These apple fritter bites transform the delicious treat our grandmas used to make into a deliciously poppable treat loaded with apple flavor. Apple cinnamon dough is fried until golden brown, then dipped in glaze to make a pint-sized version of the classic with full-sized flavor!
Apple fritters are one of the best things ever created. My grandmother used to make them, and I’ll always make a pit stop at Dunkin Donuts to get their version, as well. If you’re an apple fritter fan like I am, then you’re going to love these apple fritter bites. I love making these year-round, but when fall hits, I make them part of my apple recipe rotation as I churn out all things apples. Everyone loves them, and they’re so easy to make. You can’t beat that!
Why You’ll Love This Old Fashioned Apple Fritters Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: This rustic recipe only uses simple, basic kitchen staples, so it’s incredibly easy to round up everything you need.
- Easy to Make: All this recipe takes is a little mixing and frying. That’s it!
- Old-Fashioned Flavor: The diced apples and cinnamon in the tender batter and the vanilla glaze used to coat them create classic, old-fashioned apple flavor perfect for the fall.
- Versatile: Enjoy these as a sweet breakfast, afternoon snack, or dessert.
Ingredients
For the Fritters
- Flour: Flour is the base for the dough that holds all the other delicious ingredients.
- Chopped Apples: Granny Smith apples add sweet and tart flavor and a crispy texture.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is the classic pairing with apples, especially during the fall.
- Milk and Egg: Milk and egg bind the dough together and add the moisture and fat that make these bites so tender and soft on the inside.
For the Glaze
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar gives the glaze its sweet flavor and allows it to set up as it dries.
- Milk: Milk thins the powdered sugar to a dippable consistency for glazing the fritters.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Apples: I like Granny Smith, but you can use your favorite apple variety. They’ll all give the fritters a slightly different flavor.
- Gluten-Free: You can use a 1:1 gluten-free flour to make a gluten-free version.
- Dairy-Free: You can use your favorite plant milk to make a dairy-free version of these fritters.
- Cinnamon Glaze: Add a little cinnamon to the glaze mixture for even more cinnamon flavor.
How to Make Apple Fritter Bites
For the Fritters
1: Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
2: Whisk the dry fritter ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside.
3: Whisk the milk and eggs together in a medium bowl.
4: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Then, stir in the apples.
For the Glaze
1: Mix the glaze ingredients together until smooth.
Frying and Glazing
1: Drop the fritter mixture by heaping spoonfuls into the hot oil and fry until both sides are golden brown.
2: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried fritters to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until all fritters are fried.
3: Let the fritters cool until they’re warm, then dip them in the glaze and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to set. Enjoy!
Hint
Always fry your fritters in small batches. This keeps the oil hot so the fritters get crispy rather than soggy.
Storage
Store these fritters in an air-tight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. For longer storage, wrap the fritters in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter for a few hours, and enjoy!
What to Serve with These Fried Apple Fritter Bites
Serve these apple fritter bites as a sweet dessert after a hearty meal like chicken cobbler, baked bowtie pasta, or Mississippi pot roast bites.
The delicious fall flavor of these fritters also makes them an excellent part of a larger dessert spread at parties and holiday gatherings, alongside treats like mini apple bundt cakes, homemade honey buns, or mini pumpkin cheesecakes.
Tips
- Mix your wet and dry fritter ingredients until combined, but don’t go overboard. Overmixing will make the fritters tough.
- Preheat the oil and fry the fritters in small batches. This keeps the oil nice and hot, which results in fritters that are crispy on the outside rather than soggy.
- It’s important that the fritters are just a little warm when you dip them in the glaze. It helps the glaze get into all the little nooks and crannies and keeps it from getting too thick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Granny Smith apples are the classic choice for their firm texture and mix of sweet and tart flavors. However, the beauty of apple fritters is that any apple variety will work. They all bring their own flavorful twist to the fritters.
If you don’t preheat your oil or you add too many fritters to it, the oil won’t be hot enough to immediately begin crisping the outside of the fritters. When this happens, the oil seeps into the fritters, making them soggy and greasy.
Like any fried food, the key to a crispy exterior is oil heat. Hot oil cooks the outside of the fritters crispy, creating an immediate physical barrier against the oil. This keeps the oil on the outside where it belongs and out of the dough. However, if your oil is too cool, the outside won’t cook quickly enough, allowing the oil to seep into the fritters or batter of whatever you’re frying. This results in soggy, greasy fritters or coating.
First and foremost, check which apples are in season in your area. Apples that travel thousands of miles to get to your grocery store will never be as fresh as apples that are in season in your hemisphere. Second, look for apples that are firm and not soft or spongy. In addition, juicy apples are heavier. Finally, give the apples the sniff test. If they smell fruity and fresh, they’re ripe.
Try These Apple Fritter Bites Today
These delicious apple fritter bites take the classic apple cinnamon flavor of old-fashioned fritters and packages them in a bite-size portion that’s as fun as it is delicious. These fritters are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and overflowing with classic fall flavor. Give them a try, and I know you’ll fall in love with them.
More Apple Recipes You’ll Enjoy
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Apple Fritter Bites
Ingredients
Apple Fritter Bites
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 ¼ cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, chopped
- 1-2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Vanilla Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
Apple Fritter Bites
- In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- Whisk milk and eggs together in a medium bowl.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
- Stir in apples.
- Drop fritter mixture by heaping teaspoons into hot oil and fry until both sides are golden brown.
- Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Vanilla Glaze
- Make glaze by mixing together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Once fritters have cooled a bit but are still warm, dip fritters into glaze and place on a parchment lined baking sheet or plate.
