This is the BEST Easy Apple Fritters Recipe for reals!! Pieces of delicious Granny Smith apples wrapped and fried in sugary dough will send your taste buds into food heaven!
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Y’all can’t tell me nothing about apple fritters. For several fall seasons, I would eat my weight in them from a local doughnut shop in Chicago. I also got my fill of them when we would go apple picking because they would sell them there as well. The fact of the matter is I couldn’t get enough so I had to do myself a favor and learn how to make them myself. These are pretty fantastic if I do say so myself.
What Makes This Apple Fritter Recipe So Great
- Easy to make recipe.
- A great fall recipe everyone will love but believe me, this is bomb all year round.
- A fun way to use up some apples.
- Simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients you gotta have for this recipe. Be sure to see the full list and quantities in the recipe card.
- Apples: This recipe calls for the Granny Smith apple variety to be used because they are not very sweet and if you use a super sweet apple, then the fritters will be too sweet.
- Apple cider: Added to the fritters and the glaze to amp up the wonderful apple flavor in each and every bite.
- Vanilla: Balances all the flavors together and adds warmth.
- Fat: Use melted butter for the rich, buttery flavor it gives the fritters.
- Spices: We’re adding cinnamon and nutmeg which always help apples shine!
- Sugar: You will need granulated sugar for the fritters but use powdered sugar to make the glaze because it dissolves much more easily.
How to Make Apple Fritters
These fried fritters turn out with such a wonderful crunchy exterior and a tender doughy inside. The two textures are too legit together. Here’s how to make them yourself.
- Add all the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Stir in the chopped apples.
- Mix together the cider, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl with a whisk.
- Pour the wet mixture into dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Heat vegetable oil in a dutch oven or other large pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F. Use a one-third cup measure to transfer heaping portions of the batter into the hot oil.
- Press each portion of batter lightly with the back of spoon to flatten it somewhat. Fry until golden brown this usually takes about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
- Remove them from the hot oil and place on a wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet or on top of a paper towel to dry. Let the fritters cool for five minutes.
PRO TIP: Don’t overcrowd the pan! I found that for a regular sized Dutch oven you can cook about five fritters at a time. If the diameter of your pot is smaller you may need to cook fewer at a time.
- Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, cider, cinnamon, and nutmeg in medium bowl until smooth.
- Spoon the glaze over the fritters and let set them for 10 minutes before serving.
- Once the glaze sets and becomes wonderful, your fritters are ready to serve.
How to Serve Fritters
Serve these up for a special brunch, holiday breakfast, or even for a simple weekend morning treat. They’re a great way to elevate this chorizo breakfast skillet or this easy breakfast casserole.
Skip the glaze and toss them in a paper bag with cinnamon sugar.
Expert Tips
- Make sure the apple pieces are chopped small enough. The smaller size allows them to cook up tender when they are fried.
- Bring the oil back to 350 degrees between batches. The temperature of the oil drops when food is added to the pot so it may need to reheat before you add more to the pot.
- Use a heavy pot to help the oil maintain its temperature more easily.
- Drain the apple fritters before adding the glaze. This ensures they aren’t overly greasy.
- Store leftovers at room temperature for up to three days.
- Maintain a uniform size of fritter so they cook evenly. I like to use a one-third measuring cup.
FAQs
‘The main difference is the shape. A donut is round with a hole in the middle while a fritter is more loosely shaped. Also, a fritter usually indicates fruit in a batter that is fried. In this case, the diced apples are coated in the batter before frying.
The main cause of soggy fritters is that the oil isn’t hot enough. Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature of your oil before cooking and give the oil time to reheat between each batch. A heavy-bottomed pan can also help the oil maintain its temperature.
More Fried Dough, Fritter and Donut Recipes
- Peach Fritters
- Pumpkin Cider Donuts
- Classic Funnel Cake Recipe
- New Orlean Beignets
- Pumpkin Fritters
- Banana Fritters
Easy Apple Fritters Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Fritters
- 2 granny apples peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- â…“ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup apple cider
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Glaze
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Add all dry ingredients (flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg) in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Stir in apples.
- Next add wet ingredients (cider, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract) to a separate bowl and whisk together then pour mixture into dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
- Heat 3 cups of vegetable oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat to about 350 degrees. Use 1/3-cup measure to transfer 5 heaping portions of batter into the hot oil. Press batter lightly with the back of spoon to flatten somewhat. Fry until golden brown (about 2 to 3 minutes each side). Once all fritters are fried, remove fritters and transfer fritters to wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet or to a paper towel to dry. Bring oil back to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining batter. Let fritters cool 5 minutes.
- Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, cider, cinnamon, and nutmeg in medium bowl until smooth. Spoon over fritters and let set for 10 minutes then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published October 2017. It has been updated with new content and images.
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Happy FALL!!! I am on my way to the store to get me some apples so I can make this tonight. can’t WAIT!! Thank you so much for sharing it with us xoxo
Great recipe. Quick and easy. I had to make a slight adjustment because I didn’t have apple cider.
These are the very best apple fritters, I’ve encountered. I tried a couple of other recipes that seemed to be ‘missing’ something, that this recipe has. Great apple flavor.
Made these last night thinking they’d be perfect breakfast treats but they were so good they ended up being dessert! Would love to know how to adapt these for an air fryer.
Will try , I luv Gala Apples…we have an Festival here in Eljay, Ga. This sounds like a delicious recipe, Thanks
These look absolutely AMAZING!! What a fantastic recipe to spice up a Granny Smith apple! Sim x
These would pair great with a cup of coffee! I need to make them!
What an AMAZING idea! YUM, these really sound delicious! Thank you for a great recipe!
OH MY!! These look incredible! Love apple fritters!
This is such a great idea!! I LOVE it!!