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Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, these Broccoli Fritters are ridiculously easy to make. If you’re attached to your food processor, this broccoli fritters recipe will give you one more reason to love it. This week, I had a house full of kids and served up fritters of all kinds—without them even realizing the audacity of my plan. Vegetables, cleverly disguised. To keep the trick alive, we called them “Shrek Pancakes.” (Insert evil laugh here?) The best part is, no one suspected a thing, and everyone went back for seconds.
Shrek pancakes or not, these broccoli cheese fritters are genuinely tasty. Think of them as little broccoli cakes: crispy, cheesy, and loaded with flavor. They make a fun snack for kids, a quick lunch, or even a surprisingly good side dish next to something hearty and cozy like Coq Au Vin.
What Make This Recipe Work
The beauty of these Broccoli Fritters is that they turn a humble vegetable into something irresistibly crispy, cheesy, and golden. The combination of fresh broccoli and Parmesan creates the perfect balance of flavor: rich, savory, and just enough bite to make you forget you’re eating vegetables at all.
Another reason this broccoli fritters recipe shines is its versatility. You can enjoy them as snackable broccoli cheese fritters, a fun side dish, or even as hearty little broccoli cakes stacked with toppings. They’re quick to make, family-friendly, and proof that a good fritter can win over even the most stubborn veggie skeptics.
What Goes Into Broccoli Fritters
These Broccoli Fritters come together with just a handful of everyday ingredients, and the best part is you probably already have most of them in your kitchen.
- Broccoli: The star of the show, fresh broccoli adds nutrition, texture, and that vibrant green color that makes these fritters so fun to serve (especially to kids as “Shrek pancakes”).
- Parmesan Cheese: Salty, nutty, and melty, Parmesan gives these broccoli cheese fritters their signature flavor and keeps them deliciously addictive.
- Egg: Acts as the binder that holds everything together, ensuring your broccoli cakes don’t fall apart in the pan.
- Flour: Just enough flour gives structure and crispness. You can use all-purpose for classic fritters or almond flour if you’re keeping things lower-carb.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Broccoli Fritters
- Preheat and Prep Pans: Preheat the oven to 400°F 200°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Chop the Broccoli: Cut the broccoli into florets and trim the woody end. Pulse florets in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Make the Mixture: Add the egg, onion, garlic, flour, and Parmesan to the bowl. Pulse about 5 seconds, then stir in the salt and pepper until evenly combined.
- Shape the Fritters: Scoop the mixture into 8 to 10 mounds on the sheets. Flatten slightly, leave space between each, and mist lightly with olive oil spray.
- Cook: Bake 15 minutes, flip, then bake another 15 until golden. Or pan fry in a nonstick pan over medium until golden.
- Cool and Serve: Let the Broccoli Fritters rest a few minutes to set. Serve warm with ketchup, Greek yogurt, or fat free sour cream.
Keep things bright and zesty by pairing Broccoli Fritters with Grilled Chili Lime Chicken Fajita Salad, where smoky chicken and crisp peppers cut through the cheesy crunch; Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken Taco Salad, whose tangy cilantro-lime dressing and juicy chicken turn the fritters into a hearty meal; and Loaded Greek Chicken Avocado Salad, with cool cucumber, briny feta, and creamy avocado to balance every crispy bite.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes. Lightly spray and air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden. Shape as 2-inch minis or larger broccoli cakes and adjust time as needed.
Absolutely. Refrigerate cooked fritters up to 4 days, then reheat on a baking sheet at 400°F (200°C) or in the air fryer until hot and crisp. A quick skillet reheat also works.
The mixture is likely too wet or too chunky. Squeeze out more moisture, pulse a little finer, and mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons extra flour or Parmesan. Press firmly when shaping and let them set a few minutes after cooking.
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Crispy Broccoli Parmesan Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 broccoli large
- 1 egg large
- 1/2 onion
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese shaved
- 1/3 cup flour or almond flour for a lower carb option
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 spray olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F | 200°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- Chop the broccoli into florets. Discard the hard part off of the stem, and chop the stem also. Place the broccoli and stem pieces into a food processor and pulse a few times until the broccoli is chopped. Add in the eggs, onion, garlic, flour and Parmesan. Pulse again a couple of times until well combined (about 5 seconds of pulsing). Stir the salt and pepper through the mixture.
- Form 8-10 fritters on the prepared baking sheets, making sure they don’t touch each other. Spray with a light coating of olive oil spray.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes on each side until golden.
- Alternatively pan fry in a nonstick pan over medium heat until golden on both sides.
- Allow fritters to cool slightly before serving. Serve with ketchup, Greek yogurt or fat free sour cream.
Notes
- The trick to getting baked fritters crispy like they’re pan-fried amigos is to spray them with a light coating of olive oil spray.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
They look delicious! Was wondering if I could add marinated (drained) artichokes and use the marinade for dipping?
I ❤️❤️ Your recipes, and look forward to opening my emails. Thanks so much!
Can’t wait to make these but I’m wondering if you have to cook the broccoli first?
Thanks for the recipe! They’re delicious alone, but if you want to guild the lily:
Refrigerate any leftovers. The next morning, toast up the fritter in a toaster oven or oven, top with one slide “healthy” Canadian-style bacon, a poached egg and 1 tsp of Trader Joe’s avocado tzatziki sauce. Salt, pepper and a fresh dill sprig to garnish. Makes a delicious, low-carb/low cal egg benedict for breakfast!
These were really good and were so fast to make!!! I added a clove of garlic to the blender, lemon juice, and little less flour. I nixed the parmesan from the mixture. Instead, I fried mine in a skillet with olive oil and added parmesan on top once they flipped and I also did some of the batch with cheddar. These were GOOD and I will definitely make again!
Thanks!
that’s my plan also….to pan fry
Dying to make these. Can you freeze them?
You can always freeze recipes; however, it does change at times when heating them up. I haven’t froze these yet but let me know how they turn out for you!
Can you grated parmesan instead? Id lobe to try this for my kids
I discovered you in Instagram…been on your site ever since going through your recipies and planning my meals. They look absolutely delicious and healthy. I am traveling at the moment once I am back home will cook and tag you. ? I just need to find the nutritional facts for few recipies I went through…some of them didn’t have it…I am going to start of my healthy eating plan and meal preps for the week. I want to use your recipes..so I need the nutritional facts..if you have any tips for me let me know.
Thanks
Hi Sherene. My fitness pal is a wonderful app you can use for your nutritional calculations! Happy travelling!
Thanks sooo much for adding a new recipe to my food-on-the-go stash.
I LOVE Shrek Pancakes haha. These look magnificent, Karina!!!
I knew you would!
These look super yummy and perfect for family dinners – no standing by a frying pan and working in batches! You mention eggs twice in the ingredient list.. should it be 2 eggs or 1? Can’t wait to make these!
Ah Natalia yes! 1 egg! Haha I’m so sorry thank you for catching that typo!