Gluten Free Corn Fritters are a special summer treat in my house.

This recipe is actually adapted from my grandmother's recipe for corn fritters - hers not being gluten free, of course. We whip up a super easy pantry staple ingredient batter, add in our sweet corn, and fresh herbs like chopped green onion, then fry in oil in a dutch oven or fryer. These corn fritters turn out crispy and golden brown on the outside while being fluffy/ slightly doughy on the inside with sweet corn kernels dispersed throughout. They remind me of the carnival, even though I've never once had corn fritters at a carnival.

I like to dip these corn fritters in my Homemade Chipotle Aioli Sauce. However, per my grandmother's recipe, they would be eaten plain. She also put parsley inside rather than green onion. You could also top the fritters with sour cream.

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What makes Gluten Free Corn Fritters so delicious?

I find these corn fritters so much fun to make. I mean, there's just something about the smell of the oil heating up in the summer time that feels nostalgic to me.

Maybe it's because my mom and dad used to make homemade "dogies" or "dougies", a type of fried bread my grandmother also used to make. They'd fry up these light and puffy pieces of dough in a skillet, and then we would make the best warm sandwiches out of them. Later, any batter that was leftover would be stretched real thin, fried, and dusted with cinnamon and sugar. It tasted like a homemade funnel cake. You know, the funny thing is I can't find the spelling dougie or dogie anywhere. It's possible this is just what my family had nicknamed it. We pronounce it as dough-gey.

These gluten free corn fritters are crispy on the outside, yet fluffy and slightly doughy on the inside. It reminds me just an ever so slight bit of those homemade dougies.

Note: While this recipe turns out crispy, it's not exactly crunchy (these rise a good bit and become puffy). You will need a different recipe for crunchy fritters - working on that! Additionally, you could spread the batter out a little thinner in the pan than I do to encourage more crispiness/make less thick.

Ingredients

High quality gluten-free all purpose flour containing xanthan gum. I used Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 flour (the blue bag)
Baking powder
Milk
Corn, I prefer to use organic corn so I use canned. You can also cut it fresh off the cob. If using frozen, you may want to allow the kernels to come to room temperature first. If too cold, it will harden the batter and make it harder to scoop.
Granulated sugar
Egg
Green onion, or parsley or chives
Salt and pepper
Toppings such as sour cream, additional chopped green onion, or Homemade Chipotle Aioli Sauce

Optional Additions: If you like spicy things, add some cayenne pepper, about ⅛ to ¼ tsp. A little chopped jalapeno would also be a great addition. If you're looking for more of a Mexican flair, swap the green onion for cilantro.

How to make Gluten Free Corn Fritters:

For the Homemade Chipotle Aioli Sauce:

I have a separate post for this recipe, so you can read all about it here.

For the Gluten Free Corn Fritters:

Add the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pepper to a small mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Add the dry mixture to it, stirring until almost incorporated, being careful not to over-mix. Tip: It's okay if a little flour isn't mixed in - you can get it on the next step.

Fold in the corn and chopped green onion until well distributed.
Fill a cast iron skillet or large frying pan with about an inch or so depth of oil. Heat over medium on the stove. Once the oil is shiny and heated through, use a ¼ cup scoop measurement to add round globs of batter to the frying pan. Tip: You can test if the oil is ready by flicking a little flour into it. If it sizzles, it's hot enough. Optional: If you want the fritters to be less puffy and more crispy, spread the batter out thin in the pan when pouring. I leave mine as is to grow like pancakes.

Cook until golden brown on one side, about 2 to 5 minutes. Then, flip and cook until the other side is golden brown and the middle is cooked through.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the fritters from the oil, allowing them to drip for a second. Then, place on a wire cooling rack - this will help them stay crispy. Tip: Place paper towels on the counter underneath the wire rack to catch any additional drips. Don't sit the fritters directly on the paper towels. The paper towels will catch the excess oil, but then the fritters will sit on damp paper towels and can become soggy this way.

Repeat with remaining batches.

Serve with sour cream, fresh chopped green onion, or Homemade Chipotle Aioli Sauce.

Equipment

All you need to make this recipe is a vessel to fry in - I like to use a dutch oven because it has tall walls, which prevent splashing, and it regulates heat evenly.

Storage

Store any leftover fritters in the refrigerator. These, like all fried foods, are best eaten fresh on the first day. To re-crisp these; heat them up in the oven at 375 F for 5-10 minutes. Additionally, you can open the oven door and turn it on a Low broil. Allow to broil 1-3 minutes, watching closely so they don't burn.

Notes

While this recipe turns out crispy, it's not exactly crunchy (these rise a good bit and become puffy). You will need a different recipe for crunchy fritters - working on that! Additionally, you could spread the batter out a little thinner in the pan than I do to encourage more crispiness/make less thick.
Optional Additions: If you like spicy things, add some cayenne pepper, about ⅛ to ¼ tsp. A little chopped jalapeno would also be a great addition. If you're looking for more of a Mexican flair, swap the green onion for cilantro.