Eggplant Fritters

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/26/21
Eggplant Fritters on a plate with a bowl of sauce

The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 3 to 4 servings

These easy eggplant fritters can be deep-fried or cooked in a smaller amount of oil in a skillet. The eggplant is mashed and mixed with a small amount of flour and an egg to make the easy batter. 

Serve these tasty eggplant fritters with salsa or a Creole-style sauce. For sweet fritters, omit the pepper and add a few tablespoons of sugar to the mixture; serve with powdered sugar.

The recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

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Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil, for frying

  • 1 large egg, beaten

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 medium eggplant (about 1 cup mashed)

  • Dash salt

  • Dash freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Eggplant Fritters ingredients on plates and bowls

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  2. In a deep, heavy saucepan or skillet, heat about 3 inches of vegetable oil to 370 F.

    vegetable oil in a pot on a burner

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  3. Peel, slice, and cook eggplant in boiling salted water until tender.

    eggplant slices cooking in a pot with oil, that's on a burner

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  4. Drain thoroughly and mash.

    grained eggplant mixture in a bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  5. In a bowl, beat the egg. Add 1 cup of mashed eggplant, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and butter. Mix until well blended.

    eggplant, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and butter mixture in a bowl

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

  6. Drop the batter by spoonful into the hot fat and fry until golden brown. Fry about 4 to 6 at a time, depending on the size of the pan and amount of oil.  Don't crowd them. Remove with a metal slotted spoon to the paper towels to drain. 

    Eggplant Fritters on a paper towel lined plate

    The Spruce / Stephanie Goldfinger

Tips

  • Small batches are necessary to keep the temperature of the oil from dropping too low. 
  • If you are going to serve them all at once, have the oven preheated to 200 F. Keep batches warm in the oven while frying the remaining fritters.
  • The fritters may also be fried like pancakes. Fry them in a skillet with just enough oil to keep them from sticking. Flip to brown both sides.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
226 Calories
22g Fat
6g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 226
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 323mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 145mg 11%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 54mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)