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Old Fashioned Corn Fritters

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Whether you serve them savory or sweet, these old fashioned corn fritters are sure to put a smile on everyone’s face when they see them on the table.

Main image for Pinterest of fritters on serving board with sour cream dip

There is something so comforting about fried food.

It’s tasty; it’s beautiful. And everyone is excited to see a homemade version on the table.

I don’t know if it’s the beautifully golden brown fried crust or the stack of bite sized fritters that can be popped in your mouth so easily.

Or maybe it’s that southern corn fritters are my definition of comfort food.

But I do know that when I pull out these old fashioned corn fritters, I get more smiles and less complaining about dinner and that is something that is worth making at least weekly at my house!

flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl.

What are old fashioned corn fritters?

Simply put, they are fried dough with corn inside.

Fritters can be any kind of fried dough with food mixed into the dough. They can be savory and have vegetables or meat inside. Or they can be sweet and have fruit like apples inside.

Fritters are different from other kinds of fried dough mostly because of the pieces of food mixed into the dough. 

Fried donuts are either yeast dough that is fried or cake batter that is fried. Funnel cakes are straight fried batter too. 

But even though they are both fried dough, they aren’t a fritter since nothing else is mixed in with the batter or dough.

To be a true old fashioned corn fritter, you need to have pieces of corn mixed into the dough before frying. Which is exactly what this recipe has you do.

milk eggs, and melted butter poured over the top of flour mixture.

What ingredients do you need to make old fashioned corn fritters?

  • Vegetable or Canola Oil: this is your frying oil which cooks the fritters and gives them that nice crispy fried outside
  • All-Purpose Flour: this is the main part of the “dough” of your fritter.
  • Baking Powder: this helps the fritter rise or grow so it isn’t as hard and flat
  • Salt: this makes everything else taste better
  • White Sugar: the sugar crystals cut into the flour batter which gives space for more air bubbles making your fritters rise better
  • Egg: eggs bind everything together so the fritters don’t fall apart while frying.
  • Milk: this moistens the dough and lets the other ingredients shine
  • Butter: melted butter adds fat to the dough that helps the sugars and flour do their job better
  • Canned Yellow Corn: drained canned corn is such an easy way to get real corn kernels all year round
flour butter mixture mixed together.

How to make old fashioned corn fritters:

  1. Heat oil.
  2. Make the fritter batter.
  3. Add drained corn to the batter.
  4. Scoop batter into hot oil and cook.
  5. Serve with your favorite toppings!
corn added to flour mixture

Can you make old fashioned corn fritters with fresh corn?

Yes! If you don’t have canned corn you can use fresh or even frozen corn. If you use frozen corn make sure it’s thawed so you can drain the extra liquid before using it.

I like making easy corn fritters. And when I open and drain the canned corn it removes extra steps compared to using fresh or frozen corn, and I like the texture of the canned corn best in this recipe.

But if you have fresh corn that needs to be used or you need to make freezer space, any kind of corn will work great in this recipe.

batter is mixed and ready to cook.

What to serve with old fashioned corn fritters:

Toppings! You cannot serve true fried corn fritters without toppings. Here are some favorites:

  • Sour Cream and Green Onions
  • Bacon and Cheddar cheese
  • Your favorite creamy lime taco sauce
  • Any of your favorite savory dips or spreads
  • Maple Syrup
  • Honey
  • Ice Cream
  • Any of your favorite sweet dips or spreads

If it’s a topping you like, it will go great with these fritters.

hot oil with 8 small fritters in it cooking.

What meat to serve with old fashioned corn fritters:

If you are looking for other dishes to have on the table, there is a long list of foods that go great with crispy corn fritters:

  • Chicken: fried, grilled, rotisserie, any chicken is great
  • Seafood: shrimp, fried, fish, any seafood works with fritters
  • Burgers: my kids like these better than french fries
  • Ribs: finger food meats require finger food sides
  • BBQ: fried side dishes go so well with barbeque
top view looking down of fritters on a serving board with sour cream dip.

Are old fashioned corn fritters gluten free?

No. Corn fritters use all purpose white flour which is not gluten free.

Can you freeze sweet corn fritters?

Yes! These old fashioned corn fritters freeze really well. Just make sure they have cooled completely then put them in a freezer safe container and they can freeze for up to three months.

How to reheat corn fritters:

Do not use the microwave! If you do, the fritters will be soggy and not crisp.

Use the oven, toaster oven, air fryer, or frying pan to reheat these old fashioned corn fritters. You do not have to deep fry them again, but you do want to heat them with a touch of oil so the sides crisp up while heating through.

close up of fritters and dip

Are hush puppies the same as old fashioned corn fritters?

No. Hush puppies are fried cornbread or cornmeal dough without any chunks of corn inside. 

Think of the outside of a corndog; that same batter is what you would use to make hush puppies. 

Fritters use white flour and have bits of corn mixed into the dough which gives it a different texture than the fried hush puppies.

Old fashioned corn fritters are easy, delicious, and the perfect side dish when you want to feed a crowd a tasty comfort food.

More Corn Recipes You’ll Love…

Old fashioned corn fritters are easy, delicious, and the perfect side dish when you want to feed a crowd a tasty comfort food.

Yield: 8 Servings

Old Fashioned Corn Fritters

hand holding fritter with sour cream dip

Whether you serve them savory or sweet, these old fashioned corn fritters are sure to put a smile on everyone’s face when they see them on the table.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a medium skillet or pot to 365*F over medium heat.
  2. While oil is heating up, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl.
  3. In a second bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine milk, egg and melted butter.
  4. Pour milk mixture over flour mixture and gently mix. Batter will be thick.
  5. Add drained corn into batter and mix. Mixture should still be thick but have thinned out some.
  6. Make sure oil has reached 365*F. If oil is too hot, turn down heat and wait to use it until it reaches the correct temperature. If oil is too cold, turn the heat up slightly.
  7. Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, scoop out corn batter and place in hot oil. Oil should immediately bubble around the dough ball.
  8. Cook for approximately 1-2 minutes on each side or until each side is a lovely golden brown.
  9. Test the first one to see if the center is cooked through or is doughy. If doughy, cook longer on both sides. Dough balls should not look burnt.
  10. Serve with your favorite dip or topping. We like sour cream with green onions.

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Susie Q

Saturday 23rd of September 2023

This is a family favorite ! My Mom usually served sausage Pattie’s and cucumber slices with a vinegar& oil dressing.. We loved our New England maple syrup on the fritters and the cukes balanced the sweetness of the syrup.

Janelle

Thursday 9th of November 2023

I love the side options to compliment the corn fritters Susie! Thanks for the suggestions!

Jennifer l

Friday 26th of May 2023

Love cornfritters thanks always wanted to know how they fix them. Thanks you

Janelle

Wednesday 23rd of August 2023

You're so welcome Jennifer!

Carolyn

Saturday 18th of February 2023

What can I use to substitute the milk?

Janelle

Wednesday 23rd of August 2023

You can use any milk substitute or even just water. I hope you enjoy!

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