One of the easiest, tastiest way to enjoy cauliflower. Crispy cauliflower fritters, or crispeddi cu brocculu, are perfect served as an appetizer, side dish or snack!
Cauliflower fritters or crispeddi cu brocculu as I've always called them in Sicilian are another of those dishes that I've been enjoying my entire life. A simple dish usually eaten as a snack, appetizer or even a side dish, these fritters are incredibly easy to make and oh so underrated.
If you have any vegetable haters in your family, then these cauliflowe patties is the recipe to try! My children love these when nonna makes them. In fact the only criticism I received from my daughter was her suggestion that I chop up the cauliflower into smaller pieces so they are less detectable. Easy enough!
If you're looking for another cauliflower recipe to win them over, Sicilian Pasta with Cauliflower is quite popular at our house!
Can fritters be made with other vegetables?
My mother has almost always made her fritters with cauliflower but there are endless variations to these. They can be prepared with just about any vegetable including swiss chard and other local greens.
Although I have yet to try them, several readers have shared that they make fritters with asparagus, green beans, zucchini as well as corn. If you have tried these variations, please let me know!
Step by Step Instructions:
Begin by chopping cauliflower into bite size florets. Boil in salted water for 8 minutes, until tender, drain well and set aside.
Prepare the batter by combining eggs, water, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir well to combine. The better will have a pancake like consistency. Toss in the cooked cauliflower and stir to coat in the batter.
Heat canola (or vegetable oil) to the depth of 1 centimeter (about ½ inch) in a large wide skillet. Drop heaping spoonfuls of mixture into the hot oil.
Fry until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.
Recipe Notes
Variations:
- I enjoy large chunks of cauliflower in my crispeddi, but if you have fussy eaters you may choose to further chop the cauliflower into smaller chunks after boiling it and allowing it to cool slightly.
- The recipe I shared is my mom's authentic recipe and is quite simple. You can customize it by adding fresh chopped parsley, a handful or grated Parmigiano cheese or even chopped green onions to the batter.
To serve:
- Enjoy as a snack; appetizer or side dish.
- These fritters are best eaten hot right out of the pan. However, if you have leftovers you can enjoy the next day by warming them in a 350F oven for about ten minutes. They will crisp up again.
Can fritters be frozen?
- Yes they definitely can! Freeze well wrapped in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. They can be placed from frozen in a 350 degrees F preheated oven until completely warmed through.
If you love your cauliflower fritters as much as I do, please share your photos with me with #mangiabedda or @mangiabedda on Facebook or Instagram. Feel free to Pin the recipe for later. Buon appetito!
Ingredients
- 1 small cauliflower head about 3 cups
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- vegetable or canola oil for frying
Instructions
- Separate the cauliflower into bite size florets and boil in salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the water, flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until well combined. You are looking for the consistency of a pancake batter. Stir in the cauliflower chunks and toss to coat in the batter.
- Cover the bottom of a large, wide skillet with enough oil to reach the depth of 1 cm (about ½ inch). When the oil is hot, drop heaping spoonfuls of batter into the pan. I fry six crispeddi at a time. You can place them close together as they will not stick together.
- Fry until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate covered in paper towels to soak up excess oil.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- I enjoy large chunks of cauliflower in my crispeddi, but if you have fussy eaters you may choose to further chop the cauliflower into smaller chunks after boiling it and allowing it to cool slightly.
- These fritters are best eaten hot right out of the pan. However, if you have leftovers you can enjoy the next day by warming them in a 350F oven for about ten minutes. They will crisp up again.
- The recipe I shared is my mom's authentic recipe and is quite simple. You can customize it by adding fresh chopped parsley, a handful or grated Parmigiano cheese or even chopped green onions to the batter.
- Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact portion size.
Nutrition
Greg
We always made these by slicing the cauliflower and dipping each slice (roughly the size of your finished pieces) into the batter. Your method is a lot easier. Will be making these more often now.
Nadia
Hi Greg, I'm glad you find this method helpful. It is indeed how my mother has always made them. Thank you!
Stephanie
Delicious!!!
My friend who is an amazing cook(but never measures anything) made me some cauliflower fritters and I knew I wanted to make my own. I found your recipe and it is basically the same (yours might be better)
I make at least once per week and always add parsley 😘
Nadia
Hi Stephanie, my mom's cauliflower recipe is so simple yet tasty for sure. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it and adding parsley is definitely a great idea!
TommyD
I just made these and they are awesome.
Thank you!
Nadia
So glad you enjoyed them Tommy and thank you for your comment!
Vicky williams
I have been making these fritters for the last month. I love them and so do the family. Thankyou Nadia for a wonderful recipe. I am going to make the meatball soup this week.
Vicky
Nadia
Hello Vicky, so glad you enjoy these fritters! They are definitely super easy to make, just like my mom has always prepared them. Hope you enjoy the soup!
Phyllis Bergantini
Made for the first time and hubby and I think they are delicious. Have one question: I found them a little bit "doughy" and they did not remain crispy. Followed directions exactly, but maybe a suggestion for a crispier, less dough batter?
Nadia
Hello Phyllis, I have generally found that the crispeddi are crispy hot right out of the fryer and begin to soften as they cool. Whenever I have leftovers, I reheat them in the oven to crisp them up again. However, if you feel that there was too much dough in relation to the cauliflower, you can definitely try adding more cauliflower to the batter or add slightly less flour and water. Hope this helps and thanks for stopping by my blog!
Carly
These are so delicious! I added a few savory seasonings (garlic, paprika, black pepper), and we ate them up! My kid says she's a fritter-tartan now. 🙂
mangiabedda@gmail.com
Thank you Carly! That's what I love about these recipes, they can personalized according to taste. I'm so glad your kid likes them and thanks for taking the time to share this with me!
Christina
How do they get flat like that?
mangiabedda@gmail.com
Hi Christina, I actually just spoon the mixture into the pan and don't flatten them at all. Some turn out more flat than others. Of course these are not leavened crispeddi so they don't puff up very much like the sfinci do. Thanks for your comment!