There is a magical moment that happens every autumn when the air turns crisp, the leaves crunch beneath your boots, and the aroma of warm cinnamon and fried dough wafts through the morning air. If you’ve ever stopped by a local orchard or bakery just to grab one of those colossal, craggy, glaze-drenched apple fritters, I have good news: you no longer have to wait for a weekend trip to get your fix.
Unlike batter-based fritters, using a rich, slightly sweet dough creates those coveted nooks, crannies, and tender layers that soak up every single drop of that sweet vanilla glaze. Packed with chunks of tart, cinnamon-spiced apples in every single bite, these golden-brown beauties are wonderfully crispy on the outside, incredibly soft on the inside, and completely irresistible.
Whether you’re looking for the ultimate weekend baking project, a crowd-pleasing brunch treat, or simply want to treat yourself on a lazy Sunday, these homemade apple fritters are about to become a legendary staple in your recipe box.
Tie your apron, grab a couple of crisp apples, and let’s make some kitchen magic. Trust me—once that sweet glaze hits the warm, rough edges of these golden-brown beauties, you’ll never look at store-bought pastries the same way again.
I would dare go on the record as saying that these are quite possibly the BEST apple fritter (doughnut) that I have ever eaten!!
Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups (275 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons (35 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed
- ½ cup (120 grams) milk, warmed to 105°F
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 4 -5 cups neutral oil for frying (peanut and vegetable are good)
Instructions:
1. Place flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a medium bowl and wisk until incorporated.
2. Add the butter and gently work it into the flour mixture until you have fine crumbs.
3. Add the eggs and warm milk to the flour/butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon (or spatula) until the dough becomes a shaggy mass. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until well combined and no chunks of butter are visible (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little flour if needed. The dough is sticky. If you add too much flour the fritters will be dry.
4. Put in covered container in a warm place for *1-2 hours. The dough will puff slightly but will not double in size. This is fine, and exactly how it’s supposed to be. *If it’s warmer, the dough may only take an hour to rise.
Make the apple filling while the dough is proofing.
Ingredients for apple filling:
- 2 large (250 grams) honey crisp or granny smith apples. diced
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons (26 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons (5 grams) cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon apple pie spice (optional)
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions for apple filling:
Heat the butter in a saute pan over medium heat until melted and slightly brown.
Dice the apples and place in the pan with the melted butter. Add the cinnamon, sugar (and apple pie spice, if using). Stir everything together and continue to cook for about 2 minutes. Add the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and salt and cook until most of the moisture has evaperated (this takes about a minute).
Place on a baking sheet to cool.
While the apples are cooling, make the glaze for the fritters.
Ingredients for the glaze:
- 2 cups (240 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
- 3-4 tablespoons (46-61 grams) milk
- 1 tablespoon butter (14 grams), melted and cooled slightly
Instructions for glaze:
Place all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
Add more milk if needed for desired consistency.
Rolling, forming and frying the fritters:
Place proofed dough on a floured surface. Dust the top of the dough and rolling pin with a little four. Roll into a square (about 12″ X 12″).
Place the cooled apple filling on top of the dough and spread evenly to the edges.
Sprinkle flour over the filling (about ¼ cup).
Roll the dough and filling like you would a cinnamon roll.
Using a bench scraper (or sharp knife) cut 1″ strips on a diagonal.
Cut 1″ strips on a diagonal going in the opposite direction.
Press the dough together and add a little flour. This will help to hold everything together.
Cut the compressed dough into six pieces. Press and form the dough into an oval shape. Place the dough on parchment pieces and cover with a tea towel. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes while the oil is heating.
Heat the oil to 360° F. Keep a close watch on the oil and make sure it doesn’t go below 350° F (it will drop a little bit when the fritters are placed in the oil).
Cook for 1-2 minutes on one side and then flip them over and continue to cook for another minute.
BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN FRYING THE FRITTERS! THE OIL IS VERY HOT!!
Place the cooked fritters on a cooling rack and continue frying until they are all done.
Gently dip the apple fritters in the glaze (so they don’t fall apart). Place them back on the cooling rack and wait about 10 minutes for them to set (longest 10 minutes EVER! hahaha). Enjoy!!!
I enjoy mine with a nice, steamy cup of hot coffee…Mmmmm!!!!
Inspired by YouTube guru, Brian Lagerstrom, these apple fritters do not disappoint!!
I hope you make these crunchy, flavorful bits of deliciousness! If you do, please tag me @goodeatsbymimi. I would love to hear from you and see your photos!!