Squash Puppies are hush puppies that are loaded with cooked yellow summer squash. The squash helps keep the interior super moist and gives them some flavor and the exterior of the cornmeal batter fries up crispy. These Squash Puppies are a great way to use up some of your summer produce.
It’s time to make one last push to use up that summer produce. Officially we still have over a month of summer left, but with the unseasonably cool weather and school starting back this week, it feels like fall has already arrived. I’m almost ready to start making room for apples, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and butternut squash.
In South Carolina, the most popular squash to cook with is yellow squash, sometimes called summer squash. It’s very similar to zucchini, except I find it to have a sweeter taste.
If you have a glorious bounty of yellow squash in your garden, you might want to think about adding squash to your hush puppies. It produces a wonderfully tender and moist hush puppy with just enough sweetness.
Be sure to steam the squash until it’s really soft so that you can mash it up well. This way it will melt into the batter as the hush puppies cook and you won’t have noticeable chunks of squash, just the flavor of squash.
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Squash Puppies
Ingredients
- 5 medium-sized yellow squash
- ¾ cup self-rising yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt,, divided
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ a medium sweet onion,, minced
- ½ a jalapeno,, finely minced
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 egg,, lightly beaten
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- Chop off ends of squash, cut in half lengthwise and then into 2-inch pieces. Place in a steamer basket and place basket in a pot over simmering water. Place a lid on the pot, turn heat to low and steam squash for 12-15 minutes or until squash is very tender.
- Place squash in a medium bowl and mash well with a fork.
- In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix together .
- To bowl with squash, add onion, jalapeno, buttermilk, and egg. Mix together well. Add squash mixture to cornmeal mixture and stir just until blended.
- Pour oil to a depth of 1 inch in a deep cast iron skillet or a Dutch oven. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into oil and fry until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt while still hot.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yield: approximately 25 squash puppies
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I love yellow squash! It has a way different flavor from zucchini, which surprises me. I don’t want to think about the end of summer yet. All the produce is just kicking into gear. We’ll still have a few months of good fresh local produce.
Fantastic idea! I feel like I’ve been seeing a lot of squash and squash blossoms at restaurants lately – but I have NOT seen squash puppies. I am such a sucker for hush puppies.
xo Jackie
If you like hush puppies, you will love these squash puppies!
I haven’t had yellow squash in ages. I love this idea!
These look delicious! I love my squash, and this is certainly a unique way to enjoy it.
Yay! So many squash lovers out there!
I love this idea! Squash is one of my favorite veggies anyway but to make them into hushpuppies? Genius! These would go incredibly fast at our house : )
Thanks Ashley! Squash and hushpuppies are a match made in heaven 🙂
I’ve never tried making puppies, but these look so amazing I might as well give them a try! I’m sure they’re wonderful with the squash, it is truly a vegetable I love 🙂
Yay for squash! Love adding it to things. It has such a great natural sweetness!
I love, love, love this idea! YUM!
Thanks Kristi!
Best way to eat veggies…fried. 🙂
You got that right! 🙂
What a great idea Christin! I never thought to use squash in hushpuppies. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ashley 🙂
Squash puppies is such a brilliant idea! So creative – I love this. I’ll bet these taste wonderful – thanks so much.