Apple Fritters

These apple fritters are the quintessential autumn treat. They’re loaded with sweet and tart apples, tossed in sweet cinnamon sugar.

Can’t decide between donuts and apple pie? I have the perfect solution for you. These apple fritters are impossible to resist.

They’re crisp on the outside, and oh-so fluffy on the inside. Every bite is loaded with small chunks of apples, giving the tender donuts a crisp texture contrast.

The best part? Apple fritters are easy to make! Done in just 30 minutes, you’ll get to enjoy the best of autumn in no time.

Treat yourself to a cozy breakfast, snack, or dessert with these drool-worthy apple fritters. 

Apple Fritters

An apple fritter is a deep-fried batter loaded with apples. It’s a lot like a donut, only better! Let me explain why.

The batter itself is the same one used to make donuts. The dough has that gorgeous, perfectly crisp, golden exterior.

On the inside, you are treated to a ridiculously tender dough full of apple chunks. 

To top it all off, it’s coated with a dusting of sugar spiced with cinnamon. Altogether, you get all the flavors that truly epitomize the fall. 

You can end there, but you can take things up a notch by drizzling the fritters with a sweet sugar glaze. It’s a super easy additional step that will make your fritters 100 times more mouthwatering!  

Since these fritters are incredibly hearty, they are not just perfect for dessert, but for breakfast as well!

Just wait until you have an apple fritter with a hot cup of coffee. Trust me, it will change your life forever.

What I love the most about apple fritters is that they come together in half an hour. I never thought making donuts was this easy.

Thanks to this simple recipe, I can now make fritters from scratch anytime I want.

Ingredients

Apples. Choose crisp and firm apples with a sweet and tart flavor, such as Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, and Fuji Red.

Batter. You’ll use a donut batter for the base of the fritters. It’s a combination of flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, oil, and eggs. 

Oil. For deep-frying. Use flavorless oil with a high smoking point, such as vegetable or canola.

Cinnamon sugar. For a sweet and spicy coating. 

Tips for Making Fritters

• Use Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji Red apples. Since they are crisp and firm, they will keep their shape even after cooking. Dice them small, otherwise, they won’t soften as they cook.
• If you want more tender apples, you can pre-cook them before adding them into the batter.
• You’ll want to load the batter with tons of apples. If you don’t use enough, you’ll get plain donuts, not apple fritters. 
• A little vanilla goes a long way! One teaspoon is enough to enhance the flavor of your batter significantly.
• Add cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter to give your fritters a stronger autumn flavor.
• This recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of sugar, but you can add more to the batter if you want sweeter fritters.
• For more apple flavor, add applesauce instead of vegetable oil to the batter. 
• Do not over-mix the batter. Stir the ingredients together just until they are well combined. If you overdo it, the fritters will be dense and tough. 
• Expect a thin, runny batter. Don’t worry, it will puff up as it cooks!
• Use a large frying pan. You’ll need 4 cups of oil here, and you don’t want it to spill or splatter. 
• You’ll also want your pan to be heavy, so the oil temperature remains constant. A Dutch oven makes a great option. 
• The best oil temperature for frying fritters is 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If the oil is too hot, the outside will be burned while the inside will be raw. 
• Preheat the fryer before prepping the fritters to give the oil ample time to heat up. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature as you cook. You’ll want to keep it at 375 at all times.
• Do not overcrowd the fryer. If you put too much, the temperature will drop and the fritters will stick together.
• Fry the batter for 10 to 15 more seconds, or until dark brown, for crispy fritters. 
• The perfect ratio for cinnamon-sugar is 1 tablespoon to 1 cup. But you can adjust depending on how strong or mild you want the cinnamon flavor to be. 

How to Glaze Apple Fritters

Aside from coating the fritters with cinnamon sugar, you can also top them with a sweet and sticky sugar glaze. It’s an additional step, but it’s quick and easy to make. Here’s how:

Sift 1 ¼ cups of powdered sugar. In a medium bowl, combine 1 ¼ cup of sifted powdered sugar,  ¼ teaspoon of vanilla, and 3 teaspoons of water. 

If the mixture is too thick, add water, one teaspoon at a time, and stir. You’ll want the consistency to be like corn syrup. Then spoon the glaze over completely cooled fritters.

Let the fritters sit for 2 hours to let the glaze harden. If you don’t mind runny glaze, enjoy fritters right away.