So excited to share these homemade apple fritters with a decadent salted maple glaze. This is exactly the kind of recipe to save for a relaxing fall weekend…you can whip them up for breakfast, a midday snack, or even dessert. The fritters are heavy on the cinnamon and full of sweet caramelized apples. Fried until golden, crisp on the outside, and pillowy on the inside. And then (double) dipped in the silky-smooth salted maple glaze. There’s just no better fall treat to splurge on!
apple fritters with salted maple glaze – the details
Many apple fritter recipes call for raw apples to be diced and folded into the batter. I love the additional flavor and texture that comes from cooking them in a skillet first. With the help of a little apple juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon, the apple flavor concentrates as the fruit caramelizes and makes for such a tasty fritter.
This is definitely an extra step, but it’s an easy one and can even be done beforehand. Next up, you’ll make the batter which is a really simple combination of wet and dry ingredients. I added in lots of cinnamon so the warm spice really shines through.
All of those apples get folded in and your batter is done!
Once you’ve got your batter, it’s time to fry. Frying can be a hassle, and this is exactly why I’d say these apple fritters are a great weekend project when you’ve got a little bit more time on your hands. There’s really no way around it, though. So if you’re in the mood for homemade apple fritters, you’ll have to get a big pot of oil on the stove!
Start by heating the oil over medium heat. By the time you have your batter mixed, the oil should be up to temperature. I like to use an ice cream scoop and another spoon to scoop and then slide the batter out into the hot oil so the fritters are as even as possible.
The key to frying anything at home is keeping a close eye on the temperature of the oil. It’s something you kind of have to do by sight and sound. When you drop the batter in you should hear a sizzle. If you don’t, turn the heat up slightly before adding the next one. If the fritters start to get too dark when cooking, turn the heat down slightly. It’s a balance and with practice, you’ll get the hang of it!
Once fried, the apple fritters drain off on some paper towels before getting a luxurious dip into the salted maple glaze. While one coating will do, I like to go in for seconds. The double dip will allow the glaze to really set up and solidify, creating the beautiful white icing look you see in the photos.
The final touch is a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt to bring out all the sweet maple, cinnamon, and apple flavors running throughout the fritters. You can make these as a decadent breakfast, a fun midday snack, or of course as a dessert. Always made better with a hot cup of coffee alongside.
If you’re looking for more apple recipes, here are a few to try:
Cinnamon Apple Crumb Bars
Roasted Apple Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
Caramelized Apple & Bacon Grilled Cheese
Apple Fritters with Salted Maple Glaze
homemade apple fritters with caramelized apples & cinnamon, fried until golden and dipped in a salted maple glaze
yield: approximately 14 fritters
Ingredients
Apple Fritters
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 lb (¼”) diced honeycrisp apples (about 3 medium apples)
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup apple juice
- 1 qt safflower (or vegetable) oil, for frying
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Salted Maple Glaze
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp water
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- For the apple fritters: heat a 12” cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt. Add the diced apples. Cook for about 3 minutes until starting to soften. Stir in 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Pour in the apple juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Allow the apples to cool.
- Pour the safflower oil into a 3-5qt Dutch oven. Heat over medium until the oil reaches 350°F.
- Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine and set aside.
- Beat the eggs in another mixing bowl. Whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar. Add the milk and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a rubber spatula to combine. Fold in the apples.
- Once the oil is at temperature, work in batches transferring the batter to the oil using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop and additional spoon to slide the batter out (don’t overcrowd the pot). Fry for about 3 minutes per side, or until crisp and cooked through (adjust the heat as needed to maintain the oil temperature; the fritters will be fairly dark but you don’t want the outside to burn).
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fritters to a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Meanwhile, for the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, water, and vanilla in a shallow mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Dip each fritter in the glaze to fully coat one side and then set the fritters onto a wire rack, glazed-side up, so that they don’t get soggy. Repeat the process for a second coating of glaze. Immediately sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt over top. Eat immediately or allow the glaze to fully set.
How well do you think these would do in the air fryer?! These look amazing!
Hi Kayla,
I love apple fritters and these look amazing. What are your thoughts on yeast vs. baking powder leavened apple fritters? I’ve always preferred the yeasted ones. My husband thinks that the ones using baking powder are just as good. Are there any tricks to making the baking powder apple fritters as close to yeast dough fritters as possible? Thanks!!