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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Chris Pecherzewski
Can I use coconut oil to fry them??
Beth Pierce
Refined coconut oil is safe for frying and a great choice for donuts. Virgin or unrefined coconut oil however has a very low smoke point burns easily and will leave an unpleasant taste on your donuts. Make sure you’re using the right one here and you’ll get great results.
tressa
My family gobbled these up as fast as I could get them out of the fryer! Great recipe — it’s a keeper!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Tressa! I am so happy that they liked the fritters.
Emily
These were a hit! Thank you.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Emily!
Jody Scott
Fritters were fantastic! Glaze was too sweet. Next time I’ll decrease the powdered sugar, increase the vanilla and use both milk and melted butter to make it less sweet and thinner glaze.
John Wagner
These taste wonderful but are not exactly like the kind you’d get in a donut shop. The consistency is more like a real thick pancake than a chewy, tougher apple fritter. I think what donut shops do is they use the leftovers of yeast dough, mix in cinnamon and apples, and then, without letting the final product rise, deep fry it. With this recipe it is also hard to get the fritter to lay out flat in the oil and tends to be a large blob.
Becky O'Hara
The donuts came out delicious, but as you said, they were not the same consistency as you get at a donut shop. My donuts also came out more like blobs than the flatter fritter at donut shops. I loved the flavor.
Deb
I. Owned and operated a donut shop. My Apple fritters were in great demand. We do use the leftover yeast dough with apples, cinnamon and sugar. We use a bench cutter and chop it up, form into patties and let it rise one more time before submerging them totally in the fryer. They are not flipped.
Annie
Sounds like a simpler recipe for those who are in a hurry is to buy dough and add the pertinent ingredients and fry. I could see this being quick and easy.
Maurice Ledin
I agree. They are good but a bit fluffy. Per a previous comment precook the apples a bit and a little less baking powder so they aren’t so fluffy. Need to mush them down a bit in the oil to flatten them out
Johanne
Just made these today, used apple pie spice instead of cinnamon and did not glaze them. They were just as delicious and will be making them again.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Johanne! So glad that you liked the fritters!
Rog
We glazed half and left half unglazed. The adults definitely liked the unglazed better. Less cloyingly sweet, and the apple came through stronger/fresher. On the ones we glazed, we used apple cider rather than milk in the glaze, and the nephews loved them with glaze.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip, Rog!
Bevvie Trine
Amazing apple fritter stuff
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Bevvie!
Michele Fredlund
I tried my first time and thought that the batter works well for a quick batter. My boyfriend said I out did myself. Thank you for the receipe
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Michele.
Tamara
These are my favorites and it’s because of apple sauce, it makes them so moist and delicious!! And this is a very simple recipe that turns out great!!
Thanks 😊
Tamara
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Tamara!
Chris Pierce
Oh yah, I’m keeping this recipe on hand. First time making a fritter and wasn’t disappointed. I doubled the recipe and decreased the glaze recipe by multiplying the recipe by 1.5. Otherwise I would have too much glaze. I used a large ice cream scoop for each and flattened them out a bit when they were put into the oil. Husband approved, now to share with some neighbours.
Beth Pierce
So glad that you liked them, Chris. Thanks for the tips!
TIFFANY FITZGERALD
I am making these fritters this weekend and wanted to see if a large cast iron would work or no since it holds the heat to well?
Beth Pierce
I am sorry about the delay. I am constantly chasing my tail. Yes, a cast iron skillet would work well, and they do hold the heat well.
Laura
My kids said this is the best Apple fritter they’ve ever had. Delicious!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Laura! So glad that they liked them!
Elaine Polach
So delicious! My husbands favorite from the Amish market and said these are better!! Win!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Elaine! I am so glad that they are a hit.
Sandra
My first time making apple fritters and these are AWESOME! I always share with my neighbors and I took them over while they were still warm. They called me while I was walking back into my home and just raved about them! The recipe will be placed in my “Favorite Recipes” book. Thanks!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Sandra! I am so glad you and your neighbors like the apple fritters. I love sharing with my neighbors too!
Rachel Jezior
These were so so delicious I’ve made multiple batches! Thank you for a great recipe!!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Rachel.
Tetyana
I just made this recipe but with spelt flour for more nutritious breakfast and I fried them in little oil like frying pancakes and fried them with lid 2min per each side it’s amazing my kids loved it they can’t stop eating them😁 kids said that I can add even more apples🤣
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Tetyana! So glad that you and the kids liked them!
Katie F
These were AMAZING!!!! I followed the recipe as written and these definitely remind me of going to an apple orchard in Ohio that made them fresh while we were there. I will let them fry a bit longer next time until they are a darker brown. The fritters were cooked through, but were a bit too soft. I will be making these again and again and can’t thank you enough for the recipe. I have been trying many recipes over the years, but none of them were any good.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Katie! So happy to hear that your search is at an end!