoury pumpkin fritters can be enjoyed as a delicious appetizer, wholesome breakfast, lunch, or afternoon snack in between meals. In addition to serving with a generous dollop of lemony yogurt dip, they’re also the perfect pair for some of my favourite side dishes such as these 15-Minute Green Beans Almondine, this Holiday Salad, and this Instant Pot Risotto if you’re craving a fall meal that’s cozy and filling.

Image of pumpkin fritters stacked on top of each other. The top fritter is drizzled with lemony yogurt sauce and sprinkled with cilantro and cracked pepper. The stack of pumpkin fritters is on a white plate and the plate is on a white/grey backdrop.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use canned pumpkin to make these fritters?

Canned pumpkin puree is too wet to make this recipe. Instead, if you don’t have access to fresh pumpkin, try swapping it out with another winter squash such as butternut squash or even sweet potato.

Can I make these pumpkin fritters gluten-free?

I have not tested it, but I think using an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill would likely work out well. Note that gluten-free flours tend to absorb more moisture than wheat-based flours, so I’d suggest starting with 1 cup and very slowly increasing from there.

What is the difference between fritters and pancakes?

The biggest difference between these pumpkin fritters and pumpkin pancakes is the flavour. These fritters are entirely savoury, whereas pancakes are typically sweet. Additionally, fritters are more crispy because they are pan-fried in a bit more oil than pancakes that are typically softer and fluffier! If you’re interested in making pancakes, you might enjoy my Almond Flour Banana Pancakes or these Coconut Flour Pancakes!

How long do pumpkin fritters keep?

This pumpkin fritters recipe is best served fresh, but will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat any leftovers in a hot skillet on the stovetop, in the air fryer, or in the oven until warmed through and lightly crispy again.

Image of the pan-fried pumpkin fritters on a white plate that's been drizzled with lemony yogurt sauce and sprinkled with chopped cilantro. There is a bowl of the lemony yogurt dip on the right hand side of the plate. The plate is sitting on a wood cutting board on top of a white/grey backdrop. There is a small bowl of chopped cilantro in the top left hand corner.

More Savoury Pumpkin Recipes You Might Like:

Arial view of the pumpkin fritter stacked on a white plate. The top fritter has been separated into two pieces. It's also drizzled with lemony yogurt sauce and sprinkled with cilantro. The fritters are on a white plate.

I hope you love these pumpkin fritters as much as I do! If you do make this recipe, please let me know in the comments below what you think and check out The Two Spoons App for more wholesome vegan recipes like this! I truly love hearing from you, and I’m always here to answer any questions you might have.

And of course, tag me on Instagram with your pictures using the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.

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Savoury Pumpkin Fritters (Vegan)

5 from 1 vote

By Hannah Sunderani

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Serves fritters

Ingredients

PUMPKIN FRITTERS

2 cups pumpkin , cut into small pieces (or sub with butternut squash, hubbard squash, or kabocha squash)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp paprika
2 green onions (finely chopped)
1/4 cup cilantro (finely chopped)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp olive oil (plus more to oil your hands)

LEMONY YOGURT DIP

¼ cup plain coconut yogurt
1 green onion (finely chopped)
1 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped)
1 tsp lemon juice
pinch fine sea salt

Instructions

TO MAKE THE PUMPKIN FRITTERS

Fill a medium sized saucepan to be 1/3 high with water and bring to the boil. Add the pumpkin and boil on a medium heat until just soft, 8-10 minutes.
Drain and pat dry really well with kitchen paper to remove excess water (it’s ok to squish a bit when drying). Place back in the saucepan.
Mash the pumpkin using an immersion stick blender or potato masher until well mashed with no large clumps. Add the curry powder, salt, paprika, green onions and cilantro. Gradually add the flour while mixing. Sprinkle in the baking powder and mix with a spoon to combine. (The mix will be a little sticky but don’t worry).
Drizzle a non-stick skillet with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat.
Oil your hands well. (This is essential to shape the fritters and stop the dough sticking to your hands. Alternatively you can wet them with water). Split the mix into 6, shaping each into a round fritter shape about 1 cm thick. Repeat for all 6 fritters, oiling your hands again between each one.
Add the fritters to the hot oiled pan (work in batches) and cook until golden browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown, another 2-3 minutes.
Place the fritters on a piece of kitchen towel on a cooling rack and repeat the frying step with the rest of the batter.
Serve the fritters with the lemony yogurt dressing, optional to sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

TO MAKE THE LEMONY YOGURT DIP

Add the coconut yogurt, green onion, cilantro, and lemon juice to a small mixing bowl. Whisk with a fork to combine.

Notes

Depending on the wetness of the cooked pumpkin (or squash) – you may need a little more or a little less than 1 cup flour. The fritters should be doughy in texture and hold it’s shape, see images above for visual reference.

These pumpkin fritters are best served fresh! But will keep for up to 5 days. Store in the fridge in an air-tight container, reheat on the stove top on medium heat with a bit of oil.

The lemony yogurt dip can also be made in advance. Store in the fridge in an air-tight container.

Nutrition

DID YOU

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Savoury Pumpkin Fritters (Vegan)

Savoury Pumpkin Fritters (Vegan)

These Pumpkin Fritters are…

Why You’ll Love My Recipe

Ingredient Notes