These delicious spaghetti squash fritters taste almost exactly like potato pancakes. They are amazing! Ready in about 30 minutes, this easy recipe takes full advantage of leftover spaghetti squash, but if needed, you can quickly microwave the squash and use the strands in this recipe.
Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to starchy side dishes. The way you can rake its flesh to create pasta-like strands is magical. A fun way to use up leftover spaghetti squash is to make these fritters. I love making them for my family because everyone greatly enjoys them. Their flavor is remarkably similar to potato latkes!
Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make these fritters. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.
- Egg: I use large eggs in almost all of my recipes, including this one.
- To season: Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme.
- Cooked spaghetti squash: I almost always cook it in the microwave since that's the easiest way. But you can also bake it in the oven.
- Almond flour and grated parmesan: These ingredients act as thickening agents that make the fritters sturdier. The parmesan also adds flavor and savoriness.
- Olive oil: Used for cooking the fritters.
Variations
- Add more spices. You can add ¼ teaspoon of paprika and ¼ teaspoon of ground cumin.
- If you prefer fresh minced garlic, that's fine - you can use one or two cloves, depending on how garlicky you want the fritters to be.
- Cook the fritters in ghee instead of olive oil.
Instructions
If you already have cooked spaghetti squash, making these fritters is as easy as can be. If you don't have cooked spaghetti squash on hand, it's easy to make microwave spaghetti squash or baked spaghetti squash. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here's an overview of the steps for making this recipe.
Mix eggs and spices in a bowl.
Add the spaghetti squash, almond flour, and parmesan. The mixture should be fairly thick - look at the photo below to get an idea of what it should look like. Add more almond flour or parmesan if it seems more watery (perhaps your squash wasn't as thoroughly drained as mine).
Place mounds of the mixture in hot olive oil.
Cook them until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side, over medium heat. Drain briefly on paper towels and serve.
Expert Tips
Drain the Squash Thoroughly
Measure or weigh the spaghetti squash after thoroughly draining it. Draining it ensures the fritters are crispy and do not fall apart.
I cook it in the microwave, remove it to a colander to drain, and then place it between layers of paper towels and press on it to remove even more water, as shown in the photo below. The drier the strands are, the better the fritters will be.
Generally speaking, since we remove so much water from the strands, you will use almost an entire 2-pound spaghetti squash for this recipe. This size squash should yield about 20 ounces of cooked strands. After thoroughly draining them, you’ll have about 12 ounces, and use 8 of them in this recipe. I keep the remaining strands and cook them in butter the next day to make spaghetti squash noodles.
Flip them Carefully
Despite the addition of almond flour and parmesan cheese, these fritters are on the delicate side. So be gentle, especially when flipping them. I flip them with two wide spatulas, as shown in the photo below.
Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend that. The almond flour acts as a thickener and binder. It helps prevent the fritters from falling apart as you cook them, especially when you flip them.
That's not recommended. Grated parmesan is another ingredient that acts as a binder in this recipe, making the fritters sturdier.
Yes. Scoop the mounds onto a greased, parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Gently flatten them and spray them liberally with olive oil. Bake them for 10-15 minutes in a preheated 400°F oven, until the bottom is set. Carefully flip, spray with more oil, and bake for 10-15 more minutes or until golden brown on both sides.
Serving Suggestions
These fritters are delicious when topped with sour cream, as shown in the photo below:
You can serve them as a side dish, but they are hearty enough to serve as a main dish with an easy veggie side, such as microwave broccoli, sauteed spinach, or the simple tomato salad shown in the photo below.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave or in a 350°F oven.
You can also freeze the completely cooled leftovers in freezer bags for up to three months. If layering, separate the layers with wax paper to prevent sticking. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and reheat them in the microwave or in a 350°F oven.
More Spaghetti Squash Recipes
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Recipe Card
Spaghetti Squash Fritters
Video
Ingredients
- 3 eggs - large, lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 ounces spaghetti squash - cooked, thoroughly drained; 1 heaping cup; see notes
- ½ cup almond flour - superfine; 2 ounces
- ½ cup parmesan - grated; 1 ½ ounces
- ½ cup olive oil - for frying; see notes
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, use a fork to mix the eggs, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme.
- Mix the squash strands into the egg mixture.
- Add the almond flour and parmesan. Mix well with a fork or rubber spatula to combine (see notes).
- Heat the oil in a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Spoon four mounds of the spaghetti squash mixture onto the skillet, measuring ¼ cup per fritter (I use a 4-tablespoon scoop). Lightly flatten the mounds with a spatula.
- Cook until golden brown, 3-4 minutes per side, flipping them carefully with two wide spatulas.
- Transfer the cooked fritters to a paper towel-lined plate, remix the batter and cook the remaining fritters.
- Serve immediately, topped (if desired) with sour cream.
Notes
- About half the oil will remain in the skillet, and this is reflected in the nutrition info, but you need all of it to properly cook the fritters.
- The mixture should be fairly thick - look at the photo in step 3 above to get an idea of what it should look like. Add more almond flour or parmesan if it seems more watery (perhaps your squash wasn't as thoroughly drained as mine).
- Measure or weigh the spaghetti squash after thoroughly draining it. Draining it ensures the fritters are crispy and do not fall apart. I cook it in the microwave, remove it to a colander to drain, and then place it between layers of paper towels and press on it to remove even more water. The drier the strands are, the better the fritters will be. Generally speaking, since we remove so much water from the strands, you will use almost an entire 2-pound spaghetti squash for this recipe. This size squash should yield about 20 ounces of cooked strands. After thoroughly draining them, you’ll have about 12 ounces, and use 8 of them in this recipe. I keep the remaining strands and cook them in butter the next day to make spaghetti squash noodles.
- Despite the addition of almond flour and parmesan cheese, these fritters are on the delicate side. So be gentle, especially when flipping them. I flip them with two wide spatulas.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave or in a 350°F oven. You can also freeze the leftovers in freezer bags for up to three months. If layering, separate the layers with wax paper to prevent sticking.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
chelsea says
I ended up using AP flour, petal parmesan, and only used 2 eggs instead of 3.. the little bits of cheesiness were delish they held up very well in the pan, basically melted in my mouth though which I'm not complaining about!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you liked these fritters, Chelsea!
Cookie says
No almond flour at my store. Regular ok?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yes! The nutrition info will obviously change, and the fritters won't be gluten-free, but all-purpose flour works in this recipe as do breadcrumbs.
nana says
easy and tasty. I think next time I will make smaller fritters, they are very delicate and difficult to turn. But the flavor is well worth it.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm glad you liked them! It's true that making them smaller will make them easier to flip. Thank you for the comment!
Kelly says
Hi there, I was just wondering if you freeze these fritters? And, if so, how would you reheat them? Thanks! Kely
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Kelly,
Once fully cooled, you can freeze them in freezer bags for up to three months. If layering, separate the layers with wax paper to prevent sticking. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and reheat them in the microwave or in a 350°F oven.
Thank you for this question - I'll go ahead and add the info to the recipe.
Nomi says
By 'dry-grated' parmesan, do you mean the powdery kind that comes pre-grated in the green can or a plastic bag? If I have a chunk of parmesan and grate it by hand, will that still work in this recipe?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Nomi,
Grating by hand will make shredded parmesan, not finely grated. It's best to use pre-grated parmesan like this one.
Jaycee says
Can regular flour (i.e. wheat flour) be substituted for almond flour without negatively affecting the result?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Jaycee,
Yes! The nutrition info will obviously change, and the fritters won't be gluten-free, but all-purpose flour works in this recipe as do breadcrumbs.