Puffs of cinnamon, nutmeg, and bits of fresh apples drizzled with glaze complete these tastebud tantalizing apple cider fritters!
I look forward to these seasonal delights every fall. It’s one of the first recipes that I throw together following an afternoon of apple picking at our favorite orchard.
I prefer to cook ours in coconut oil, but please be aware that not all coconut oils can be used for deep frying. It must be expeller-pressed coconut oil aka refined coconut oil to be able to be heated to 365°F in order to deep fry with it. Virgin coconut oil (aka unrefined) has a low smoke point, which means it can burn easily.
What kind of Apple should I use?
When it comes to apple fritters, there are a few key things to keep in mind. First, you want to use a firm apple that won’t turn to mush when fried. Second, you want an apple with a good balance of sweetness and acidity. And finally, you want an apple that will hold its shape when cut into pieces.
With these criteria in mind, the best apples for apple fritters are macintosh, granny smith, and Cortland apples. Macintosh apples are nice and firm, with a sweet-tart flavor that pairs well with the rich batter. Granny Smith apples are also firm, but they have a more tart flavor that helps balance the fritters’ sweetness.
Cortland apples are a good midpoint between macintosh and granny smith apples – they’re not too sweet or tart and hold up well when fried. So if you’re looking for the perfect apple fritter recipe, be sure to use one of these three varieties.
How to Make Apple Cider Fritters
Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl, and stir to blend. Add apple cider (or milk!) and egg until just combined, and then fold in the apple. Avoid over-stirring as it will make them tough.
Spoon enough coconut oil into the skillet so that it is approximately an inch and a half (1 1/2″) deep, and heat oil on medium-high. To test the oil, drop a tiny bit of batter into it; when the batter quickly floats to the top and starts to sizzle, it’s time to cook the fritters.
Carefully add dough by spoonfuls to the hot oil.
Cook until brown, about a minute or so, then flip.
Cook another 1-2 minutes, until both sides are browned.
Transfer briefly to paper towels to absorb excess oil, then transfer to cooling rack.
Make the glaze by stirring the cider, cinnamon, and powdered sugar together in a small bowl. If you don’t have cider, you can use milk. I usually combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon together, stirring until smooth, then add the cider or milk. Otherwise, you may get small lumps of cinnamon.
Drizzle over apple fritters. Wait approximately 3 minutes for the glaze to harden, then flip fritters and drizzle the glaze over the other side. Best served warm.
Apple Cider Fritters Recipe
You’ll Need:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup apple cider
1 egg
1 cup finely chopped apple
Apple Cider Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider (or milk)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, stirring to blend. Add apple cider and egg until just combined. Fold in the diced apple pieces. Do not over-stir the batter.
- Heat oil on medium high.
- To test the oil drop a tiny bit of batter into it, when the batter quickly floats to top and starts to sizzle, it’s time to cook the fritters.
- Spoon the apple cider fritter batter into to the hot oil, carefully.
- Cook until brown, about a minute or so, then flip. Cook another 1-2 minutes, until both sides are browned.
- Transfer the cooked fritters paper towels to remove any excess oil, then transfer to cooling rack.
- Prepare glaze by stirring the cider, cinnamon and powdered sugar together in a small bowl.
- Drizzle over warm apple fritters. Allow glaze to harden, about 5 minutes. Serve while still warm
Apple Cider Fritters
Equipment
- 1 Deep Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ⅓ cup apple cider
- 1 egg
- 1 cup finely chopped apple
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider (or milk)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, stirring to blend.1 cup all purpose flour¼ cup sugar¾ teaspoon salt1 ½ teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon cinnamon¼ tsp nutmeg
- Add apple cider and egg until just combined. Fold in the diced apple pieces. Do not over-stir the batter.⅓ cup apple cider1 egg1 cup finely chopped apple
- Heat oil on medium high.
- To test the oil drop a tiny bit of batter into it, when the batter quickly floats to top and starts to sizzle, it’s time to cook the fritters.
- Spoon the apple cider fritter batter into to the hot oil, carefully.
- Cook until brown, about a minute or so, then flip. Cook another 1-2 minutes, until both sides are browned.
- Transfer the cooked fritters paper towels to remove any excess oil, then transfer to cooling rack.
Prepare the Glaze
- Prepare glaze by stirring the cider, cinnamon and powdered sugar together in a small bowl.2 cups powdered sugar¼ tsp cinnamon1 ½ tablespoons apple cider
- Drizzle over warm apple fritters. Allow glaze to harden, about 5 minutes. Serve while still warm
Equipment
If you altered the ingedients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cooking/baking time.
Nutrition
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To turn these into Baked Apple Cider Fritters you can pour the batter into greased muffin tin cups. As soon as they come out of the oven, remove them from the tin and glaze them, or drop them into a ziploc bag with cinnamon sugar in it and shake to coat them.
You can also cook them in the air fryer in a small pan as well.
These apple cider fritters are the perfect fall treat! I made a batch this weekend using honeycrisp apples, and my family devoured them in minutes. The apple cider adds such a unique flavor that really sets these apart from regular donuts. I sprinkled a little cinnamon sugar on top while they were warm, and it was amazing!
These are fall in a bite. 🍂 I added a dash of nutmeg and used apple chunks instead of grated—amazing texture. Thinking of trying them with a maple glaze next time. Anyone ever freeze a batch after frying?