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Who can resist a sweet, deep-fried donut that’s full of apples and cinnamon and covered in a vanilla glaze? These glazed cinnamon apple fritters are a luscious Fall treat that you can make in less than 30 minutes!
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Warm fritters make for an outstanding breakfast treat or serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a decadent and comforting dessert.
Glazed Apple Fritters
Growing up in Pennsylvania, an annual trip to the Pumpkin farm meant a hayride, picking out pumpkins for carving, and apple picking. Those apples became applesauce, pies, and apple fritters for breakfast.
My mom’s made the batter the night before so that the yeast could rise and make the fritter fluffy and light. They were spectacular and something that I adored.
Now that it’s my turn to carry on this family treat, my recipe uses no yeast. Instead, it’s a quick batter that’s full of tart apples, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. They fry up tender on the inside with a golden crust with crunchy bits that hold onto the silky vanilla glaze.
Ingredients Needed For This Recipe
- Eggs – room temperature
- Brown sugar and powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract and cream cheese extract – vanilla is standard fare in baking, but the cream cheese extract, while optional, enriches the batter with just a touch of tang. I highly recommend using it.
- Whole milk – don’t use low-fat or skim.
- Butter – you only need a tablespoon, melted
- Flour, baking powder, and salt
- Cinnamon and apple pie spice – you could also use pumpkin pie spice or add an additional ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of both ginger and nutmeg.
- Apples – You want to use a firm, baking apple. I use Granny Smith, but Jonagold, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, or Winesap are all excellent choices. Peel, core, and chop them to a fine dice so that they become soft and tender as the fritter fries. If they’re too big, the apple chunks remain crunchy and ruin the texture of the fritter.
- Lemon juice – this helps keep the apples from turning brown and the acidity enhances the flavors in the fritter.
How Do I Make Glazed Cinnamon Apple Fritters?
- Make the batter by mixing together all of the ingredients.
- Drop the batter into hot oil and fry until golden brown.
- Make the glaze and dip each fritter into it.
- Enjoy with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk.
Tips And Tricks For Success
- Use about 3 cups of chopped apples. This is roughly 3 large apples.
- Don’t overmix the batter. If you do, the fritters will be tough and chewy instead of tender and fluffy.
- The batter will be thick and lumpy from the apples. This is exactly the right consistency. Don’t thin out the batter. It should be slightly thinner than cookie dough.
- Be sure to keep the oil at 375 degrees so the fritters fry completely without absorbing too much oil. Use a thermometer and adjust the heat after adding the first batch of dough. The oil will cool off a bit, thus requiring more heat to bring it back up to temperature.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot. Fry the fritters in batches so you can more easily control the oil temperature.
- If you don’t want to glaze the fritters, you can dust them in cinnamon sugar, but do it while the fritters are hot or the sugar won’t stick.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy them within 2 days.
Want a few more sweet breakfast treats? Here are some suggestions:
- Banana Walnut Breakfast Cookies
- Bakery-Style Almond Muffins
- Easy Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Spice Donuts With Apple Cider Glaze
- Stuffed French Toast Roll-Ups
- Banana Streusel Muffins
- Fruit And Nut Oatmeal Scones
- Lemon Vanilla Bean Scones
Glazed Cinnamon Apple Fritters
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
Description
Glazed cinnamon apple fritters are a delicious Fall breakfast treat full of apples & cinnamon that you can whip up in less than 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the fritters:
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cream cheese extract, optional
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced very small
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1-quart vegetable oil, for frying
For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cream cheese extract, and melted butter until smooth.
Whisk in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and apple pie spice until just combined. Don’t overmix. Set aside.
Toss the chopped apples and lemon juice together in a small bowl.
Add the apples, with the lemon juice, into the batter and fold into the mixture until well combined.
Set the bowl aside and allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour the oil into a heavy-bottom Dutch oven.
Heat the oil until it reaches 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.
Use a tablespoon to scoop a heaping tablespoon of batter and slide it into the hot oil.
Fry for 2-3 minutes or until deep golden brown.
Carefully turn the fritter over and cook the other side for 2-3 additional minutes.
With a slotted spoon or wire spider, remove the fritters from the oil and place them onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
Continue frying the remaining batter.
While the fritters cool, make the glaze.
In a medium bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
Dunk each fritter in the glaze and place it back on the wire rack to dry.
If there is any remaining glaze, spoon it over the fritters.
Allow the fritters to dry for at least 10 minutes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: glazed cinnamon apple fritters, apple fritters, apple fritter recipe, apple recipes, breakfast, breakfast treats, homemade donuts, Fall recipes
