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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Jodi Richardson
Just made these with my daughter… I thought I didn’t like apple fritters but these were delicious! It was really hard to stop eating them. And very easy to make. The recipe was excellent! Thank you!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jodi! I am so glad that you and your daughter liked the apple fritters!
Cleone
Can you make the recipe and cook them on another date or do they have to be cooked right away?
Beth Pierce
They need to be cooked promptly.
Jules P
I’ve made these twice in one week! Big fan!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jules! So glad that you like the apple fritters!
crow
Just made these and I am SO relieved to have found this recipe. I really wanted something super simple and reliable and this was it 10/10. I didn’t have applesauce, I added 1Tbsp vegetable oil instead. I also added 1Tbsp extra milk to the batter because I thought it was coming out just a little dry after adding the apples. I set it in the fridge to chill for about 10 min before frying (very warm in my kitchen, about 77F right now). I used a kitchen spoon to dollop in scoops maybe 1Tbsp big into the oil, mine were cooking very fast and they puffed up quite a lot which I liked. After I diced the apples (roughly 1/4″ cubes) I put them in a bowl of ice water to firm them up and keep them from browning while I made the batter.
I consider myself experienced with deep frying and this recipe was a piece of cake for me!! Thank you.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine and I am so glad that you liked the apple fritters!
Peggy Bailey
Oh my gosh they where delicious absolutely,,better then what I get in stores or donut.shop all my friends loved them,I made them 2 nights in a row.PERFECT.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Peggy! I am so glad that you and your friends love them!
Tee
Do you have to use applesauce in this recipe?
Beth Pierce
It is helpful.
Rh[da
Can I use golden delicious apples instead?
Beth Pierce
Sure, that would be fine!
Sherry
I made these fritters yesterday. They were easy to make and came out great. I tasted one when it was cooled and it was crispy on the outside and delicious. However after they cooled I put them in a brown paper bag with paper towels. When I checked them latter they were now soft and sticky. The glaze never hardened. Is there anything I can do now to harden the glaze on them?
Beth Pierce
Let the glaze air dry before putting them in the bag.
Laura
Have you used coconut oil? We are trying to avoid seed oils.
Beth Pierce
No I am sorry I have not.
A.
You can use beef tallow and they don’t have a weird taste at all. It has a high smoke point
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip!
Frankie
These were delicious and they reminded me of a recipe my aunt used to make. Thanks for the blast from the past!
Carole Smith
Is there a way to bake the fritters instead of frying them?
Beth Pierce
Sorry, that will not work with this batter.
Sonia
These apple fritters were amazing! The whole family loved them. Thank you for sharing these tempting treats!
Robbie
These apple fritters were delicious. Everyone loved them! Thanks for the great recipe!
Kay Jones
Great apple fritter. They fried up perfectly. Everyone loved them. Thank you, Beth!
Kimberley
Your apple fritter recipe was absolutely irresistible! I love how you’ve nailed that perfect balance of sweet and crispy—can’t wait to make them, again.
Krystle
These are even better than what I get at my local donut shot. They never last long in our house.
Dawn McAlexander
There is a place I live in Pigeon Forge that has something similar. I might have to try yours for when I can’t get away on vacation.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Dawn! Enjoy!