PA Dutch Corn Fritters
This recipe for Pennsylvania Dutch corn fritters is basically corn fritter pancakes. Stuff the batter full of delicious sweet corn and fry the patties to golden perfection. The results are amazing!
What would I serve with corn fritters? Corn fritters can be served for breakfast topped with maple syrup or as a side dish for dinner.
A few delicious toppings would be sour cream, green onions, and fried crumbled bacon. Trust me, they are good on their own as well, and I actually prefer them plain or with sour cream.
Amish Corn Fritters and Summertime Corn Harvesting
Most Amish families grow a lot of sweet corn every year. My mom always planted rows and rows of sweet corn. And sometimes we planted enough to sell to local markets, neighbors, etc.
So for several weeks through the summer we were up at daybreak, wading through the tall wet corn patch, picking and sorting through piles of corn. And of course, any ears that didn't look perfect would be thrown on a separate pile for us to husk and prepare for our freezer.
Every year we cut the kernels off of hundreds of ears of sweet corn. And if you have ever harvested and frozen sweet corn, you know that it is a lot of work.
The ears have to be husked and brushed to remove the silk. Then they are cooked for a few minutes and put into ice water to cool.
And then comes the fun and messy part of cutting off the kernels. (There are different methods of harvesting corn, but this is how we did it.)
We used to do all of our corn outside because we didn't want the mess in the house. We borrowed a neighbor's outdoor cooker and filled old pillowcases with corn cobs to cook in the giant kettle of water. Everything was done on a large scale because we froze a lot of sweet corn.
My mom liked to have fresh corn on the cob to eat all summer long, so she kept planting sweet corn every few weeks.
We loved corn and ate an amazing amount of it. It was our number one vegetable. (I know, corn is a starch and not a healthy vegetable, but it was a big part of our diet.)
The Difference Between Amish-style frozen corn and store-bought corn
The sweet corn that I grew up eating had young, tender kernels. We always picked it before the ears were very fat.
Then we cut off the tops of the kernels with a knife and scraped out the juice. So it was a mixture between whole kernel corn and creamed corn.
And there is no comparison between the corn we ate and the huge tough kernels of corn that you buy at the supermarket. It was sweet, tender, and so delicious!!
Amish-style sweet corn with added butter and salt is quite delicious, and that is why it was our favorite vegetable.
I'm adding an affiliate link to showcase the kind of corn cutter we used as kids before my mom trusted us with a knife. Ours was stainless steel though, and we often removed the creaming blade because we liked to have whole kernels.
Fried Sweet Corn Fritters
This is not exactly a healthy corn fritters recipe, although there is no added sugar. This may be surprising because a lot of Amish recipes tend to have sugar in the ingredients.
And I pan-fry my Pennsylvania Dutch corn fritters to avoid all the extra oil saturation that comes with deep-frying. But if you prefer, feel free to deep-fry them. Or you could also fry them in an air-fryer.
You can cut corn off the cob and use fresh sweet corn (this is the best). Or you can take the easy route and use thawed frozen corn or canned corn. Pennsylvania Dutch corn fritters are good either way.
Easy Fritter Batter Recipe for PA Dutch Corn Fritters
This old-fashioned Dutch corn fritter recipe is very easy to make.
Simply mix the batter ingredients, heat oil in a skillet, and drop the batter by large spoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop for uniformity) into the hot oil. Spread the batter to form a thick pancake.
Fry the corn fritters for a couple of minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Place on paper towels to absorb any extra oil. And serve immediately.
Bacon Corn Fritters
You could also add some fried and crumbled bacon to your fritters for an extra flavor profile, or added protein.
I mean who doesn't love bacon? It adds a great flavor to many dishes, including corn fritters. So feel free to add a couple of pieces of fried bacon pieces to the batter before frying.
More Amish Side Dish Recipes
Best Amish Potato Salad Recipe
Amish Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
Amish Brown Butter Noodles Recipe
Pennsylvania Dutch Corn Fritter Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups sweet corn Equals one can or two large ears of fresh sweet corn
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/3 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. paprika, optional
- 1 1/2 tsp. butter, melted
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 c. milk
- 1/2 c. flour
- 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 c. cracker crumbs I use Ritz crackers, but feel free to use any kind you desire.
- Oil, for frying
Instructions
- Mix corn, seasonings, and wet ingredients.1 3/4 cups sweet corn, 1 tsp. salt, 1/3 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. paprika, optional, 1 1/2 tsp. butter, melted, 1 egg, beaten, 1/4 c. milk
- Add dry ingredients and mix well.1/2 c. flour, 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 1 c. cracker crumbs
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet over medium/high heat.Oil, for frying
- Drop the batter into the hot oil, using a large teaspoon or a cookie scoop. Spread the batter to make a thick pancake.
- Fry for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden.
- Place onto paper towels to drain any excess oil. Serve immediately.
- Serve plain, top with sour cream, green onions, and bacon, or drizzle with maple syrup.
JOANN JOHNSON
This is EXACTLY how my mom made corn fritters. Her side of the family was definitely not Amish. However, they were German immigrants, from a group of families from the Palatinate region. They came to Clearfield County, PA in the 1840's, and then later migrated en masse to Vernon County, Missouri.
My family dinners as an Oklahoma kid seemed kind of weird compared to my friends (they had much more "Southern" type food). Now I get it...your whole website is like my family cookbook! Thank you! 🙂
Anna
Yes, I believe that a lot of Amish food would have German roots. 🙂