Black-eyed pea fritters

Black-Eyed Pea Fritters

Happy New Year! Yes, I’m a little late, but the New Year is actually what inspired these Black-Eyed Pea Fritters you see before your eyes!

In case you didn’t know, eating black-eyed peas are a must for the new year. That and collard greens! The two of them are supposed to bring you luck (black-eyed peas) and prosperity (collard greens). Growing up this wasn’t something that my family did every single year, but we did it often enough.

Vegan Black Eyed Pea Fritters

In 2020 I need aaaaaallllll the luck and prosperity I can get, so I knew I had to whip up something special. Most folks cook black eyed peas in a more traditional way. In a pot with vegetable broth, seasonings, etc. I wanted to do something a little different with mine though.

I’ve never made “fritters” so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. Y’all, I’m so glad I did! These Black-Eyed Pea Fritters are so good! I love that they’re easy to put together, plus they have a little kick. I’m a sucker for spicy food, but if you’re not omit or lessen the cayenne pepper to your taste.

Vegan Black Eyed Pea Fritters

Enjoying these Black-Eyed Pea Fritters

This is one of those meals I could eat every day! I paired these fritters with my Easy Vegan Collard Greens and Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes. I meal-prepped these for the week and every day my co-workers would ask me what I was eating because it smelled so good!

If you’re wondering if these reheat well, the answer is yes! To reheat them I toasted them in a microwave oven for about 6 minutes. If you’re using a traditional oven, try reheating them for 5-7 minutes on each side at 375 degrees. Reheating them in an oven will allow for them to regain their crispiness 🙂

Vegan Black Eyed Pea Fritters

To top these Black-Eyed Pea Fritters, I went with a homemade ranch. Don’t get me wrong, these fritters are super tasty on their own, but there’s nothing like a good dipping sauce to go along with them!

Frying vs. Air Frying

There are two ways to make these fritters. Which one is best? Honestly, I couldn’t really taste the difference so choose whichever is easiest for you!

Vegan Black Eyed Pea Fritters

The more traditional way to make these is on the stove in a cast iron skillet using a bit of oil. Note that these are not deep fried, but fried in a very shallow amount of oil just to give them a nice outer texture. I cooked them for about four minutes on each side, then transferred them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Vegan Black Eyed Pea Fritters
Left: Air fried | Right: Fried traditionally

To air fry them, I simply lined the bottom with parchment paper, placed them in my air fryer, then lightly sprayed them with olive oil. The parchment paper will help keep the fritters from sticking to the bottom of the basket. I cooked them on 380 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Then BAM! Ready to eat!

I know you’ll love these Black-Eyed Pea Fritters! They taste amazing, plus they’re so easy to make. Give them a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!

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Vegan Black Eyed Pea Fritters
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5 from 24 votes

Black-Eyed Pea Fritters

Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Black Eyed Peas, Fritters, Soul Food
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 cakes

Ingredients

Ranch (optional)

Instructions

  • In a sauce pan, sauté diced onion, minced garlic and diced red pepper in 1-2 tsp of olive oil (or water) over a medium-low heat. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
  • Combine flaxseed meal and water to make flax egg. Place in the fridge to thicken.
  • While the peppers, onion and garlic are cooking, drain and rinse the black-eyed peas, then add them to a food processor and pulse until mostly ground (okay for a few whole beans to be left).
  • Continue cooking peppers, onion and garlic until fragrant and onions are translucent. Remove from heat when done.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all of the fritter ingredients (including the flax eggs in the fridge) by mixing them together.
  • Place the bowl in the freezer and let rest for 15 minutes.
  • After about 10 minutes, begin heating a cast-iron skillet on the stove over medium heat. Fill with enough oil for shallow frying.
  • Remove the mixture from the fridge and form patties using a 1/4 measuring cup. Press patties firmly together using the palms of your hands.
  • Place patties in heated pan and cook on each side for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Once finished cooking transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease.
  • Enjoy as is or top with a dollop of homemade ranch. Garnish with green onion.

Notes

This recipe can also be made using an air fryer. Set to 380 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. 

18 Comments

  1. Pingback: Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes | Vegan Mashed Potatoes

  2. 5 stars
    I’ve always had an aversion to BEP because my father’s were so horrible, but this recipe inspires me to make them again.

  3. 5 stars
    Such an awesome use of black eye peas! The spices you add and the cooking me thy do are perfect, and easy enough. I can’t wait to try them.

  4. 5 stars
    This is a really good idea! I suspect this would go perfectly with a side of scrambled tofu for breakfast. Thank you for sharing!!!

  5. 5 stars
    This recipe looks so delicious and I wish I had it back then when I tried the vegan lifestyle.

  6. 5 stars
    We eat Black eyes peas and collard greens every new year!!! I can’t wait to make these! They sound so delicous!!! Thanks for providing a shopping list of tools to prepare these as well

  7. 5 stars
    These looks so good! When I make them, I’ll be going the air fryer route. Thank you for blessing us with the recipe!

  8. 5 stars
    You introduced me to something new and I can’t wait to try the recipe! Yum!! 😋

  9. 5 stars
    This is a great way to use black-eyed peas! I also love that you shared how to make these in an air fryer.

  10. 5 stars
    This is a really solid idea! I love these for a little passed app!

  11. 5 stars
    These look like the perfect vegan tapa! I love black eyed peas!

  12. 5 stars
    I love how you took black eyed peas to a new level with these fritters!

  13. Pingback: Southern Black Eyed Peas | ICanYouCanVegan Black Eyed Peas Without Meat Recipe

  14. Pingback: Easy Whipped Sweet Potatoes | I Can You Can Vegan ICanYouCanVegan

  15. 5 stars
    These are delicious and so quick and easy! Don’t skip the ranch… it’s amazing with the fritters.

  16. 5 stars
    I made these today and they were delicious. I usually adjust recipes to suit my taste, but I followed this one exactly. These fritters were so flavorful. If using the entire teaspoon of cayenne pepper, then the ranch dressing is a must. They were very spicy, but the ranch helped cool it down. I will be making these often.

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