Just like your classic Apple Fritters but a little better; fluffy donut dough, folded with cinnamon apple butter and coated in a vanilla maple glaze.
What is the difference between a regular donut and an apple fritter?
Regular donuts and apple fritters are made from the same dough. However apple fritters have cooked apples cut into the dough after the first proof which gives them their interesting texture with all the crispy bits.
How do you shape Apple Fritters?
To shape apple fritters: roll out the donut dough, spread the apple compote over half of it, then fold the empty half over the apple filling and press down. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut it roughly into 1″ squares. With a lot of flour, scoop the squares over each other into a big pile. This is what creates the funky apple fritter texture.
Can you bake apple fritters?
Yes! If you don’t want to fry them I recommend piling them into two small loaf pans or one larger one to make an apple fritter bread. Then proof and bake the bread until golden brown, you can use the same maple glaze once baked.
Tips for making Apple Fritters
- Use a larger pot than you think to make the apple butter because before they break down, the liquid will boil up quite a bit. In the video I should have used a larger pot!
- For the donut dough make sure the butter is soft!! Not just barely squishable, it should be soft.
- The amount of time it takes for the donut dough to proof and double in size hugely depends on the temperature of the ingredients and the temperature of the room. It could take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour and half.
- You need A LOT of flour for shaping the apple fritters. Don’t be shy or nervous to use a lot of flour.
- I use a heavy cast iron dutch oven for frying because the dense material helps the oil heat evenly and the tall sides keep oil from splattering. A thermometer is also key when frying to make sure the oil is at the right temperature.
- It is important to fry the donuts at the right temperature so that they cook all the way through. Between 350 F and 360 F. To keep the oil at the temperature be sure to keep a thermometer in the oil and I recommend heating it to 360 F. Then, add in the donuts and the temperature will drop to around 365F.
- Dunk the donuts in the glaze while still warm (not hot). If they are too hot all of the glaze will melt off.
- Dividing the dough into 8 portions will make about 5″ donuts, you could do 6 portions but they will be huge or 10 to make them a bit smaller.
Additional Recipes to try:
Ingredients
Dough
- Apples: I recommend using honey crisp or pink lady apples because they aren’t too sweet.
- Lemon Juice: A bit of lemon juice helps maintain the brightness of the apples.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is added to the cooked apples for warmth and flavor.
- Bread Flour: Make sure to use bread flour for these, it creates extra strength which you need for the structure.
- Sugar: white granulated sugar is used for the donut dough, dark brown sugar is used for the apples, and powdered sugar is used for the glaze.
- Instant Yeast: Instant yeast is used to make the donuts rise so make sure it hasn’t expired. If using active dry yeast, you want to add it first to the warm milk to activate before adding to the dry ingredients.
- Nutmeg: I recommend freshly grating nutmeg for the best flavor.
- Butter: I like to use salted butter for the dough but unsalted will work too.
- Egg: One standard large egg is used for the dough of the donuts.
- Fine Sea Salt: Salt is key to balancing sweetness and enhancing the flavor of the dough, the apples and the glaze.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract is added into the dough and apples, I like to use vanilla bean paste for the glaze but vanilla extract works too!
- Milk: Whole milk is used for the donut dough but any milk should work.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is the main liquid for the glaze, make sure you’re using real maple syrup.
- Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil or Canola oil are used to fry the doughnuts, I believe avocado oil may work as well but I haven’t tested it.
How to make Apple Fritters
Apple Butter
- In a large pot add in the chopped apples, lemon juice, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and water.
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook over medium low heat until it reaches a rolling boil/bubble.
- Take the lid off and stir occasionally while continuing to cook. You want to cook until the apples have broken down and the moisture has evaporated.
- It’s ok if the apples are still a little chunky but most should be mushed. If all the water evaporates before they’ve broken down, add more as needed.
- Once cooked down, remove from the heat and pour into a shallow dish to cool to room temperature.
- If you’re short on time you can also prep these the day before and store in the fridge.
Make the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add in the bread flour, sugar, yeast and grated nutmeg. Whisk together and then add in the butter, egg, milk, vanilla, and salt. *If you don’t use bread flour it will be way too much liquid. I think you could decrease the milk amount to 130 grams but then you’ll also need to use a little less apple butter.
- Use the dough hook to knead until smooth – this can take up to 20 minutes.
- Once smooth, shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- Set the bowl somewhere warm to proof until the dough has doubled in size.
Shape the Fritters
- Cut 8 squares of parchment paper that are at least 4″ x 4″ and get a 9″x13″ brownie pan or baking dish to put the shaped fritters into.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, roll it out to approximately 18″ x 10″ using flour as needed.
- Spread the cooled apple butter over one half of the dough. Fold the empty half of the dough over the apple compote. Gently press down to seal everything together. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough into 1″ grid squares.
- Generously sprinkle overtop with flour, probably about 3 tablespoons.
- Using a bench scraper scoop about 1/3 of the squares over the rest of them and then another half over the pile that you’ve now created. Basically you should have a big pile of dough and apple butter. Sprinkle the surface again with flour.
- Use the bench scraper to divide the pile into 8 approximately equal portions. Using even more flour as needed and the bench scraper, work with one portion at a time a gently press the portion into a ball. Keep adding flour till you can quickly but gently toss it between your hands without it sticking. The flour mixing with the apple butter will act as a glue to hold everything together.
- Once shaped and well floured, place each portion onto an individual square of parchment and then place it in the baking dish up against the edge.
- Continue shaping and placing the fritters on parchment and kind of nestle them against each other so that as they proof they don’t fall apart.
- Immediately start heating the at least 3″ deep of neutral oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium low heat (if using an electric stove, up the heat to medium). Make sure you also have a thermometer sitting in the oil to check the temperature. It should reach 360 F but not higher.
Fry the Donuts
- Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and place it next to the pot of oil for the fried donuts. Once the oil has reached 360 F and the fritters have gotten a little puffy, it’s time to fry.
- Holding onto a parchment square, carefully lower one fritter into the hot oil. Gently use the parchment to flip it over and peel the parchment away – if needed use a metal slotted spoon or spider to peel it away from the parchment.
- Set a timer for 1:30 minutes and keep an eye on the oil temperature. It should stay between 350 and 360. *Place the extra donuts in the pan into the fridge.
- After 1:30 has passed, use a metal slotted spoon or spider to carefully flip the fritter away from you. Fry for another 1:30-2 minutes until golden brown.
- Once fried use the same slotted spoon or spider to lift the fritter out of the hot oil and transfer it to the metal rack sitting on the baking sheet next to the pot of oil.
- Repeat frying the remaining fritters with the same method. Don’t fry more than one at a time as it will drop the temperature of the oil too much.
- While they are frying if you feel like you can multi task, move on to making the glaze.
Maple Glaze
- Whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt together.
- If it seems a little thick add an extra splash of milk to slightly thin it out but dunking the hot donuts into the glaze will thin it out so don’t add too much milk.
Glaze
- While the fritters are still warm, I usually let each fritter cool while at least two more fry before dunking.
- Lay the fritters down, into the glaze. Carefully lift it up with a fork or your fingers, flip it over and then lift up to let any excess glaze drip off.
- Place the glazed donuts on a second wire rack. Leave them to cool for at least ten minutes.
- These are best eaten day of but keep surprisingly well at room temperature in a box!
Apple Fritters
Just like your classic Apple Fritters but a little better; fluffy donut dough, folded with cinnamon apple butter and coated in a vanilla maple glaze.
Servings: 8
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 High heat thermometer
Ingredients
Apple Butter
- 500 grams honey crisp apples without the cores
- 80 grams dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 325 grams water
Donut Dough
- 350 grams bread flour more as needed for shaping
- 30 grams granulated sugar
- 1/4 nutmeg pod freshly grated
- 8 grams instant yeast
- 180 grams whole milk luke warm
- 1 egg large
- 30 grams salted butter soft
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Maple Glaze
- 675 grams powdered sugar
- 440 grams maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
For Frying `
- 1.5 liters vegetable oil
Instructions
Apple Butter
- In a large pot add in the chopped apples, lemon juice, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and water.
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook over medium low heat until it reaches a rolling boil/bubble.
- Take the lid off and stir occasionally while continuing to cook. You want to cook until the apples have broken down and the moisture has evaporated.
- It’s ok if the apples are still a little chunky but most should be mushed. If all the water evaporates before they’ve broken down, add more as needed.
- Once cooked down, remove from the heat and pour into a shallow dish to cool to room temperature.
- If you’re short on time you can also prep these the day before and store in the fridge.
Make the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add in the bread flour, sugar, yeast and grated nutmeg. Whisk together and then add in the butter, egg, milk, vanilla, and salt. *If you don’t use bread flour it will be way too much liquid. I think you could decrease the milk amount to 130 grams but then you’ll also need to use a little less apple butter.
- Use the dough hook to knead until smooth – this can take up to 20 minutes.
- Once smooth, shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- Set the bowl somewhere warm to proof until the dough has doubled in size.
Shape the Fritters
- Cut 8 squares of parchment paper that are at least 4″ x 4″ and get a 9″x13″ brownie pan or baking dish to put the shaped fritters into.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, roll it out to approximately 18″ x 10″ using flour as needed.
- Spread the cooled apple butter over one half of the dough. Fold the empty half of the dough over the apple compote. Gently press down to seal everything together. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough into 1″ grid squares.
- Generously sprinkle overtop with flour, probably about 3 tablespoons.
- Using a bench scraper scoop about 1/3 of the squares over the rest of them and then another half over the pile that you’ve now created. Basically you should have a big pile of dough and apple butter. Sprinkle the surface again with flour.
- Use the bench scraper to divide the pile into 8 approximately equal portions. Using even more flour as needed and the bench scraper, work with one portion at a time a gently press the portion into a ball. Keep adding flour till you can quickly but gently toss it between your hands without it sticking. The flour mixing with the apple butter will act as a glue to hold everything together.
- Once shaped and well floured, place each portion onto an individual square of parchment and then place it in the baking dish up against the edge.
- Continue shaping and placing the fritters on parchment and kind of nestle them against each other so that as they proof they don’t fall apart.
- Immediately start heating the at least 3″ deep of neutral oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium low heat (if using an electric stove, up the heat to medium). Make sure you also have a thermometer sitting in the oil to check the temperature. It should reach 360 F but not higher.
Fry the Donuts
- Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and place it next to the pot of oil for the fried donuts. Once the oil has reached 360 F and the fritters have gotten a little puffy, it’s time to fry.
- Holding onto a parchment square, carefully lower one fritter into the hot oil. Gently use the parchment to flip it over and peel the parchment away – if needed use a metal slotted spoon or spider to peel it away from the parchment.
- Set a timer for 1:30 minutes and keep an eye on the oil temperature. It should stay between 350 and 360. *Place the extra donuts in the pan into the fridge.
- After 1:30 has passed, use a metal slotted spoon or spider to carefully flip the fritter away from you. Fry for another 1:30-2 minutes until golden brown.
- Once fried use the same slotted spoon or spider to lift the fritter out of the hot oil and transfer it to the metal rack sitting on the baking sheet next to the pot of oil.
- Repeat frying the remaining fritters with the same method. Don’t fry more than one at a time as it will drop the temperature of the oil too much.
- While they are frying if you feel like you can multi task, move on to making the glaze.
Maple Glaze
- Whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt together.
- If it seems a little thick add an extra splash of milk to slightly thin it out but dunking the hot donuts into the glaze will thin it out so don’t add too much milk.
Glaze
- While the fritters are still warm, I usually let each fritter cool while at least two more fry before dunking.
- Lay the fritters down, into the glaze. Carefully lift it up with a fork or your fingers, flip it over and then lift up to let any excess glaze drip off.
- Place the glazed donuts on a second wire rack. Leave them to cool for at least ten minutes.
- These are best eaten day of but keep surprisingly well at room temperature in a box!
Notes
Tips for making Apple Fritters
- Use a larger pot than you think to make the apple butter because before they break down, the liquid will boil up quite a bit. In the video I should have used a larger pot!
- For the donut dough make sure the butter is soft!! Not just barely squishable, it should be soft.
- The amount of time it takes for the donut dough to proof and double in size hugely depends on the temperature of the ingredients and the temperature of the room. It could take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour and half.
- You need A LOT of flour for shaping the apple fritters. Don’t be shy or nervous to use a lot of flour.
- I use a heavy cast iron dutch oven for frying because the dense material helps the oil heat evenly and the tall sides keep oil from splattering. A thermometer is also key when frying to make sure the oil is at the right temperature.
- It is important to fry the donuts at the right temperature so that they cook all the way through. Between 350 F and 360 F. To keep the oil at the temperature be sure to keep a thermometer in the oil and I recommend heating it to 360 F. Then, add in the donuts and the temperature will drop to around 365F.
- Dunk the donuts in the glaze while still warm (not hot). If they are too hot all of the glaze will melt off.
- Dividing the dough into 8 portions will make about 5″ donuts, you could do 6 portions but they will be huge or 10 to make them a bit smaller.
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