Apple Fritters with Maple Glaze

Apple Fritters are sweet and tender on the inside with a lightly crisp exterior, topped with a delicious maple glaze. With fresh apples, cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg, this recipe is the perfect fall treat. These look authentic and old-fashioned and take only 30 minutes to make.

Another way to enjoy apple season is with these Air Fryer Apple Blooms with caramel sauce, Granny Smith apples, and brown sugar. This Irish apple cake topped with creamy custard sauce is amazing. And this instant pot apple cake is soft and moist, infused with the warm flavors of orange and cinnamon.

When you make apple fritters, apples are the most important ingredient, so make sure they are fresh and crisp. These make a perfect Halloween treat or a nice dessert for Thanksgiving dinner. Ooey gooey, buttery, and filled with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, the aromas in your kitchen will be out of this world. A bit of lemon zest is added to balance the spices and add a punch of freshness to every buttery bite.

Why you will love this recipe 

• Two desserts in one: I mix fresh apples with a sweet pastry, then glaze it with a gooey maple glaze for a caramelized crust. It’s like having an individual apple pie and a soft, baked donut in one dessert. 
• Homemade pastries in minutes: I can make a dozen of these tasty treats in minutes, way faster than a trip to the bakery!
• Save money, too: I can make these at home. A dozen apple fritters cost $25 or more at the bakery, but I can make them for less than $10.
• Fresh and customizable: When I make them at home, I know they are fresh, and I can add as much sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg as I like. I also don’t have to worry about added sugar, salt, artificial flavors, or preservatives. 

What you will need

For the fritters

• Produce: I use 4 cups of peeled and diced Granny Smith apples. I also get a lemon so I can make my own lemon zest and lemon juice for the best flavor. 
• Wet ingredients: Lemon juice prevents the apples from browning and adds a bright, tart flavor. Milk adds fat to bind the dry and wet ingredients, soften the crumb, and keep things moist. Butter provides rich, deep flavor and tenderizes the crumb. Eggs bind the batter and help trap air for a light, fluffy texture. Pure vanilla extract brings out the natural sweetness without the bitterness you get from imitation vanilla. I use vegetable oil for frying because it has a high smoke point and lets the natural flavors shine through. 
• Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour provides a medium protein level, yielding a soft, tender crumb while remaining strong enough to hold the chunks of fruit. Baking powder creates instant gas bubbles that trap air and produce a light texture, resulting in a soft, cake-like interior.
• Seasonings: Besides salt, I also use cinnamon for warm sweetness, nutmeg for a bit of nuttiness, and ginger for a hint of spicy, peppery flavor.  Lemon zest adds a right citrus kick to balance the sweet, doughy flavor. Brown sugar introduces molasses flavors and caramelization to keep the inside moist. 
• Glaze: Milk adds a creamy, rich flavor. Maple syrup provides a warm maple taste and deep, complex notes of caramel and vanilla. Pure vanilla extract balances thesugar’s heavy sweetness with a light floral undertone. Powdered sugar blends smoothly into liquids at room temperature, leaving no gritty residue.

How to prepare

Toss the apples: First, toss the diced apples with the lemon juice and zest in a large bowl until combined. 

Mix the wet ingredients: In another large bowl, I whisk the eggs before stirring in the milk, cooled butter, and vanilla extract. 

Whisk the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, I whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon until well combined. 

Combine all the ingredients: Then, add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture until a loose dough forms, before using a rubber spatula to fold in the diced apples. 

Fry and cool the fritters: I heat 3 to 4 inches of oil in a deep-frying pan over medium heat until the oil reaches 375 degrees F. Once it is hot enough, I use an ice cream scoop (or a ¼ measuring scoop) to drop the batter into the oil, letting it fry until the outside is golden brown. I make sure there’s plenty of space between each fritter, so they have room to breathe. I use a spatula to flip them after a couple of minutes so they can brown on both sides. This usually takes about 4 minutes total. Then, I use a slotted spoon to move them to a cooling rack lined with paper towels to drain and cool. I repeat with the remaining batter until everything is cooked. 

Make the glaze: In a small bowl, I mix the milk, syrup, vanilla, and powdered sugar until it is smooth. I add more milk if needed, a teaspoon at a time, until it is thick but drizzly. 

Glaze, dry, and serve: Once the fritters have cooled, I drizzle the glaze over them, let it dry, then serve. 

Expert tip

Keeping the glaze smooth

Gritty syrup is a common occurrence caused by undissolved sugar or improperly filtered maple syrup. If you make your own syrup with sugar, the problem is probably that it just needs to be heated up again so the sugar can melt properly. Add a splash of water and bring it to a boil, then let it boil until the sugar dissolves. Maple syrup can be strained through fine cheesecloth to remove minerals (like calcium) and sediment. 

More tips to consider:

• Butter should be melted and cooled to room temperature before mixing it into the batter.
• Apple pieces should be diced into similar-sized pieces, so they don’t cook unevenly. 
• Don’t crowd the frying pan. The fritters need room to breathe so they can fry rather than steam. Otherwise, they will be soggy instead of crispy. I usually do a few at a time.
• Also, too many fritters in the pan will lower the oil temperature. Another reason for soggy fritters. 
• Keep a candy thermometer in the oil so you know its temperature before putting the fritters in every time. It has to be 375 degrees F for crispy fritters. 

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Cinnamon sugar: They taste great warm with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top instead of maple glaze. 
• More fruit: I sometimes add other fruits, like strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries. Whichever fruit you like with apples. 
• Fruit topping: Instead of maple glaze, I often top these with fruit preserves or jam, like my easy strawberry jam, which pairs well with the apple flavor. 
• Caramel sauce: Another way to make these fritters taste special is to drizzle them with my 10-minute homemade caramel sauce. It is so easy to make with just 3 ingredients!
• Go nuts: For extra texture, you can also top these with chopped nuts or dried fruit. 

Serving suggestions:

Apple fritters may seem like dessert, but I often serve them for breakfast. They taste great with my homemade tater tots, which are super crispy on the outside and tender and fluffy on the inside. All you need are potatoes and some of your favorite seasonings to make them. Another fun way to serve these apple fritters is with my Instant Pot egg bites. I can whip these up in less than 30 minutes with just 6 ingredients, and they are fully protein-rich.

If you’re looking for a warm drink to go with these fritters, try my copycat Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. It tastes better than theirs, and you can make it with just a few simple ingredients. It’s much cheaper than buying one at the shop, and the rich pumpkin spice flavor pairs so well with the apple-cinnamon flavor of the fritters. For a nice cool beverage, this boozy apple cider mimosa recipe is perfect for a special occasion or just a lazy weekend. 

How to store leftovers:

• Refrigerate: These fritters can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.   
• Freezing: To freeze, I wrap them in plastic and put them in a freezer bag. They will stay fresh for up to 3 months.  
• Defrost: I thaw frozen leftovers overnight in the fridge before reheating. 
• Reheating: The best way to get crispy reheated fritters is to put them in the air fryer for 2 to 3 minutes at 400°F.   

Frequently asked questions

More apple recipes: