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Homemade Apple Fritters are a brioche donut dough filled with homemade apple pie filling, cinnamon, and drizzled with a simple glaze. This apple fritter recipe can be prepped ahead of time and refrigerated overnight.
Old-Fashioned Apple Fritters are made with a donut dough and simple to make apple pie filling. These apple fritters are fried, not baked and are the perfect fall dessert. (Detailed video on how to make them below!)
While it does take a bit of time to make these, they are so worth the effort! Delicious cinnamon apple filling inside these light and fluffy fritters. These apple fritters are just like the ones from your local donut shop, only better because they are homemade!
Why this recipe works
- Soft and fluffy doughnut dough that is stuffed with fresh apple filling. These old-fashioned apple fritters are the perfect treat for fall and winter!
- Made with simple ingredients, readily available in your local grocery store.
- Simple to follow directions.
You can make them the night before and plop in the fridge. For more great apple recipes be sure and try Apple Crisp, Apple Hand Pies, Homemade Pie Crust, Apple Pie Recipe, and Caramel Apples.
What you’ll need
- Apples – Use Granny Smith and another variety such as McIntosh. Granny Smith is tart and holds up well. Use another variety, such as McIntosh that will break down and create an apple sauce texture.
- Cinnamon – Warm spice of cinnamon adds plenty of fall spice to your fritters.
- Brioche dough – This soft and fluffy donut dough is perfect for this recipe. Inside the dough is filled with apple filling.
- Glaze – Easy to make glaze made with powdered sugar, splash of vanilla extract, and whole milk. Whisked together to make a thin glaze that nicely coats the top of the fritter.
How to make apple pie filling
Homemade Apple Pie Filling is super simple to make. I use a combination of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp apples. I’ve found this is a great combination.
You can also make this apple pie filling and pipe it into the back of the apple fritters after they are fried. Put the apple pie filing into a disposable pastry bag with a large pastry tip and pipe the pie filling into the back of the apple fritters.
This same apple pie filling is used in my Apple Hand Pies. Don’t have the time for homemade apple pie filling? You can use canned.
How to make Apple Fritters
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the warm milk, sugar, and eggs.
Step 2: Add the dough hook attachment, and stir in the flour and salt. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Cut the butter into small pieces and incorporate into the dough. Scrape the bowl a few times. Beat the dough until it becomes smooth, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 3: Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5-6 minutes, making a smooth dough.This dough is going to be stickywhen you turn it out. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out with a rolling pin. Making it into a rectangle shape, about ½-3/4-inch thick.
Assembling the fritters
Spread the apple filling evenly over the dough. Sprinkle generously with all-purpose flour. This will help absorb some of the moisture from the filling. Sprinkle generously with ground cinnamon.
Roll up, starting at the long end, like you would cinnamon rolls. Cut the dough on a diagonal, then back the other way. You want to end up with pieces about the size of a quarter. Gently push the pieces back into small patties (about 3-4 inches in diameter). You’ll want to sprinkle the pieces with flour as you go. This will be a sticky mess. But well worth the time, effort and mess involved.
Place the apple fritter patties on lined half sheet pans.
After the fritters are fried, you can squeeze in more apple pie filling using a pastry bag with wide tip.
The dough is quite sticky– don’t add more flour because otherwise you might make them tough! You want the dough to be light and airy. Hence why you let the dough rise twice, even before you assemble them into fritter.
Recipe FAQs
Can you make Apple Fritters ahead of time?
Yes, this recipe takes some time. Make them the day before and place on a parchment lined half sheet pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, then fry them fresh in the morning. (Go straight from the fridge to the fryer!)
Why are my apple fritters soggy?
Use plenty of flour sprinkled over top the apple pie filling before you roll up the dough. This will help prevent the apples from taking on too much oil.
Fritters can also be soggy if your oil temperature is too low. If the oil temperature is too low they will absorb too much oil. Use a digital thermometer with a probe to maintain around 375 degrees F.
More Donut Recipes
- Apple Cider Donuts
- Pumpkin Donuts
- Glazed Donuts
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Apple Fritters
Prep Time3 hours hrs
Cook Time5 minutes mins
Total Time3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Make these delicious homemade Apple Fritters with glaze using simple ingredients.
Course: Breakfast, Breakfast or Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Southern
Servings: 15 fritters
Calories: 503kcal
Author: Jessica Robinson
Equipment
Ingredients
Apple Fritter Dough
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
- ¼ cup lukewarm water
- 1 ½ cups whole milk warm
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 5 to 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
Apple Pie Filling
- 6 large apples peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup cold water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Apple Fritter Glaze
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3-5 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
Apple Fritter Dough
In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the warm milk, sugar, and eggs.
Add the dough hook attachment, and stir in the flour and salt. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Cut the butter into small pieces and incorporate into the dough. Scrape the bowl a few times. Beat the dough until it becomes smooth, about 5-7 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5-6 minutes, making a smooth dough. This dough is going to be sticky when you turn it out.
After kneading, shape into a round ball and place back into the greased mixing bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and drape with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm area and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough for a few minutes. Turn back into the greased bowl (spray with cooking spray again if needed) and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Apple Pie Filling
While the dough is rising, make your apple filling. Place the butter and lemon juice in a 10-12-inch cast iron pan over medium heat. Place the chopped apple pieces and the brown sugar into the pan.
Cook the apples over medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes, until slightly soft. Dissolve the cornstarch in cold water and pour over the apple mixture. Let bubble and thicken. Stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon so it does not burn.
Remove from the heat once it's thickened and add the cinnamon and nutmeg. The apple mixture will thicken as it cools. Let cool completely.
Assembling Apple Fritters
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out with a rolling pin. Making it into a rectangle shape, about ½-3/4-inch thick. Spread the apple filling evenly over the dough. Sprinkle generously with all-purpose flour. (about ½ cup or so). This will help absorb some of the moisture from the filling. Sprinkle generously with ground cinnamon.
Roll up, starting at the long end, like you would cinnamon rolls. Cut the dough on a diagonal, then back the other way. You want to end up with pieces about the size of a quarter. Gently push the pieces back into small patties (about 3-4 inches in diameter). You’ll want to sprinkle the pieces with flour as you go. This will be a sticky mess. But well worth the time, effort and mess involved.
Place the apple fritter patties on lined half sheet pans. (you should get about 3 rows of 3 on each sheet pan) Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
While they are in the fridge, whisk together your icing. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. You want it to be fairly thin.
Frying Apple Fritters
Heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet to 375 degrees F. Use a digital thermometer to monitor the temperature of your oil.
Fry for about 2-3 minutes per side. Flip carefully. Once fried, place them on a sheet pan lined with plenty of paper towels to absorb some of the excess oil.
Let cool slightly before dipping only the tops in the icing. Let drip dry on a cooling rack, placed on a parchment lined half sheet pan. Once the icing is set, enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Making Apple Fritters Tips:
This is a sticky dough!
Don’t add too much flour! It will make a tough dough!
•Start with 5 cups flour and add more if needed. You do not want to overwork the dough or put in too much flour. As it will make the dough tough.
Apple Pie Filling:
•To cool the apple pie filling quickly, place the apples in a Pyrex measuring cup, then set the measuring cup in a large bowl that has plenty of ice- this will cool the apples quickly.
Frying Apple Fritters:
•Use a digital thermometer with a probe to properly to monitor your oil temperature and maintain 375 degrees F.
Nutrition
Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 414IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 3mg
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Reader Interactions
Comments
KC says
This is by far the best apple fritter recipe I have ever made or eaten! Awesome recipe! My family devoured them!❤️Reply
Jessica Robinson says
Thank you!! That’s so great to hear!
Reply
Erica says
My husband says that these taste better than Tim Hortons Apple fritters! I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out wonderfully. Now I just need to figure out how to add dulce de leche to the fritters to copycat Tim Hortons latest donut! 😃Reply
Jessica Robinson says
So happy to hear that!! That new Tim Hortons donut looks like you could do a jelly donut and fill the inside with apple pie filling and a touch of dulce de leche. Or just drizzle that on top. The donuts are fried, then dipped into cinnamon sugar while still hot. Then filled with the filling with a pastry bag with tip.
Reply
Brenda says
Absolutely love this recipe! I always get rave reviews when I make these fritters. They are messy and time consuming..but so worth it! plus they’re pretty huge ☺️Reply
Jessica Robinson says
Thank you Brenda! Thrilled to hear everyone loves them! Yes, they are messy to make and time consuming. But they can be prepped at night and refrigerated overnight for ease of prep.
Reply
Sarah McDonald says
is there anyway these can be baked?
Reply
Jessica Robinson says
No, these are a yeast style donut that needs to be fried.
Reply
Margie says
These apple fritters are perfect in almost every way. The yeast dough is lovely not too sticky, handles nicely and the flavour is perfect, and they don’t absorb too much fat when frying at 375 and get done perfectly. However the filling is too wet and this makes the fritter deconstruct in the fryer…even with adding lots of flour before rolling them up and while patting them together.
Next time I will eliminate the water in the filling and knead the apples into the dough after rolling out the dough , then roll it up like a cinnamon roll and cut it as explained in the Video.
I also found heating the milk before adding to the glacé really made the glacé stick better.Reply
Jessica Robinson says
Hello Margie,
Glad to hear you enjoyed the apple fritters.Sounds to me like perhaps you didn’t cook your apple pie filing enough. You need to have water to dissolve the cornstarch and make a slurry. I would highly recommend following the recipe exactly as written. However, I would make sure you cook the pie filling enough (thicken it enough) and refrigerate it overnight. We like to add it well-chilled. With different types of apples and the time of year, freshness of the apples, the water content in apples can vary. But, definitely make sure you cook the filling enough. You may need to add more cornstarch or cook it a bit longer to get it to thicken properly.
If you follow the directions and watch the video, we roll out the dough like a cinnamon roll and then spread the apple pie filling, keeping it slightly away from the exterior edges of the dough. Roll it up like cinnamon rolls and use either a chef’s knife or bench knife to cut into small pieces, then press back together with your hands. This can be a messy process, so I typically wear food safe gloves. Lay the pressed fritters onto a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for an hour or overnight. Fry directly from the fridge. There is no need to warm them up.
Fritters will not “deconstruct” if you make them as directed. It’s possible for a piece or two to fall off in the fry oil, but they don’t deconstruct.
Reply
Diane says
I can’t find the link to the video. I’m not quite understanding what it means to cut the dough so it is the size of quarters and then piece it all back together to get the beautiful fritters pictured. Please help…I would love to watch the video and make some yet tonight! 🙂
Reply
Jessica Robinson says
Video is at the top of the post and there should be one in the recipe card too.
Reply
Shirl Hathaway says
I followed the recipe exactly and had the same problem with the fritter falling apart when it was fried. I used a thermometer for 375 degrees, but the minute the fritter hit the oil, it blew apart. The apples were thick and cold when I rolled them out but when rolling up, it forced the apple mixture to go forward, so I re-rolled it. When I cut the fritters into smaller pieces, it squeezed the apple mixture out. So I squeezed them back together and stored them in the fridge for morning. My question would be: How deep should the oil be? Enough to float the fritters like I do donuts? Mine were good, but were more like glazed donut holes. All the apples were left floating in the oil.
Shirl
Reply
Jessica Robinson says
Hello Shirl,
Sorry to hear you struggled with the recipe and assembly of apple fritters.If you follow the directions and watch the video, we roll out the dough like a cinnamon roll and then spread the apple pie filling, keeping it slightly away from the exterior edges of the dough. Roll it up like cinnamon rolls and use either a chef’s knife or bench knife to cut into small pieces, then press back together with your hands. This can be a messy process, so I typically wear food safe gloves. Lay the pressed fritters onto a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for an hour or overnight. Fry directly from the fridge. There is no need to warm them up.
Fritters will not “deconstruct” if you make them as directed. It’s possible for a piece or two to fall off in the fry oil, but they don’t deconstruct. My guess is that you didn’t press them together well enough or add enough flour to the mixture. You can watch the FULL video in the top of the post. Please let me know if you have any questions or we can help you in any way.
Reply
Adaila says
Looking forward to trying your recipe. I do not see anything about letting the dough rise in the recipe. Are you supposed to let it rise? If so, for how long and in the refrigerator or on the counter?
Thanks!Reply
Jessica Robinson says
Hello Adaila,
It talks about letting the dough rise in step #4 and #5. Apple fritters after they are made and put into the fridge for an hour or overnight. They can be fried right out of the fridge.Reply
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