Homemade Apple Fritters are a delicious fall dessert that is quick and so easy. They will become a seasonal family favorite and have everyone craving more all year round!
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Why this Homemade Apple Fritters Recipe is a Keeper
This great recipe is one of my most popular and delicious fall recipes! They’re so easy and simple, and one of my favorite seasonal sweets.
- Easy Ingredients: Apple fritter recipes use common ingredients you often have on hand.
- Family Favorite: Everyone in the family loves it, making it a go-to treat!
- Crowd-Pleaser: It’s a hit with guests and easy to make more of, making it ideal for entertaining.
- Seasonal: This fritter recipe makes the most of seasonal ingredients and flavors.
Can I Use Any Type of Apple for Fritters?
Ideally, you want to use firmer, sweeter fresh apples. Examples of these kinds of apples include Granny Smith apples, Honeycrisps, Galas and Fujis, but use whatever apple you like.
Ingredient Notes to Make Apple Fritters
You will need just a few easy ingredients to make these old-fashioned apple fritters. If you don’t already have these ingredients in your kitchen, they’re all super easy to find at your local store.
- Apple Sauce: Apple fritters are made with applesauce to help enhance the apple flavor.
- Flour: Flour is going to be the base of your batter. Swap for gluten-free flour if you’d like.
- Cinnamon: Sprinkling in some cinnamon will give you a homey fall dessert.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for Easy Apple Fritters
Prepping ahead of time can help to save you time and stress when it comes to actually making fritters!
- Batter: Feel free to make the batter for apple fritters ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Avoid this Common Mistake
If you overcrowd the pan, the fritters won’t cook evenly and may become soggy. It’s important to leave enough space between each fritter so that they can cook properly.
How to Make Apple Fritters
This easy apple fritters recipe comes together in just 3 simple steps. These apple pie donuts are so good, you’ll be craving them all the time.
These are the basic steps for making Homemade Apple Fritters. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Make Apple Fritter Batter
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Completely mix in the milk, eggs and applesauce to the dry ingredients. Peel and dice the apples and fold into the batter.
2. Deep Fry Fritters and Cool
In a skillet with raised sides, heat oil to 375°F. When oil is hot enough, drop in 1/4 cup of batter into the hot oil. Fried until golden brown.
Remove the fritters and let rest on paper towels to help soak up excess oil, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
3. Make the Glaze for Cooked Fritters
In a mixing bowl whisk together the milk, powdered sugar and vanilla together.
Set rack of warm apple fritters on a baking sheet to catch the excess glaze. When the fritters have cooled, pour the glaze over the top of fritters. You may want to glaze the fritters 2-3 times.
How to Store, Reheat and Use this Apple Dessert Recipe Leftovers
- Storing: Tore any leftover apple fritters in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: You can reheat these in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Using Leftovers: Enjoy leftovers throughout the week for a breakfast treat or as a yummy dessert with a scoop of ice cream.
Variations and Substitutions to Make this Recipe
There are so many ways you can change up these fritters. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and flavors.
- Different Fruit: Try using different fruits such as peaches or bananas!
- Dairy-Free: Easily make this recipe dairy-free by using almond milk.
- Mini Fritters: Make mini, bite size donuts to feed a crowd.
Delicious Recipe FAQs and Reader Interactions
If you love apple fritters try serving them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Fritters are done when they turn golden brown! Make the fritters small when you pour the batter into the oil and use a slotted spoon when getting them out.
Fritters are best enjoyed warm with powdered sugar, glaze or even cinnamon sugar.
If your fritters are still greasy after being cooked, your oil was not hot enough when you started. Use a candy thermometer to make sure the oil is hot enough before starting.
Apple fritters are similar to donuts! Their shape and size are similar to a donut and so is the batter.
Expert Tips to Love This Recipe
- Air Fryer: Use parchment paper to line your air fryer basket. Cook at 400 degrees for 5 minutes on each side. A Dutch oven works great too.
- Sugar: No need to glaze, you can dust with confectioners sugar and cinnamon and they are great!
- Gluten-Free: you can make gluten-free apple fritters by using gluten-free flour.
- Avoid Soggy Fritters: Make sure that the temperature remains constant so that the fritters do not absorb to much oil and get soggy.
- Variation tip: Feel free to serve with cinnamon or vanilla ice cream.
- Apple Juice: You can substitute apple juice for the milk!
- Dipped: Dip the fritters in the glaze to get a better coating of the simple glaze on the fried apple fritters.
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Homemade Apple Fritters
Video
Equipment
- Skillet with sides
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.
Ingredients
Fritters
- 1 ½ cups Flour
- ¼ cup Sugar
- ½ tablespoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ⅓ cup Milk
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ cup Applesauce
- 3 Honeycrisp apples
- 2 cups Canola oil
Glaze
- 2 cups Powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- ¼ cup Milk
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.
- Make a well in the mixture and add milk, eggs and applesauce. Mix completely
- Peel and dice the apples and fold into the batter.
- In a skillet with raised sides, heat oil to 375°. Once oil is hot, drop 1/4 cup of batter in the oil. Let it fry on each side for 3 minutes until golden brown. Remove and let rest on paper towels to help soak up excess oil.
- Place fritters on a baking rack to cool.
- In a mixing bowl whisk the glaze ingredients together.
- Set rack of fritters on a baking sheet to catch the excess glaze while pouring glaze over the fritters. Glaze the fritters 2-3 times.
Christina’s Notes
- Air Fryer: Use parchment paper to line your air fryer basket. Cook at 400 degrees for 5 minutes on each side.
- Sugar: No need to glaze, you can dust with confectioners sugar and cinnamon and they are great!
- Gluten-Free: you can make gluten-free apple fritters by using gluten-free flour.
- Avoid Soggy Fritters: Make sure that the temperature remains constant so that the fritters do not absorb to much oil and get soggy.
- Variation tip: Feel free to serve with cinnamon or vanilla ice cream.
- Apple Juice: You can substitute apple juice for the milk!
- Dipped: Dip the fritters in the glaze to get a better coating of the simple glaze on the fried apple fritters.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Should the recipe call for 1/2 teaspoon of salt rather than 1/2 tablespoon?
These are simple to make and amazing!!!