The BEST Apple Fritters Recipe

Today we’re making something that’s so easy. I know a lot of you are really bored with your breakfast offerings and you want to treat yourself every once in a while. Well, why not an apple fritter? It’s the donut that you don’t have to have all the yeast and leavening for; it fries up in a minute and you will be in heaven.

Preparing the Apples

We’re going to prep our apples: give them a peel and just a little chop. We’ve got a mix of a couple Gala apples and a Granny Smith. You don’t have to be too picky—just choose tasty apples. I think the key to a great fritter is having a lot of delicious apples held together with a little bit of batter. It makes a big difference; you don’t want to have just like donut—it’s an apple fritter.

The Importance of Frying

The other thing is, of course, frying it the right way. It has to be in oil, but you really want to take it dark. My perfect fritter is really dark because that’s when it gets real crispy.

Weekend Indulgence

Normally we have a pretty balanced breakfast—it’s actually pretty spartan—but you can’t live that life every day. On the weekends I like to have either some waffles, pancakes, or on an extra indulgent day, an apple fritter. The kids will get just a little piece at the end of breakfast. I learned having kids that the key to treating them is to let them have something at the end of the experience so they’re not brain-locked on “more waffles, more waffles.”

Chopping the Apples

I’m just chopping this willy-nilly. It doesn’t really matter if the pieces are irregular because some will be softer and some will have a bit more bite to them.

Childhood Memories

When I was growing up we would get to go to the donut shop once a week for a special treat, and I would always get an apple fritter. I also liked the crullers, which are my adult favorite donut.

Lemon Juice Boost

This is going to go into our bowl now, and I’m also going to squeeze a little bit of lemon juice on here. I am part Greek, so lemon has to be in every single thing. I like the way it wakes the apple up. The Granny Smith is actually pretty tart, so it doesn’t technically need it, but the lemon juice isn’t hurting it.

Heating the Oil

We’re adding about a quart of vegetable oil into a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; it’s going to be warming up while we make our quick batter.

Dry Ingredients

• 180 g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp sugar

Give it a sift—sifting is kind of optional, but it helps things along. Whisk it up just a little and set it aside. Don’t forget a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg; it’s optional, but I love nutmeg and apple.

Wet Ingredients

• ⅔ cup milk
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla

Give this a whisk.

Combining Batter and Apples

Add the wet mixture to the dry and fold together. As you get closer to it all being incorporated, dump the apples in along with that little bit of lemon juice. Stir in the melted butter. You want a lot of apples held together with a little bit of batter—don’t use too much batter.

Frying

Heat the oil to 360 °F. Add three or four fritters at a time. Keep a careful eye out because it’s kind of like nothing happens—then it happens. I like them dark and almost burnt; the more burnt they are, the crispier they are. Transfer them onto paper towels to cool and soak up excess oil. Sometimes I like to flatten them a bit right after frying so they spread out more.

Glaze

I like a glaze with lemon juice: 1 cup powdered sugar plus just enough lemon juice to turn it into a drizzle-able consistency. The lemon contrast cuts the sweetness. Mix until smooth, then drizzle generously over the fritters.

That’s what I call a balanced breakfast. The apples are so juicy and sweet, with just enough batter to cover it all, and the zing of lemon is amazing.