I just love these homemade apple fritters! They are crispy, sweet, full of apple flavor, and oh so delicious.
Growing up, I always enjoyed going to the local donut shop and getting donuts and fritters. Anytime someone would buy a dozen donuts, I could count on their being at least one apple fritter in the box.
They are so incredibly easy to make at home, and they come together in less than 40 minutes. These can easily be made in time for breakfast in the morning. If you are a fan of homemade donuts or corn fritters you have got to try these apple fritters, they are amazing. If I can do it, you can do it. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Gather the ingredients
In order to make these yummy apple fritters at home, you need several easy to find ingredients, most of which you probably already have in the house:
- Apples – I like to use Granny Smith, but any apples will work.
- Lemon juice
- Flour – All purpose flour, also known as plain flour in other countries.
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Baking powder
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Oil for frying (vegetable, canola, coconut, peanut, shortening, lard)
Glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Water – I always used filtered water, since my tap water tastes gross.
Tools
- Bowls
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
- Large Pot
- Spoons
- Spider Strainer/Ladle or metal slotted spoon or tongs
- Sheet pan with a wire rack
- Paper towel-lined
- Plate Candy thermometer
Step 2: How to make apple fritters from scratch
First, take a large pot and add some cooking oil to it, fill it so it is about an inch deep with oil. Place it on the stovetop burner and set the heat to medium-high. If you have a candy thermometer use it. Heat the oil to 350 F/176 C. While the oil is heating up you can make the batter.
Wash, peel, and core the apples. Then chop them up into little chunks and place them in a medium bowl. Pour the juice from half a lemon over the apple chunks and stir them with a spoon.
I love my apple fritters filled with lots of apples, but if you like more batter than apples you can reduce the number of apples.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and the sugar.
Now in a large bowl whisk together the egg, vanilla extract, and the milk. Then melt the butter either in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop. Make sure it isn’t really hot, then pour it in with the egg and milk mixture and whisk to combine.
Put the whisk away and then pour in the flour mixture and stir it with a wooden or a silicone spoon. Finally add in the apples and fold them and stir them into the batter. The apple fritters batter is complete.
Step 3: Frying the apple fritters
Once the oil is at temp, take two spoons and scoop some batter and pour it into the hot oil. You can spread it a little bit if you want. Allow it to fry for a few minutes on both sides. Turn it over with a spider strainer, tongs, or a slotted metal spoon.
Once they are a little darker than golden brown, remove them from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels.
After a minute or so, remove them from the plate and place them on a wire rack. This will keep them crispy.
If the oil temp has cooled more than 10 to 15 degrees you will need to wait for a few minutes for it to heat back up before frying more.
Step 4: It’s all about that glaze
Classic apple fritters are covered in a glaze. You can also roll them in a cinnamon and sugar mixture, or dust them with powdered sugar if you like. Or make a combination of them all.
To make the glaze add a bit of water to a small bowl then add in the powdered sugar. Stir it with a spoon and add more water as necessary to get the consistency that you want. I love this simple two-ingredient glaze.
Now, you can dip the apple fritters right in the glaze and then put it back on the wire rack, or you can use a spoon and drizzle the glaze over the tops of them. You really can’t go wrong with either method.
Once you are done dipping or drizzling them, or rolling them in cinnamon and sugar, or dusting them with powdered sugar, allow them to sit for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
How long do apple fritters last?
They are best eaten fresh, because that is when they are the crispiest. But you can store them for a few days in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature. Or you can store them in the fridge for longer. Reheat for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave, or heat them in the oven at 350 F for a few minutes.
Here are some other recipes you may like:
Apple Fritters
Equipment
- Bowls
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
- Large Pot
- Spoons
- Spider Strainer/Ladle or metal slotted spoon or tongs
- Sheet pan with a wire rack
- Paper towel-lined
- plate Candy thermometer
Ingredients
Apple Fritters
- 2 to 3 apples Granny Smith, Gala, etc. peeled, cored, and cut into small chunks
- 1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice the juice from half a lemon (15 to 30ml)
- 1 cup all-purpose/plain flour 120g
- 1/2 tsp. salt 2g
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1g
- 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/2g
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 6g
- 3 tbsp. white granulated sugar 45g
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract 5ml
- 1/2 cup milk whole, 2%, 1%, Almond, etc. (125ml)
- 1 tbsp butter melted (14g)
- Oil for frying vegetable, canola, coconut, peanut, shortening, lard
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar 180g
- 1 to 2 tbsp water 15 to 30ml
Instructions
- Begin by taking a large pot and adding enough oil to be about 1 inch deep. Place it on the burner and set the heat to medium-high, allow it to heat to 350 F/176 C.
- Wash, peel, core, and cut the apples into small chunks and place them in a medium bowl. Pour the lemon juice over them and stir until well coated.
- Now in another medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar.
- In a large bowl whisk the egg, vanilla extract, and milk together. Melt the butter either in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop. Make sure it isn't really hot, then pour it in with the egg and milk mixture and whisk to combine. Then pour in the flour mixture and stir the batter with a wooden spoon or silicone spoon. It will be a bit too thick for the whisk. Add the apples to the batter and fold them in.
- Using two spoons scoop in a good amount of batter into the hot oil. Don't overcrowd them.Allow them to fry for a few minutes per side until really nice and browned. Use a spider ladle, metal slotted spoon, or tongs to turn them and then remove them.Place them on a plate lined with a paper towel for a minute or so then put them on a wire rack to cool. This will help keep them crispy.
- Add some water to a bowl and then add in the powdered sugar. Keep adding water and stirring until you get the thickness you want. You can dip them in, or drizzle the glaze over them with a spoon. Allow the glaze to dry for a few minutes, it doesn't take long. Then serve them! Enjoy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Do you like this recipe? Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it. If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.
I have not made these yet, but today is the day that I will!!!
The recipe is very simple yet detailed on instructions. I am super excited to try these, yeah, they look delicious in the picture. Ty for the recipe!!!
Glad you like the apple fritters recipe. I hope you do give it a try sometime and you are welcome! 🙂
I thought this recipe was very easy to make. I bought the $5 thermometer instead of the $15, and it never went past 150 degrees. My oil was way too hot and I couldn’t keep them in longer than 30 seconds without getting very dark – so they ended up doughy in the middle. Delicious and doughy! I’ll definitely make them again.
Glad you tried them and liked them!
So easy to make….a family favorite, too!
Awesome! So glad you made them and like them.
These are dangerously delicious! Definitely going to make these again.
Glad you tried them and liked them!
These apple fritters are AMAZING! Such a delicious and easy fall dessert.
Thank you, Valentina!! 🙂
The instructions include the butter, but the printed recipe does not. Please update.
Hi Ken you must have missed it. The printed recipe has 1 tbsp butter listed right before “oil for frying”. But yes, good catch in the actual steps part of the instructions of the printed recipe it didn’t say where to put the butter. Updated. Good catch, thanks!