These easy apple fritters are made without yeast, which means they’ll be on your table in just 30 minutes. Packed with fresh apples and warming cinnamon, they’re fried until golden brown for a crispy exterior and soft, apple-studded center, then finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Table of Contents
It’s a well-known fact around here that doughnuts are my absolute favorite food of all time, from glazed doughnut holes (which inspired a protein-packed version in my cookbook!) to mini doughnut muffins. But if I had to choose, apple fritters hold the #1 spot on my Greatest Doughnuts Of All Time list.
There’s nothing better than a piping hot, freshly fried fritter, especially when it’s studded with tart apples and a touch of cinnamon.
No yeast = no proofing = apple fritters in minutes, rather than hours. Now that’s some math I can get behind!
Think of these fritters like a doughnut meets beignet. I serve them with a simple dusting of powdered sugar, but if you want to really up your fried dough game, grab a bowl of warm caramel sauce for dipping and dunking. And if you love these as much as I do, don’t miss my banana fritters. They’re another no-yeast favorite starring mashed bananas and cinnamon in every bite.
Apple Fritters Without Yeast
Traditional doughnut-style apple fritters are often made with yeast, which means mixing, kneading and waiting for the dough to rise. My version skips all of that and uses 4 ½ teaspoons of baking powder to give the fritters their light and fluffy texture.
That means there’s no mixer, no kneading and no proofing. The batter comes together in minutes with a whisk and a bowl, which is how we’re going from apple fritter craving to warm fried dough in just 30 minutes.
Unlike my apple fritter rings, which feature apple slices individually coated in batter, this recipe has diced apples folded right into the batter, so you get little pieces of apple in every bite.
- Apples: Any variety will work, but Granny Smith apples are my favorite because their tartness balances the sweetness of the fritter batter. They’re my go-to for mini apple pies and apple turnovers, too. Peel the apples, then dice them small so you get plenty in every bite.
- All-purpose flour: This forms the base of the batter and provides structure.
- Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness but also helps with browning and keeping the centers tender.
- Baking powder: This leavening agent makes the fritters light and fluffy.
- Ground cinnamon: My go-to warming spice for all kinds of apple desserts.
- Milk: I use whole milk because that’s what I always have in my fridge, and it gives the batter a rich flavor and texture. Lower-fat milk or your favorite non-dairy milk will work in this recipe, too.
- Egg: One large egg binds everything together and adds richness.
- Butter: Melted butter adds flavor and helps keep the centers soft and tender.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Making the batter couldn’t be simpler. Whisk the dry ingredients together in one bowl, then whisk the milk and egg together in another. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, followed by the melted butter, and stir just until combined. You don’t want to overmix here or you’ll lose some of that light, tender texture we’re after. Fold in the diced apples.
Then it’s time to fry! You don’t need a deep fryer or any fancy equipment. All you need is a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and a deep-fry/candy thermometer.
- DO use a large, heavy-bottomed pot. A Dutch oven works great here and is what I usually use. Add several inches of vegetable oil, making sure there are at least 3 inches between the surface of the oil and the top of the pot. The oil will bubble and rise when you add the batter, so that extra space helps prevent hot oil from overflowing.
- DO use a deep-fry or candy thermometer. This is one piece of equipment I wouldn’t skip. Oil that’s too cool can leave you with greasy fritters, while oil that’s too hot can brown the outsides before the centers have time to cook. You’ll want to keep the oil around 350°F, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain that temperature. This is the deep-fry thermometer I use.
- DON’T overcrowd the pot. Fry in small batches so the oil temp doesn’t drop too dramatically, and the dough has plenty of room to cook evenly.
- DO let the oil return to 350°F between batches. It’s tempting to keep scooping, but give the oil a minute to come back to temp before adding more batter. This is one of the easiest ways to get consistently golden, evenly cooked fritters from the first batch to the last.
- DON’T walk away. These cook quickly! Flip them as needed until they’re golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes total, then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
My #1 Tip for Success
Keep ’em small! I use a small ice cream scoop (two spoons work, too) to drop about 1 tablespoon of batter into the hot oil for each apple fritter. They may look small going in, but don’t be tempted to make them bigger! The batter expands as it fries, and those 1-tablespoon scoops turn into fritters roughly 2 inches in diameter.
Go much bigger and you risk the outsides turning golden brown before the centers have a chance to cook through.
Powdered Sugar or Glaze?
I’ve always kept these simple with a generous dusting of powdered sugar while they’re still slightly warm. It gives them just enough sweetness without covering up the cinnamon-spiced apples.
Of course, if glaze is non-negotiable when doughnuts are involved, borrow the simple glaze from my glazed doughnut holes. Or, if you love caramel apples, serve the fritters with warm caramel sauce for dipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend it for this recipe. The batter is fairly loose and is designed to be dropped directly into hot oil, so it won’t hold its shape properly on a baking sheet or in an air fryer. Deep-frying is the way to go for these fritters and gives them their crispy exterior and soft, fluffy centers.
These are definitely best served the same day they are made. I haven’t tried sampling them on day 2 (we never have leftovers!), so I’m not sure what the texture would be like. If you do happen to have extras, store the completely cooled fritters in an airtight container at room temp. Rewarm them in the oven or air fryer to help crisp them back up before serving.
Let the oil cool completely, then pour it into an empty container and discard it in the trash. Never pour frying oil down the sink. If the oil is still clean, you can also strain it and save it to use for another batch of frying.
Equipment
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups peeled and small diced apples (about 2 medium apples, See Kelly's Notes)
- Powdered sugar, for serving
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- Add several inches of vegetable oil to a large heavy-bottomed stock pot set over medium heat. (There should be at least 3 inches of space between the top of the oil and the top of the stock pot.) Attach the deep-fry thermometer to the side of the pot and begin heating the oil while you make the batter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry then add the melted butter and stir together the batter just until combined. Fold in the diced apples.
- Once the oil has reached 350ºF, use a small ice cream scoop (or two small spoons) to drop about 1-tablespoon scoops of dough into the oil, careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry the fritters, flipping them in the oil until they're golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes total. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fritters to the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat the scooping and frying process with the remaining batter, returning the oil to 350°F between each batch.
- Allow the fried fritters to cool slightly before dusting them with powdered sugar and serving immediately.
Kelly’s Notes
- Any variety of apple works well in this recipe, but I prefer the tanginess of Granny Smith.
- Use a deep-fry thermometer. Deep-frying is one scenario where a thermometer really is essential to success. If the oil is too hot, the fritters will burn on the outside and still be raw in the center. If it’s too cold, they’ll soak up excess oil and never get crispy.
- The doughnut holes expand when fried, so 1-tablespoon scoops of dough will yield fritters that are roughly 2 inches in diameter.
- These are best served the same day they’re made, preferably while they’re still warm.
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Just made these and they are delicious.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Maribel!
Hi Kelly
Can I swap out the milk for water in the apple fritter recipe?
Hi! They won’t be as tender, as water tends to dry doughs out much more.
I don’t have any unsalted butter. What can I use instead?
Hi Donna! Salted butter works but I’d recommend reducing the 1/2 teaspoon salt because the fritters will be too salty.
Hi! Do you heat the oil to 350* with this recipe?
Hi Hannah – Yes! As noted in the recipe above, heat the oil to 350ºF. :)
question- could you substitute peaches maybe?
Hi Mary Ann – I haven’t tried that with this recipe but it *should* work! I’d love to hear your results if you give it a shot!
Can you use dried apples in place of fresh?
I wouldn’t recommend using dried apples because they’ll dry out more when baked.
Yum!