Crunchy Apple Fritters
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Fritters made from chopped apples folded in a spiced batter with cinnamon, brown sugar, lemon juice, and a simple icing drizzle. Deep fried until golden-brown and crisp outside, tender and juicy inside. Use a mix of tart and sweet apples for best texture and flavor. Quick and forgiving batter with baking powder for lift. Finish with a powdered sugar glaze or cinnamon sugar dust. Best served warm or room temp. Store airtight to keep crispness. Substitute any milk with oat or almond milk, butter with coconut oil. Perfect for unscheduled cravings or holiday mornings.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
16 min
Total:
28 min
Servings:
10 servings
#American
#dessert
#fried
#apple
#quick
#snack
Brown sugar, apple chunks, and cinnamon folded into a lumpy batter that sizzles as it meets hot oil. Memories of frying apple fritters in my grandmother’s kitchen still linger: the sweet sharp aroma of cooking apples mixing with the faint musty butter scent. Batter consistency is key here — thick enough so apples stay suspended, yet fluid enough to drop in dollops without puking all over the oil. Past trials taught me patience. Always bring the oil to the right temp, listen for the initial heat crackle, watch for golden edges. Overcrowding stalls cooking, making mushy, oil-sodden blobs that disappoint. The simple powdered sugar glaze cuts the fat, adds just enough sweetness, and that vanilla note. Between crisp crunch and soft, tender apple pockets — pure comfort.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tbsp melted butter (or coconut oil)
- 2 cups chopped apples (mixed tart and sweet, peeled or not)
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 tbsp milk (to thin icing)
About the ingredients
Flour can be swapped 1:1 with gluten-free baking blend if needed. Brown sugar adds moisture and depth versus white; try dark if available, deeper flavor. Lemon juice wakes up dulled apple slices and prevents browning during prep. Whole milk works best for richness but plant-based milks like oat or almond work fine—expect slight textural changes though. Butter provides subtle flavor; coconut oil adds tropical aroma and crispiness, especially if you don’t want dairy. Tart apples like Granny Smith hold shape better; mix with Fuji or Honeycrisp for balance. Baking powder makes fritters fluffy inside rather than flat or dense. Vegetable oil is neutral, heats high, but peanut or canola will behave similarly. The glaze uses vanilla but almond or citrus extract changes profile if you’re feeling bold.
Method
- Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer with paddle, whisk brown sugar, lemon juice, milk, eggs, and melted butter until combined but not smooth.
- Gradually fold the dry mix into the wet just until you see streaks of flour disappear. Avoid overmixing or batter turns tough.
- Add the chopped apples by hand; fold gently. The batter should be thick but not dry.
- Heat oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Use a thermometer and aim for 350-370°F. Oil too hot? Brown outside burns before inside cooks. Too cool? Soggy fritters.
- Spoon batter carefully into hot oil, biting-size dollops. Fry in batches without overcrowding. Shhh, listen to the sizzle, that's the tell.
- Flip fritters after about 2 minutes when edges are golden and firm. Cook another 2-3 minutes until deep golden on both sides and cooked through (test one, dense inside means more time).
- Drain on paper towels. Don’t skip this or fritters get greasy fast.
- Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until drizzle texture. Too runny? Add sugar. Too thick? Splash milk.
- Arrange fritters on rack or parchment, drizzle icing generously or dust cinnamon sugar mix (equal parts cinnamon and sugar). Let set slightly, eat warm or room temp.
- Store airtight container. To refresh next day, warm briefly in toaster oven; just a few minutes re-crisps without drying out.
Cooking tips
Start by sifting dry ingredients to aerate and avoid clumps—this means lighter fritters. Whisk wet ingredients until combined, no need for foam. Mixing dry into wet slowly avoids lumps without activating gluten too much; batter should be thick but droppable. Folding in apples by hand prevents overmixing and broken pieces. Heating oil above 350°F creates immediate crust for crisp texture. Use a thermometer or drop a small batter dollop to test. Sizzle tells you it’s right, reduce heat if smoke appears. Fry in small batches to keep temperature steady and avoid sticking. Flipping at crisp edges is better cue than timer. Drain fritters well—excess oil ruins finish. The icing consistency can be adjusted to drizzle or thick spoonable glaze. Dusting with cinnamon sugar adds crunch and spice if glaze isn’t your thing. Leftovers? Reheat carefully to regain crispness without drying apples.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Start by sifting flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt. Aerates, avoids clumps, gives lighter texture. Folding dry into wet slowly, see streaks vanish but don’t overmix or gluten toughens batter. Thick but droppable important. Apples added by hand, fold gently. Breakage means mushy pockets later.
- 💡 Oil temp key. 350-370 Fahrenheit range best. Too hot burns outside fast—check with small batter dollop, watch for immediate sizzle but no smoke. Too cool means soaking oil, soggy fritters. Use thermometer or visual cues—listen for consistent sizzling crackle sound, that snap means crust forming.
- 💡 Don’t crowd pan frying. Batches small so heat steady and fritters cook evenly. Flip only when edges firm, golden color—not timer dependent. Oil cools when overloaded, more grease absorbed. Drain fritters after cooking well for crisp finish, paper towel or wire rack fine.
- 💡 For icing, whisk powdered sugar with vanilla extract and milk. Adjust thickness to drip or spread style, add milk or sugar as needed. Alternatively, dust equal cinnamon and sugar mix on fritters before serving for crunch and spice. Use almond or citrus extract if vanilla not available for flavor twist.
- 💡 Substitute whole milk with oat or almond milk without much change. Butter can switch to coconut oil for dairy-free option—coconut adds slight aroma and keeps exterior crisp. Brown sugar adds moisture and deeper flavor than white. Using tart apple like Granny Smith holds shape better; blend with sweet like Fuji or Honeycrisp to balance.
Common questions
What if fritters are greasy?
Oil probably too cool or crowding pan. Fry in small batches. Drain on paper towels or rack. Don’t rush oil temp. If still greasy, blot before eating. Oil type matter too—vegetable or peanut better. Reheat crisp faster with toaster oven for next day.
Can I use gluten-free flour?
Yes, swap 1:1 with gluten-free baking blend. Batter texture shifts slightly—may be less elastic. Follow same mixing, folding rules. Baking powder still works for lift. Apples and frying method unchanged though may need slight timing tweak frying.
What if apples sink or batter too runny?
Batter too thin won’t hold chunks. Fold slow adding dry to wet helps thickness. Use mix of tart and sweet slices for texture—tart hold shape better. If apples sink, add a little more flour. Thick batter suspends fruit for even cooking.
How to store leftovers?
Airtight container important to keep crispness from going soft. Reheat briefly in toaster oven or low oven to regain crunch, few minutes enough. Microwaving ruins texture, makes fritters soggy. Can refrigerate a day or two. Avoid wrapping in plastic wrap directly.
