Butternut Fritters with Lemon Chevre

A stack of butternut fritters with goat cheese.

These crispy, tender butternut fritters are perfect for holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Not that I would ever need a publicly anointed occasion to enjoy these crispy, tender little marvels – and I urge you not to conform to a once-a-year indulgence of these tasty bites. Butternut Fritters with Lemon Chèvre are a treat every time you make them.

butternut squash grated.

I probably should have posted these last week for Thanksgiving, but again, why be beholden to a holiday?  They will be devoured equally as fast on a Tuesday night as they will on Thanksgiving or Christmas.  And unlike most Thanksgiving sides, this one won’t take you the better part of a day to make.  You’re welcome!

chopped vegetables
cooking squash in a pan with spoon

Butternut squash is the foundation of these fritters with some onion and shallot thrown in for good measure.   Start by sautéing the vegetables to soften them a bit.

making butternut squash batter.

Stir in the flour and spice mixture and then the beaten eggs to form the batter.   Next comes the lemon zest.  Did I mention the zest?  It really brightens this dish.  

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frying butternut fritters in cast iron skillet
browning butternut fritters.

In fact, I’ve added it to the fritter batter and to the luscious chevre topping.  I know.  CHEVRE!  Okay, the topping isn’t mandatory.  These fritters are good no matter what!  But a dab of melty-lemon kissed goat cheese atop a hot, crispy butternut fritter?  C’mon!

mixing lemon chevre

What are you waiting for?

Butternut Fritters with Lemon Chèvre on a plate.

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Butternut Fritters with Lemon Chèvre
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5 from 2 votes

Butternut Fritters with Lemon Chèvre

These yummy fritters are a great way to use butternut squash.  Serve them as a yummy appetizer or special side dish!
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword butternut squash, fritters, goat cheese
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6

INGREDIENTS:

  • ½ butternut squash peeled and seeded, grated
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 green onions thinly sliced
  • 1 shallot minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lemon zested
  • ½ cup self rising flour
  • teaspoon cayenne pepper or more
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 tablespoons canola oil for frying

for lemon chèvre

  • 4 ounces chèvre goat cheese
  • 5 tablespoons cream
  • zest and juice of one lemon
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

  • In a small bowl combine the goat cheese and cream. Stir until smooth and creamy. Add lemon juice, zest and black pepper, stir to combine and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
  • Heat oil over medium heat in a 9-10″ skillet. Add the butternut squash and kosher salt and sauté for 5 minutes until squash is slightly softened. Stir in the green onion and shallot and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest. Set aside.
  • Mix the flour, cayenne pepper and black pepper together and sprinkle over the butternut squash. Stir until well combined. Add the eggs and stir to combine – until the batter is just moist.
  • In a heavy bottomed skillet (cast iron or enamel coated like Le Creuset works great) heat the olive and canola oil until very hot, but not smoking. Spoon heaping tablespoons of butternut squash batter into the pan and flatten with the back of a spoon. Don’t crowd the pan — work with only 3-4 fritters at a time. Cook for 3-4 minutes until browned and crispy then carefully flip the fritters and brown on the other side. Transfer the fritters to the paper towel lined pan and keep warm in the oven, while you continue to make the rest of the fritters.
  • Serve fritters hot. Have your guests top the warm fritters with a spoonful of the lemon chèvre which gets delightfully gooey.

NUTRITION:

Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 7200IU | Vitamin C: 24.5mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1.4mg

 

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This easy recipe for butternut fritters with lemon chevre make an excellent appetizer or a delicious vegetarian side dish to any meal. Great for holidays! #sidedish #vegetarian #butternutsquash #fritters #christmasdinner #thanksgivingdinner #holidaydinner #squash #butternut #chevre #goatcheese #vegetablefritter

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23 Comments

  1. This looks amazing! Love the photos.

  2. kushigalu says:

    This looks amazingly delicious!

  3. Great looking fritters. Love the photos.

  4. Everyday Sarah Jane says:

    What a perfect use for butternut squash! Love this delicious idea and cannot wait to try! XO

  5. Your pictures are always so classy & food delicious. I love the idea of putting the squash thru the shredder for the base. Going to try these. Thanks.

    1. I’m glad you like them – and the photos!

  6. These sound heavenly! I love the melty chevre!

  7. These look fantabulous! I just posted a butternut and quinoa fritter recipe on Monday! Great minds…?

  8. mayihavethatrecipe says:

    They sound and look heavenly. YUM!

    1. Thanks, I’m so glad you like! I’m always looking for something new to do with butternut squash.

  9. So the topping isn’t mandatory, but man does it look delicious. I’ll definitely make these with my last butternut squash from Thanksgiving that I forgot to use, with a hefty dollop of that lemon chevre on top!

    1. Food blogging doesn’t suck, does it Marianne?

  10. Cooking Maniac says:

    5 stars
    Your pictures are amazing. I am once again hungry… and I just had breakfast. I’m so looking forward to trying these.

    1. Thank you! Trying to get the hang of my camera!

  11. Yum! I love fritters but I’ve never made them with butternut squash. Such a great idea. They look amazing. Can’t wait to try them ?

  12. Adriana www.changingplate.com says:

    Tell the truth…I’m way behind on posting holiday recipes but I think these can be eaten year round! Looks delicious X

  13. Jesse Ayers says:

    Oh wow, definitely making these!! These fritters look amazing.