Apple Fritter
intro
Crisp, golden fried pastry packed with spiced tender apple chunks, finished with sweet vanilla glaze—an iconic cozy fall sweet treat.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix dry batter ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 240g (2 cups) all-purpose flour, 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt until fully evenly combined, with no clumps of cinnamon remaining.
Combine wet batter ingredients
Create a small well in the center of the dry ingredient mix, then pour in 180ml (3/4 cup) whole milk, 1 beaten large egg, 28g (2 tablespoons) melted and cooled unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir with a wooden spoon just until no dry flour streaks remain; small lumps in the batter are normal and desirable, so do not overmix.
Fold in diced apples
Add 300g of 1cm diced peeled cored tart-sweet apples to the batter, folding gently with a silicone spatula to evenly coat every apple chunk in batter, taking care not to mash the soft apple pieces. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes at room temperature while you prepare the frying oil.
Heat frying oil correctly
Pour 1L (4 cups) neutral vegetable oil into a deep heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, clip a candy thermometer to the pot edge, and heat over medium heat to 175°C (350°F). Line a wire rack with paper towels and set it adjacent to the stovetop to drain cooked fritters.
Fry fritters until golden
Once oil reaches target temperature, drop 2-tablespoon scoops of batter into the oil, working in batches of 3-4 fritters to avoid dropping the oil temperature too quickly. Fry for 2 minutes per side (4 minutes total per batch) until deep golden brown and crisp on the outside, reaching an internal temperature of 93°C (200°F). Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked fritters to the prepared wire rack to drain excess oil.
Coat with vanilla glaze
Let fritters cool slightly for 5 minutes while you make the glaze: whisk 180g (1.5 cups) powdered sugar, 30ml (2 tablespoons) whole milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in a shallow bowl until completely smooth, with a thick but pourable consistency. Dip the top of each warm fritter in the glaze, then return to the wire rack to let the glaze set for 3 minutes before serving.
Tips
2.Monitor oil temperature closely with a candy thermometer: oil below 165°C (325°F) will make fritters greasy and oil-soaked, while oil above 190°C (375°F) will burn the exterior before the apple chunks cook through.
3.For the most balanced flavor, use a 50/50 mix of tart Granny Smith and sweet Honeycrisp apples; the tartness cuts through the sweet glaze and warm spices for a brighter taste.
OMG these classic apple fritters are a GAME CHANGER for my Sunday brunch crew! I used Honeycrisp apples like my grandma used to and the whole pan was gone in 10 minutes flat. My kids begged me to make them again before I even finished cleaning the fryer. SO good, way better than the stale ones from the grocery store bakery!
As someone who burns toast 50% of the time, I was shocked how easy these were! 35 minutes total, no fancy equipment, and my roommates thought I ordered them from our local donut shop. Only note is I added a tiny extra dash of cinnamon because I’m obsessed with fall flavors.
Brought these to my office potluck yesterday and I had three people track me down to ask for the recipe. The glaze is perfectly sweet, not cloying, and the apple chunks stay nice and tender without getting mushy. Will be making these every fall from now on, no question.
Has anyone tried making these with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend? My son has celiac and I’d love to make these for his upcoming soccer team snack, I just don’t want the batter to fall apart when frying!
I’ve been making apple fritters on and off for 40 years, and this recipe is easily the most straightforward one I’ve ever used. No weird ingredients, no fussy steps, just perfect, crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside fritters every single time. My grandkids fight over the last one every time I make a batch.
Taste was 10/10 but my first batch came out super oily? What did I do wrong? I think my oil might have been too low because I was impatient and dropped the batter in before it was fully heated up. The second batch was way better once I waited for the temp to climb.
Was skeptical these would reheat well but I made a batch on Sunday and popped them in the toaster oven for 3 minutes each morning all week and they tasted just as fresh as day one! Perfect quick breakfast for my chaotic work mornings, no drive thru run needed. 10/10 for meal prep win.
Y’all, I added a pinch of nutmeg and a splash of vanilla extract to the glaze and it took these fritters to a whole new level. Served them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for our family dinner dessert last night and even my super picky mother in law asked for seconds. Win!
We have a ton of wild apples growing in our backyard right now, they’re a little tarter than grocery store apples. Will those work for this recipe, or do I need to stick to sweeter varieties like Honeycrisp or Gala?
I used to work at a donut shop in high school and these taste exactly like the fritters we used to sell at 6am for the morning commute rush, except better because they’re fresh. The crunch on the outside, the soft apple inside, that crackly sugar glaze? Absolute perfection, no notes.
Made these with my 7 and 9 year old boys this rainy Saturday and they had the best time helping stir the batter and dip the finished fritters in glaze. We got flour everywhere but the end result was so worth the mess. 10/10 family activity AND snack.
Made a batch of these for our fall road trip up the coast and they held up perfectly in a tupperware for 3 days. Way better than stopping for overpriced gas station snacks, and every time we pulled one out to eat people in nearby picnic areas kept asking where we bought them. Will be a road trip staple from now on.
I swapped the dairy milk for oat milk and used a vegan butter for the glaze, and these turned out insanely good! I was worried the texture would be off but they were crispy, fluffy, perfectly apple-y, and none of my vegan friends could believe they weren’t from a fancy vegan bakery. Highly recommend that swap for anyone who eats plant based!