These carrot fritters are crispy outside, tender inside, and perfectly spiced for heaps of flavor! A light yet hearty gluten-free, vegan appetizer, or side dish!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Carrots are a bit of an unsung in the kitchen—they’re budget-friendly, versatile, and packed with nutrients. I usually always have some ready to toss into soups, stews, and vegan carrot cake. But when my fridge was overflowing with them, this easy carrot fritters recipe swooped in to turn my carrot crisis into a delicious discovery.
With basic ingredients, minimal effort, and under 20 minutes, these carrot fritters are pan-fried (or baked/air-fried) until perfectly tender with irresistibly crispy edges. Simple yet hearty, they’re wholesome, nourishing, and—best of all—child-approved (no small feat!).
They’re also versatile – make them into small fritters, burger-like patties, or even large carrot omelettes or flatbread, and enjoy them warm or chilled. Plus, they’re dairy-free, egg-free, and easily made gluten-free for all to enjoy.
You might also enjoy chickpea veggie fritters, cauliflower fritters, and zucchini potato fritters.
The Ingredients
- Carrots: Fresh carrots work best, but this recipe also works for those slightly sad-looking carrots.
- Flour: You can use regular all-purpose, gluten-free AP flour or make your own (I use 70g chickpea flour + 30g tapioca, arrowroot, or potato starch). Whole wheat flour may also work.
- Nutritional yeast: For cheesy, savory, umami flavor.
- Spice mix: For this savory, aromatic, smoky, slightly earthy seasoning, you need simple pantry spices: salt, black pepper, garlic and onion powder, smoked paprika, turmeric, and cumin.
- Oil: Use any neutral oil, like vegetable oil, avocado oil, etc.
Recipe Variations
- Spice: Add some chili powder or cayenne pepper to the spice mix, to taste.
- Vegan cheese: Enhance the rich cheesy flavor with shredded dairy-free cheddar, mozzarella, or smoked gouda, etc. Vegan feta also works.
- Fresh herbs: Add freshness with minced scallions, parsley, chives, dill, or cilantro.
- Sweet corn: For extra color and pops of sweetness in the carrot mixture.
- Sweet potato: To replace a portion of carrot for flavor depth.
- Quinoa: Mix in some cooked quinoa for texture, protein, and heartiness.
For the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information, read the recipe card below.
How to Make Carrot Fritters
- First, grate the carrots using the large holes on a grater (or a food processor grating disk) and transfer them to a bowl.
- Stir in all the other ingredients (water, flour, nutritional yeast, and the spices) until well combined.
- Allow the mixture to rest briefly. Meanwhile, heat a swirl of oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Once hot, drop 2 tablespoons portions of carrot batter into the frying pan. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan.
- Pan-fry the carrot fritters on both sides (about 3-4 minutes per side) until golden brown. Enjoy!
What To Serve With Carrot Fritters?
Enjoy carrot patties warm or chilled (perfect for BBQs, picnics, and cookouts) as an appetizer, side, or light main:
- As a stack: Topped with a dollop of vegan sour cream/yogurt, green onion/parsley, and a wedge of lemon as an appetizer. Add salad for a light lunch.
- With a dipping sauce: Like vegan tzatziki, yogurt, tahini sauce, pesto, mayo, spicy mayo, hummus, mango chutney, etc.
- For breakfast/brunch: Alongside scrambled tofu, avocado, etc.
- In a pita or burger: with lettuce/leafy greens, tomato, and creamy sauce.
- In a bowl meal: Like a salad bowl, buddha bowl, or grain bowl.
Storage Instructions
Store: In an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freeze: For up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container with parchment between to avoid sticking. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheat: For the best texture, reheat the fritters in a skillet with oil. Alternatively, pop them in an air fryer at 350F/177C for a few minutes (or oven for 10-15 minutes).
FAQs
Can I Bake or Air Fry the carrot patties?
Yes, that should work, though the crispiness will vary. Spray with oil, then:
Air Fry: at 360F/180C for 16-20 minutes, flipping halfway.
Bake: at 375F/190C for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway.
Are Carrot Fritters Healthy?
This carrot recipe primarily consists of carrots, which are low in calories, rich in fiber, several vitamins and minerals, and the antioxidant beta carotene. I also usually use chickpea flour in place of regular all-purpose flour, which reduces ‘empty calories’ while adding protein, fiber, iron, etc. I also use minimal oil to keep fat content low.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- To save time: Use a grating disk in a food processor to majorly cut down on prep.
- Alter the shape: Enjoy these as small fritters, slightly larger carrot patties, or large omelettes / flatbreads (see below).
- Liquid is adjustable: Based on how wet the carrots are, you may need a little more or less liquid to achieve a binding consistency. It is best to use a little less water at first and add more if needed after allowing the batter to rest.
How To Make Carrot Omelettes / Flatbreads
For a different twist, you can use this recipe to make two large carrot omelettes instead of several fritters. Simply pan-fry half the batter at a time for 2 large carrot omelettes / flatbreads.
More Vegan Carrot Recipes
If you try this carrot fritters recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan and #elavegan—I love seeing them.
Carrot Fritters
Video
Ingredients
- 240 g (2 large) carrots (weight with peel)
- 100 g flour (I used gluten-free, see notes)
- 120 ml (½ cup) water
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast optional
- Spice mix (see notes)
- 1 Tbsp oil
Instructions
- You can watch the short video for visual instructions.First, grate the carrots using the large holes on a grater (or a food processor grating disk) and transfer them to a bowl.
- Stir in all the other ingredients (water, flour, nutritional yeast, and the spices) until well combined.It is best to use a little less water at first and add more if needed after allowing the batter to rest.
- Allow the mixture to rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile, heat a swirl of oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Once hot, drop 2 tablespoons portions of carrot batter into the frying pan. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan.
- Pan-fry the carrot fritters on both sides (about 3-4 minutes per side) until golden brown. Enjoy!
Notes
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- Black pepper to taste
- Flour: I used my favorite homemade gluten-free flour blend: 70 g chickpea flour + 30 g tapioca flour (potato starch/arrowroot flour is fine, too). Regular all-purpose flour will also work, if you aren't gluten-free.
- Carrot Omelette: For a different twist, you can use this recipe to make two large carrot omelettes instead of several fritters. Simply pan-fry half the batter at a time for 2 large carrot omelettes / flatbreads.
- Cheese: You can also add grated vegan cheese for even more flavor.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
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Absolutely delicious recipe and super easy to make. the texture reminds me of a Portuguese dish made with fish (pataniscas de bacalhau), so this could easy be a vegan version òf that dish
Thank you!
Thank you so much! 😊 I’m really glad you enjoyed the recipe. That’s so interesting about the Portuguese dish. Thanks for sharing! 💛
These carrot fritters are DELICIOUS! My dh and I ate them ALL in one sitting. I made a simple mayo/horseradish dipping sauce. We devoured them. Thank you!
Wonderful! 😍
I love that you paired them with a horseradish dip, that sounds absolutely perfect with the sweetness of the carrots. And honestly, eating them all in one sitting is the best compliment.
Thank you so much for trying the recipe and taking the time to share this. 💛
What an amazing snack! I made them today and we ate all of them instantly, even though I was trying to make snacks for the Super Bowl.
I used 30 g arrowroot powder and 70 g spelt flour, and I added the nutritional yeast. I baked them in a 390 F oven on a parchment paper lined sheet. It was tricky turning them after 20 minutes (had to wash the spatula twice). Then I returned them to the oven. for another twenty minutes. They had a little crisp to them and didn’t need any more baking time. (total baking time 40 minutes. We are on an oil free path, so frying was not an option.
I served them to my husband and he said they were kind of Asian. “What do we have that is kind of Asian?’ So I mixed together some rice vinegar, Bragg liquid aminos (like soy sauce), and sugar. I also brought out my Red Fresno Chili Pepper Sauce. He liked dipping them into both sauces successively, and I preferred the vinegar based one.
What a treat! This is our first snack food recipe (beside granola). What a winner! Thank you, Ela. <3
This made me smile so much, thank you for taking the time to share all of this 🥰
The dipping sauces sound amazing. I’m really happy this ended up being such a hit and your first real snack food win beyond granola.
Thank you for your kind words and for trusting my recipes, it truly means a lot to me 🤍
I made these fritters again tonight. I was more careful when adding the water and only used 3 of the 4 oz. I had no problem with flipping them this time. Last time they were way too sticky. Perfection!
That makes me so happy to hear, Karie! 🙌
Yes, with fritters even a little too much water can completely change the texture. So smart to adjust it slightly.
I’m glad they flipped perfectly this time and turned out just right. 💛
Think tempura. We love tempura, and this reminds us of it, especially with the Asian sauce pairing. (equal parts rice vinegar, liquid aminos/soy sauce/maple syrup)
Wonderful! Thank you Karie! 🙂
Thank you for the recipe. . I made some last night – I baked them – I used 3 medium sized carrots and used chickpea flour. Verdict – delicious (I did not use water becasue the carrots had a fair amount of water.) I made a dip from cocnut yohurt dip with chopped up spring oniion and parsely.)
That sounds amazing, Helen 😍 so glad you tried them and even tweaked the recipe.
Thanks so much for sharing your version. I love hearing how people adapt the recipe and still get great results 💚
Que delicia, e ficou bonito, amei!
Muito obrigada! Fico super feliz que você tenha gostado 😊💚
Yum! II would have just used chickpea flour but chose to made your GF blend instead. I think the tapioca flour addition made it more crispy and I wonder if this blend is an option with any other recipes? I know it wouldn’t work with a bread as is or would it? I used chickpea flour all the time and LOVE it! Any info on optional uses would be great!
Yes, you can use the chickpea–tapioca blend in other recipes! It adds great crispiness thanks to the tapioca flour, which gives fritters and flatbreads that slightly chewy, golden edge.
This exact blend works especially well for:
• Fritters
• Veggie pancakes/omelettes
• Flatbreads
• Crispy coatings/batters
It won’t behave like a full bread flour blend though. For yeast-free, gluten-free breads, the structure needs more starches plus psyllium, so this 70 g chickpea + 30 g tapioca blend on its own wouldn’t be ideal.
But for anything skillet-cooked or lightly pan-fried, it’s a fantastic option — super crispy and very easy to use. Enjoy experimenting!
This is what I thought and thanksmfor the confirmation and another great recipe!
You are very welcome. 🙂
Could these be done in the oven instead of a skillet?
Yes, that should work 👍
They won’t get quite as crispy as in the skillet, but they’ll still be good.
I’d do it like this: preheat the oven to about 200 °C (390 °F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly brush or spray it with oil. Spoon small fritters onto the tray and gently flatten them. Brush or spray a little oil on top as well.
Bake for about 20–25 minutes, flipping them once halfway through, until they’re golden and set. If you want a bit more color at the end, you can switch to grill/broil for the last 2–3 minutes and keep an eye on them.
If you try it, let me know how you like them from the oven 😊
I failed! I decided to “Nutribullet” it because I thought it would be more batter-like & less-carrot like & I added scallions. Everything else was the same. I never got the middle cooked. I kept adding oil and trying different heat from higher to lower…then added vegan cheese…Bummer, next time, I’ll try to not smooth out the carrots so much, The pics of how they are supposed to look and how they are actually look- quite different, I do recognize that your recipe may be awesome, and my tweaks were not. Maybe I’ll try again at another time.
Ah, I see exactly what happened! By blitzing the carrots in the Nutribullet you basically turned them into a wet carrot purée. That changes the texture completely — instead of little grated pieces that release steam gradually and help the fritter hold shape, you ended up with a dense, moist batter that stays soggy in the middle and won’t cook through easily.
A couple of tips for next time:
Stick to grating the carrots (large holes). The texture is key for them to cook evenly and stay crisp.
Don’t overdo the water. Start with less, since carrots already have moisture.
Flatten the fritters a bit so they’re not too thick — that helps the middle cook through.
Scallions and vegan cheese are great add-ins, but they also add moisture, so you might need an extra spoon of flour to balance it.
Wonderful!
Added some rice, Worcester and Chili. Subbed spice mix for curry. Complete meal to take on a hike, Many thanks!
That’s awesome! Thanks so much for leaving a comment and review! 🙂
Have you heard of Chayote Squash? I haven’t tried it yet. You can make it so many ways. One is a fritter.
Hi Char, I haven’t tried it yet. 🙂
I knew these were going to be good so made 2x the recipe. They came out great in my air fryer! I used a blend of whole wheat flour, chickpea flour, tapioca flour and oat fiber. It’s like a yummy carrot hash brown. 😋
Yay, sounds awesome! Thanks for your great feedback Alex. 🙂
Oh my goodness! These Carrot Fritters are the bomb dot com 🙂
I’m not sure what I expected but I sure didn’t expect them to taste so good. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I will certainly keep this in my rotation.
You are very welcome! So glad you like them. 🙂
I made them today and they are great! I love your recipes 🙂
That makes me so happy! Thank you Karolina. 🙂
Looks great! Can you bake instead of pan fry? If so, what temp and how long? Love your recipes!!
Hi Carol, please check the FAQs in the post where I described it. Enjoy. 🙂