Getting kids to eat their greens isn't always easy but these Broccoli Fritters are a great way to do just that. Each fritter is packed full of broccoli and they are perfect for lunch, a snack or part of a main meal.Â
Exposure is a key component to getting our kids to accept and eat different vegetables but sometimes steaming, boiling or roasting just doesn't cut it. We often need to try a little harder.
To increase the chance of acceptance we can add a dip, a sauce, make nuggets, muffins or mix them with a batter in irresistible vegetable fritters! The vegetables are still in plain sight but they are just made more appealing to children.
Although it may not be considered as healthy, it is still exposure and if our children can enjoy broccoli this way, they are much more likely to be accepting of it cooked a different way. So go ahead and fry up some of these crazy yummy fritters and watch your family devour a head of broccoli in minutes!Â
Process Shots and Cooking Tips
1. Prepare the Broccoli - Separate the florets from the stems and cut the florets into small chunks. Don't throw away the stems (they are nutritious too), peel the thicker part and then dice into 1cm / â…“ inch pieces.
2. Steam - Steam the broccoli for 4-5 mins, until it is tender but not mushy. I pop the stocks on the bottom of the steamer and the florets on the top. Drain and allow to cool slightly.
3. Chop - Chop the steamed broccoli up into small pieces.
4. Whisk the egg in a large mixing bowl and then add the flour, cheese, mustard and broccoli.
5. Stir until combined - At the start, it will seem very dry but it does eventually come together. See above picture for what it should look like. If you believe that it is too try you can always add 1 - 2 tablespoon of milk.
6. Fry - Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Scoop a ¼ cup of the mixture, form into a pattie shape around 1cm (⅓ inch) thick and fry each side for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Food Allergies
I am aware that many of my readers have children with food allergies and I am often asked for substitutes. I hate making recommendations when I haven't tried them myself so I have been whipping up many variations of these fritters so I can make some allergy-friendly suggestions.
Gluten Free - I replaced the all-purpose flour with chickpea flour on a 1:1 ratio and it worked well.
Egg Free - I tried replacing the egg with a chia egg (1 tablespoon of chia seeds mixed with three tablespoon of warm water to form a paste). It worked well but I needed to add 2 tablespoon of milk (you could also use water if dairy free) to the batter as I found it too dry.
Dairy Free - I replaced the cheese with 2 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, ¼ teaspoon of onion powder and ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder. The cheese really does add good flavour to the fritters and personally, I don't think they tasted so good without the cheese but both my boys were more than happy to eat them using the nutritional yeast. If I was to try it again I would maybe up the mustard and add some freshly chopped parsley.
Broccoli Fritters for Babies
Fritters are great for beginners! Their texture is perfect for nibbling on yet they are firm enough not to be crushed by those tiny but strong grips!
Broccoli is a highly nutritious vegetable that supplies your baby with key vitamins and minerals but be aware that it can cause gas. Don't feed your baby large amounts of these fritters because too much of this cruciferous vegetable may cause problems for your little one!
Remember, always consult with your paediatrician regarding introducing solid foods to your baby and discuss any foods that may pose allergy risks for your baby.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate - Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
- Freeze - Freeze on a baking tray until frozen, once frozen transfer to a freezable container/ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw then gently heat them through in a dry frying pan.
Other fritter recipes
- Pea Fritters
- Banana & Blueberry Fritters
- Sweetcorn & Quinoa Fritters
- Zucchini Fritters
- Carrot and Parsnip Fritters
Have you tried this recipe? I love reading your feedback. Please rate and leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @healthylittlefoodies
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Broccoli Fritters Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Medium (approx. 300g) Broccoli
- 1 Egg *SEE NOTE 1 for substitution
- 65g (½ cup) All purpose Flour *SEE NOTE 2 for substitution
- 30g (â…“ cup) Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese *SEE NOTE 3 for substitution
- 1 tsp Dijion Mustard
- ½ tbsp Avocado Oil (or oil of choice)
Instructions
- Chop the broccoli into florets. Peel the hard parts of the stem and chop the stem into 1cm (â…“ inch) pieces. (See picture in post)
- Steam the broccoli for 4-5 mins (until tender, but not mushy.)
- Place the broccoli on a chopping board and using a large knife, chop into small pieces.
- Whisk the egg in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, cheese, mustard and broccoli and stir until combined. *SEE NOTE 4Season to taste (do not add salt if feeding baby / young child)
- Scoop a ¼ cup of the mixture, form into a pattie shape around 1cm (⅓ inch) thick. Repeat to make seven patties.
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Place half the fritters in the pan and cook for 2-3 mins on each side. Repeat with the remaining fritters.
Recipe Notes
- EGG FREE - I have tested this recipe using a chia egg (1 tablespoon of chia seeds mixed with 3 tablespoon warm water to form paste). It worked well but I did find I needed to add an extra 2 tablespoon of liquid (milk / water) once mixed with the remaining ingredients.Â
- GLUTEN FREE -I have tested this recipe using chickpea flour and it worked well.Â
- DAIRY FREE - Replace cheese with 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon onion powder.Â
- The mixture will start off very dry but once fully mixed it should be a good consistency for forming into fritters. If still to dry you can add 1 -2 tablespoon of milk.Â
Elle says
My 6 year old son as a (self imposed) rule usually will only eat peas and spinach out of all the vegetables but amazingly he eat these up (even after finding out they had broccoli in ). Really hopeful that this is the first step towards him eating more so thank you!
Amy says
Fingers crossed! Such a lovely comment to read. Thanks, Elle 🙂
Emma Dave says
Thanks so much for this recipe. Daughter (20 months) is going through a fussy stage of not wanting to have a proper sit down meal so I need to find nutritious things for her to eat while she is standing and playing with her toys or bouncing up and down on the sofa. These are very tasty. I use mild instead of mature cheese for the lower salt content and when freezing I pop them in my freezer in a box or zip food bag individually separated by greaseproof paper until frozen as my freezer isn't very spacious. I found that heating from frozen in oven for 10 minutes at 160 degrees worked best for me. So glad to find something else quick and nutritious for my daughter.
Suhair says
Hi amy...
Can i substitute the flour with wholemeal flour??
Amy says
Hi Suhair, you can but the fritters will be quite dense. Maybe you could try 50:50
Jackie says
I don't have a steamer - could I use a package of frozen broccoli (the kind that come in the steamer bags)?
Amy says
Hi Jackie, yes I'm sure they would work well. Do you have a metal colander? You can steam vegetables using that.
Ann says
Has anyone tried to make these in the air fryer instead of in a frying pan?
Jen says
Easy and tasty recipe that my baby enjoyed!
Amy says
Thanks Jen 🙂
Christine Kelly says
My grandson loves these fritters
Amy says
So happy he enjoyed it, Christine 🙂
Roxana Rock says
Hi do you think I could use a wholemeal flour or even arrowroot flour?
Amy says
Hi Roxana, I have only tried all-purpose and chickpea flour. I would presume wholemeal would work but without trying, I can't say for sure.
Sara says
Thank you Amy! Love your recipes. Did chickpea flour work well?
Amy says
Thank you Sara! Yes I found it worked well 🙂
Stephanie says
Has anybody used ALMOND FLOUR instead of white flour? Pls let me know thoughts either way! Thanks!
Amy says
Hi Stephanie, I haven't tried almond flour but did test it with chickpea flour which worked well 🙂
Ashley says
Can I skip the Dijon mustard? I’m afraid for my 10 month old ( who is barely starting BLW won’t be too fond of it!)
Amy says
Hi Ashley, yes you can skip it 🙂
Harriet says
Baby loves them. Easy to make!
Amy says
Excellent! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂