Fritters are always welcome for snacks and lunches, plus are perfect for using up extra veggies. These Spicy Carrot Tempeh Fritters are the perfect bite . Made with high protein tempeh and plenty of spices to be extra flavorful! Just like my go-to Pea and Tofu Fritters, they're crispy and easy to make, and even easier to eat!
QUICK LOOK: TL:DR
Spicy Carrot Tempeh Fritters
- Prep Time: 12 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time : 27 mins
- Fritters: makes 13-18 depending on their size.
- Calories: 74 kcal per fritter
- Key Ingredients: Carrots, Tempeh and Harissa Paste
- Dietary Info: Vegan, Gluten Free , High Protein & High Fibre.
- Tasting Notes: Crispy edges and firm to bite into, with a spicy-sweet flavor from the harissa and carrots.
Why you'll love this recipe!
- So Tasty: Sweet carrots pair so well with harissa and spices.
- Lots of Protein: Tempeh is high in protein so great for adding into meals to help you feel fuller longer.
- High Fibre: unlike tofu, tempeh also has lots of fibre!
- Quick to Make: under 30 mins start to finish!
- Make ahead recipe: These are great in pita breads and to snack on for lunch boxes.
Jump To
I absolutely love making fritters, especially ones that use up some veggies hanging around the kitchen. They're perfect for adding loads of herbs and flavors into and great for making ahead of time and serving for any kind of meal. My fave for breakfast time is these Corn & Tofu Fritters which are delicious when topped with some Air Fryer Roasted Tomatoes.
🥕Key Ingredients
Head to the recipe card for the full quantities!
- Carrots: Fresh carrots are best, but honestly you can also use the ones that need using up at the bottom of your veggie drawer. Got more carrots? Try this Carrot & Onion Scarpaccia Tart to use them up!
- Tempeh: Tempeh is similar to tofu in that it's made with soybeans. However tempeh is made with whole fermented beans so retains the fibre. I prefer a milder less fermented tempeh. (Don't worry if there is a little white mould on the tempeh, it's a type fungus (similar to soft cheeses) that is part of how it is made.
- Chickpea Flour: Higher in protein and fibre than regular flour, naturally gluten free and helps to bind the fritters together so there is no need for an egg!.
- Potato Starch or Corn Starch: I prefer potato starch for a really crispy fritter, however corn starch (known as corn flour in UK and Australia) also works well.
- Harissa Paste: this spicy rich paste is originally from North Africa. It pairs particularly well with carrots or other sweeter vegetables. Don't just buy it for this recipe, try it out in my Chickpea & Roasted Tomato Salad!
- Other Herbs and Spices: I like to add cumin, smoked paprika and fresh thyme to my fritters. There are some other flavor combination ideas below.
- Oil for Frying: I use either rapeseed oil or avocado oil for pan frying, however please use the cooking oil you prefer.
See recipe card for quantities.
🌶️Substitutions & Variations
Here are some yummy ways you can switch up this recipe to use up what you have available!
- Extra Firm Tofu - if you can't find tempeh or it's not your thing, substitute the same amount of extra firm tofu.
- No Carrots: - Substitute in zuccchini or even grated pumpkin or squash.
- More Herbs: - add in other fresh herbs to the mixture such as cilantro (coriander leaf) fresh parsley or oregano.
- Not Spicy/ Extra Spicy: Omit the harissa and add in some extra sweet smoked paprika if you're not a fan of spice. Alternatively you can also add in chopped red chilies or chili flakes to amp up the spice!
- Oven Baked/Air Fryer: Make these in the oven or air fryer by forming into patty shapes, spraying with a little oil and either baking on a lined baking sheet at 180c/360f for 15-18 minutes or air frying at 180c/360f in batches for 10-12 minutes.
👩🍳How to make Carrot Tempeh Fritters
It's so easy to make these high protein fritters! Full quantities for the recipe are in the recipe card.
- Step 1: Peel the carrots. Use a box grater and grate the carrots and tempeh. Finely chop 3-4 cloves garlic. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Add the spices, harissa, thyme, potato starch and chickpea flour to the bowl with the carrot and tempeh.
- Step 3: Stir the ingredients together then add water bit by bit.
- Step 4: Keep mixing the batter until you have a thick, scoopable mixture that holds together when you pick it up on a spoon.
- Step 5: Use a cookie scoop or a large spoon to evenly scoop out batter into a heated, oiled pan. The size of the scoop will determine the size of the fritter!
- Step 6: Heat oil in a pan then add th batter. Press down with a spatula so the fritters are an even patty shape. Pan fry each side until golden brown and crispy. Cook in batches until all the fritters are cooked. Allow to cool on a wire rack or paper towel lined plate.
Hint: Be careful when pan frying the fritters as carrots have a higher sugar content and can burn easily.
Best way to eat Spicy Carrot Tempeh Fritters
I love eating these carrot and tempeh fritters in a pita bread with some coriander/ cilantro and rocket (arugula) along with a yummy creamy tahini sauce. I added some harissa instead of the herb oil. They're also great dipped into some Spicy Tomato Hummus and if you're feeling fancy why not make this Celeriac Remoulade to add to a pita or wrap with them as well!
Please NB: I made lots of small mini fritters in the photos, usually I use a larger scoop but I wanted these to fit into my pita breads!
Louise's Top Fritters Tip!
I love to use potato starch in my fritters as it ensures a super crispy finish, however you can substitute for corn starch (aka corn flour to the UK and Aussie readers) if you don't wish to purchase potato flour.
❓Tempeh & Carrot Fritters FAQ
Tempeh is made with whole soybeand which are fermented with a kind of mushroom spore. It's high in protein, and unlike tofu retains it's fibre.
If you can't find tempeh you can use extra firm tofu instead in these fritters.
These carrot and tempeh fritters are good to make ahead for meal prep. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Either eat cold, or reheat in a pan.
Yes you can freeze this tempeh and carrot fritter recipe in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen.
Other Fritters to try:
Try these other delicious fritter recipes:
📖 Recipe
Spicy Carrot Tempeh Fritters with Harissa
Equipment
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 250 g (2 cups) carrots
- 200 g (1 ⅕ cups) firm tempeh (grated)
- 2 tablespoon thyme (dried or fresh)
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon harissa paste
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 100 g (⅚ cup) chickpea flour
- 45 g (2/7 cup) potato starch (OR cornstarch (aka corn flour in UK/Aus) )
- 100 ml (3/7 cup) water (to bind the fritters MORE if you need it- add tablespoon by tablespoon )
- 1 teaspoon flakey sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 25 ml vegetable oil (for pan frying )
Instructions
- Grate the tempeh and carrot. Finely chop the garlic and herbs (if using fresh)
- Add the grated tempeh, carrot, spices, harissa chickpea flour, corn starch and all the seasonings to a large bowl and mix.250 g carrots, 200 g firm tempeh, 2 tbsp thyme, 3 cloves garlic , 100 g chickpea flour, 45 g potato starch
- Add water bit by bit as you mix, until you get a thick, chunky batter that sticks the carrots and tempeh together in the bowl. - if needed Add a kittle more water tablespoon by tablespoon until you get the desired batter.100 ml water, 1 tsp flakey sea salt, 1 tsp pepper
- Use an ice-cream scoop to scoop out portions of the fritters. The size will determine how many fritters you end up with.
- Add the vegetable oil to a frying pan and allow it to get to a medium-high heat. Add the fritters in batches of 3 or 4 to the frying pan and squish down with a spatula so they form flat pancake style shapes.25 ml vegetable oil
- Cook the fritters until crispy on one side, then use a spatula to carefully flip. Cook the other side of the fritter until golden brown. Be careful- carrots tend to burn pretty easily.
- Lay the fritters out on a paper towel or wire rack to allow any excess oil to be removed.
- Serve with tahini sauce (like the one in the photo), hot sauce or even ketchup!
Notes
- Oven bake: Lay out balls of the fritter mixture on a parchment lined baking tray. Press the fritters down with a spatula and spritz with a little oil. Bake at 180c/360f for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
- Air Fry: On an air fryer rack, gently press down on the fritters to make the fritter shape. Spritz with oil and air fry at 180c/360 for around 10 minutes or until crispy.
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
These tempeh fritters are so good we kept eating them right from the fridge! They're so good in a pita bread sandwich with loads of tahini sauce and herbs too!