Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms

By Dan Pelosi

Updated July 16, 2026

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
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Ready In
50 min
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Squash blossoms are the edible flowers grown from a squash plant, sometimes called zucchini flowers. You can typically find them from late spring through the early fall, and they can be used for plenty of culinary adventures. This recipe, adapted from my cookbook “Let’s Eat” (Union Square & Co., 2023), stuffs the blossoms with a mix of ricotta,  Parmesan cheese and fresh mint before battering them and frying until they are melty on the inside and crispy on the outside. Feel free to swap in different cheeses and herbs in the filling, just don’t skip the bubbly seltzer water in the batter as it ensures the blossoms are extra crispy when fried.

Watch Dan Pelosi make this dish in this video.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

For the filling and blossoms

  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

  • 1 egg yolk

  • ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese

  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Crushed red pepper

  • 12 squash blossoms, stamens removed

  • 2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying

For the batter

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • ⅔ cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese

  • 1½ cups seltzer

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

16 grams carbs; 51 milligrams cholesterol; 334 calories; 15 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 26 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 311 milligrams sodium; 10 grams protein

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg yolk, Parmesan, mint and big pinches of salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Stir to combine thoroughly, then scoop the mixture into a large zip-top bag. Snip a corner off the bottom of the bag, and twist the top of the bag to remove the air and push the mixture down to the bottom.

  2. Step 2

    Carefully pry open a squash blossom and hold it open with one hand. With your other hand, gently squeeze the bag to fill the blossom with the ricotta mixture. Twist the top of the blossom to seal the filling inside. Repeat with the rest of the blossoms.

  3. Step 3

    Clip a deep-fry thermometer to the side of a Dutch oven and set the pot over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil and heat it to 375 degrees.

  4. Step 4

    Make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and Parmesan. Pour in the seltzer and whisk until incorporated into a slightly lumpy batter. Pour the batter into a rimmed quarter sheet pan or 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Use tongs to toss the stuffed blossoms in the batter, turning to coat.

  5. Step 5

    Fry the blossoms: Holding the sheet pan close to the stove, use the tongs to remove the blossoms from the batter, allowing any excess to drip off, then carefully lower them into the oil in small batches so as to not overcrowd the pan. Cook, rotating halfway through, until the batter is golden brown and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to transfer the blossoms to paper towels to drain. Immediately season with a pinch of salt. Continue frying the blossoms in batches, allowing the oil to return to 375 degrees between each batch.

  6. Step 6

    Arrange the fried blossoms on a platter and serve.

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Comments

amy

Too much, you can't taste the blossom. We keep it simple; flour, seltzer, salt & pepper.

A Hayden

A little bit of zucchini blossom random info: in the South of France you will find them on many menus. Either lightly battered and fried, or stuffed (such as with ricotta) but then not fried. There, it’s never both - one or the other. But any way you do it… delicious.

SteveD

After he retired, my father kept an incredible garden and grew a ton of zucchini, but none of us knew or cared that the flower was edible. First time I tried it was as a taco filling at a terrific food truck in Cincinnati, and I was floored by how delicious they are. But even the farmers here don’t bring them to market.

KateCooks

You can do the same recipe with daylily blossoms. The roots are edible too. Foraging at its best.

KayJ

I’ve tried blending some softer tofu into ricotta mix. It adds a but more texture and a dab of protein

Linda Fresco

I like adding sumac and lemon zest to the ricotta when I make these.

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