Apple Fritters

Apple fritters recipe from scratch! Fluffy, thick and perfectly cake-like apple fritters made in just 30 minutes. This recipe makes just 4 large fritters, the perfect amount!

I’ve been making a grave mistake for years.

When I go into a donut shop, I ponder over cream-filled versus plain.  Cake versus fried.  Icing versus cinnamon sugar.  Whole versus holes.  I always skip over the fruit fritters.  Fruit in my donut?  Thanks, but I’ll take sugar glazed with sugar and dipped in chocolate, please.  And stuff it with custard while you’re at it, thankyouverymuch.

But one Sunday, Mr. Dessert For Two and I decided to stop for donuts after church.  We pulled up to our small town’s donut shop and found all the parking spots full—always a good sign.  Inside, we found all of the tables pushed together and old farmers sitting together, eating their donuts and drinking their black coffee.  The Mr. and I looked at each other with a silent smile that said ‘this is the right place’ and bellied up to the window. 

The power of an old fashioned apple fritter:

I pondered over all the colors and shapes of donuts, but he didn’t.  He barely even looked down.  I thought this was odd, because he is a man who likes to know all of his dessert options before he makes his selection.  (This is because he likes to see if he can combine two desserts into one.  My Mom once offered him brownies, cookies, or ice cream, and he said ‘yes, please, all three!’)

He ordered an apple fritter without any consideration for the multicolored sprinkles, pink glazes, or oozing golden custards.  It was very unlike him.  I finally decided on a classic maple bar and sat down. 

I was in stunned silence–he doesn’t normally like desserts that contain fruit.  He groans when he finds out I’ll be testing fruit desserts for this site.  He offered me a bite of his fritter, but I politely declined, but he insisted.  I tasted.  I understood.  Apple fritters bring about peace in your soul.  Quite possibly the world, too.

These fritters have ruined donuts for me.  If you’re going to get the oil hot to fry donuts, why not fry apples in batter?  The apple fritter that made me a peacemaker in this world was as big as my face and full of apple chunks.  It was as if I was eating a donut and apple pie all in one.  Yes, this must be what heaven tastes like.

How do you make old fashioned apple fritters?

It’s my belief that good apple fritters should be crisp on the outside, and fluffy like cake on the inside. There should be substantial chunks of apple on the inside. The apple chunks are soft and sweet bites of heaven on the inside of the cake.

I could be wrong, and I’m sure you guys will correct me, but old fashioned apple fritters were topped with just sprinkled powdered sugar, not an actual glaze. I’ve spent my fair share of time in Amish country, and I have to believe that the sweet liquid frosting type of glaze we see now is a new thing.

If you can’t do an apple fritter without a thick glaze, just mix 1 cup of powdered sugar with a splash of heavy cream. Stir until it’s lump-free, and then drizzle it over your freshly cooked apple fritters that have cooled for about 5 minutes first. But as for me and my family, we’ll take them with plain powdered sugar because the crust is crisper this way.

How do you make apple fritter batter?

I’m so glad you asked because it’s just like making cake batter or pancake batter. When I make this, it reminds me of my pancakes for two, until the part where I add tons of chopped apple pieces. The batter feels similar in texture to my small vanilla cake but is slightly looser.

After preheating the oil in your frying pan, start making the batter:

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon).
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream, melted butter and egg very well.
3. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir gently to combine. 
4. Fold in one small apple diced into about 1/2″ pieces. The key is not over-mixing, it’s okay if there are some lumps in the batter or a few dry pockets of flour. Remember, it’s like making pancakes, except with extra fruit and we’re frying them.
5. When your oil has reached 350, drop the batter in by 1/2-cup scoops. Fry on each side until golden brown.
6. You can store the first few apple fritters in the oven on LOW while you cook all 4 fritters.
7. Serve with powdered  sugar or a sugar glaze made by mixing powdered sugar and a splash of heavy cream.

Can you bake these apple fritters?

Ok, I haven’t tried this recipe baked in the oven, but if I was going to, I would scoop it into muffin cups and bake until they’re no longer gooey in the middle. But really, friends, this recipe is about the flash-frying cooking method of frying in hot oil.

If you’ve made homemade apple fritters before and it didn’t work out, it’s most likely because they were gooey on the inside, right? I can fix this problem for you! If the outside of your apple fritters were a lovely shade of golden brown but the inside was raw and gooey, it’s because the oil was too hot.

For my recipe, I suggest the oil temperature of 350-degrees F because it’s low enough to cook the inside and outside of the fritter.

I use a candy thermometer that clips to the side of my pan to ensure the temperature of my oil. The temperature will drop when you add the batter, but don’t worry.

If you have any other questions, friends, I’m always here for you. Just reach out, and I’ll answer as soon as I can. I want you to have success in the kitchen!

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Yield: 4 fritters

Apple Fritters

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Apple fritters from scratch. So thick and fluffy!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 small apple, peeled and small-diced
• 2 cups clean vegetable (or canola) oil
• Powdered sugar (for serving)

Instructions

In a large cast iron (or similar heavy pan) heat the over medium heat to 350.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together lightly the cream, butter and egg. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, stirring lightly, then fold in the diced apples. Be careful not to overmix--it's similar to pancake batter.

Ensure the oil is hot enough by dropping in one apple piece coated in batter--it should sink then immediately float to the surface and bubbles should form around the edges as it fries. Use a 1/2-cup measure to scoop out one fritter. Press the batter firmly into the measuring cup, then dump it in your hand to press it flat--you want a flat disk before dropping it in the oil. Do the same with the remaining batter.

Fry 3-5 minutes on one side, or until golden brown (don't be afraid to get some real color on these), then flip and fry until the other side is golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

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  Candy/Deep Fry Thermometer

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 414Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 254mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 4gSugar: 45gProtein: 6g

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