These zucchini blossom fritters use a light yeasted batter made with rice flour and cornstarch, which fries up golden and genuinely crispy without a trace of gluten. Torn zucchini blossoms, briny olives, and small pieces of anchovy go straight into the batter before frying. All of this makes each fritter a little salty, savory, and completely irresistible.
There is a very short window every summer when you can find zucchini blossoms at the farmers market, and I have learned to drop everything and buy them whenever they appear. Most of the time I end up making these fritters.
This is a Roman-style recipe, the kind you find at small trattorie in the city where the combination of zucchini flowers, anchovies, and olives is classic and completely non-negotiable.
The batter is gluten-free, made from rice flour and cornstarch, and leavened with a small amount of dry yeast. That last part matters: because of the yeast, the batter needs about 20 minutes to rest before you fry. What you get in return is a lighter, slightly puffier fritter rather than a dense coating. If you have only ever made fritters with baking powder, this is worth trying.
This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. It works as an appetizer, a snack with drinks, or a light lunch alongside a green salad.
How to make gluten-free zucchini blossom fritters, step by step:
Why use rice flour and cornstarch for fritter batter?
Most traditional Italian frittelle are made with plain wheat flour. This version uses rice flour and cornstarch instead, which does two things at once: it makes the batter completely gluten-free, and it makes the fritters noticeably crispier. Rice flour does not absorb oil the way wheat flour does, so the outside fries up light and crunchy rather than dense and greasy. Cornstarch reinforces that effect by absorbing surface moisture during frying, which is especially helpful here since zucchini blossoms have a high water content. The combination is now a well-established technique in Korean and Japanese frying traditions, and it translates beautifully to Italian fritters too.
Do anchovies make these fritters taste fishy?
No, and this is the question I get asked the most. When anchovies are torn into small pieces and folded into a batter before frying, they do not stay recognizable. They break down in the heat of the oil and contribute a deep, savory, salty note that you cannot easily identify on its own but would immediately miss if it were gone. Think of it the way a good cook uses a small amount of fish sauce: not to make something taste like fish, but to make everything taste more rounded and complex. The combination of anchovy and zucchini blossom is one of the most iconic pairings in Roman cooking for exactly this reason.
Can I make zucchini blossom fritters without anchovies?
Yes, they are still delicious without them. Skip the anchovies and add a small extra pinch of salt to compensate. The fritters will be lighter and more delicate in flavor, with the blossom and olive doing more of the work. You could also substitute a teaspoon of capers for a similar briny effect without the anchovy. If you want to keep the recipe fully vegan, that is the version to go with.
Gluten-free zucchini blossom fritters
Light, crispy gluten-free fritters made with a yeasted rice flour batter, fresh zucchini blossoms, briny olives, and a touch of anchovy. A Roman-inspired summer appetizer that comes together in about 30 minutes.
4
servings10
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Ingredients
- For the batter:
½ cup rice flour (90 g)
¼cup cornstarch (35 g)
½ tsp fine salt
½ tsp active dry yeast
½cup lukewarm water (100 ml)
- Fold-ins:
6 zucchini blossoms (squash blossoms), stamen removed, torn into pieces
2 anchovy fillets, torn into small pieces
10 olives, pitted and roughly chopped
- For frying:
Neutral oil (sunflower or light olive oil), enough for about 2cm depth in the pan
How to
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flour, cornstarch, salt, and dry yeast. Pour in the lukewarm water and whisk until smooth. The batter will be quite thin, closer to a crepe batter than a pancake batter.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm spot for 20 minutes. The yeast will activate and small bubbles will form on the surface.
- While the batter rests, prepare the blossoms: gently open each one and remove the stamen from the inside. Tear each flower into 2 or 3 rough pieces. If there is no visible dirt on the petals, there is no need to wash them. If you do wash them, pat them very dry before adding to the batter.
- Tear the anchovy fillets into small pieces. Pit the olives and chop them roughly.
- Add the blossoms, anchovies, and olives to the rested batter. Stir gently to combine.
- Pour about 1cm of neutral oil into a wide skillet and heat over medium-high until shimmering. To test the temperature, drop a small amount of batter into the oil: it should sizzle and float immediately.
- Drop heaped tablespoons of batter into the oil, leaving space between each one. Gently press each fritter flat with the back of a spoon.
- Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the underside is deep golden brown, then flip and fry for another 2 minutes. The edges should be visibly crispy.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate in a single layer.
- Serve immediately, while hot and crispy. A squeeze of lemon on top is optional but very good.
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These fritters disappear fast, which is either a problem or a feature depending on how you look at it. I usually make a double batch in summer when the blossoms are plentiful and serve them as a first course with cold white wine and nothing else. They do not need a dipping sauce, though a wedge of lemon on the side never hurts. If you can get your hands on zucchini blossoms this season, this is the recipe to make with them.
If you happen to have lots of zucchini blossoms to use (which is often the case if you have a vegetables garden), check out this flatbread with zucchini flowers and anchovies (but the latter are optional)!
