Fried squash blossoms with cashew cheese (Vegan)

Published: Jun 24, 2019 · Modified: Dec 29, 2024 by Cadry's Kitchen
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Fried squash blossoms with cashew cheese are a vegan appetizer that’s sure to impress! Zucchini flowers are stuffed with cashew cheese, dredged in flour and spices, and shallow fried.

You’ll be thinking about this appetizer all year long, until squash blossom season comes around again.

Fried squash blossoms on platter with orange napkin.

For years I’d hear friends talk about getting stuffed squash blossoms at restaurants. They sounded so intriguing and fancy.

They aren’t on a lot of restaurant menus, though. And they’re rarely vegan.

So while I loved the idea of a crisp blossom, filled with something creamy, breaded and fried, it was only in my dreams.

That is until I started seeing zucchini flowers at the farmers market about 8 years ago. They aren’t terribly expensive. So I decided to take the plunge and make fried zucchini flowers at home.

And I’ve been making them every year ever since.

David and I look forward to them so much that almost as soon as the market opens in May, we start wondering when the bright yellow & orange blossoms will pop up at our favorite stall.

So now that squash blossom season is here again, I don’t want you to miss out on the opportunity to make them too.

You have to move fast! Those blossoms aren’t around long.

In this post:

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How do squash blossoms taste?
Where to find squash blossoms
Use them quickly
Step by step instructions
Serving ideas
Vegan appetizers
📖 Recipe

How do squash blossoms taste?

Fried squash blossoms on platter by wine and napkin.

Squash blossoms have a slight zucchini flavor. They are very mild.

What really stands out about the stuffed squash blossom experience is the crispiness that forms around the blossom, and the cashew cheese inside. So rich & decadent.

The cashew cheese is loaded with miso for umami, nutritional yeast flakes for cheesiness, and fresh basil. These blossoms are pure summer joy.

These stuffed squash blossoms are fried envelopes of warm cashew cheese. What’s not to love?

Where to find squash blossoms

Organic squash blossoms for sale at farmers market in baskets.

Obviously, if you are growing zucchini or delicata squash, you can snip off a few blossoms for yourself.

Or look for them at your local farmers market. If a farmer usually sells zucchini or squash, that’s a good place to start.

In my area, squash blossoms sell for around $2 a bunch. You want fresh looking squash blossoms that aren’t wilted or withered.

Use them quickly

Once you buy them, don’t wait too long to use them. They don’t hold up well. After a couple of days they will start to shrivel and stick to each other.

Until you are ready to use them, put the flower stems in water to keep them hydrated & fresh.

Once you are ready to use them, carefully rinse them. Then inspect them for any bugs inside. If you find any bugs, relocate them back to the outdoors.

I like to carefully remove the pistils or stamen from inside of the flower.

(If you tear the flower a little when removing the pistils or stamen, don’t worry about it. You can easily mask it while breading it.)

Step by step instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

4-panel collage showing how to fill and fry squash blossoms.

1. Make the cashew cheese

There’s not a lot of liquid in this cashew cheese. So you’ll definitely want to soak the cashews in water for several hours first. I recommend soaking them in water overnight.

After soaking, drain the cashews. Then blend them in a high-speed blender or food processor with miso paste, nutritional yeast flakes, and extra virgin olive oil. Add fresh chopped basil and combine.

One note: You might be tempted to omit the miso from the cheese, because organic miso can be pricey. Get the miso. It’s completely worth it for the hit of round notes and umami it brings to the blossoms.

2. Fill the zucchini blossoms

To fill the squash blossoms, use a cake decorating funnel bag or a plastic freezer bag with the corner cut off. Squeeze the bag until each blossom is generously filled.

Now it’s time to bread them. Fill a small bowl with plain non-dairy milk and cornstarch.

On a separate plate, combine flour, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Dip each filled blossom into the milk mixture, shake to remove any excess. Then roll each blossom in the flour mixture.

3. Fry the stuffed blossoms

Cover the bottom of a skillet with oil about ¼ inch deep. Bring to a medium high heat and fry the flowers, turning occasionally as each side browns. They will fry fully in about five minutes.

Move the fried squash blossoms to a paper towel or kitchen towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

4. Serve while hot

Serving ideas

Platter of vegan stuffed squash blossoms with colorful napkins and plates for serving.

Fried squash blossoms are delicious on their own as an appetizer.

Serve them with a summery salad:

They’re also a delicious starter with Mediterranean pasta or vegan pesto pasta.

Vegan appetizers

Here are more vegan appetizers you’ll love:

More Appetizers

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