These healthy spaghetti squash fritters are a fun way to use this low-calorie fall veggie. They're easy to make, naturally gluten-free and taste delicious!
One of the things I get most excited about when in fall is the winter squashes. Unfortunately, I'm the only one in the house that likes them, BUT as soon as I start seeing them in the store I go all in.
I love me a good butternut squash recipe (hello Butternut Squash Vegan Lasagna), I also adore acorn squash (yes yes Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash), but one of the squashes I think gets overlooked is spaghetti squash. I really only use it as a pasta replacement, but there are SO many other ways to use it!
Do you also sometimes struggle of ways to use spaghetti squash? If so, I've got you! These Healthy Spaghetti Squash Fritters are the ultimate fall dish. They're easy to make, they taste phenomenal and they're great for meal prep!
Best Vegetarian Freezer Meals
Now before we dive into these amazing fritters, let's just quickly talk about freezer prep. Since we're in the midst of the back-to-school season, quick meals are a staple. I personally love making big batches of stuff, then freezing the extra portions so that I know if I'm really in a pinch, I can just pull something out, pop it in the oven and dinner is done.
In my freezer you can always find:
- A container of vegetable soup
- My favorite vegetarian chili or stew of some sort
- Either vegan lasagna or jackfruit enchiladas
- And homemade veggie quinoa burgers
And that's another amazing thing about these spaghetti squash fritters! They're freezer-friendly, great for kids' lunches, and totally reheatable. Just one of those things that if you make a batch (or double!), you'll be so happy when you find them in your freezer in a month or so ????
How to Make Healthy Fritters
Over the years, fritters have become a somewhat regular part of my meal rotation. They're completely customizable with different types of veggies so you can make them based on what's in season. In the fall and winter, I love using sweet potato and squashes, and in the spring and summer, I love using zucchini and carrot.
No matter what vegetable you use, making healthy fritters is crazy simple. All you need to make them is:
- shredded vegetable (your choice!)
- flour (again, your choice!)
- egg
- spices
- oil for sauteing
From there you can mix and match, change up your flavors, and ultimately, have fritters for months. It's honestly the best! And there's no need to deep fry – just a quick pan saute and you'll have perfectly crispy fritters!
Benefits of Spaghetti Squash
I turned to spaghetti squash in this recipe for two reasons. First, its unique texture. If you haven't tried spaghetti squash, you're in for a real treat. The texture of this yellow winter squash is just like the name, but in squash form (obviously). It's stringy like spaghetti but tastes like squash. And in all the right ways, not some weird squishy, squashy, pasta-y mess way like you might be imagining.
The second reason is the fact that spaghetti squash, and most winter squashes in general, are loaded with nutrients. Spaghetti squash is full of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and even fiber.
Plus, like everything else on this site, these cakes have quinoa in them, so you're not only getting the wellness boost from the squash but the quinoa as well.
Perfect & Healthy Spaghetti Squash Fritters
And these Healthy Spaghetti Squash Fritters are the real deal, my friends. These tender little morsels are crisp on the outside, but soft when you bite into one. They have a gentle sweetness from the squash that is countered with the salty hint of nutritional yeast. Then there's the quinoa, which helps to break up the texture and add that slight crunch these cakes need.
Plus, as I said earlier they freeze beautifully, so whip up a big batch, eat some for dinner then pop the leftovers in the freezer for a quick weeknight meal when cooking is the last thing on your mind. Trust me, you'll be thankful you have extra of these wholesome veggie burgers – they've quickly become a standby in our house.
More Easy & Healthy Fritters Recipes:
- Easy Gluten-Free Veggie Fritters
- Curried Carrot & Sweet Potato Fritters
- 5-Ingredient Healthy Zucchini Fritters
- Zucchini & Quinoa Salmon Cakes
- 5-Ingredient Sweet Potato Quinoa Fritters
Healthy Spaghetti Squash Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 cups cooked squash)
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/4 cup quinoa flour
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 - 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or oil of choice) for cooking
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place squash cut side down in a baking dish and add 1/4" in of water. Roast for 40 - 50 minutes, until a knife can easily penetrate the skin.
- Remove from oven, flip over and let sit until cool enough to handle. Scoop out the flesh with a fork into a clean, dry dishtowel. Squeeze as much water as you can out of the squash. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients to a bowl and fold to combine. The mixture should start to resemble a soft dough.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add cakes and cook until golden on one side, 2 - 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining cakes.
- Serve immediately with a side of salsa, hummus or tomato sauce.
Video
Nutrition
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Any suggestions for the egg substitute to make it vegan?
You could try a flax egg or chia egg!
Hello! What other flour is a good substitute for quinoa flour?
Any other flour will work 🙂
Just made these and perhaps my “medium” squash was bigger than yours because they are super mushy. I squeezed the water out of the squash as directed – even doing so in small batches. How much cooked, drained, squash do you end up with for the above recipe? 1cup? 2?
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Loving your site. You’re toying with death, though, cutting that spaghetti squash BEFORE you cook it. I bake a LOT of spaghetti squashes — at least once a week — and have found simply pricking the top of it, sticking it whole into the preheated 375 oven for about an hour (or starting to brown and soft to the touch) works just as well… no water, no sliced hands, etc. Cut off the ends, cut in half lengthwise now that it’s soft, and then scoop the seeds out. EZ PZ.
Cheers…
Harry “Hap” Palter
Certified TSFL/Medifast Health Coach
hapforhealth@gmail.com
Thanks for the tip! I’ll be sure to try it out next time. Sounds much easier 🙂
Mmmm love me some squash. This looks great!
Thanks!! xo 🙂
I LOVE quinoa AND spaghetti squash, to have them both in a patty…..how did I get so lucky? I never would have thought to pair them up in a patty. I will definitely be trying this soon, maybe on a bun!
Let me know how you like them!!
I thought by definition that cornmeal was gluten free No?
I think many times cornmeal can get cross contaminated, so to be 100% safe, make sure that you purchase gluten-free cornmeal 🙂
These look delicious! I have a question though – if I am not worried about the gluten, I can use regular cornmeal, right? And then would I still need the nutritional yeast? I haven’t used that before, and not totally sure what it’s for in recipes. Still trying to figure all this stuff out! But I have recently become a HUGE fan of quinoa, so I’m loving your recipes!
Hi there, yes that would be totally fine for the cornmeal. Still use the nutritional yeast though because that gives it a little bit of a cheese flavor. If you don’t feel like using that however, I’d just substitute it for some parmesan cheese 🙂
Sorry, didn’t see the quinoa flour part! that’s what happens when you do a quick glance. Could quinoa flakes be used in place of the flour or do you need it to help it all stick together? Or could you use ground flax seed?
Oops! Didn’t see your second comment, that’s what happens when you work from the bottom up 🙂 I definitely think flaxseed would work and while I think you could use quinoa flakes, I feel like you might need too many and it would end up messing with the texture. In any case, let me know what you end up doing and how it works out for you! xo
Is there a substitute for the cornmeal? I can’t eat corn.
Thanks.
Yes, I think you could just use some gluten-free flour – whatever works for you. Hope that helps!! xo
I know I signed up for emails and thought I could sign in with it but I forgot my password and do not see a link to change it.
Hi Linda, no need to sign in anywhere 🙂 What exactly are you looking for? All the recipes that I send out in emails can be found on the blog!
I love spaghetti squash cig in half cook an fluff in the she’ll add chopped fresh tomato, fresh basil, pepper and a bit of low fat mozzarella and broil till cheese is melted. Very nummy!! Add chicken to make a hearty meal.
Sounds delicious. I’ll definitely have to try that one!
These look delicious! I can’t wait to try them and recommend them to my patients and clients for a balanced healthy meal! Thanks for your great recipes!
Thank you!! So happy you like the looks of them 🙂
I love this recipe – combines two of my favorite ingredients. I would have never thought to put those two together in a patty! Definitely trying.