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Apple Fritters are crispy, golden, and packed with sweet cinnamon apples, all dipped in a sweet vanilla glaze that hardens into the most irresistible coating. I make a batch *every fall when the apples are crisp*, and the whole house smells like a cozy cider mill. If you love a sweet fried treat, do not miss our crispy elephant ears too.
Folding chunks of fresh Granny Smith apple right into the batter gives every fritter pockets of tart, tender fruit.
Apple Fritters Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 25 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 fritters
- ⚡ Calories: 187kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, cinnamon-spiced, and glazed
- ✋ Difficulty: Medium, on par with our funnel cake
Quick Answer
To make apple fritters, toss diced Granny Smith apples with lemon juice, then whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Combine them into a thick batter and fold in the apples. Heat about 4 inches of oil to 350 degrees and drop in scoops of batter, frying until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes, flipping to brown evenly. Drain the fritters, then dip them twice in a simple glaze made of milk, butter, and powdered sugar. The double dip gives them that classic crackly, sweet coating.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Fresh apple in every bite. Folding diced Granny Smith apples right into the batter gives you pockets of tart, tender fruit in every fritter.
- Warm cinnamon and nutmeg. The cozy spices make these taste like a fall apple orchard in fried-dough form.
- Frying at the right temperature. Keeping the oil at 350 degrees fries them crisp and golden outside while cooking the inside all the way through.
- A double dip in glaze. Dipping each fritter twice builds up that thick, crackly, bakery-style glaze everyone loves.
- Lemon on the apples. A toss of lemon juice keeps the apples bright and adds a little tang to balance the sweetness.
- Better than the bakery. Made fresh and eaten warm, homemade fritters beat the store-bought ones every single time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are crispy and golden outside, soft and apple-packed inside, with a sweet crackly glaze.
- They come together in about 25 minutes with simple pantry ingredients and fresh apples.
- They taste just like the cider-mill fritters you crave, right alongside fried treats like our elephant ears.
Key Ingredients
Simple pantry staples plus fresh apples make the best homemade fritters. Here is what each one does.
- Granny Smith Apples: Tart and firm, they hold their shape and balance all the sweetness. Dice them small so they cook through.
- Flour, Baking Powder, and Spices: Flour and baking powder build the fluffy batter, while cinnamon and nutmeg add cozy fall flavor.
- Eggs, Milk, Butter, and Sugar: They make the batter rich, tender, and just sweet enough.
- Lemon Juice: Tossed with the apples to keep them bright and add a little tang.
- Powdered Sugar Glaze: Milk, butter, and powdered sugar make the sweet glaze that gives the fritters their signature crackly coating.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These fritters are easy to make your own.
- Use different apples: Honeycrisp or Gala make sweeter fritters, while Granny Smith keeps them tart.
- Add a cinnamon glaze: Stir a little cinnamon into the glaze for extra spice.
- Bake or air fry: For a lighter version, bake or air fry them instead of deep frying.
- Add raisins or nuts: Fold in a handful of raisins or chopped pecans for extra texture.
- Try another apple treat: Love these? Make our caramel apple pie egg rolls next.
How to Make Apple Fritters
- Toss the diced apples with the lemon juice in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, do the dry ingredients next.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the milk, butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined.
- Fold the apples into the batter.
- Make the glaze by simmering the milk, then stirring in the butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
- Heat 4 inches of oil to 350 degrees and fry scoops of batter until golden, about 10 minutes, flipping to brown evenly. Drain, then dip each fritter in the glaze twice.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Keep the oil at 350 degrees. Too hot and they burn outside while staying raw inside, too cool and they get greasy.
- Use a thermometer to monitor the oil temperature, and let it come back up to temp between batches.
- Do not crowd the pan. Fry just a few fritters at a time so the oil stays hot and they cook evenly.
- Dice the apples small so they cook all the way through in the time it takes the batter to fry.
- Dip twice for that thick, crackly bakery-style glaze, letting the first coat set before the second.
- Drain on a wire rack set over a sheet tray so excess oil and glaze drip off and the bottoms stay crisp.
- Serve them warm the day they are made, just like our crispy elephant ears.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Apple fritters are best warm and fresh, when the glaze is just set and the inside is still tender. Pile them on a platter for a fall brunch, a weekend treat, or an after-school snack and watch them disappear.
Serve them with a hot cup of coffee or apple cider for the full cider-mill experience, or set them out next to our funnel cake for a fun fried-treat dessert bar.
They are a great addition to a fall dessert spread. Pair them with our apple cinnamon roll-ups and a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the coziest treat.
Apple Fritters FAQs
Granny Smith apples are the classic choice because they are tart and firm, so they hold their shape and balance the sweet glaze. Honeycrisp or Gala work too if you prefer a sweeter, milder apple flavor.
Yes. For a lighter version, drop scoops onto a parchment-lined sheet and bake at 375 degrees until golden, or air fry at 350 degrees, then glaze. They will not be quite as crisp as deep-fried, but they are still delicious.
That usually means the oil temperature was off. If it is too cool, the fritters absorb oil and turn greasy. If it is too hot, the outside browns before the inside cooks. Keep the oil at a steady 350 degrees and use a thermometer.
They are best the day they are made, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a 350-degree oven or air fryer for a few minutes to crisp them back up.
Yes. Freeze them unglazed in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven from frozen, then glaze once they are warm and crisp again.
It is best to fry the fritters right after mixing, since the baking powder starts working once the batter is combined. You can dice the apples and measure the dry ingredients ahead to make things quicker when you are ready to fry.
Craving more fried treats? Whip up a batch of our crispy elephant ears next for another cider-mill favorite.
Easy Homemade Apple Fritters
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups medium-diced Granny Smith apples cored and peeled
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- 6 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- Peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl stir the diced apples with the lemon juice, set aside.3 cups medium-diced Granny Smith apples, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- In another medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg, set aside.1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, pinch of ground nutmeg
- In a large bowl whisk the eggs until beaten.2 large eggs
- Add the milk, butter, sugar, and vanilla, whisk until smooth.¾ cup whole milk, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients and stir it in until combined with no dry patches.
- Fold in the apples.
- In a dutch oven or deep fryer, add about 4 inches of oil up the side of the pan. Bring the oil temperature up to 350°F.Peanut oil for frying
- Once the oil is hot, drop ¼ cup dollops of the batter carefully into the oil. Fry until golden brown on the outside and cooked through on the inside, about 10 minutes total, flipping the fritters a few times to brown evenly. You will need to fry in batches as you don’t want to crowd the pan, I do 3 fritters at a time.
- Drain the fritters well then place them on a wire rack over a sheet tray so they can drip and cool.
- While the fritters are frying, make the glaze by placing the milk into a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring it to a simmer. Take off the heat and stir in the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the powdered sugar and whisk it in until dissolved.6 tablespoons whole milk, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- Add the glaze to a bowl and dip the fritters into the glaze one by one and place it back on the wire rack over the sheet tray. Do this step twice. If there is any glaze leftover, spoon it over the tops of the fritters.
Notes
- Granny Smith is our go-to apple for this recipe, see other apples above that can be used.
- Do not overcrowd your pan when frying, this will help each one cook evenly.
- You can halve or double the batch depending on how many you are serving.
- Peanut oil is our favorite but vegetable or canola oil can also be used.
- If you do not want to glaze these, you can roll in a cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Try switching up your glaze flavor by adding some cinnamon or even some caramel sauce.
Nutrition
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I made apple fritters using another recipe, but had all the ingredients you had. After frying the fritters, they came out brown and crispy. I let them cool before placing the icing on them. I noted by the evening, they were not crispy anymore. Why is that and how can I get them to stay crisp or do they just look the crisp after a while of being out? I have also heard of using rice or cake flour that will help keep them crisp. I haven’t tried that. When I made them, I used all purpose flour.