READY IN 15 mins

Crispy Zucchini or Pumpkin Blossoms

Read Reviews (19)

"My italian grandmother makes these every year when the zucchini in her garden start to blossom. She is Sicilian and calls them 'cripelli' Its sort of like a fritter and so yummy. As an alternative, you could also chop up the blossoms and mix them up in the batter and drop by teaspoons into the hot oil" — Domenica

Directions

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, basil and Parmesan cheese. Mix in water and eggs until smooth.
Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, dip blossoms in the batter to coat, and gently place a few at a time into the hot oil. Fry on each side until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 5 mins
COOK 10 mins
READY IN 15 mins

Footnotes

Editor's Note
We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount may vary depending on cook time and temperature, ingredient density, and the specific type of oil used.

Reviews More Reviews

Jul 11, 2006

I have been eating Pumpkins Blossoms since I was a kids some 40 years ago. I am not from Italy and have no idea where this originated. I use flour and cornmeal (2 to 1) and season it with garlic, red pepper, salt dip them in egg and mile first and fry them in Butter flavored crisco. i general pick blossoms every morning, rinse and store on a plate with a paper towel in layers in the frigerator for a few days till i get enough for a mess. Also, cook only half done and put them in the freezer, then in the winter you can put them in the oven till crisp and you can enjoy them all season.

—Lara

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Dec 19, 2005

This was absolutely delicious! Great simple flavor, a great starter. (I needed to adjust the recipe since I only had 8 blossoms and I found that I needed to add 2 teaspoons of water to the automatically converted amount to make the batter the right consistency.) This would be a good fritter dough if it's not blossom season. This is a great way to use up all the male blossoms on your zucchini plant. YUM! (Both female and male blossoms grow on a zucchini plant. The fruit grows from the female blossom and the male is fruitless, which makes it ideal for cooking with.)

—CYNDO

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26 Ratings

Aug 11, 2005

I'm also from an italian family and grew up with this great recipe. Also told not to use the males. They're the ones with the zucchini growing from them. The female flowers will only have a stem. Good recipe.

—Robbie

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Apr 17, 2009

Ever cry when eating food? Yup! These are perfect for so many reasons!! My Nonna would send me into her garden looking for male flowers. She’d make these every summer on an old stove in the garage (I’ve never figured out why this was an ‘outdoor only’ type food, her version of a BBQ maybe?). When she passed – the recipe went with her. Seeing as I couldn’t recall what was involved in these ‘petigella’ (spelling?), I checked on allrecipes. Though it’s not exact, it brought back a flood of memories for me. Domenica, thank you for the memories! These are wonderful!

—Liana

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Nov 28, 2004

Excellent summer snack! My grandmother is originally from Benevento, Italy and has a similar recipe for these. She says only to use the female blossom, but I didn't ask why & I don't know how to tell the difference. Perfect with a bit of salt on them, some cheese and wine!

—CHEFROCK

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May 14, 2004

very good - next time i'll use a LOT more spices, and maybe even stuff the leaves with a mushroom or cheese mix before breading them. This is a great start!!

—LORIINCALI

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Jul 26, 2010

Such a great way to get more out of the garden. I used pumpkin and squash blossoms. Also, I subbed goat cheese for the parmesan, and added some chopped jalapeno to give it a little kick. Also, I dredged it in flour, raw egg and panko instead of the batter. They were crispy, gooey, spicy and delicious!

—unsightly

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Dec 29, 2006

Love them. This was our first try with pumpkin blossoms. I used Asiago cheese as that's all I had. It was great!! I have made them several times since.

—TBURKE2

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Nutrition

Calories
180 kcal
9%

Carbohydrates
11.1 g
4%

Cholesterol
72 mg
24%

Fat
13.3 g
20%

Fiber
0.4 g
2%

Protein
4.2 g
8%

Sodium
109 mg
4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Crispy Zucchini or Pumpkin Blossoms

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 180
Calories from Fat: 119

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 13.3g 20 %
Saturated Fat 2.2g 11 %
Cholesterol 72mg 24 %
Sodium 109mg 4 %
Potassium 47mg 1 %
Total Carbohydrates 11.1g 4 %
Dietary Fiber 0.4g 2 %
Protein 4.2g 8 %
** Sugars 0.2g
Vitamin A 4 %
Vitamin C 2 %
Calcium 8 %
Iron 11 %
** Thiamin 12 %
Niacin 13 %
Vitamin B6 2 %
Magnesium 3 %
Folate 20 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.