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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Risa Lopez
Wow, this looks so yummy. I want to try it, too. Thanks for the recipe.
Tammy
Oooh these remind me of autumn. My favorite seasonal treat with a cup of coffee. I have never made my own but now I’m feeling inspired 😀
Rhian Westbury
I absolutely love an apple fritter but I’ve never really tried making them myself. It doesn’t look too difficult though, Thanks for sharing the recipe. I am going to make them!
Sandra
I love apple fritters! My grandmother used to make them when I was a child.
Nayna Kanabar
These apple fritters look so delicious and tasty .What a delectable treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee or even a dollop of vanilla icecream,
Carleen
I have always loved apple fritters. This recipe looks great. will have to try it!
Talya
They look scrummy! Plus quick and easy to make. Definitely a win there! Will have to try making these.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Tayla! Enjoy!
Sarah
I love the sound of these apple fritters, I will be making them this week for my children, they really sound like a tasty treat!
Stephanie
We used to vacation to a place in North Georgia that had an apple orchard with a bakery. We would get apple fritters every time because they were so good. I can’t wait to make them at home now since we haven’t been there in years to get them from the orchard.
Beth Pierce
What a great memory! I hope you enjoy the fritters!
Susan C Livingston
I think I will try these this weekend. To help everyone out and to relieve the stress reread the Recipe. I read them fast and usually miss something the first time. Like the apples in this one that is in Step 1.
Debra
I made this with Bob Mills gluten free flour and it was great. Wonderful for those who are gluten free. Thank you.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip Debra. My readers will appreciate it.
Stephanie
This is a good recipe. Didn’t have any raw apples so I used Carmel apples pie filling in a can that I had. I did the bad bad thing. I fried in Shortening. Excellent though.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Stephanie! So glad that you liked the fritters!
Deanna
Has anyone tried using the air fryer? If so what setting
Grammy Pammy
I was thinking the same thing, Deanna!
I’d never had apple fritters before but my husband wanted to surprise a friend who loves them, and wanted them fresh. He/we loved them. He was used to them crisp but loved the fact they had actual apple pieces in them 🤔🍎😂 This recipe is a keeper! I will make them again using the tips and tricks found here in comments. So glad I picked this ‘apple’ fritter recipe from all the rest. Thank you, stW!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine! So glad that you like the apple fritters!
Angela
I just made these and they are perfect just the way they are, I wouldn’t change a thing. When I dropped them in the hot oil I used the back of a rubber spatula with a little Pam on and they spread out beautifully! My husband and son just love these and think they are better than our favorite donut shop. I will definitely make these again so thank you for the great recipe.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Angela! So glad that you, your husband, and son liked them. They are delicious little treats.
Brian allison
Hi Beth hope your well,,may I add your fritters look amazing, im craving them something bad rn,,tomorrow imavget the stuff to make um at home,,the last one’s I ate were huge and oooo soooooo good with hot coffee,,im excited,,im so ready to make them,, thanks so much for the recipe sweetie!! gn and god bless and
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome! Enjoy!!
Leah
I added about a tablespoon of oil and then used a cookie scoop to drop little balls into air fryer cooking on fry setting for about 5 minutes. They came out great, and were really low fat.
Beth Pierce
That is good to know. I get this question all the time!
Stephanie
i want to try this method. i love applefritters and i have an air fryer
Amber
they are good but more cake like than crisp.
Linsey
I totally agree–I just made these and they were more like cake (wondering if a reduction in baking powder would remedy this?). Also, my batter didn’t spread much so they were puffy and not very sweet. Overall, a pretty good recipe but I will tweak a couple of things and try again.
Aaron
Noticed the same thing as you and was also thinking of trying these changes. I’ve seen other recipes that add 1 tbsp. lemon juice and 1 tbsp. oil/butter per 10-fritter batch, I may try that to get the inside of the fritter more moist. Some recipes also specify eggs at room temp? Not sure if that’s a big deal, but worth a shot. Overall though this was my first try at homemade fritters and it turned out very well – I’m glad this was the first recipe I tried! Thank you to the author for posting this for all to enjoy!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Aaron! The pleasure is all mine!
Sally
Can I use Avocado oil instead since it takes high heat?
Beth Pierce
I have never fried with avocado oil so I am not sure.
Grammy Pammy
I fried in a combination of almond and coconut oils (both high heat), that is all I had besides low/no heat olive oil. They worked great.
Question: is it taboo to reuse the same oil twice? I strained it into a glass jar so I can make them again for my grand boys this week.
Beth Pierce
No it is not taboo. You can use it several times before discarding.