Apple Fritters

These apple fritters are everything you want in a cozy homemade fall treat — crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy inside, and packed with sweet apple flavor in every bite. Fresh apples add natural sweetness and a slight tartness that pairs perfectly with the warm cinnamon-spiced dough. As they fry, the edges become beautifully golden and lightly crisp while the inside stays tender and airy.

One of the best parts about making apple fritters during apple season is using freshly picked apples, which bring incredible flavor and texture to the recipe. Finished with a simple glaze or dusting of powdered sugar, they become almost impossible to resist while still warm.

They are perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack with coffee or hot cider, especially on cool autumn days.

I used dry instant yeast for this dough recipe but if you’re looking for sourdough version of a dough you can find it here.

Ingredients

Dough

• 300g bread flour  
• 150g milk 
• 1 whole egg+1 egg yolk
• 55g soft butter 
• 30g sugar 
• 5g salt 
• 2g dry instant yeast
• Vegetable oil for frying 

Apple Filling:

• 4 medium granny smith apples
• 20g butter
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs lemon juice 
• 2 tbs cinnamon
• 2 tbs flour for dusting

Glaze

• 2 cups of powdered sugar 
• 1/3 cup of melted butter 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 5-6 tbs hot boiling water 

Directions 

Dough

• 8 am combine milk with dry instant yeast and whisk until dissolved. Add egg and egg yolk, flour, sugar, mix to hydrate all flour,  let the dough autolyse for 30 minutes.
• During the autolyse period the flour becomes fully hydrated. This process activates gluten development.
• 8.30 am mix the dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
• Add salt and mix for a couple more minutes. The dough should form a ball.
• Add soft butter, increase the speed, mix for 10-15 minutes until the dough comes up together. If its not coming up together, feel free to add a little more flour (10-20g).

• 9 am  cover the dough and let it proof for 2-3  hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.
• During that time perform 2 stretches and folds.

• Prepare the apples.

Apple filling 

• Peel, core and quarters apples, then dice them  into 1/2-inch pieces. 
• Melt butter in a skillet, add apples, lemon juice and sugar.
• Stir to combine, heat over medium heat until apples are softened and most of the moisture disappears, about 5 minutes. Add cinnamon, mix until all combined.
• Remove the apples to a bowl, to cool for a bit.

Shaping 

• The dough should become bigger and puffy.
• 12 pm  sprinkle work surface with flour and dump proofed dough on it.
• Release the dough from container. Roll it into 8×15 inches rectangular.
• Spread cooked apples all over the dough. Sprinkle more cinnamon on top and 2 tbs of flour. (Flour will help to bind the apples and the dough together)
• Using bench scraper, cut filled dough into small 1/2 inch pieces.
• Divide all into 8 equal portions. Press each fritter together so it won’t fall apart in the fryer. 
• Place fritters on parchment paper.
• Cover and let proof for 1 hour at 76-80F.

• Preheat oil up yo 375F.
• Add two or three fritters to the hot oil and fry 1 minute per side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

Glaze

• Whisk all ingredients together adding more hot water if needed to get the consistency you want.
• Dip the top of each apple fritter into the glaze and place onto a cooling rack to let it drip down. 

Enjoy 😉 

Apple Fritters

346kcal

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Prep 45 minutes mins

Cook 10 minutes mins

Rise & Rest Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total 5 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

An incredibly delicious autumn treat that celebrates apple picking season with sweet, spiced dough pockets. This recipe uses dry instant yeast to create a soft, airy texture that is packed with tender, cinnamon-cooked apples and completely dipped in a rich, buttery vanilla glaze.

Servings 8 Large Fritters

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1x2x3x

The Enriched Yeast Dough

• ▢ 150 g Milk
• ▢ 2 g dry instant yeast
• ▢ 1 Whole egg
• ▢ 1 Egg yolk
• ▢ 300 g bread flour
• ▢ 30 g Sugar
• ▢ 5 g Salt
• ▢ 55 g Unsalted butter softened completely to room temperature
• ▢ Vegetable oil designated strictly for deep frying

The Spiced Apple Filling

• ▢ 4 Medium Granny Smith apples
• ▢ 20 g Butter
• ▢ 2 tbsp Brown sugar
• ▢ 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• ▢ 2 tbsp cinnamon
• ▢ 2 tbsp Flour Reserved exclusively for dusting and binding the fruit during assembly

The Melted Butter Vanilla Glaze

• ▢ 2 cups Powdered sugar
• ▢ 1/3 cup Butter melted completely
• ▢ 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 5–6 tbsp Hot boiling water adjust as needed for ideal consistency

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand Mixer Fitted with the dough hook attachment
• ▢
  Skillet or Frying Pan For cooking the apple filling
• ▢
  Deep Fryer or Heavy Pot For frying
• ▢
  Rolling Pin
• ▢
  Bench Scraper
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Pastry Brush
• ▢
  Cooling Rack & Paper Towels

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Autolyse Rest & Mechanical Kneading

1. 8:00 AM: In your stand mixer bowl, combine the 150g of milk with the 2g of dry instant yeast and whisk by hand until fully dissolved. Whisk in the 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk. Add all 300g of bread flour and 30g of sugar. Stir cleanly just until the flour is hydrated and a shaggy mass forms. Cover and let the dough autolyse undisturbed for 30 minutes to activate early gluten development.
2. 8:30 AM: Lock your mixer’s dough hook in place. Mix on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or if using a KitchenAid mixer, run it on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until well incorporated.
3. Sprinkle in the 5g of salt and mix for a couple more minutes until the dough naturally builds enough strength to form a clean ball around the hook.
4. Increase your mixer speed to medium-high and begin adding the 55g of soft butter a tablespoon at a time. Knead continuously for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough gathers together smoothly. Note: If the dough remains overly sticky and refuses to pull away from the bowl after 12 minutes, sprinkle in a small 10g to 20g adjustment of extra flour to help stabilize it.
5. 9:00 AM: Cover the bowl tightly and let the dough proof for 2 to 3 hours at a warm ambient temperature of 76–80°F (24–28°C). Perform 2 separate rounds of structural stretch-and-folds spaced evenly across the first 90 minutes of rising.

Skillet Apple Sauté & Craggily Fritter Shaping

1. 6. Prepare the Filling: Peel, core, and quarter your 4 Granny Smith apples, then dice them cleanly into uniform 1/2-inch pieces.
2. 7. Melt the 20g of filling butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apples, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Stir well and sauté for about 5 minutes until the fruit softens and most of the escaping liquid evaporates. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of cinnamon to coat, then transfer the apples to a bowl to cool completely.
3. 8. 12:00 PM: Dust your clean work surface generously with flour and tip your puffy, expanded dough out onto it. Use a rolling pin to stretch the dough into an even 8×15 inch rectangle.
4. 9. Spread your cooled cinnamon apples evenly over the entire surface of the dough rectangle. Sprinkle a light dusting of extra cinnamon and the 2 tablespoons of binding flour straight across the apple layer to help lock the fruit into the dough matrix.
5. 10. Using a sharp bench scraper or pizza wheel, slice the filled dough sheet systematically into tiny 1/2-inch pieces. Chop and gather the pieces together, then divide the craggily mass into 8 equal portions. Press each portion firmly together into a cohesive fritter shape so it stays locked together during frying. Place the shaped fritters onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover loosely, and let proof for 1 hour at 76–80°F (24–28°C).

High-Heat Frying & Glaze Finish

1. 11. Pour your frying vegetable oil into a deep, heavy pot and heat it steadily until it registers exactly 375°F (190°C) on a kitchen thermometer.
2. 12. Lower two or three proofed fritters carefully into the hot oil. Fry for exactly 1 minute, use a slotted spoon to flip them over, and fry for another 1 minute on the opposite side until puffed and deep golden brown. Lift them out and drain immediately on a tray lined with paper towels.
3. 13. The Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/3 cup of melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 5 to 6 tablespoons of hot boiling water until sleek and smooth.
4. 14. Dip the warm top surface of each fried apple fritter straight into the glaze, then arrange them on a wire cooling rack to allow the excess coating to drip down cleanly before serving.

Nutrition

Calories346kcalCarbohydrates92gProtein8gFat8gSaturated Fat5gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat2gTrans Fat0.3gCholesterol63mgSodium154mgPotassium207mgFiber4gSugar23gVitamin A321IUVitamin C5mgCalcium95mgIron1mg

Notes

• The Binding Flour Rule: Spreading cooked fruit directly into a rich dough creates pockets of moisture that can easily cause your pastry to fall apart during lamination or frying. Sifting those 2 tablespoons of raw flour directly over the sautéed apples before chopping serves an important technical role: it absorbs the ambient juices and creates a thin starch paste that anchors the fruit bits to the dough.
• Precision Temperature Oil Control: Maintaining your frying oil at a steady 375°F (190°C) is the secret to getting a light, non-greasy fritter crust. If your oil temperature drops too low when you drop the pastries in, the dough will absorb the grease like a sponge, leading to a heavy, oily result. If it runs too hot, the exterior sugar will burn before the dense, apple-loaded center is fully baked through.
• The Sourdough Alternative Option: If you prefer the complex flavor profile and slow digestibility of natural fermentation, you can easily adapt this dough. Omit the 2g of instant yeast completely and substitute it by incorporating an active sourdough pastry starter into your milk mix instead. Keep in mind this shift will require expanding your primary room temperature bulk rise window to roughly 5 to 6 hours to ensure a full rise.
• Choosing the Best Baking Apple Variety: For the absolute best interior texture and flavor, always use firm, tart baking varieties like Granny Smith. Their high acid content balances out the sweet sugar glaze perfectly, and their sturdy cellular matrix ensures the apple chunks maintain a pleasant bite without dissolving into mush when sautéed or fried.

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