Apple Fritters Recipe 

What happens when an apple meets a doughnut? You get these incredibly delicious Apple Fritters! Now you can have the best flavors of the fair right in your home! 

Homemade Apple Fritters have never been easier than with this apple fritter recipe. Surrounded by a cakey batter and drizzled with glaze, they’re perfectly sweet and delicious!  

Now that the weather is finally getting nicer, (fingers crossed it stays that way.) I can’t stop thinking about fair food. From funnel cakes to sausage sandwiches, I. love. it. all!

Make sure you PIN Apple Fritters! 

But I especially love those heavenly delights that are apple fritters! Being that the fair doesn’t come around too often, I figured I’d better learn to make them at home.

With a few ingredients that I’d bet are already in your pantry, you can learn how to make apple fritters at home too. The recipe is so easy that you’ll want to make them all the time.

Start by sifting your dry ingredients together in one bowl. 

PRO TIP: Sifting is sometimes seen as a useless step, but in every recipe with dry ingredients, it is very important. It not only breaks up clumps which will prevent over mixing, but it also uniformly distributes leaveners and salt so your fritters will puff up evenly and no one will get a mouth full of salty yuck. 

Then in a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar with your wet ingredients and mix completely. Slowly add in the dry mixture and mix until combined.

Add in the chopped apples, making sure to coat each apple with the batter mixture. Drop spoonfuls of the coated apples into the hot vegetable oil and fry until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes.)

Once they reach the golden brown color, take them out of the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. The paper towels help to dry off the extra oil.

If you prefer a crunchy cinnamon sugar exterior, stir together 1 cup white sugar with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Toss hot apple fritters in the sugar mixture. You can also dust them with powdered sugar. 

Speaking of cinnamon, did you know there are several different types? Ceylon cinnamon is the variety best used for baking. Check out this post to make sure you’re using the right kind, as well as where to find them!

I like using brown sugar for a slightly molasses taste and deeper flavor- light or brown sugars work. You can use white sugar as well. 

Be mindful of how large your apple fritters are going into the oil. If you make them too big or fat, the exterior will brown and burn before the inside gets a chance to cook. 

PRO TIP: Use a variety of apple types to get an even more sophisticated flavor profile! 

When baking anything with apples, I prefer to use a tart apple like Granny Smith apples. If you like something more on the sweeter side, I would recommend using something like Honeycrisp apples. Or as I said before, use a mixture of them both!

If you liked these apple fritters, check out these other easy apple desserts:

• Apple Monkey Bread
• Caramel Apple Bites with Brie
• The Best Apple Pie
• Cinnamon Apple Snack Cake

Tools for making Apple Fritters:

Heavy Bottom Frying Pan– this will be one of your most used kitchen tools. Having something that is heavy bottom will distribute heat better and prevent burning whether you are using an electric or gas range. 

Wood cutting board – wood won’t dull your knives like plastic and if treated properly, has natural antimicrobial properties.

Good knife – Global is my favorite! They are worth the price, I promise. I am kind of obsessed with them and store them tucked away so no one else can use them. Including hubby. Hands off my good stuff!

Slotted Metal Spatula– I like these best for frying because they can withstand very high temperatures, the fine mesh means I can fish out any remaining batter that might be burning and they don’t stick to things easily. 

Questions you might have about how to make apple fritters:

Why add lemon juice? Lemon juice adds acidity to the recipe, which brings out natural flavors, but it also prevent the apples from oxidizing and turning prematurely brown. 

Can I freeze apple fritters? You can freeze cooked apples fritters in an airtight plastic bag for up to 4 months. However, when thawed, they might be a little gummy. You can try to revive them by giving them another quick fry. You will never be able to match the deliciousness of a freshly fried apple fritter. 

Can I make apple fritters in advance? Technically, yes, but there is nothing like freshly fried apple fritters. You will lose the crunch and heat if you fry them ahead of time. What you can do is make the batter ahead of time and place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to fry them. 

Can I make these into baked apple fritters? Unfortunately, this recipe doesn’t work to make baked apple fritters or apple fritter donuts. If I get enough interest, I’ll put some time into making recipes for those though, just let me know! 

Do I have to use whole milk? I would suggest using whole milk because the fat content does make a difference. If you only have 1% or skim milk on hand, use 2/3 cup milk blended with an additional 2 teaspoons melted butter as a substitute.  

Homemade Apple Fritters don't get easier than this apple fritter recipe! Surrounded by a cakey batter and drizzled with glaze, they're perfectly sweet!Click to Tweet