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This apple fritter donut recipe took years of tweaking and has the key features I think are special about apple fritters. Crisp apples that are more on the tart side balance the sweetness of the dough and glaze. The fritters are perfectly crispy and craggy on the outside and smell like they descended from apple heaven.
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Many donut shops use canned apple filling that is made of pure molten garbage, and very small pieces of overcooked poor quality apples. I like to use fairly big apple chunks, so you can really taste the apple, and they aren't cooked to total mush.
The bigger pieces also create a greater diversity of flavor, with the outsides having lightly spiced caramelized flavor, and the insides having more of the raw apple bite. It a similar idea to how I get different dimensions of apple flavor in my (pretty famous) Apple Cider Donuts.
My preference for making apple fritters is either Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith apples. If you use Granny Smith, do not use the apple cider vinegar that is in the filling recipe, because they are tart enough on their own. For best results, don't ever use red or green delicious apples- as they are terrible for everything and should be banned for human consumption.
See how these round out an autumnal assortment of donuts with vegan pumpkin donuts and vegan gingerbread donuts?
There should be cologne that smells like this for real.
My pro tip for waking your family up: do it with the fragrance of fresh homemade apple fritters or homemade donuts if you want to be the parent of the year. This particular apple fritter donut recipe makes the ultimate sweet treat to bring to potlucks, and they go crazy fast.
Jump to:
- There should be cologne that smells like this for real.
- 🍎 Ingredients needed
- Making the filling
- Dough Instructions
- Glaze Instructions
- 🍎 Forming the fritters:
- 🧖♀️Proofing and frying:
- Different fun fritter variations based on this recipe.
- 🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
- 💣 Recipes you will love if you care about breakfast ⬇️
- Vegan Apple Fritters with Apple Cider Glaze
🍎 Ingredients needed
Apples
My personal choice is Honeycrisp apples which add a perfectly balanced natural sweetness and tartness to the recipe. It's why I often also turn to this variety in my kinda famous vegan apple pie recipe, which I bake in the flakiest vegan pie crust you ever set eyes on. You can subsitute with Gala, Granny Smith (if you like a more tart apple), Fuji, or Pink Lady apples (which I usually opt for when I make vegan apple muffins).
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar provides a tangy kick. In our recipe, it acts as a key acidity balancer, enhancing flavors. If needed, substitute with white wine vinegar for a milder taste.
Bread Flour
A high-protein flour commonly used in bread-making, bread flour, adds structure and chewiness to your dishes. Opt for all-purpose flour as a substitute if you're looking for a softer texture in the final product.
Active Dry Yeast
Active dry yeast ferments the dough, creating the desired light and airy texture. Instant yeast is a suitable substitute, requiring no proofing time.
Powdered Sugar
Be cautious as not all powdered sugars are vegan; some have been filtered through "bone-char filters" mae from, you guessed it, charred animal bones. Opt for organic or specifically labeled vegan powdered sugar.
Natural Corn Syrup
Different from high-fructose corn syrup, natural corn syrup, often used in the United States, provides sweetness and moisture. Avoiding high-fructose corn syrup due to its processing method, you can substitute with maple syrup or agave nectar for a distinct flavor in your recipe.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities and cooking directions.
Making the filling
Step 1
Peel, core and cut the apples into ½ inch cubes.
Step 2
Briefly cook the apples in hot vegan butter.
Step 3
Add the spices and remaining ingredients.
Step 4
Sauté just until well combined and lightly caramelized
Step 5
Pour onto a tray to cool.
Dough Instructions
Step 6
Very gently warm the milk, yeast, sugar, and vegan butter. Do not exceed 110 degrees.
Step 7
After 5 minutes, when the yeast is active add it to a mixer with the whisked dry ingredients.
Step 8
Mix for 5 minutes with a dough hook. Allow to rest, and mix for an additional 4 minutes.
Step 9
Form the dough into a smooth ball, and cover the bowl with a moistened dish towel to rise for an hour.
Step 10
Once the dough has bulk fermented, it should be about doubled in size and ready to work with.
Glaze Instructions
Step 11
This is the easiest part of this whole damn project! All you have to do is add all the glaze ingredients to a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and mix for about one minute until smooth.
If you want your glaze to go on thinner and set up crispier, you can place it in a double boiler on a low flame to warm it slightly before you dip the fried apple fritters in it.
I give instructions below on the glazing process that will yield the crispiest-on-the-outside fritters, with perfectly cooked dough.
🍎 Forming the fritters:
Step 11
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 20-inch by 12-inch rectangle. As evenly as possible, distribute the apple filling on top, and then dust with a generous sprinkle of flour to help soak up extra liquid.
Step 13
Roll the dough and filling up into a log, similarly to how you would roll cinnamon rolls.
Step 14
Chop up the rolled-up dough into inch-sized cubes (2.5 cm.)
Step 15
Divide the chopped-up dough and filling into 12 equal portions. With well floured hands, press them into flat, irregular fritters. Place them onto lightly oiled squares of parchment paper, and onto two baking trays.
🧖♀️Proofing and frying:
Step 17
Place the trays of fritters into an oven. On the bottom rack of the oven, place a pan full of just-boiled water, and close the door to the oven. This will provide a warm humid environment for the fritters to proof in. Allow the fritters to rise for 20 minutes.
Step 16
Place the trays of fritters into an oven. On the bottom rack of the oven, place a pan full of just-boiled water, and close the door to the oven. This will provide a warm humid environment for the fritters to proof in. Allow the fritters to rise for 20 minutes.
Step 17
Heat 2-3 inches of canola oil in a large pot or dutch oven to 350-360 degrees over a medium-high flame.
✅ Don't waste your oil! While you have it out frying stuff, you might want to make these Malaysian vegan banana donuts which take like 1/10th the amount of time and skill to make as these fritters!
Step 18
Fry 2-3 fritters at a time in the hot oil. Removing the square of parchment once the fritters are in the oil using a pair of tongs.
Step 19
Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until reddish-golden-brown and fragrant.
Step 20
Allow the fritters to cool for at least 10 minutes on a wire rack before dipping each fritter on both sides in the glaze. Allowing them to cool a bit before glazing will allow the outside of the fritters to be crispier. Return the dripping fritters to the wire rack for the glaze to set up for 5 minutes before serving with steaming hot cup of coffee or bandrek.
Different fun fritter variations based on this recipe.
Lavender pear fritter - I used to offer these regularly on our food truck and they were downright heavenly. I would make a similar style filling, but with chopped pears and a small amount of dried lavender flowers in it in place of the apples. I would "pear" it (see what I did there?) with a glaze made with a hint of lemon and chamomile and put a little fresh lemon zest on the outside. It was gorgeous.
Cinnamon Bun - Rather than chopping the dough up, once the filling is spread onto the dough, roll it up and then slice it and bake the spiral shaped rolls at 350 for 17-19 minutes on a lightly oiled parchment lined baking tray. Once no longer hot, glaze the buns with the apple cider glaze. This is a great option if you don't want to fry them.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
I have made this recipe using all-purpose gluten-free flour and while it WORKS, it adds some complexities to the process. The main thing to be careful about, especially if gluten is an allergy issue, is frying gluten-free fritters in clean oil which hasn't come in contact with regular fritters. Cross-contamination through oil is REAL!
Yes! You can totally bake these instead of frying them. Brush them with oil BEFORE proofing them and bake them on a lightly oiled parchment paper lined baking pan at 350 until browned around the outside.
Absolutely yes! The only thing is that air fryers have a bit of a small capacity. Make sure to spray your air fryer's tray generously with oil, as well as the fritters when you put them in. Do not overcrowd your air fryer, so that they cook thoroughly. They should take about 7 minutes depending on your air fryer. I recommend flipping them half way through.
Raised donuts and fritters made with yeast do not keep well. Just don't do it. They should be eaten within hours of being made. 12 hours is the absolute limit in my opinion.
After frying, you're gonna be left with excess oil that isn't strongly flavored at all!
Of course you can fry up other sweets like Korean donut twists, Peruvian piocarones, and Mexican Bunuelos!
Some great savory to fry later in the same oil are Tempe Mendoan, Bakwan Sayur, Thai Spring Rolls, Vegan Fried Chicken, or Indian Bhaji.
Otherwise, to store the leftover oil, first let it cool and then strain it with a fine mesh strainer to remove any food particles. Transfer it to an airtight container and store it in a cool, dark place. It's best to use the stored oil within a few weeks. Remember that repeatedly reusing oil can lead to oxidization of the oil and that’s not healthy to consume.
💣 Recipes you will love if you care about breakfast ⬇️
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Vegan Apple Fritters with Apple Cider Glaze
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 4 cups ½ inch diced peeled fresh apples Honeycrisp are ideal
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon molasses
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Dough
- 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons sugar or brown sugar
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- 350 grams bread flour (a little more than 2 ½ cups)
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Apple cider glaze
- ⅔ cup apple cider
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1 kg powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
For forming and frying the fritters
- All-purpose flour for forming
- Canola oil to fry in
Instructions
First make the filling
- In a frying pan or cast iron skillet, melt the vegan butter over a high flame. After 60 seconds when the butter is liquid and hot and foamy, add the apples and sauté them for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. You are just trying to take the raw edge off the apples here, not cook them to death.
- Reduce the flame to medium and add the evaporated cane juice, molasses, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract. Continue to sauté the apples for one minute until all sugar has dissolved, and all ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Remove the apple filling from the pan, and allow it to cool fully before using it to make the fritters.
Then set up the dough
- Warm the plant-based milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches slightly over 105-110 degrees. The milk should have the feel of warm (not hot) bath water. You can check it with a candy thermometer to make sure it has not exceeded 110 degrees.
- Turn the flame off under the pot, and whisk in the yeast and sugar Allow the yeast to proof in the warm sweetened milk for 5 minutes until the surface looks foamy and active. Add the vegan butter to the pot, and allow it to melt slightly for 2 minutes.
- Add the contents of the pot to a stand mixer along with the flour, nutmeg and salt. Mix on low speed with a dough hook attachment for 4 minutes until elastic. Allow the dough to rest and hydrate for 5 minutes and then mix for an additional 4 minutes on medium speed.
- Place moistened warm dishcloth over the mixing bowl and allow the dough to bulk ferment for 60-minutes at a comfortable room temperature. Some people use plastic wrap to cover the bowl, but I really hope you don't send non-biodegradable junk to the landfill in order to make this project. If your kitchen is a little chilly, allow for slightly more rise time until the dough has roughly doubled in size.
While the dough rises, throw together the easy glaze
- Place all ingredients into a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and mix together until the powdered sugar has fully dissolved and the glaze is smooth and thick.
- Place the glaze into a double boiler over a low flame while you form and fry the fritters so that the glaze is warm and loose when it’s time to be used. You can save any leftover glaze in an airtight container to use in future donut making bonanza
Now make the fritters finally!
- Once the dough has bulk fermented and risen for an hour, punch the dough down and flip it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, ½ inch thick. The exact size and shape of the rectangle don’t matter for these fritters.
- Spread the apple filling around the full surface of the dough. Sprinkle the apple filling with 3 tablespoons of flour. Roll the dough into a log as you would a cinnamon roll.
- Using a sharp knife cut the log of dough into strips on a bias, making cuts every ½ inch or so. Then make another set of ½ inch cuts, crossing the first set, essentially chopping the dough up into ½ inch cubes. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little additional flour to absorb some of the extra juice and encapsulate the moist filling. If the filling is extra juice and messy, use slightly more flour.
- Press the messy chopped-up log together by hand forming a fractured loaf. Pressing the loaf with a little pressure from your hands helps the moisture of the apples and the extra flour bond together a bit. Allow the loaf to sit for 5 minutes to relax.
- Using a knife or bench scraper, divide the loaf into 12 roughly even portions, and with floured hands, lightly press each portion together into somewhat flat, irregular fritter shapes. Don’t worry if the fritters seem messy, or like they aren’t holding together 100% completely. Cut out 12 squares of parchment paper, and lightly spray or brush them with oil. Place each loose fritter onto each piece of parchment, and set them onto a baking pan in your oven. Place a glass baking dish at the bottom of the oven and fill it with the boiling water. Close the oven door and allow the fritters to rise in the warm steam for 20 minutes. Do not turn the oven on, just use it as a proofing box to let the dough rise without developing skin from drafty air.
- While the fritters proof in the oven, start heating your frying oil.
- If using a deep fryer, just keep in mind not to overcrowd the fryer with the fritters. Most normal countertop fryers will only be able to accommodate one or two fritters at a time.
- If cooking on the stove top, use a dutch oven that has high sides and place 4 inches of oil into the dutch oven. Use a candy thermometer to ensure that the oil temperature reaches and does not exceed 355 degrees. I find that medium or medium-high heat on my stove achieves this nicely.
- Handle the fritters carefully as you place them into your fryer. Drop them into the hot oil with a metal spatula and then remove the parchment paper from the oil with tongs. Do not over crowd your pot. Most dutch ovens should be able to fry 3 medium size fritters at one time.
- After cooking for 2 minutes on the first side, flip the fritters with a slotted spoon and fry them for an additional 2 minutes on the second side. Transfer the fritters to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes until they are just warm and can be handled comfortably. If you don't have a wire cooling rack, you can lay the fritters out on paper towels If you like a fritter that is more crispy on the outside, I recommend allowing the fritter to cool completely to room temperature. Otherwise, the internal warmth of the fritter interacting with the glaze causes that outer most layer of the fritter to soften a little (which some people like, but you do you).
- Dip each apple fritter donut into the warm apple cider glaze and allow them to drip off on a cooling rack with a baking sheet under it. Glaze can be messy, so I often line the pan under the cooling rack with some parchment to make for easier cleanup.
Notes
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Cheryl says
Absolutely delicious! The addition of the Cardamon in the glaze adds a wonderful warm flavor. I will definitely make again.
KRB says
This was my first time making apple fritters and they were perfect! The glaze is soooo good - I made half a batch of glaze and just generously dipped the tops. I'll definitely be making these again , my whole family loved them as did some friends we shared with.