Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (2024)

By Ela on | 60 Comments. This post may contain affiliate links*. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

5 from 12 votes

These crispy polenta fries are super delicious and they are the perfect finger food. This healthy snack is gluten-free, easy to make and plant-based. Enjoy with a creamy cashew garlic dip.

Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (1)

Crispy Polenta Fries – Baked or Air-Fried!

Crispy, hearty polenta fries with a creamy cashew garlic dip! Say what?! Yes, this is the perfect finger food recipe which is much healthier than most store-bought snacks. This gluten-free, plant-based snack is amazing for Netflix evenings or even as a side dish. If you love snacks, make sure to also check out these crispy onion bhaji, pakora, or air-fried oyster mushrooms.

It’s a very popular dish in Brazil and I really love it! These crispy polenta sticks are super easy to make, andyou will have a hard time to stop eating them, haha! The recipe is inspired by tasty !

Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (2)

Cashew-Garlic Dip

I enjoyed the polenta fries with a creamy cashew garlic dip, which tastes heavenly! It’s made with cashews (obviously), garlic, plant-based milk, and a couple of spices. You simply need to soak the cashews for a couple of hours, OR you can boil them for 20 minutes until they are soft.

Then you’ll just need to process all ingredients in a food processor or blender. I love using my small Ninja Food Processor for all kind of sauces and dips. It works especially great for small quantities, and the price was just $30 US.

Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (3)Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (4)Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (5)

How To Make Polenta Fries?

Making these polenta sticks is super easy! Check the full instructions in the recipe card below.

  • All you need to do is cooking cornmeal in a pot with vegetable broth (with the addition of some spices and nutritional yeast flakes aka nooch).
  • Then you’ll need to pour the mixture into a baking dish and let it cool for an hour.
  • Meanwhile, you can prepare the breading and the cashew dip, but both takes only about 10 minutes.
  • Once the polenta mixture is cold and firm, you’ll need to slice it into sticks/fries.
  • I prefer to brush each slice with a little of oil and then coat it with the breading.
  • Bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes (425 °F/220 °C), or until golden brown. Flip after 25 minutes and spray with cooking spray.

Air Fryer Polenta Fries

First, spray the basket with oil, then spread a single layer of the fries, leaving space in between, and lightly spray them with oil, too. Air fry at 375 °F/190 °C for 15-20 minutes (based on their size and thickness) or until golden brown and crispy. Make sure to flip them halfway.

Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (6)

These Polenta Fries are:

  • Crispy
  • Flavorful
  • Hearty
  • Plant-based (Vegan)
  • Gluten-free
  • Easy to make
  • The perfect finger food
  • Satisfying
  • Great snack or side dish
  • Low in fat (if baked in the oven)

Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (7)

Baked, not deep-fried

These gluten-free polenta sticks will turn out crispy even when you bake them in the oven. The secret is to brush them with a little of oil (you only need a tiny bit) and bake them in the oven until they are golden brown and crispy!

If you don’t want to wait 45 minutes until they are crispy and don’t mind deep-fried food, you could also deep-fry them in oil. The method for air fryer polenta fries is mentioned above.

Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (8)

Breading

I made my own breading with oat flour (you can use gluten-free oats if you have celiac disease), nutritional yeast flakes, and a couple of spices. You can use Panko breadcrumbs instead of oats.

Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (9)

If you make this delicious snack, then please leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out! And if you even take a photo of it, then I would love to see it. You can DM it to me on Instagram. Don’t forget to tag me in your Insta caption + photo with @elavegan and use the hashtag #elavegan, and I will gladly check out your post. 🙂

Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (10)

If you love hearty snacks, definitely also check out the following recipes.

More Vegan Snacks

  • Buffalo Chickpea Taquitos
  • Vegan Grilled Cheese
  • Oven Baked Potato Wedges
  • Vegan Parmesan Fries
  • Veggie Fritters
  • Cauliflower Patties

Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (12)

Polenta Fries

These crispy polenta fries are super delicious and they are the perfect finger food. This healthy snack is gluten-free, easy to make and plant-based. Enjoy with a creamy cashew garlic dip.

5 from 12 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 292 kcal

Ingredients

Polenta Fries

Breading

Instructions

  • This recipe has a video for easy visual instructions (see below).

  • Pour vegetable broth into a pot, add all spices, sea salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.

  • Slowly add the cornmeal and whisk constantly to prevent lumps. Cook for about 5 minutes on low heat, then turn off the heat.

  • Pour the polenta into a baking dish, lined with parchment paper. I used a 9-inch square pan. Put the pan into the fridge for about 1 hour to set.

  • For the breading, simply put all ingredients into a small bowl and mix with a spoon.

  • Remove the cold polenta from the pan and cut it into equally sized slices. Scroll up to see the step-by-step pictures. Preheat the oven to 425 °F (220 °C).

  • Brush the polenta slices with a little vegetable oil and coat with the breading mixture.

  • Bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Flip after 25 minutes and spray with cooking spray.

  • Enjoy with a dip of choice. Check the recipe notes for my garlic cashew dip recipe.

Notes

  • Check the blog post for the air-fryer method.

Cashew-Garlic Dip:

  • 2/3 cup cashews, soaked (100 g)
  • 2/3 cup plant-based milk or water (160 ml)
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Juice of 1 small lime
  • 1/3 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp nutritional yeast flakes
  • Sea salt & pepper to taste

To make the Cashew dip, simply process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.

  • Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving.

Nutrition Facts

Polenta Fries

Amount per Serving

Calories

292

% Daily Value*

Fat

8

g

12

%

Carbohydrates

35

g

12

%

Fiber

8

g

32

%

Sugar

1

g

1

%

Protein

14

g

28

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically

Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (13) Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!

IF YOU ARE USING PINTEREST, FEEL FREE TO PIN THE FOLLOWING PHOTO:

Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (14)

Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan (2024)

FAQs

Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe) - Elavegan? ›

Polenta is made of ground cornmeal, water, butter, salt, and pepper. When baked into fries, it gets crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, making it the perfect potato alternative for homemade fries. Parmesan cheese. Parmesan adds tons of delicious, cheesy flavor to these healthy fries.

What is polenta fries made of? ›

Polenta is made of ground cornmeal, water, butter, salt, and pepper. When baked into fries, it gets crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, making it the perfect potato alternative for homemade fries. Parmesan cheese. Parmesan adds tons of delicious, cheesy flavor to these healthy fries.

What is a gluten-free substitute for polenta? ›

Ground almonds

Made by grinding blanched almonds, it has a texture similar to polenta. Bakes using ground almonds are generally moist, with a subtle nutty taste. Use it for: Pastry, macaroons, cakes or biscuits.

What do you eat polenta fries with? ›

What to Serve with Polenta Fries. Although I could eat these crispy fries as a meal, I served them with a tofu burger and a mango salad. But to make them a meal, I suggest topping them with vegan chili, vegan nacho cheese, and a bunch of veggies to make polenta nachos.

What is polenta gluten-free? ›

Basic polenta is made with water and cornmeal. Since these ingredients are naturally gluten-free, a basic polenta should also be gluten-free as well. Typically, water is brought a boil, cornmeal is added, and then the mixture is stirred and simmered until the desired consistency is reached.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Rev. Leonie Wyman

Last Updated:

Views: 5663

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (59 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Rev. Leonie Wyman

Birthday: 1993-07-01

Address: Suite 763 6272 Lang Bypass, New Xochitlport, VT 72704-3308

Phone: +22014484519944

Job: Banking Officer

Hobby: Sailing, Gaming, Basketball, Calligraphy, Mycology, Astronomy, Juggling

Introduction: My name is Rev. Leonie Wyman, I am a colorful, tasty, splendid, fair, witty, gorgeous, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.