Apple Fritters made with a cakey batter incorporated with juicy apples are the ultimate homemade treat! The sweet glaze sends these fritters over the top and may even remind you of a stuffed funnel cake. But better of course! My favorite part? You can have this fabulous Apple Fritter in front of you in 30 minutes!
If you love donuts you might also like my Baked Mini Chocolate Donuts or my Donut Ball Coffee Cake.
Apple Fritters
These Apple Fritters use a few basic ingredients and come together really fast! They also happen to use fresh apples, so that’s always a bonus when I am trying to justify donuts for breakfast. 😉
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Tips for the Best Apple Fritters
In the instructions, I suggest starting to heat your oil after the batter has come together. The first few times I made these I would start the oil right away (trying to save time) and I would always forget and the oil would get too hot and burn the batter. Boo, hiss! Be sure to give yourself a few minutes to allow the oil to get to 375°F after the batter has come together. Try to also use a pan that is bigger than you would need, as there can be hot oil splattering and that is never a good thing.
The batter itself appears to be thin and you may wonder, how is this ever going to puff up into a beautiful fritter? But trust me, it will.
I prefer to use Granny Smith apples in this recipe as they hold up beautifully when baked or fried. We did try Honeycrisp apples and liked it, but when we tried Red Delicious apples, it wasn’t our favorite. The texture of the apples was almost the same as the donut and there wasn’t as strong of an apple flavor. When possible, opt for a Granny Smith!
Can You Bake These Apple Fritters?
I don’t recommend using this specific recipe for making Baked Apple Fritters. I tried adding the batter to a muffin tin, but they do not rise up as beautifully when baked.
Homemade Donut Glaze
You may have noticed that I opted for water instead of cream or milk in the glaze recipe. When coating donuts you want the glaze a little thinner than you would use for cakes or cookies.
Another option instead of glaze? Sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar when cooled. It’s just 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. You could also dust them with confectioner’s sugar. Or simply enjoy plain!
Each batch only yields about 5 fritters, so double it if you have a large family. They are best eaten within 24 hours so if you can eat them all, maybe drop some off for a neighbor or teacher. I tried freezing once and didn’t like how they turned out when thawed, so it might be easier to just whip up a new batch when you get a craving. 🙂
- 1 cup (128g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 -3 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced into bite-size pieces (about 2-3 apples)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup (61g) whole milk
- Vegetable or canola oil, (for frying)
- 1 ¼ cups (150g) confectioners sugar, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- 3-6 teaspoons teaspoons water
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
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In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice and apples. Set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar and eggs on medium speed until fully combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in two additions. Mix until just combined.
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Pour in the milk and continue to stir until incorporated.
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Fold in the apples.
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Fill a frying pan halfway with oil. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 375°F with a candy thermometer.
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Drop ¼ cup of batter into the oil and let fry until golden brown. Flip and fry until the opposite side is golden brown. To test for doneness, insert a small knife into the center. If there's still uncooked batter in the center, fry for a bit longer. Transfer to a paper towel-lined cooling rack and let cool. Repeat with the remaining batter.
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Make the glaze by combining the sugar, vanilla, and 3 teaspoons of water. Add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until a pourable consistency is reached.
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Drizzle the glaze over the cooled fritters and let dry.
Recipe Video
Photography by The PKP Way.
How do these hold up if I were to make them the night before?