Crispy cheesy corn cakes served with spicy avocado salsa is a delicious and easy vegetarian recipe perfect for breakfast or lunch.
I love a corn fritter more than words can explain. And these cheesy corn cakes takes the, well, cake. Their crispy edges give way to a deliciously cheesy, sweet corn stuffed center and I can’t get enough of them when served with a easy, spicy avocado salsa. They work equally well as breakfast served with poached eggs and bacon or as an easy canape served with sour cream and salsa, even a side dish!
How to make corn cakes
Start by stirring together a can of creamed corn with two cups of corn kernels in a large bowl. You can use fresh corn or frozen for this recipe. To add even more flavor, fry the corn in a hot pan or skillet until toasted before adding to the batter. Whisk in the eggs, cheese and spices and then add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a tablespoon oil. Working in batches, cook spoonfuls of the batter until bubbles start to form on the surface. Carefully flip and allow to cook on the other side for another minute or two or until golden brown and cooked through.
Remove from the pan and set aside while you continue with the remaining batter.
To make the spicy avocado salsa recipe, cube ripe avocados and add to a bowl. Finely dice tomatoes (you can de-seed the tomatoes but I don’t usually bother), red onion and red chili then add to the avocado. Add a generous squeeze of lime juice and chopped cilantro (coriander) and season with salt then mix well. Serve the warm cheesy corn cakes with the spicy avocado salsa and extra lime wedges for squeezing.
Can you freeze corn fritters?
Yes, this corn cake recipe freezes very well. Allow the cooked corn cakes to cool completely before layering with parchment paper in a freezer safe container. Freeze the cakes for up to 3 months.
How to reheat corn fritters?
Allow frozen corn cakes to thaw completely at room temperature. Re-heat in a warm skillet or in the microwave for 30 seconds a side.
What to serve with corn cakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups corn
- 400 g (14oz) can creamed corn
- 2 eggs
- 1½ cups grated mature cheddar
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ cup milk
for the spicy avocado salsa
- 2 avocados chopped
- 1 small red onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 red chilli finely chopped (remove seeds if you don't like it hot)
- juice of ½ lemon
- salt & pepper to taste
- fresh coriander to serve
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the corn kernels, creamed corn, eggs, cheddar, smoked paprika and salt and mix well.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix well.
- Slowly stir in the milk until the batter is not too thick and drops off a spoon easily. (it should also not be so thin that it spreads too much when you fry the cakes)
- Heat a large frying pan and add some oil.
- Fry spoonfuls of the batter until bubbles appear at the top and flip. Allow to cook on the other side. Remove from the pan once cooked and place on some kitchen paper to drain.
- In the meantime, combine all the ingredients for the salsa and mix well.
- When all the cakes have been cooked, serve them with the salsa, extra lemon wedges and fresh coriander.
Nutrition
Corn recipes
Summer grilled corn salad
Easy spicy corn salsa
Corn and grilled zucchini salad
These were delicious! A great addition to a Sunday brunch or equally good just by themselves. I also topped with a cilantro crema. I will definitely make again!
Love the idea of the cilantro crema!
Looks like a great side dish at a braai!
It totally is!
Can the cakes be made in advance and refrigerated?
They could, just re-heat them in a hot pan before serving.
Love that recipe ! So good ! Thanks ! Love corn ! ???? !
Thanks!
You could leave the avos out completely, they’re just there for a bit of creaminess. You could make a simple salsa of tomato, onion and chilli if you’d prefer.
Can we substitute the avocados with something else?
I have bookmarked this recipe, printed this recipe, screenshot this recipe, but I just have never gotten around to making it. I think maybe you just need to invite me to brunch and make them for me when I am in Jhb one day. lol.
Going to try and make this during the holidays.
Hahaha. Just make them! They are so easy and SO worth it. 😉
So glad you liked them Mari.
I made these last night and they were fabulous! I will just add less salt next time. I like my food well seasoned, but I think the combination of the strong cheddar and the 1tsp of salt was just a bit too much.
I made these for dinner tonight. They were amazing! Wonderfully simple and easy to make. My husband LOVED them and ate….well let’s just say he ate a lot haha. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so glad you and your husband liked these. They are some of our favourites too! 🙂
Couldn’t decide what to have for our dinner, thanks for your suggestion. 🙂
Yummmm
Could these be made without Creamed Corn/is there a substitute?
I just puréed some extra frozen corn with a dash of milk and it worked fine 🙂
So glad you liked it Stephie and the cornmeal sounds like a winner!
I made these today and they were so delicious. I made a few changes, most notably I used half cornmeal and half flour for the cakes. This whole dish was just scrumptious and addictive. Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks so much Shari!
Lainie, my two just love these.
These sound delicious will give them a try to see if my kids will eat them!
Oh yum! Your recipes look so beautiful. I want one of each!
These are fabulous, my entire family loved them!! I did substitute cornmeal for half of the flour & it gave a nice texture to them. I also added garlic & a finely chopped jalapeño pepper to the avocado salsa for a nice little kick! I’ll be making these again & again.
These are wonderful & great switch from the typical side dish! I replaced 1/2 of the flour with cornmeal to make them a little less like breakfast pancakes with corn in them & they were amazing! Will be making these often!
I am going to make these tonight as part of a BBQ. Can I make the cakes in advance and just keep them at room temperature? Also, I was going to just cut raw corn off the cob, do you think that will work, or do I need to cook it first? I didn’t want to use canned or frozen. Would love your feedback as soon as possible, or anyone who has made these. THANKS.
You could make these ahead but I would suggest letting them cool down completely before covering them with foil then perhaps just heating briefly in the oven in a single layer for a few minutes.
And fresh corn will work beautifully with this. 🙂
Wow! The cream of corn nailed it. This is a keeper. Thanks! 🙂
So glad you liked it Mika! 🙂
Looks Delicious corn cakes. I love corn a lot so the my next recipe will be corn cakes….
I hope you enjoy them.
Do you think you could freeze the leftovers? I know, I wish I could just eat them all…
Then maybe “re-fry” to reheat and hopefully still be crispy?
I think you could, I never get around to freezing leftovers as I always have hungry tummies looking for something to snack on. 😉
Hi! I am thinking of making these for a party this weekend. Do they need to be served warm or do you think they will hold up well if I make them in the late morning and serve in the afternoon? Thanks!
Kristina, they’re definitely better served warm but if you keep them at room temperature they will be fine until you’re ready to serve.
I am 63 years old and you’ve made me remember corn fritters that my Mom used to make when I was small. They were deep-fried and came out shaped like a ball and we drizzled maple syrup over them. Sounds delish and I will try them soon! Glad to see a recipe that doesn’t require deep-frying…thank-you!
Pleasure! I hope you love them as much as your mom’s! 🙂
We’re laying in bed right now in a food coma, and we’re totally DELIGHTED! Thank you so much!
Oh, I do love a good food coma! 🙂
Amazing! I want to use your photo on my site http://tatar-halyk-ashlary.ru/.
Can you give me permission? Please…
Elechka, you are more than welcome to use the image as long as you credit the post and don’t post the recipe. Thanks! 🙂
This recipe is wonderful! I had several for dinner tonight and didn’t miss the meat at all. Thank you!
My sister made these for my hubby and me yesterday. They were so so good. If you haven’t tried them yet do it today. Fabulous!
I’ve got to remember to cover my keyboard with plastic wrap prior to browsing through your incredible recipes and breath-taking/saliva-making photos. I can’t wait to try this corn fritter and avacado salsa recipe. Yummy!!!!
Will, thanks for the lovely comment! 🙂 This is one of my all-time fav recipes and I hope you like it as much as I do!
Do you have any idea if gluten free flour would work? Thanks
Do you think these need to be made with fresh corn? It’s a little past the season and I’m not sure what I will find at the store. Also, do you think this will do well if the batter is made ahead of time and refrigerated?
Jen, you could definitely use tinned corn. Just remember to drain it well.
I made these tonight to go with Chicken Enchilada Soup. My husband told me to make sure I didn’t loose this recipe. He also said it made the soup. 😉 Thanks.
So glad you and your husband liked them Kristy. They’re one of my favourites as well.
hi, i made these lastnight, followed the recipe exactly. but i found they were too pancake-ish…… i was expecting more crispy i guess…….they were good though, just felt like they were missing something :s
Lisa, That’s strange, mine were also quite pancakeish BUT they had a lovely crisp outer.
Sounds amazing! Do you think cornmeal could be subbed for the flour to make it gluten-free friendly?
Casey, as long as it doesn’t add too much crunch I’m sure cornmeal will be fine.
Did you try these with cornmeal? Did it work?
I haven’t tried it with cornmeal so won’t be able to advise I’m afraid.
This was so good! The combination of the salsa and the corn cake was delicious. Everyone enjoyed it even though I had to tell a fib to a three year old. He gobbled it up because it looked like a pancake! Thank you for the recipe! I will be making this again for the family.
Agiola, I’m so glad you liked it. It’s one of my family’s favourites too!
My husband is away this week on a work trip. Guess what I will be feeding myself and my children for supper tomorrow night. Can’t wait, yum!!!
looks yummy and like a wonderful dinner menu addition.
Looks delicious and kinda easy to make. Will try them this weekend.:)
I feel dumb for asking this, but what is a “tin of cream corn”?
Justine, a tin = a can. 🙂 Cream corn is creamed corn.
I feel dumb for asking, but what is a “tin of cream corn”?
a can…a tin can…canned cream corn
These corn cakes sound crazy good and I love the texture, just bursting with corn… I’m featuring this post in today’s Food Fetish Friday (with a link-back and attribution). I hope you have no objections and I can’t wait to see what you create next…
Hi! I LOVE corn and immediately want to try these. But I’m kinda new to the cooking scene and don’t know how I feel about frying. How much oil did you use? And is there a way to make these without frying them or using a ton of oil that you end up throwing out?
I know I’m being a pain ut I appreciate the help. Great blog and really does look irresistible! 🙂
Clare, I used very little oil actually. Just a thin coating at the bottom of a large frying pan is enough.
Oh :S Ok. Like I said I’m learning. Thanks for being patient and responding quickly. In that case, I can’t wait to try them!! ;P
Excuse me while I drool! I’m a huge fan of all these flavors–nothing like sweet summer corn, and I love a nice touch of smoked paprika.
Thanks so much! I have to say, the smoked paprika adds just a little touch of smokiness which is so tasty with the corn. 🙂
They look delicious! Lovely and light for summer too. Despite the season, I can’t seem to break my habit of cooking big hearty casseroles and stews. These could be the turning point!
Yum! These looks great! Thanks for sharing.
These look amazing & I will definitely be making them! As a fellow blogger & food lover I look at a ton of recipes every day but this really caught my attention. My 5 year old loves poached eggs but I have a hard time getting veg into him, so I’m hoping maybe this can teach him to love corn! Thanks so much for sharing the yummy recipe & gorgeous photos!
They look so crispy on the outside. What a great idea to pair with the avocado salsa.
Looks delicious!!! Defnitely going to make it.
Thanks Marlize! Let me know what you think once you’ve tried them!