Whether you call these broccoli fritters, broccoli cakes, or broccoli pancakes, the quick and easy broccoli cheese patties are a versatile recipe you'll want to make time and time again. Made with broccoli, cheddar, seasoning, and egg, they pan fry super fast into a tasty and delicious side dish.
Broccoli cheese fritters are one of those recipes that can be served as a side dish, a vegetarian main dish, or served as a hearty appetizer. If you're looking for new broccoli and cheese recipes, this will surely become one of your favorites!
Our fried broccoli fritters recipe does not use flour, which makes these easy patties low carb, gluten-free, vegetarian, and keto broccoli fritters too.
Fried Broccoli Fritters
While I've been making zucchini cakes for many years, it wasn't until recently we decided to experiment with making pan-fried broccoli fritters as an alternative. And boy were they a hit! This was one of those recipes we ate dipped in sauce right at the kitchen counter.
With broccoli being our family favorite vegetable (well except my daughter that somehow despise's broccoli--more for me!!), creating broccoli (and even better yet broccoli and cheese recipe ideas) is always something we're experimenting with.
If you're a broccoli fan, here's more low carb and gluten-free broccoli recipes you'll love:
- How to make Riced Broccoli
- Cold Broccoli Salad with Bacon
- Keto Chicken Divan Casserole
- Oven Roasted Broccoli with Garlic
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients in Broccoli Cakes
Making pan-fried cheddar broccoli cakes starts with broccoli rice, which you can either make or buy. Making your own broccoli rice is easy and we show you how to use 3 different methods in our riced broccoli post.
Riced broccoli has become a popular item at most grocery stores since it's become a fantastic alternative to rice or pasta in common high carb dishes.
We served the broccoli cakes with a super yummy paleo keto BBQ ranch dressing from Primal Kitchen.
These are also delicious served with sour cream or vegan sour cream!
Ingredient List
- 2 cups riced broccoli
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ diced onion
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3+ T olive oil
- Optional- sour cream or vegan sour cream
How to Make Broccoli Fritters
Rice your broccoli head if you're making your own riced broccoli. Here are 3 different ways to make your own at home. Otherwise, proceed with the recipe using store-bought broccoli rice.
Combine the riced broccoli, eggs, and diced onion in a medium-sized bowl.
Blend the almond flour, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper in a separate small bowl. Once mixed, stir into the broccoli egg mixture until well combined.
Preheat a large skillet to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, drop the mixture by heaping tablespoons into the pan. Gently flatten with a spatula to form the broccoli patties.
Fry the broccoli fritters on both sides until browned and cooked through, this took about 2-3 minutes per side.
You'll need to cook the broccoli cakes in batches of 4-5 in the pan at a time, and you can keep the cooked broccoli cheese fritters warm in the oven on 250F by putting them on an oven-safe platter and covering them with foil.
You might need to add a little more olive oil to the pan if needed.
These are delicious served plain, with sour cream, your favorite dressing, or with both!
Serves 4 as a side dish.
Are These Keto Broccoli Fritters?
If you're following a keto diet like my husband is, you'll be happy to know that fried broccoli cakes are keto-friendly too!
Each serving only has 3 net carbs, you also get the added fats from the olive oil and cheddar cheese.
Broccoli is very low in carb and is a perfect vegetable to eat if you're trying to keep your carbs down. A half-cup of diced broccoli only has 1.3 net carbs, plus broccoli is high in fiber and Vitamin C.
If you're watching your carbs, we'd recommend you shred the cheddar cheese from the block instead of purchasing pre-shredded cheddar. Many shredded kinds of cheese have starchy fillers in them and add extra carbs.
Recipe Tips
Broccoli cheddar bites
You can easily turn the broccoli cakes into broccoli cheddar bites simply by making smaller broccoli batter balls in the pan. The cook time should still be the same, but I haven't yet tried making them this size.
Can I Use Other Vegetables?
One thing I love about this easy broccoli cake recipe is that you can totally change up either the type of vegetable or the type of cheese!
Shredded zucchini or cauliflower rice would also be great vegetables to use.
Experimenting with parmesan cheese, gruyere cheese, or a Colby jack mix would be great. You could even make these Mexican broccoli fritters by mixing in a little bit of taco seasoning and a Mexican cheese blend.
What to Serve with Fried Broccoli Cakes?
Broccoli fritters are perfect as is if you're serving them as a hearty appetizer or as a vegetarian meal. Some other ideas that would go great with broccoli pancakes include:
For breakfast with eggs
Roasted chicken
Grilled sausages
How Do I Store Broccoli Pancakes?
Broccoli cakes can easily be stored in your fridge for up to 4 days. Cover with plastic wrap or store in a glass storage container.
How Do I Reheat Broccoli Fritters?
Broccoli fritters are so easy to reheat and taste just as good as when they were fresh out of the pan. I highly recommend just reheating in a little olive oil over medium-high heat for about 1 minute per side. You're just trying to quickly crisp them up and heat them through.
You could also bake the broccoli pancakes for 15 minutes in a 350 F oven, but quick cooking in a little bit of olive oil on the stovetop works best.
Microwaving broccoli cakes is another option, they'll be heated through but won't be crisp. However, they'll still taste delicious!
Other Broccoli Recipes You'll Love
Chicken Divan Casserole (low carb keto)
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Fried Broccoli Cakes ( Gluten Free Keto Broccoli Fritters)
Easy broccoli fritters can be cooked in under 20 minutes and make a terrific side dish, appetizer, or vegetarian meal. By using almond flour instead of all-purpose, the broccoli cakes are also low carb, keto and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 2 cups riced broccoli
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ diced onion
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3+ T olive oil
Instructions
- Rice your broccoli head if you're making your own riced broccoli. Otherwise, proceed with the recipe using store-bought broccoli rice.
- Combine the riced broccoli, eggs, and diced onion in a medium-sized bowl.
- Blend the almond flour, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper in a separate small bowl. Once mixed, stir into the broccoli egg mixture until well combined.
- Preheat a large skillet to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, drop the mixture by heaping tablespoons into the pan. Gently flatten with a spatula to form the broccoli patties.
- Fry the broccoli fritters on both sides until browned and cooked through, this took about 2-3 minutes per side.
- You'll need to cook the broccoli cakes in batches of 4-5 in the pan at a time, and you can keep the cooked broccoli cheese fritters warm in the oven on 250F by putting them on an oven-safe platter and covering them with foil.
- Add a little more olive oil to the pan if needed.
- Serve plain, with sour cream, or your favorite dressing
- Serves 4 as a side dish.
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Greg says
Made this relive several times. Love it! Recently I have been air frying them (convection oven) for 20 minutes at 420 and they turn out superb!
Meena says
Would flax egg work? We’re vegans.
WholeLottaYum says
I would think so but haven't ever cooked with flax egg. The egg acts as the binder in the recipe, so if the flax egg also suits that purpose I'd think you could use it! Let us know 🙂
LYNETTE says
Can you bake these instead of pan fry?
WholeLottaYum says
You can but I've never tried it! I'd suggest 375F for 15-20 minutes perhaps? Check after 10 mins and flip them, and cook them until lightly browned on both sides.
Jess says
These look really good! Do you think they’d hold together without the cheese? (We’re dairy-free.) Thanks!
WholeLottaYum says
Yes! You can definitely skip the dairy, it's not an essential ingredient and they taste fantastic without it.
Bela says
Hi, How many carbs per serving ?
Liz says
Is it 4 per serving, with three net carbs for 4? How many fritters does it make in approximately how big? It sounds so yummy!
Kate says
Would it be possible to substitute coconut flour for almond flour? My husband has a nut allergy so just wanted to confirm if this swap would work.
WholeLottaYum says
In this recipe, a swap should work! Typically for baking (like cookies, cake) you could not do a direct swap.
Michelle says
My boyfriend has tree nut allergies so coconut flour doesn’t work for me. I used spelt flour!!!! Great and gluten-free 😊
Julie says
*** Danger - spelt is not gluten-free! It is an ancient form of wheat. The gluten make-up is different, therefore more tolerable for some people with gluten sensitivity. Anyone with celiac disease should avoid it.
WholeLottaYum says
There's no spelt in the recipe? It uses almond flour.
Beckee says
What is nutritional
Information
Liz says
Is it 4 per serving, with 3 net carbs?
Elizabeth Martin says
Is there a net carb count per serving?I did not see the information included with the recipe.And please do not ask to use a carb counter app.There are too many of them and I cannot confirm accuracy with any of the counters used.
angela says
I only have frozen riced broccoli, will that still work?
WholeLottaYum says
It should! I'd defrost and drain it well before using it in the broccoli cakes recipe.