These super crispy polenta fries are so good you won’t believe it until you try them for yourself. Polenta fries are my new favorite finger food. I serve it at every game night and as a healthy, protein rich snack for parties. It’s so deliciously crispy and loaded with cheesy flavors and spices.

Who doesn’t love fries? I know I do. But as much as I like regular potato fries, I also like unusual twists to old classic recipes. These polenta fries are crispy, savory and an exciting twist to fries. They are my favorite healthy snack right now and they have already proven themselves to be a crowd pleaser at parties. Everyone loves the crispy texture and amazing taste.

Easy leftovers tip

Whenever I make polenta there’s usually a bit left over (yes, I’m a very generous cook and always make extra). The great thing about leftover polenta is if you just spread it into a pan lined with baking parchment and put it in the refrigerator, you already have all the making for polenta fries the next day.
These fries are the ideal leftover meal. Rather than just making the polenta for the fries, I like to make an extra large batch of my creamy polenta with mushrooms for dinner the night before and refrigerate it for the next day. It’s a great time saver and the polenta will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days – so it couldn’t be any easier.

Getting the crispiness

Okay, so getting the right crispyness sounds difficult, but it’s actually super easy. It’s all about letting the ingredients work for you.
To get that extra crispyness, I like to use panko bread crumbs…but any bread crumbs will do the job. The trick is to brush olive oil over the polenta slices before covering them with the breading mix. The oil and the heat from the oven will work it’s magic and turn the bread crumbs golden and crispy. Yum.

Health benefits of polenta

Because the polenta fries are oven baked and only uses a minimal amount of oil, they are actually pretty healthy. The benefits of making polenta fries is (apart from polenta fries being an exciting twist on an old classic):

packed with proteins
loaded with healthy fibers
rich in complex carbohydrates
gluten free
great source of carotenoids
contains vitamin A
low in fat
low calorie

And that’s just the health benefits from the polenta itself. Add in the amazing nutrients from the nutritional yeast, and these fries are a great choice as a really delicious and healthy snack.

Gluten free option

If you need a gluten free option, there’s plenty of tasty choices. One option is to buy gluten free bread crumbs or alternatively make the bread crumbs yourself out of gluten free bread. It’s very easy to make and homemade bread crumbs tastes amazing. Another option, is to grind gluten free oats into flour and use those just as you would have used the bread crumbs. The ground oats turns wonderfully golden and crispy.

What’s great about these super crispy polenta fries

Super easy to make
Very healthy and loaded with nutrients
Low calorie
Tastes amazing – think crispy, savory and delicious
Vegan, soy free and can be gluten free
Ideal as a healthy snack, party food and Football Sunday snack

How are these vegan polenta fries made? It’s so easy:

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a medium sized pot.
Add the spices to the water and gently pour in the cornmeal while stirring. Whisk until there are no more clumps in your polenta and turn the heat down to low. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the polenta is thick and creamy.
Pour the polenta into a baking dish, lined with baking parchment (9×9 inches). Put the pan into the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or leave overnight.
Once the polenta has cooled and hardened, take it out of the refrigerator and cut it into equally sized slices.
Next, mix together all the ingredients for the breading. Brush the polenta slices with olive oil and dip each slice into the breading, making sure all sides are covered.
Place the breaded polenta slices on a baking pan covered with baking parchment and bake them in the middle of the oven at 425F (220 degrees Celcius) for 40-45 minutes or until the polenta fries are golden and crispy. Flip the polenta fries halfway through. Serve with a garlic dip or a salsa. Enjoy.