Honey Cinnamon Apple Fritters
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Apple fritters fried in hot oil until golden brown with a honey cinnamon cream cheese dip. Flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice combined with eggs, milk, vanilla, and diced apples. Oil heated to around 345–355F; batter dropped by heaping spoonfuls. Fried until edges crisp and puffed, flipped once. Drained and dusted with powdered sugar. Honey and cinnamon stirred into cream cheese for dipping. Substitutions suggested for honey and cream cheese; notes on oil temperature and fritter doneness included.
Prep:
16 min
Cook:
16 min
Total:
32 min
Servings:
6 servings
#southern cuisine
#fried dessert
#apple recipes
#cinnamon treats
#fritters
You know those mornings where the aroma of cinnamon and hot apples fills your kitchen? Those aren’t just mornings; they’re moments. Fritters that sizzle and puff in hot oil have a rhythm almost hypnotic if you pay attention. I remember first trying fritters too cold oil, ended up with greasy disappointments. Now I trust the dance of bubbles at the edges and sound of a soft crackle to tell me when to flip. The honey in the cream cheese dip isn’t just sweet filler — it’s a punch of floral notes that cuts through buttery batter. Apples hold their shape but soften enough to melt slightly. And the light dusting of powdered sugar? Small art of balance. No strict timers here; you read the pan and batter. That’s cooking with some grit and grace.
Ingredients
- 8oz softened cream cheese
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 medium apples peeled and diced
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Powdered sugar for dusting
About the ingredients
The honey cinnamon cream cheese comes together by simply stirring, so use softened cream cheese for easy mixing. If you don’t have honey, pure maple syrup or agave nectar can fill that earthy-sweet role but adjust quantity to taste since maple is more robust. The flour for fritters stays all-purpose, but some swaps can be interesting — I’ve tried half whole wheat but fritters come heavier, less tender. Spices can flex; if you lack allspice, a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg works fine. Brown sugar adds moisture and caramel notes; light or dark brown sugar will tweak depth subtly. Milk can be whole or 2%; I sometimes use buttermilk for tang and lighter crumb. Apples? Firm varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp are best — they keep texture and don’t turn mushy. Peeling is optional but I lean peeled to avoid stringiness. Vegetable oil heats evenly and has neutral taste; don’t use olive oil here — it’s smoke point’s too low and flavor overpowering. Talking oil temperature, 345 to 355 Fahrenheit is that sweet spot — hotter fries fast but burns outside raw inside; cooler means oily fritters. Use thermometer if you have one, else do the drop test. Patience, rather than strict timing, helps avoid greasy or burnt fritters.
Method
Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese
- Stir honey and cinnamon into softened cream cheese until smooth. Set aside to mellow flavors. If no honey, use maple syrup or agave; cream cheese can be swapped for mascarpone or ricotta but texture differs.
Fritter Batter
- Mix flour with cinnamon, allspice, and brown sugar in large bowl. Beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Stir until combined but avoid overmixing or fritters get tough. Fold in diced apples evenly distributed.
Frying
- Heat vegetable oil 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep in heavy skillet or Dutch oven to about 345–355 degrees Fahrenheit. Use candy or deep-fry thermometer if you can; no thermometer, test with small drop of batter—should sizzle and rise immediately.
- Drop heaping tablespoons of batter carefully into hot oil; don’t overcrowd, fry 3–4 fritters at once max. Listen for steady sizzle—not stormy bubbling, not silence. Let cook until edges firm and underside deep golden, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
- Flip carefully with slotted spoon or spider. Cook 1 to 1 1/2 minutes more until both sides golden brown and puffed. Remove with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Warm oil may need adjustment—too cool fritters soak oil; too hot burns exterior raw inside.
- Dust fritters with powdered sugar while still warm.
Serve
- Serve fritters alongside honey cinnamon cream cheese dip. The sweet cream cheese cuts through apple’s tartness and fried batter richness.
Cooking tips
Start with cream cheese mixture; stirring honey and cinnamon in while cream cheese softens primes flavor without overhandling. In mixing dry to wet ingredients, be careful not to overmix. Flour activates gluten; too much mixing stiffens fritters. Fold apples gently so batter stays airy. Heating oil to the right temp is crucial. I use a heavy skillet or Dutch oven for consistent heat retention. Test oil temp with small batter drop — it should float and sizzle immediately without darkening too fast. Drop fritters by heaping spoonfulfuls with care; overcrowding chills oil and leads to soggy fritters. Don’t stir or flip too soon or batter tears and sticks. When edges look lacy and bubbles soften, time to flip. Use a slotted spoon or spider to handle fritters gently. Drain on paper towels or brown parchment to soak excess oil. Dusting with powdered sugar while fritters are hot lets sugar stick and melt slightly. Serve immediately for crisp outside but soft inside. Leftovers reheat briefly in oven or air fryer to restore crunch. Cream cheese dip not only adds sweetness but balances texture with creamy coolness. Make it ahead so flavors meld; if too stiff, soften with tiny splash of milk or cream.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Honey cinnamon cream cheese needs softened cream cheese; stirred gently so it doesn't split. Use maple syrup or agave if no honey. Maskaropne or ricotta swap okay but expect texture change. Let sit to blend flavors even if impatient.
- 💡 Flour mix combined with spices, sugar first before wet. Avoid overmixing after adding eggs and milk. Overworked gluten tightens batter; fritters turn tough. Fold diced apples carefully; distribute so every fritter pops with soft apple bits but no clumps.
- 💡 Heating oil—aim for 345 to 355 F. Use candy or deep-fry thermometer if possible. No thermometer, do small batter drop test. It should sizzle immediately and rise. Too cool means greasy fritters; too hot burns outside raw inside. Keep depth 1 to 1.5 inches to keep oil temp stable.
- 💡 Drop batter by heaping spoonfuls carefully without overcrowding pan. Stick to 3 or 4 fritters max at once. Listen for steady sizzle sound; too noisy means oil too hot, silence means oil not ready. Flip fritters when edges firm, underside deep golden, usually after 1.5 to 2 minutes.
- 💡 Dust with powdered sugar when fritters still warm; sugar sticks and melts slightly. Warm oil needs watching; if oil cools, fritters soak up more oil. Reheat leftovers in oven or air fryer—briefly—to restore crisp outside. Cream cheese dip helps balance fried richness; soften with splash milk if too stiff.
Common questions
What if no honey?
Use maple syrup or agave nectar instead. Adjust sweetness to taste. Maple stronger than honey so less might work. Can try light corn syrup or even brown sugar dissolved but changes flavor profile.
How to know oil is ready?
Thermometer best but if none, drop small batter piece. It should float and sizzle right away. If it sinks slowly without sizzle, oil too cold means greasy fritters. If sizzle is fierce and darkens very fast, oil too hot burnt outside raw inside happens.
Batter too thick or thin?
Thick batter makes dense fritters, add splash milk gradually. Thin batter spreads too much, add bit flour to tighten. Apples add moisture, so watch consistency after folding in diced fruit. Fold gently to keep airiness.
How to store leftovers?
Room temp short term fine covered loosely. Refrigerate for next day; heat in oven or air fryer to keep crisp. Avoid microwave, makes fritters soggy. Cream cheese dip keeps best refrigerated tightly sealed, may firm up—soften before serving.
