Homemade apple fritters with a crisp exterior, tender apples, warm spices and a sweet vanilla glaze. The fall season doesn’t get better than this!
These delicious apple fritters are one of my favorite fall treats, especially when enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee or scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This easy recipe uses basic ingredients and comes together without the need for a dough hook, yeast or complicated techniques. Simply mix the batter, fold in fresh apples and drop the batter into hot oil for perfectly golden fritters.
Whether you’re making them for a weekend breakfast, snack, or dessert these homemade apple fritters are a perfect treat for the whole family.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: This apple fritter recipe requires simple ingredients and straightforward steps.
- Packed with apples: Chopped apples give every bite plenty of delicious apple flavor.
- Perfectly crispy: The fritters develop a crisp exterior while staying soft and tender inside.
- The best way to use picked apples: If you’ve been to your local orchard, come home and whip these up!
- The glaze makes them special: A simple vanilla glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness.
What Are Apple Fritters?
Apple fritters are a type of pastry made from a thick, sweet batter filled with chopped apples and warm spices. Unlike traditional filled doughnuts, apple fritters don’t require yeast or a long rising time.
They’re like a cross between an apple cake and a doughnut, but with their own signature texture that features a crispy exterior and soft interior.
The combination of crisp edges, tender apple pieces, and sweet glaze makes them a favorite during apple picking season.
Ingredients
- Fresh apples
- All purpose flour
- Milk
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon juice
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Salt
Here’s what you’ll need for the glaze:
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Apple Fritters
Prep the Apples
Peel, core and dice the apples. Then, toss them in lemon juice and set them aside while you make the batter.
Make the Batter
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in one bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk and vanilla. Then, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Lastly, fold the diced apples into the batter.
Heat the Oil
Pour at least 1 inch of oil into a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven. There should be enough oil so that the fritters can float.
Then, heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350F degrees. It’s important that you monitor the temperature with a thermometer.
Fry the Fritters
Drop the batter into the hot oil and flatten it out a little. Then, just monitor the fritters until they’re golden brown on both sides, flipping as needed.
Remove them with a slotted spoon and toss them in the cinnamon sugar. Then, let them cool on a wire rack.
Glaze the Fritters
Whisk the glaze ingredients together and drizzle it over the fritters once they’re cool.
Tips for Success
- Keep an eye on the oil temperature. Maintaining the right oil temperature is one of the most important steps. Heat the oil over medium heat, then adjust as needed to keep it at a steady frying temperature. If the oil is too hot, the outside will cook too quickly and the inside could be raw. If the oil is too cool, the fritters will absorb excess oil and turn out heavy and mushy.I strongly recommend using a candy thermometer for this.
- Use the right amount of batter. An ice cream scoop, cookie scoop or measuring cup makes it easy to portion the batter evenly. This helps all of the fritters cook at approximately the same rate. I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup for fritters.
- Don’t crowd the pot. If you’re using a Dutch oven, don’t add too many fritters at once. Crowding the pot can cause the oil temperature to drop too low. Work in batches so each fritter has enough room to cook properly.
- Drain the fritters well. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked fritters from the oil to the cinnamon sugar mixture. Then, let them rest on a wire rack. This allows excess oil to drip away instead of collecting underneath the fritters.
Storage Instructions
Apple fritters are best served fresh, but you can still enjoy them for a few days after you make them.
Allow the fritters to cool completely to room temperature and then store them in an airtight container.
They can be kept at room temperature for about 1–2 days. For the best texture, warm them briefly before serving.
For longer storage, you can also freeze fritters. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until firm. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using firm, flavorful apples that hold their shape during cooking. Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples are both good choices.
Also, any good baking apple like Fuji or Gala work well in this recipe.
Avoid apples like Macintosh that are too soft or mealy.
Greasy fritters are usually caused by oil that isn’t hot enough. When the oil temperature is too low, the batter absorbs more oil instead of quickly forming a crisp exterior.
Make sure you’re monitoring the oil with a candy thermometer and adjusting the heat as necessary.
Your fritters may be too large, or the oil may be too hot. If the exterior becomes dark quickly while the center remains uncooked, reduce the temperature and/or make smaller fritters.
Although apple fritters are best enjoyed fresh, you can prepare them 1-2 days ahead of time and reheat them gently in a warm oven or air fryer.
Traditional apple fritters are deep-fried, which gives them their signature crisp exterior. However, you can experiment with an air fryer if you’d like to reduce the amount of oil. I have not tested this recipe using an air fryer.
For this recipe, canola oil is my first choice because it has a neutral flavor and a relatively high smoke point. It allows the apple fritters to cook without adding a strong flavor of its own.
Vegetable oil is another great option.
When you make these apple fritters, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more apple recipes, try these:
Apple Fritters
Equipment
- 1 kitchen thermometer
Ingredients
- 2 large apples
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- canola oil for frying
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples. Dice the apples and toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice.
- Prepare the cinnamon sugar mixture in a shallow bowl and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk and vanilla. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Then, fold in the apples.
- Heat at least 1 inch of oil in a heavy bottomed pan or Dutch oven. There should be enough oil for the fritters to float. Monitor the temperature with a kitchen thermometer until it reaches 350F degrees.
- Drop 1/4 cup of batter into the hot oil, flattening slightly with a slotted spoon. Fry until golden on both sides, flipping as needed.
- Remove fritters with a slotted spoon and toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on a wire cooling rack.
- To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Drizzle over cooled fritters.
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