If you like donuts, you’ll love apple fritters. Fried dough with chunks of fresh apple, tossed in a vanilla glaze. And easier to make than you think!
Table of contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- The perfect fall treat. Cinnamon, cloves, fresh apples, vanilla. All the best things of autumn.
- Soft and delicious. Fried. Dough. It’s all you need to know.
- They are easy to make. Really! There’s no complicated shaping, and the glaze mixes up in seconds. Yes, you’ll have a few dishes to wash at the end, and you have to be careful deep frying. . But there’s no skill required.
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious fall breakfast recipe:
- all-purpose flour
- sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- cinnamon
- allspice
- cloves
- milk
- vegetable oil
- eggs
- fresh apples
- peanut oil
- confectioner’s sugar
- vanilla extract
- milk or cream
🥣 Equipment
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- Something for deep frying. A deep fryer is easiest, but a Dutch oven or deep skillet works too!
- A strainer or tongs
- Paper towels
🍴Instructions
Step One: make dough
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Add the wet ingredients: eggs, milk and oil. Stir until everything is mixed together well. Make sure to scrape down the bowl’s sides to ensure all of the dry ingredients are mixed in. Fold in apples.
Step Two: scoop and fry
Heat 1¼ inches of oil in a heavy skillet, dutch oven or deep fryer to 375 degrees. Drop dough into the hot oil by 2-tablespoon-sized amounts. Cook each side until deep golden brown, flipping after 2-3 minutes. You will need to work in batches.
Step three: drain
Place the cooked dough on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Step Four: glaze
Whisk together the milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a small mixing bowl. Dip each fritter in the glaze one at a time. Place them on a cooling rack so the glaze will harden.
🥫 Storage instructions
Apple Fritters are best when eaten fresh, but they will store for a day or so, just like doughnuts. We prefer to store them in a folded paper bag. If you seal them in something air tight, the moisture from the fritters will make the wet glaze. If you let them breathe, it will stay hardened.
🔍 FAQs
Yes, any variety will work. It’s not a big deal, and you shouldn’t let a little thing like that stop you. 😊
Yes, you can refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours before frying. Just be sure to cover the bowl well with plastic wrap and let it come to room temperature before frying. Cold dough will lower the oil temperature dramatically.
Feel free to use whatever you have on hand, or even water.
Unfortunately, baking will not produce the same texture. Live a little and fry!
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- Don’t overcrowd when you’re frying! There should be room on each side of the fritter.
- If your oil is too hot, the fritters will brown before they have time to cook through. Keep an eye on them and adjust if necessary.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors! Add diced ginger or nutmeg in the dough, or try a different glaze like maple or salted caramel. The options are limitless!
📘 Related Recipes
🍽 Serve it with
Having guests over for breakfast? They’ll love these too:
- An omelet in a cast iron skillet with golden potatoes and bacon. Delicious.
- These home fries use a secret technique for soft potatoes with a golden crust
- Serve a fruit salad and plenty of coffee to round out the meal.
📖 Here’s the recipe
Classic Apple Fritters
Equipment
- Deep fryer or Dutch oven
- Strainers
- Paper Towels
Ingredients
Fritters
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 large apples peeled, cored, and diced
- peanut oil for frying
Vanilla Glaze
- 2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons milk or cream
Instructions
- Make the dough. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients: eggs, milk, and oil, Stir until just combined. Scrape down the bottom of the bowl to make sure all dry ingredients are incorporated. Fold in apples.
- Fry. Heat 1¼ inches of oil in a heavy skillet, dutch oven or deep fryer to 375 degrees. Drop dough into the hot oil by 2-tablespoon-sized amounts. Cook each side until deep golden brown, flipping after 2-3 minutes. You will need to work in batches. Using tongs or a strained, place on paper towels to drain.
- Make the glaze and dip. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Individually dip each fritter in the glaze, then place on a cooling rack until the glaze hardens.
