Apple Fritters are luscious deep-fried donuts filled with apples and cinnamon and drizzled with an easy three-ingredient glaze. You can have these scrumptious warm apple fritters in your hands in less than thirty minutes. Make sure you stash a couple for yourself, or you might blink your eyes, and they will be gone. These are one of my darling daughter’s favorite goodies. She can not get enough of them!
We are just crazy about apple recipes. But honestly, who isn’t? After all, they keep coming out with more and more delicious apples. This recipe, Apple Dump Cake, Apple Strudel, and Apple Cookies are just a few of our favorites.
Wouldn’t these taste fabulous with a hot cup of coffee? These delectable Apple Fritters are so easy and quick. They can be all yours in about thirty minutes. Your family and friends are going to love them. They are best enjoyed shortly after you cook them, but they will stay up to two days, covered loosely with paper towels in a brown paper bag.
Why this recipe works!
- Homemade warm, sweet apple fritters that are better than your local bakery.
- Only wholesome natural ingredients with no artificial colors or preservatives.
- Easy and quick to mix and fry.
- The fritters can be fried up in a fryer, Dutch oven, or heavy stock pot.
How to make Apple Fritters
First, peel, core, and dice a couple of Granny Smith or Honey Crisp apples. I like to dice them somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 inch. That way, you get a good taste of that sweet apple. Now grab a large bowl and add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk it around and get it all mixed together. Make a well in the middle and add the milk, egg, and applesauce. Now stir the mixture just until it is combined.
Fill a Dutch oven or large heavy stock pot with about 1 1/2 inches of canola oil. Use a candy thermometer and bring the oil to 375 degrees. Carefully drop about 1/4 cup of batter per fritter into the hot oil. I like to spread the batter a little while I am pouring it so that the fritter does not end up too fat and so it cooks all the way through. Cook each side until golden brown. It takes about 2 minutes per side. Remove to paper towels to drain.
Once they have cooled, whisk together the milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Finally, dunk the fritters in the glaze, turning over to make sure each side is coated. Place on wire racks to air dry and drip.
Can you bake these fritters?
This is a question that I am asked quite frequently. Yes, I am sure there are lots of great recipes out there for baked apple fritters; however, this particular recipe needs to be fried. Do your best to keep the oil at 375 degrees so the fritter absorbs less of the oil.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- Don’t over-mix the batter, as it may make the fritters tough.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying so the donuts cook better, and the oil temperature is easier to maintain.
- Use a candy thermometer to track the temperature of the oil.
- A Dutch oven or heavy pot helps the oil hold its temperature.
- Try to maintain a constant temperature of 375 degrees. When you add the batter, the temperature will drop, so you must increase the heat a tad. Likewise, when you remove the fritters from the oil, the temperature will increase, so you need to turn the heat down a tad.
- Remove the fried fritters to paper towels to drain.
- Store the cooled cooked fritters wrapped loosely in paper towels in a brown paper bag.
More apple recipes you will love!
Apple Fritter Recipe
Ingredients
Apple Fritters
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons applesauce
- 2 large Granny Smith apples or Honey Crisp apples peeled cored and diced
- canola oil or vegetable oil for frying
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add 1/3 cup milk, eggs and applesauce. Stir just to combine. Fold in apples.
- Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in heavy skillet, dutch oven or deep fryer to 375 degrees. Drop about 1/4 cup of batter per fritter into hot oil; spreading it out as you drop. Cook each side until golden brown; approximately 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to remove to paper towels to drain.
- Whisk together 1/4 cup milk, powdered sugar and vanilla. Dunk each fritters in the glaze turning over to make sure both sides coated. Place on wire racks to air dry and drip.
Notes
- Don’t over-mix the batter as it may make the fritters tough.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying so the donuts cook better and the oil temperature is easier to maintain.
- Use a candy thermometer to track the temperature of the oil.
- A dutch oven or heavy pot helps the oil hold its temperature.
- Try to maintain a constant temperature of 375 degrees. When you add the batter the temperature will drop so you must increase the heat a tad. Likewise when you remove the fritters from the oil the temperature will increase so you need to turn the heat down a tad.
- Remove the fried fritters to paper towels to drain.
- Store the cooled cooked fritters wrapped loosely in paper towels in a brown paper bag.
Nutrition
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HPie
They came out perfect! I made sure to cut the apple pieces small and the apples were cooked just the right amount. Thanks for sharing this recipe! Will definitely be making again!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! So glad that you liked them! Have a great Sunday!
Beth
Ok! I just found my new favorite breakfast treat! I love that they can be ready in 30 minutes too!
Marilyn Smith
Just Made these for the first time. Glad there was no yeast. Very quick and the fritters were light airy and tasty. I think I’ll add more cinnamon next time as I love it. Going to see how my grand babies like them. Apples still had a little crunch, which I like. Will keep in my recipe box for sure
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Marilyn. I am so glad that you liked them! I like my apples with a little crunch too!
Beth
Can’t wait to make this for my kids tomorrow morning! What a great way to kick off the weekend! Delicious!
Jen
Holy moly! My whole family is coming over this weekend and if these taste as good as they look, we’re in for a delicious brunch.
Sylvie
Oh my goodness, this brings soooo many childhood memories! I LOOOOVE apple fritters but never think of making them at home. I have no excuse to make them now, yum!!
Lauren
My grandmom used to make apple fritters all the time but it’s been years since I’ve had one. A batch of these for me and my kids with some ice cream sounds perfect right now!
Noelle
I love apple fritters! This recipe was a total success, saving for sure!!
Cathy
These look so delicious and perfect for breakfast, snack, definitely with a cup of coffee and a good book! Wow these look amazing!!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Cathy! They are delicious!
Michelle
Apple fritters are my son’s favorite! He will be so excited when I show him this recipe!
Adrianne
Wow and yum, I would like to try these! I am a huge fan of fruit based desserts and this one is right up my alley. I will have to give it a go, thanks for sharing.
Andrea
Can you believe I’ve never tried apple fritters?!! I had no idea they can be made in just 30 minutes. Adding these to my must-make list!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Andrea! I hope you enjoy them!
Lisa
There look SOOOO AMAZING! I’ll have to give these a try with GF flour. 🙂
Beth Pierce
Thanks sounds like a great plan. Let us know how they turn out!
Ella
Do the apples cook too or are they hard?
bpierce
It has been a while since I made this. They are chopped in little pieces but I do think they maintain a little crisp. If you like them better soft than cook them a little bit before adding to the recipe.
Ron Crowder
Patti you missed itt in the instruction. In the first instruction mid paragraph it mentions making a well adding both the milk and eggs, hope this helps you. I’ve been making these now since the 90’s as I had a friend who owned a donut bakery and he gave me his recipe just before he closed shop.
Judith
Mine came out soft and kind of soggy. How do I get them crisp on the outside?
Beth Pierce
That could have something to do with oil temperature. It is important to maintain 375 degrees.
Patti Krzos
Reguarding apple fritter recipe In ingredients I see no mention of milk yet it is in instructions and egg is listed in ingredients but not mentioned in instructions please clarify I want to make these they look easy and yummy thanks Patti
bpierce
So sorry about that. One should not post recipes while kids are running around like chickens!!! 🙂 It is fixed now and thanks for making me aware of it!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Marilyn. So glad that you and the family liked them! I love any kind of fritter!!
Bryan
To other fellow apple fritter loving people: the BEST apple fritter of my life was at Seaside Bakery in Newport Beach, CA. I had them on a business trip there over 25 years ago and was thrilled to find them still in business couple years ago. I drove 75 miles to and buy these again. .Ended up vacuum sealing and freezing two boxes of them and they went in the freezer of my tour bus. OMG
These here look pretty good, I’ll give them a whirl.
Beth Pierce
That is great. I love it! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Jim O
Best I had were at Holiday Inn in Laughlin, NV extra heavy on the filling..it was like apples and cinnamon with a “little” dough around it (to die for)
Dee
How much milk?
bpierce
Sorry 1/3 cup. I have since made that and another correction. Please check corrections before proceeding. I should not post recipes while children are acting like monkeys!
KATHLEEN
This recipe turned out great. The instructions were easy and very clear! Thanks so much for sharing!!! They are delish!!!
Beth Pierce
Awesome Kathleen! So glad that you liked it! The pleasure is all mine!!