Conceptually, Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms sound delicious. But even though I’m not a vegan (far from it, actually – I’m pescatarian!), the idea of eating fried pockets of ricotta didn’t always sound completely fulfilling or appetizing to me. With a concept so fun, I was hoping I could make a version with a bit more protein, a bit lighter of a filling, and just as much delicious flavor.
And turns out with tofu? It was pretty easy. So may I please introduce you to: Vegan Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms! A total summer treat, and honestly the only way I’d like to eat my squash blossoms right now, you know?
Now I do need to caveat: there is nothing wrong with the original version, this just happens to be my preferred version! Plus, I love how it makes this squash blossom recipe accessible to all diets, too. I’m still working on how to make a gluten-free version, but for right now I’ve found rice flour is a pretty solid substitute!
Read on for how to make, fry, prep and store these little dreams. (Because yes! You can totally freeze them!)
What are squash blossoms?
Squash blossoms are such a summer treat. They are sometimes called zucchini flowers and pop up on the ends of summer squash and zucchini right when they are ready to harvest. They are a *touch* more rare than zucchini, since it’s hard to always find pretty ones, and they tend to fall off of the plant, but they are still abundant!
The flavor of their petals is very mild, but the stem can be delicious, refreshing and sweet – very similar to its zucchini counterpart.
They can be eaten raw, but you will typically find them in fritters, in quesadillas, or like this recipe: Stuffed and fried!
The ingredients you will need for vegan stuffed squash blossoms
The filling of this recipe is what makes it delicious. The frying of this recipe is what makes it extra delicious. Here is everything you will need for the squash blossoms:
FOR THE TOFU STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS
- 1 16-ounce pack of extra-firm tofu
- Fresh mint leaves, 5 grams
- Fresh basil leaves, 5 grams
- 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs, 0.5 ounces / 15 grams
- 1 teaspoon each of dried oregano, red pepper flakes, Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 16 medium squash blossoms
FOR THE VEGAN FRYING BATTER
- All-purpose flour, 5 ounces / 140 grams
- Seltzer water, 8.4 ounces / 240 grams
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 4 cups vegetable oil, 32 ounces
Step 1: Prepare the tofu blend
The tofu blend mimics ricotta in this recipe. Except where ricotta is already a “paste” texture, tofu needs a bit more encouragement!
To do this I like to drain the tofu (but don’t press it!) and add it to a large bowl. From there I mash it up with a fork before adding the chopped up mint and basil. Then I add the breadcrumbs, which will latch onto the tofu’s moisture and help hold it together when we pipe it into the squash blossoms.
The tofu also includes oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt, because the more flavor we can get in the tofu blend, the better the vegan stuffed squash blossoms will be.
Mix this up and set it to the side!
Step 2: Add the tofu stuffing to a piping bag
Any plastic bag will do when it comes to this recipe. As long as you can cut off the tip of a corner, you’ll be good to go!
I like to press my plastic bag into a measuring cup (see the photo below) and fill it with the tofu from there. it makes it easier to fill, and if I position the edge of the bag in the center of the bottom of the cup, then my tofu is already where I need it to be in order to make piping easier.
Step 3: Turn the tofu into a filling texture
Once the tofu is in the bag, I don’t seal the end. If you do, air gets trapped in there and it turns into a not-fun disaster. I just loosely roll it closed.
Then I use my hands to kind of “mash” the tofu into a ricotta like texture (see photo below). This makes it easier to pipe.
I used to add plant-based milk to the tofu to help make it an even creamier texture, but this made the end result of the squash blossoms too watery. I find just using your hands to make it a ricotta texture works just fine.
Step 4: Pipe and fill the vegan stuffed squash blossoms (surprisingly easy!)
Now I was worried about filling squash blossoms when I first tried it. But after making these vegan stuffed squash blossoms a few times, I realized these flowers are surprisingly sturdy! So be gentle, but don’t be too concerned about breaking them. They hold pretty well!
I like to cut an edge of the piping bag until it is 3/4 inch wide. From there I gently pull back the petals and pipe the tofu into the blossom until it is 3/4 full.
Then gently twist the petal edges together. Try not to have the filling pop through, but if it does, it’s not the end of the world. Just twist the petals together to make sure the flower is as sealed as possible.
Step 5: Prepare the vegan frying batter
This one is easy (and this batter is fool-proof!). Whisk together one cup of flour, one cup of seltzer water, and one teaspoon of salt. It will thicken a bit as it sits, but it’s a really nice, light vegan batter that is perfect for frying stuffed squash blossoms without weighing them down.
Step 6: Prepare the frying oil
Vegetable oil needs to be at 350°F-375°F to be good for frying. Add the oil to a small pot or Dutch oven and use a probe thermometer to make sure it reaches that temperature range. From there, you are good to dip-and-fry!
Step 7: Coat and fry the squash blossoms
The squash blossoms only need a light coating and a quick fry to make them delicious. Which is also great, because then you aren’t eating some crazy amount of double-fried food! It’s just a quick dip, a one minute fry, and then it crisps up on a cooling rack.
I like to do two squash blossoms at a time. I dip them in the batter, rotate them and then shake off any excess batter.
Gently place them in the oil (don’t drop them! That will cause frying chaos). Fry them for 60-90 seconds or until they are golden. Flip them if you need to, and use tongs to transfer them to a rack to drain.
If you don’t have a rack, a baking sheet lined with paper towels will also work.
How to store these vegan stuffed squash blossoms
Think of these like chicken nuggets – after you make them, you can totally freeze them and then oven-bake them later! With ricotta-stuffed blossoms you can’t do that, so I guess it’s vegan stuffed blossoms for the win!
I like to fully let them drain any excess oil, then I transfer them to a zip-loc bag so that they can lay flat in the freezer. Seal the bag only when they are cooled to room temperature. This will avoid you catching any steam in the bag.
Freeze them for up to three months.
Any time you want to pop them out and reheat them, just turn your oven to 425°F, place the frozen blossoms on a baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes or until crisp!
FAQ
You can absolutely find other wrappers for this tofu blend! I like to use rice wrappers or dumpling wrappers in place of the squash blossoms. I don’t usually “bread” those in the vegan frying batter, but you are welcome to if you have a craving!
The only other tofu I’d recommend using is firm. After that, it gets a bit too soft and has too much moisture, which impacts the frying. You can also use mashed beans, which are a great substitute.
You can fill and wrap the squash blossoms, but only coat them in the batter right before frying. If you choose to fill them in advance, store them on a baking sheet so they can lay flat. Cover the baking sheet in cling wrap and it will keep in the fridge for 24 hours before you will need to fry them.
I actually don’t recommend sealing these if you plan to transport them somewhere! Sealing them can cause them to lose a bit of their crunch. If you can find a baking sheet you can cover with a loose towel, or a mesh-covered picnic dish, that would be your best bet for bringing them to a party!
Unfortunately olive oil’s smoke point is much lower than the frying temperature you need for these. So it would be dangerous (and also…not tasty) to fry these in olive oil.
Looking for other appetizers?
Here are some popular (and plant-forward!) recipes from the blog!
This is such a fun little party snack, and a great way to use your beet greens! Fresh beet greens are washed (this is important!) and then I dip them in a quick tempura batter and fry them into perfectly crisp chips. Use the beets themselves to make a delicious purée and you have an amazing plant-based appetizer, snack or just delicious plate of (fried) greens!
This quick, sizzly, vibrant dipping oil is my PERFECT appetizer or side. It’s not too spicy, since we are using pickled jalapeños (Mezzetta is my favorite), and it’s fresh and light while still being tangy and delicious. You can pool it on top of ricotta for a richer dip, but I love it as is, with a squeeze of lemon and springy bread for dipping.
This quick, simple, minimal-ingredient spread is bright pink, incredibly delicious and packed with bright, tangy flavor and richness from tahini, lemon and dill. The color is only half of the fun, the flavor matches it with every bite.
And that’s it for these vegan stuffed squash blossoms!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Vegan Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms
These light, crispy squash blossoms are filled with the most flavorful tofu blend and are equal parts filling and delicious. Plus, they are sneakily easy to make! You can serve these as an appetizer, but since they are packed with protein, you can also serve them as a compliment to any plant-based meal. They are one of my favorite things to make in the summer when squash blossoms are everywhere.
Equipment
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1 plastic bag or piping bag
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1 pair of tongs or chef’s tweezers
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1 small pot or 5-quart Dutch oven
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1 cooling rack
Ingredients
For the tofu stuffed squash blossoms
- 1 16-ounce pack of extra-firm tofu
- 1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves 5 grams
- 1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves 5 grams
- 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs 0.5 ounces / 15 grams
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 16 medium squash blossoms
For the vegan frying batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 5 ounces / 140 grams
- 1 cup seltzer water 8.4 ounces / 240 grams
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 4 cups vegetable oil 32 ounces
Instructions
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Drain the tofu (no need to press out the moisture) and add it to a large bowl. Use a fork to mash up the tofu as well as possible.
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Finely chop the mint and basil and add it to the tofu. Add the 1/4 cup of bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt and mix to combine. The mixture may be crumbly, but don’t mind it.
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Transfer the tofu mixture to a plastic bag that is suitable for piping. Any bag where you can cut off a corner edge will do. A piping bag is great if you are feeling fancy.
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Mash up the tofu in the bag with your hands, making it a paste-like texture.
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Cut a corner of the bag to make an opening that is around 3/4 of an inch wide.
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Gently open up the squash blossoms and pipe in the tofu until it fills the flower about 3/4 of the way up. Then twist the bottom petals of the blossom together, encasing the tofu in the flower. Try not to break the petals, but also know that once the tofu is encapsulated, it’s a lot more sturdy than you think!
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Place all the stuffed blossoms on a cutting board and set them aside.
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In a large, shallow bowl, whisk together the 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of seltzer water, and 1 teaspoon salt.
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Now it’s time to begin the frying process. Add the 4 cups of oil to a small pot or Dutch oven and set it over medium-high heat. Prepare a cooling rack by placing it over a baking sheet and set that near the frying station. (If you don’t have a cooling rack, just line a baking sheet with paper towels).
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When the vegetable oil has reached 350°F-375°F, you are ready to fry. Do two squash blossoms at a time. Dip them in the batter, gently shake off any excess, and carefully place them in the oil. Fry them for 1 minute to 90 seconds, or until they are golden brown. Flip them if needed, and use tongs to transfer them to the cooling rack to drain.
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Once all the squash blossoms are fried, they are ready to serve! See the Note below on how to properly handle the oil.
Notes
Note: When you are done with the frying oil, leave it on the stove top to completely cool to room temperature. Then strain it through a fine mesh sieve and transfer it to a jar. It can be reused for frying.
