This Apple Fritters recipe couldn’t be easier to make. Apple fritters are homemade doughnuts mixed with fresh apples, cinnamon, and deep-fried to crispy perfection! Topped with a homemade 3-ingredient glaze drizzle and ready to eat in under 20 minutes!
Old Fashioned Apple Fritters
Apple flavored anything will forever win the award for the favorite dessert or baked good. Whether it’s a homemade apple pie, apple turnovers, or these apple fritters, I know that I will have a happy family anytime I make it.
These apple fritters are one of my favorites to make because they are so easy! In just 20 minutes, we have crispy, apple-filled fritters that are perfect as a snack or dessert.
Why We Love This Easy Apple Fritters
- Easy to make dessert
- Delicious apple and cinnamon flavors that make you feel like you are at your favorite cider mill
- Ready in 20 minutes
- Delicious homemade glaze drizzled on top
- Great way to use up apples from the orchard or store
- Perfect as leftovers reheated in the oven or air fryer
- Eat plain or top with your favorite toppings
Apple Fritter Ingredients/Shopping List
- Apples – You can use any type of apple you prefer in this recipe!
- Lemon juice
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
- Salt
- Eggs
- Whole milk
- Vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
Variations / Options / Add-ins
- CINNAMON, NUTMEG & GINGER: You can add up to 1 teaspoon of the ground cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of the nutmeg and ginger.
- CARAMEL & ICE CREAM: These apple fritters are so delicious drizzled with caramel sauce – the store-bought type you use on ice cream works just fine. Speaking of ice cream, they are also delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
- WHIPPED CREAM: For a simple sweet and creamy compliment to these, you can top them off with whipped cream! I especially love them with my homemade whipped cream recipe.
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make Apple Fritters
This apple fritters recipe comes together quickly and easily, with just a 10 minute prep time and a 10 minute cook time. They are best served fresh after deep frying and can be topped off with anything you like, such as whipped cream, ice cream, or caramel.
- Stir together diced apples and lemon juice.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
- Blend the eggs and granulated sugar.
- Add in ½ of the flour and blend, then add the remaining flour and combine. Add in the milk and vanilla extract. Drain the lemon juice from the apples and fold them into the batter.
- Add vegetable oil to the skillet and heat. Carefully pour the batter into the oil.
Pro-tip: You can start heating the oil when you are making the batter, but I do not recommend leaving the oil unattended. It’s best to use a 10-12 inch deep sided skillet, and add enough vegetable oil to fill the skillet ½ full. Heat the skillet on medium-high. To test if the oil is hot enough to fry, carefully drip a small dribble of the batter into the oil. If the dribble of the batter bubbles it’s ready. - Repeating until all the batter is gone.
Pro-tip: It will not take long for the batter to brown once you put it in the oil, so you will need to keep a close eye on the heat level (adjusting the heat up or down) and turning the fritters often to ensure it is golden brown but does not burn. I only recommend frying 2-3 fritters at a time. To make sure the fritters are done, insert a knife in the thickest part of the fritter, if it comes out clean, it is ready to be taken out of the oil. - Allow fritters to cool and drain. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Drizzle glaze over the fritters.
Apple Fritter Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
You can use any variety of apple in the fritters, granny smith is our favorite. We have used Honeycrisp as well. You could even use a mixture of different apples in your fritters for different flavors!
No, you really cannot bake-apple fritters. Unfortunately, they just do not come out even close to as delicious as the fried version. Trust me on this one… go for the deep-fried version!
While there are various recipes for Air Fryer Apple Fritters, this is not one of them. The batter used in this recipe is too runny, and needs to be fried in hot oil. This technique also makes for the crispiest and most delicious fritters, in my opinion!
If you placed these in the air fryer the batter would run off the apples before setting. You need a thicker batter for the air fryer. However, these are delicious as leftovers reheated using the air fryer!
While these are best when eaten fresh, they can also be stored and reheated if you have leftovers. There is no need to refrigerate your fritters. Simply store them on your countertop for 2 days in an airtight container. Due to the texture of the fried apple fritter, they are best when reheated in an air fryer or hot oven. The microwave will make them very soft, almost soggy. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Other Easy Apple Recipes
- Caramel Apple Pie Bombs
- Apple Pie Bites
- Apple Pie Roll-Ups
- Apple Fritter Rings
- Apple Cider Doughnut Cake
- Gooey Caramel Apple Dump Cake Recipe
- Crockpot Applesauce
- Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll Bake
Apple Fritter Recipe
Ingredients
Fritter
- 3 cups (3 medium) granny smith apples peeled, cored and diced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil for frying
Glaze
- 1¼ cup powdered sugar
- 4½ tbsp milk
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium size mixing bowl, stir together the diced apples and lemon juice. Set it aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Set it aside.
- Using a medium size mixing and a handheld mixer on medium-low speed, blend the eggs and granulated sugar until well combined.
- Lower the mixer speed to low, add ½ of the flour mixture. Blend just until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and blend just until combined.
- Keeping the mixer speed on low, add the milk and vanilla extract. Blend just until well incorporated.
- Drain the excess lemon juice from the apples, and fold into the batter. Set it aside.
- Using a 10 – 12 inch deep sided skillet, add enough vegetable oil to fill the skillet ½ full. Heat the skillet on medium-high. To test if the oil is hot enough to fry, carefully drip a small dribble of the batter into the oil. If the dribble of the batter bubbles it’s ready.
- Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lay a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet to drain the fritters.
- Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, measure out the batter, and carefully pour into the heated oil. It will not take long for the batter to brown, so you will need to keep a close eye on the heat level (adjusting the heat up or down) and turning the fritters often to ensure it is golden brown but does not burn. To make sure the fritters are done, insert a knife in the thickest part of the fritter, if it comes out clean, it is ready to be taken out of the oil. I only recommend frying 2 – 3 fritters at a time. Transfer the cooked fritters to the cooling rack. Repeat until all the batter is gone.
- Allow the fritters to properly drain and cool.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Continue whisking until the glaze is completely smooth and no lumps are visible.
- Once the fritters are drained and cooled, drizzle the glaze over the fritters until they are completely covered. Allow the glaze to dry, then serve and enjoy.
Can you use skim milk?