• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Amish Heritage
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Me
  • About Amish
  • Recipes
    • Main Dish Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Amish Bread
    • Amish Desserts
      • Amish Pies
      • Amish Cookies and Bars
  • Shop
  • Privacy
  • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About Me
    • About Amish
    • Recipes
      • Main Dish Recipes
      • Side Dishes
      • Amish Bread
      • Amish Desserts
        • Amish Pies
        • Amish Cookies and Bars
    • Shop
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Amish Recipes » Side Dishes

    Pennsylvania Dutch Corn Fritters Recipe

    08/27/2021 by Anna 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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.

    stack of Pennsylvania Dutch corn fritters

    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.)

    Corn fritters

    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.

    corn fritter batter
    corn fritter batter

    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.

    corn fritters

    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.

    Amish corn fritters on plate

    More Amish Side Dish Recipes

    Amish Creamed Celery Recipe

    Best Amish Potato Salad Recipe

    Amish Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

    Amish Brown Butter Noodles Recipe

    Dutch corn fritters

    Pennsylvania Dutch Corn Fritter Recipe

    PA Dutch corn fritters can be served for breakfast or as a summery side dish. It is a corn-stuffed batter that is similar to a pancake and fried to golden perfection.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Side Dish
    Cuisine Amish
    Servings 5 people
    Calories 429 kcal

    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.

    Notes

    This recipe makes about 8 - 10 fritters depending on the size and can be made using fresh sweet corn, canned, or thawed frozen corn.
    If you like a little kick to your food, add some finely chopped jalapenos to your batter.
    Serve fritters for breakfast with maple syrup. Serve them as a side dish with any toppings you desire, or simply enjoy them plain.
     
    * Nutrition facts are approximate

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 429kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 9gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 959mgPotassium: 238mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 369IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 171mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword Corn fritter recipe, Pennsylvania Dutch corn fritters
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Check out my YouTube channel at My Amish Heritage

    More Side Dishes

    • little white ramekin filled with chow chow and jars of it in the background
      Amish Chow Chow Recipe
    • Crispy Parmesan Potatoes in a serving bowl topped with fresh parsley
      Crispy Parmesan Potatoes (Amish Recipe)
    • Dreamsicle grape jello salad in a mold
      Grape Jello Salad (Amish Dreamsicle Salad)
    • wooden bowl of Amish creamed peas
      Creamed Peas (Amish Recipe)

    Feel free to share!

    2716 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Clari

      September 03, 2023 at 4:00 pm

      PA Dutch (German) here. Family’s been here since 1736.

      Ritz crackers, bacon, paprika? Interesting, indeed! My nanna would be scandalized! 😄❤️

      Reply
      • Anna

        September 04, 2023 at 2:26 pm

        Sorry 🙃😀. There are all kinds of variations.

        Reply
    2. Darlene Martin

      August 31, 2023 at 8:18 am

      Love Corn Fritters. We like to eat them topped with lettuce and hot bacon dressing. Yum.

      Reply
      • Anna

        August 31, 2023 at 6:20 pm

        Hmmm... sounds interesting. Guess I should try that sometime.

        Reply
    3. Violet Lemm

      August 05, 2023 at 7:27 pm

      I've been making Corn Fritters my whole life it seems, getting the original recipie from my German mother-in-law. Your Ritz Cracker recipie intrigues me, have never seen this used before. Thanks for the interesting recipies.

      Reply
      • Anna

        August 05, 2023 at 9:18 pm

        You're welcome. If you try it, let me know what you think.

        Reply
    4. JOANN JOHNSON

      July 27, 2022 at 12:15 pm

      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! 🙂

      Reply
      • Anna

        July 27, 2022 at 12:19 pm

        Yes, I believe that a lot of Amish food would have German roots. 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I’m Anna. I grew up Amish in the Lancaster County, Pa. area (the heart of Amish country). I currently live in a small rural town in Missouri and am a homeschool mom to 4 great kids. Some of my favorite things to do are spending time in the kitchen, (baking and preparing meals from scratch), gardening, and spending time with my lovely family.

    More about me →

    Recent

    • photo of My Amish Heritage cookbook
      Amish Cookbook (Amish Recipe Book)
    • stack of Amish snickerdoodle cookies on a board and cinnamon sticks scattered around.
      Amish Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe (Or Snickerdoodle Bars)
    • beautifully browned marshmallow hats on a tray.
      Marshmallow Top Hats (Amish Hats Recipe)
    • Amish apple crisp on a plate, apples and cinnamon sticks in the background
      Amish Apple Goodie Dessert Recipe (Apple Crisp)

    Seasonal

    • pumpkin cake bars with frosting
      Amish Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Amish-baked-Pumpkin-whoopie pies
      Amish Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Recipe
    • an Amish apple dumpling on a plate with caramel sauce.
      Amish Apple Dumplings Recipe (Pennsylvania-style)
    • Amish Dutch Apple Pie
      Amish Dutch Apple Pie Recipe with Crumb Topping

    AMAZON DISCLOSURE: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. If you click on a link to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you. Please see my full disclosure for further information.

    Most Popular Posts

    Carrot Cake with Pineapple and Pecans (Amish Recipe)

    Breakfast plate with biscuits and gravy

    Amish Sausage Gravy Recipe for Biscuits and Gravy

    Amish pumpkin pie

    Amish Pumpkin Custard Pie Recipe

    moist Amish cornbread

    Easy Moist Amish Cornbread Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Important

    • Privacy

    Copyright © 2022 Amish Heritage