Name: Apple Fritter Donut
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: makes 12 apple fritter donuts
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 150 g milk (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp or 5.3 oz); 150 g water (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp or 5.3 oz); 80 g butter (2.8 oz); 3 tbsp sugar; 120 g all-purpose flour (1 cup of 4.2 oz); 4 eggs; 1 tbsp baking powder; 4 firm apples (for example Fiji, Honeycrisp, Gala); 500 ml vegetable oil (2 cups); 150 g sugar (3/4 cup); 1 tbsp cinnamon powder

Apple Fritter Donut

You guys, this is the very first autumn recipe this year. I cannot emphasize enough how excited we both are for this new season. Gosh, all the hearty, comfort food. The richness and full flavor this season brings. It's simply the best. Our editorial calendar for October is already full of new ideas for recipes. We also decided to post more regularly, so expect new recipes coming your way every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. We plan on making Tuesdays all about quick and easy seasonal foods, made in under 1 hour, Thursdays will be a bit more indulgent and comfort food-oriented and then Saturdays all about sweet treats for weekend baking. So so so excited! Now back to this recipe. Obviously, apples are in season right now and we are always looking for new ways how to use them. Apple Fritter Donuts aren't the most innovative recipe, but it's a family classic, that's been improved and perfected over the years. If you start now, you can eat them in about 15 minutes. Let's get frying.

Apple Fritter Donut

Apple Fritters have been in my family for years. The recipe has been changed, improved, perfected to this version and we truly love it. We call them Apple Fritter Donuts because their shape and tasty interior reminds us of a delicious, soft donut. So good. This recipe makes about 12 apple fritter donuts and I would say that would serve around 6 - 8 people, depending on how much you love these goodies. Taste-wise, these are divine:

soft, irresistible interior, crispy fried exterior
naturally sweet from the apples
fruity and delicious
easy recipe to make
made in just 15 minutes
kid-friendly and crowd-pleaser
serve them immediately for the best possible taste and texture
devour with your afternoon coffee or tea
each apple fritter donut has less than 200 kcal (without the cinnamon sugar)

What is an apple fritter donut?

An apple fritter donut is basically an apple cut on rings, dipped in a delicious, simple batter. The coated apple rings are then fried in hot oil and while still warm, coated in cinnamon sugar. Their shape and size are similar to a donut and so is the batter the apples are dipped in. However, the batter isn't yeasted.

How to make apple fritters?

Apple fritters are ridiculously easy to make and you can easily whisk them up in just a couple of minutes. Here's what you need to do:

Bring fritter ingredients to a boil
Stir in the flour and eggs (one by one)
Core and cut the apples into rings
Coat the apple rings in the prepared batter
Heat the oil
Fry the apple fritters for 2 - 3 minutes on each side
Drain and coat in cinnamon sugar
Serve as soon as possible (who am I kidding, they are impossible to resist)

PRO TIP: If you prefer your fritters to be crispier and less doughy, then don't add the baking powder to the mixture (we tried it both ways and it works). The batter is much crispier and less doughy.

What's the difference between an apple fritter donut vs traditional apple fritters?

Oftentimes, traditional apple fritters are made with yeasted dough and instead of using apples cut on rings like in this recipe, the traditional apple fritters call for shredded apples or apples cut in small cubes. Instead of coating the apple fritters in cinnamon sugar, you might see them glazed with maple syrup glaze or sugar and lemon glaze.

In this recipe, we used a batter that's similar to choux pastry, which makes these apple fritters more doughnut-like. The texture is incredibly soft and sweet inside, yet crispy and golden outside. The texture of this batter might even remind you of an empty eclair.

Often asked questions and answers

Can we replace eggs with something else?

No, this batter is very similar to choux pastry, that's why adding eggs is crucial for this recipe - the eggs hold everything together and make the apple fritter donut soft and delicious.

Do you pat dry the apples before frying?

We didn't pat them dry, but it really depends on the variety of the apples. Our apples were firm and dry so there was no need. If you are using a more juicy variety, then, by all means, pat them dry.

Will the apples be soft inside?

YES! But not soggy, just perfectly soft. It also depends on the variety of the apple used in the recipe.

What other fruits can we use?

We haven't tested it with any other fruit, but fruits like mango, peaches, apricots, and plums should work really well.

Other tasty fried goodies you should try

METHOD

Fritters batter

Add milk, water, a pinch of salt, butter, and sugar to a saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Stir in the all-purpose flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir the batter well to get a smooth mixture. One by one add the eggs into the batter, only adding the next egg once the previous one has been completely incorporated. Stir the mixture vigorously before adding in the next egg. Add the baking powder and stir to combine. Set aside until needed.

Tip

You can use a stand mixer or an electric mixer to make the batter.
Heat the oil

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet. After a few minutes, check to see if the oil is hot enough. The oil temperature should be 175°C or 350°F. Drop a small amount of the batter into the oil. If it starts to get golden brown and bubbly and it comes to the surface quickly, then it's time to fry some fritters. Have two layers of kitchen towels ready nearby for the fritters to drain.

Tip
Apple Fritter Donut

Core the apples and cut them into 2 cm or 3/4-inch thick rings. Coat the apple rings in prepared batter, making sure they are completely covered. They will look like little apple donuts. Gently drop each apple fritter donut into the hot oil. Fry for 2 - 3 minutes on each side or until beautifully golden brown. Don't overcrowd the fritters, work in batches of 3 or 4 fritters at a time (depending on the size of your skillet).
Serve

Drain the apple fritter donuts on kitchen towels and coat in cinnamon sugar (combine sugar and cinnamon powder in a bowl) while they are still warm. Serve as soon as possible. Enjoy.