Apple fritters are crisp and craggy on the outside, soft and cakey inside, with pockets of tart apple and a thin vanilla glaze that sets to a sweet shell. Make them for a slow weekend breakfast or as a warm dessert on a fall evening.
How to make apple fritters: Stir diced apples into a quick cinnamon batter, drop it by 1/4 cupfuls into 375°F oil and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain, then dunk each fritter in a powdered sugar glaze.
Why You’ll Love It
- No yeast, no rising. The batter is leavened with baking powder, so it is ready as soon as it is mixed.
- Ready in 20 minutes. Ten minutes to mix, about ten to fry.
- Big, bakery-size fritters. A 1/4 cup of batter each makes 10 generous fritters.
- Apple in every bite. Two large apples go into one small batch of batter.
Ingredient Notes
Apples. Use Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Peel, core and dice them.
Applesauce. Three tablespoons go into the batter along with the milk and eggs.
Baking powder. This is what makes the fritters puff. There is no yeast in this recipe.
Oil. Canola or vegetable oil, poured to a depth of 1 1/2 inches.
Milk. You need it twice: 1/3 cup for the batter and 1/4 cup for the glaze.
Ingredients
- 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, for the batter
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons applesauce
- 2 large Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and diced
- Canola oil or vegetable oil, enough for a depth of 1 1/2 inches, for frying
- 2 cups powdered sugar, for the glaze
- 1/4 cup milk, for the glaze
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, for the glaze
How to Make Apple Fritters
1. Mix the batter. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add the 1/3 cup milk, the eggs and the applesauce. Stir just to combine, then fold in the diced apples.
2. Heat the oil. Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a heavy skillet, Dutch oven or deep fryer to 375°F.
3. Fry the fritters. Drop about 1/4 cup of batter per fritter into the oil, spreading it out as you drop it. Fry until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
4. Glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk and vanilla extract. Dunk each fritter, turning to coat both sides, then set it on a wire rack to drip and air-dry.
How to Fry Apple Fritters So They Cook Through
Two things decide how a fritter turns out: how much batter you drop and how hot the oil is.
Use about 1/4 cup of batter for each one and spread it as it goes in. Do not drop it as a tall mound.
Clip an oil thermometer to the pot and keep an eye on it the whole time. Oil that is too cool makes greasy fritters. Oil that is too hot browns the outside before the center is cooked. Adjust the burner as you go to stay at 375°F.
| What | Target |
|---|---|
| Oil depth | 1 1/2 inches |
| Oil temperature | 375°F |
| Batter per fritter | About 1/4 cup, spread out |
| Frying time | About 2 minutes per side |
| Ready to turn | Underside is golden brown |
Color is your cue to flip, but break the first fritter open before you fry the rest. The inside should be cooked batter, not wet.
Tips for Success
Why are my fritters greasy?
The oil dropped below temperature. Check the thermometer between batches and let the oil come back up to 375°F before more batter goes in.
Why are they dark outside and doughy inside?
The oil was too hot, or the fritters were dropped as tall mounds. Lower the heat and spread the batter out as it enters the oil.
Fried or Baked?
These are the fried kind, with a crisp, craggy crust. If you would rather skip the pot of oil, the oven version has its own batter and timing, so follow that one from start to finish instead of baking this batter.
Storage & Reheating
Fritters are at their crispest the day they are fried. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days; the glaze and crust will soften in the refrigerator. If you reheat them, USDA FSIS says to heat leftovers to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
If you want fritter flavor without frying, try the baked apple fritters. For an apple dessert table, add apple slab pie, an easy cinnamon apple cake or the apple pecan cake with caramel glaze. A bowl of 3-ingredient caramel apple dip uses up extra apples, and the slow cooker caramel apple dump cake is the hands-off choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an apple fritter made of?
A simple batter of flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, milk, eggs and applesauce with diced fresh apple folded in. It is fried, then coated in a glaze of powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.
What can I fry them in?
A heavy skillet, a Dutch oven or a deep fryer all work. You need room for 1 1/2 inches of oil and a slotted spoon to lift the fritters out. Fry a few at a time so the pot is not crowded and you have space to turn each one.
Which apples should I buy?
Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Buy two large ones, then peel, core and dice them before you mix the batter.
Are apple fritters breakfast or dessert?
Both. Serve them warm with coffee in the morning or after dinner as dessert. One batch makes 10 fritters, enough for a family breakfast.
Final Notes
I fry one test fritter first and break it open, so I know the oil and the portion size are right before the rest go in. If you make them, leave a comment to tell me how they turned out or ask a question.
Apple Fritters
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Ingredients
- 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 for the batter
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons applesauce
- 2 large Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples peeled, cored and diced
- canola oil or vegetable oil enough for a depth of 1 1/2 inches, for frying
- 2 cups powdered sugar for the glaze
- 1/4 cup milk for the glaze
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract for the glaze
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center; add the 1/3 cup milk, eggs and applesauce. Stir just to combine, then fold in the diced apples.
- Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a heavy skillet, Dutch oven or deep fryer to 375°F.
- Drop about 1/4 cup batter per fritter into the oil, spreading it out as you drop it. Fry until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk and vanilla extract. Dunk each fritter, turning to coat both sides, then place on a wire rack to drip and air-dry.
