Easy Baked Apple Fritters
These Easy Baked Apple Fritters are loaded with bits of fresh apple in a batter brimming with warming fall spices. They’re baked to golden brown perfection then drizzled with a sweet and simple glaze!
Apples are one of the most delicious and versatile fall fruits. While they’re available all throughout the year, I think that autumn is when apples are at their very best.
Whether you pick your own from a local orchard or buy them from a farmstand or grocery store, apples make some of the most amazing fall desserts, like this easy Apple Crisp, this delicious Apple Tarte Tatin and of course, these baked apple fritters!
The beauty of this recipe is that the fritters are made with just few basic ingredients and are baked in a muffin tin, instead of messing up the whole kitchen by frying them. You still get that amazing crunchy outside and soft and tender inside with bits of apple studded throughout.
These little bites of apple goodness are a fun, easy, and irresistible fall treat that you can enjoy for breakfast or an afternoon snack! For another breakfast idea, featuring sweet and tasty apple flavor, check out this Apple Scones recipe!
❤ Why We Love this Recipe
Though apples remind us of fall, these fritters are a hit any time of the year. It’s such an easy recipe, you can make up a batch of the batter in no time, which makes them a great breakfast or quick snack recipe when those apple cravings hit.
They’re less messy than fried fritter recipes. And once you taste these light and crispy baked apple fritters, loaded with warm cinnamon and apple flavor, you’ll never want to make them any other way.
🔪 Tools
🛒 What Goes Into Baked Apple Fritters?
Key Ingredients:
Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Simple ingredients commonly used in baking.
Granulated sugar. Gives the fritters the perfect amount of sweetness.
Baking powder, baking soda. Basic leavening agents used to make a light and fluffy texture.
Ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg. Provides the apple batter all the delicious flavors of fall.
Large eggs, whole milk, butter. Adds richness to the batter as well as helping bind the ingredients together.
Fresh apple, apple cider vinegar. The two main ingredients that give the fitters apple flavor.
Powdered sugar. Used to make the simple glaze.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and nutrition information.
👩🍳 How to Make Easy Baked Apple Fritters
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Step 1: Peel and dice the apple into ½ inch pieces. Set them aside while making the batter.
Step 2: Melt unsalted butter in the microwave or stove top in a small sauce pan.
Step 3: Pour ½ tsp-1 tsp oil into each well of a ½ cup muffin pan.
Step 4: Use a pastry brush to cover the sides but leave any extra oil in the bottom of the well.
Note: You’ll want to use a light tasting vegetable oil, like canola oil or light olive oil, to coat the baking pan.
Step 5: In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients except for the powdered sugar (all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices).
Step 6: Whisk the sugar and flour mixture to distribute and break up any clumps.
Step 7: Using the whisk, create a well or indention in the center of the flour mixture for the wet ingredients.
Step 8. Add the eggs, milk, and the pure vanilla extract into the center of the well.
Step 9: Continue whisking until the flour is smooth and well incorporated.
Step 10: Next, mix in the melted butter.
Step 11: Place the prepared muffin pan in the preheated oven for about 5-6 minutes. You want it hot before you place the batter in it. This is what gives the fritter the crispy exterior.
Step 12: Right before removing the pan from the oven, add the small chunks of apples and the vinegar to the batter and stir to evenly distribute.
Note: Be sure to wait to do this step until the last minute – you want the baking soda and vinegar to react in the oven not while sitting out.
Step 13: Using a ½ cup measuring scoop, scoop apple fritter batter into the hot oil in muffin tins, filling to about ½ inch below the top.
Step 14: Place in the 375° F oven immediately. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a cake tester inserted comes out clean and they are a rich golden brown color.
Note: Do not open the oven for the first 15 minutes of the bake.
Step 15: While the fritters are in the oven baking, make the glaze. In a measuring cup or other separate small bowl, mix the powdered sugar with 1-2 tbsp water (or unsweetened apple cider) until a thick glaze forms.
Step 16: Once the fitters are cooked, allow to sit in the pan for 5 minutes before placing on a wire rack.
Step 17: Pour the simple glaze over the unmolded tops of the fritters while still hot. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before eating.
Variations:
Vanilla cinnamon glaze-We kept things simple with an easy powdered sugar glaze, but you can add even more fall flavors to these fritters by adding in a dash of vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon.
Caramel sauce: Make these apple treats even more decadent by serving them with a homemade caramel dipping sauce, like the one I made for these Funnel Cakes. The brown sugar and apples are a marriage made in heaven.
Apple pie spice: Instead of using separate spices, you can always use your favorite store-bought apple spice blend.
Pear fritters: Pears are another great fall fruit. You can use this same batter recipe with chopped pears instead of apples.
Cinnamon butter: Butter makes everything better. Mix a pinch of cinnamon to some room temperature butter and stir until well combined. Take an apple fritter and split it open and smear with some of this butter! It’s so good!
Apple nut fritters: You can mix in some finely chopped pecans or walnuts for added crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Baked apple fritters are best right after they are made. After they have been sitting a while, they begin to soften.
But if you have leftovers, don’t throw them out! Even though the texture changes, they still taste amazing. Place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day or two.
You can either place them back in the oven for a few minutes or for a few seconds in the microwave.
Another great way to reheat them is to put them in your air fryer. This helps crisp them back up a little as well.
First off, because apples are highlighted in this recipe, you want to make sure you select really fresh apples.
You want a good balance of sweet and tart apples. I prefer Honey Crisp and Pink Lady, but you can use Granny Smith apples if that’s your favorite.
Gala, Fuji, and Red Delicious are not the best apples for baking because they do not hold up well to baking.
Top Tips for Making Baked Apple Fritters
If you’re chopping your apples in advance, spritz them with a little fresh lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.
Resist overmixing the batter. The reason we use a whisk instead of an electric mixer is because heavy handed mixing will turn your light and fluffy fritters into miniature hockey pucks.
For best results, when chopping your apples, make sure they are chopped up fine. You want them well distributed throughout the dough, ensuring you get apple bits in every single bite.
If you don’t feel like fooling with the glaze, you can just give the fritters a dusting with the powdered sugar when they come out of the oven.
When heating the muffin tin, make sure you give it a good 5 minutes. The residual oil left in the wells needs to be hot enough that it almost fries the batter when you pour it in. If you rush this, the outside of the fritter will still brown, but they will have more of an oily and chewy texture.
To make clean up a cinch, place the cooling rack on cookie sheets you have lined with parchment paper. Once you are finished glazing them, you can just throw the parchment paper in the trash and cleanup is done!
More Apple Desserts
Baked Apple Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup/160g all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp/6g baking powder
- ¾ tsp/4g baking soda
- ½ tsp/3g salt
- ½ cup/100g granulated sugar
- ½ tsp/1g ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp/ ½ g ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp/5ml vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup/155ml whole milk
- 4 tbsp/58g unsalted butter melted
- 2 tsp/10ml apple cider vinegar
- 1 medium/150g apple peeled and diced
- ~ ¼ cup/60ml vegetable oil for baking pan
- 1 cup/120g powdered sugar
Instructions
- Peel and dice the apple into ½ inch pieces. Set them aside while making the batter.
- Melt unsalted butter in the microwave or stove top in a small sauce pan.
- Pour ½ tsp-1 tsp oil into each well of a ½ cup muffin pan.
- Use a pastry brush to cover the sides but leave any extra oil in the bottom of the well.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients except for the powdered sugar (all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices).
- Whisk the sugar and flour mixture to distribute and break up any clumps.
- Using the whisk, create a well or indention in the center of the flour mixture for the wet ingredients.
- Add the eggs, milk, and the pure vanilla extract into the center of the well.
- Continue whisking until the flour is smooth and well incorporated.
- Next, mix in the melted butter.
- Place the prepared muffin pan in the preheated oven for about 5-6 minutes. You want it hot before you place the batter in it. This is what gives the fritter the crispy exterior.
- Right before removing the pan from the oven, add the small chunks of apples and the vinegar to the batter and stir to evenly distribute.
- Using a ½ cup measuring scoop, scoop apple fritter batter into the hot oil in muffin tins, filling to about ½ inch below the top.
- Place in the 375° F oven immediately. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a cake tester inserted comes out clean and they are a rich golden brown color.
- While the fritters are in the oven baking, make the glaze. In a measuring cup or other separate small bowl, mix the powdered sugar with 1-2 tbsp water (or unsweetened apple cider) until a thick glaze forms.
- Once the fitters are cooked, allow to sit in the pan for 5 minutes before placing on a wire rack.
- Pour the simple glaze over the unmolded tops of the fritters while still hot. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before eating.
