A crisp coating, a tender apple center, and a dusting of warm spices make this apple fritter recipe a lovely treat for a chilly afternoon or a relaxed dessert. These are whole apple rings coated in cinnamon sugar, then in a light batter, with no yeast and no dough to knead. The batter does need a rest, but the hands-on work is simple, and each batch takes only a few minutes to fry. Put the kettle on and serve them warm.
For more apple desserts, try an upside-down caramelized apple tart, a classic French Normandy Apple Tart, or a rustic apple pie galette, when the fruit bowl is overflowing.
Quick Look: Simple Apple Fritter Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes | Resting Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Calories: ~385 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- Cook Method: Deep-frying
- Flavor Profile: Sweet, warmly spiced, and gently fruity, with a crisp coating around tender apple.
- Difficulty: Easy preparation; careful attention needed while frying.
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What Is An Apple Fritter Recipe?
This French-style apple fritter recipe, or beignets aux pommes in French, is peeled apple rings coated in cinnamon sugar, then dipped in a light batter and fried until golden. Each ring keeps a slice of apple at its center. This version uses a rested flour, water, and oil batter, lightened with egg white just before frying, then served with extra spiced sugar.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Simple Apple Fritter Recipe
- What Is An Apple Fritter Recipe?
- Key Ingredients
- Substitutions For Apple Fritters
- Variations For Fritters
- How To Make Simple Apple Fritter Recipe
- Secrets From Judith's Kitchen For Apple Fritter Recipe
- Judith's Top Tip
- What To Serve With Apple Fritter Recipe
- Best Wine To Pair With Apple Fritter Recipe
- Simple Apple Fritter Recipe FAQ
- More Fruit Dessert Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Key Ingredients
For the Apples and Coating
- Eating apples: Firm apples hold their ring shape and provide a tender, juicy center.
- Spiced caster sugar: Fine sugar with cinnamon and cloves or nutmeg adds sweetness and a warm spice layer under the batter and as a coating.
For the Batter
- Plain flour: Flour gives the batter enough structure to cling to the apple and form a crisp shell.
- Egg white: Whisking and folding it in just before frying adds air without yeast or baking powder.
- The best oils for deep-frying battered fruit are neutral, high-smoke-point oils such as peanut oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, and refined canola or vegetable oil.
NOTE: See the recipe card for the full ingredient list and quantities.
Substitutions For Apple Fritters
- No caster sugar: Use granulated sugar as it is, or pulse it briefly in a blender to make it finer; stop before it becomes powder.
- Different apples: Use another firm eating apple; tart Granny Smith gives a sharper contrast to the sugar.
- No groundnut oil: Use olive oil in the batter and a suitable neutral frying oil, such as grapeseed or canola.
- Milder spice: Choose nutmeg instead of cloves, or omit the cloves and keep the cinnamon.
- Dairy-free: The base recipe contains no milk or butter. It still contains wheat and egg.
Variations For Fritters
- Cinnamon and vanilla: Use vanilla sugar for the coating and omit the cloves for a softer spice flavor.
- Orange and nutmeg: Rub a little finely grated orange zest into the coating sugar and choose nutmeg instead of cloves.
How To Make Simple Apple Fritter Recipe
Make and Rest the Batter
- Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Gradually whisk in the tepid water until the batter is smooth and thick enough to coat an apple slice.
- Cover and leave the flour-and-water batter to stand for about 2 hours. Keep the egg white separate and refrigerated until you are ready to fry.
Prepare the Apples and Oil
- Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and cloves or nutmeg. Divide between two dishes, reserving one clean portion for coating the cooked fritters.
- Peel and core the apples, then cut crosswise into rings about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. If you do not have a corer, remove the core carefully from each slice. Pat the rings dry.
- Before turning on the heat, add about 2 inches (5 cm) of frying oil to a deep, heavy saucepan, keeping the pan no more than one-third full. Heat to about 350°F/180°C, checking with a frying thermometer.
- Whisk the egg white in a clean bowl until light and frothy. Gently fold it into the rested batter just before cooking.
Coat and Fry
- Working a few rings at a time, give the apples a light coating of spiced sugar from the first dish, then dip in the batter. Let excess batter drip off and carefully lower each ring into the hot oil, away from you.
- Fry in small batches, turning once, until golden on both sides, the batter is cooked through, and the apple is tender. Start checking after about 1-2 minutes per side. Adjust the heat to keep the oil near 350°F/180°C and let it recover between batches.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on kitchen paper, then move to a wire rack in a single layer. Check the first fritter before cooking the rest: its center should have tender apple and no wet batter.
- Sprinkle with the reserved clean spiced sugar while warm and serve promptly. Discard any sugar that has come into contact with raw batter.
Secrets From Judith's Kitchen For Apple Fritter Recipe
- Sugar only the next batch: Coating all the apples far ahead draws out their juices, so add the spiced sugar just before dipping each batch in batter.
- Use the first ring as your guide: Check that the apple is tender and the batter is cooked inside; adjust the heat before committing the rest of the batch.
Judith's Top Tip
Let the oil return to about 350°F (175°C) between batches; a crowded, cooling pan is the quickest route to a heavy coating.
What To Serve With Apple Fritter Recipe
Serve these warm so the contrast between the crisp batter and tender apple is at its best.
- A small scoop of vanilla ice cream makes an easy dessert.
- Coffee or tea is all you need for an afternoon treat, with treats from the French Apple Recipes Collection for more seasonal baking ideas.
Best Wine To Pair With Apple Fritter Recipe
A sweet or demi-sec sparkling wine suits these sugar-coated fritters: the fruit flavors complement the apples, and the bubbles balance the fried coating. Choose a wine at least as sweet as the dessert so it does not taste sharp alongside the sugar. Tea or coffee is equally welcome.
Simple Apple Fritter Recipe FAQ
This apple fritter recipe works well with firm eating apples such as Braeburn, Gala, or Pink Lady. Granny Smith gives a tarter result. Slice the apples into even ¼-inch (6 mm) rings so the centers become tender before the batter gets too dark.
This apple fritter recipe uses neither yeast nor baking powder. A whisked egg white lightens the rested flour, oil, and water batter. Fold it in gently just before frying rather than adding it before the two-hour rest.
This apple fritter recipe can turn greasy if the oil cools too much or the pan is crowded. Use a thermometer, aim for about 350°F (175°C), and cook in small batches. Drain the fritters briefly, then place them on a rack without stacking.
This apple fritter recipe needs its base batter prepared about two hours before frying. Leave the egg white out until cooking time, and prepare the apples near the end of the rest. Fry just before serving for the crispest coating.
This apple fritter recipe is designed for frying in oil. Its wet batter will not behave the same way on a baking tray or in an air-fryer basket, so I would not treat either method as a direct swap. Choose a recipe developed for baking or air-frying if that is your preferred method.
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📖 Recipe
👩🍳 Prep Like a Pro!
Before starting to cook: chop and measure your ingredients and gather your tools. The French call this mise en place - "everything in its place." A simple habit that reduces stress, prevents overcooking while you're searching for that missing ingredient, and makes cooking far more relaxed!
Simple Apple Fritter Recipe (Apple Rings)
Equipment
- apple corer
- heavy-bottomed pot
- frying thermometer
Ingredients
For the Apples and Spiced Sugar:
- 6 eating apples
- ½ cup caster/superfine sugar 4 oz, for coating before and after frying.
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves or ground nutmeg
For the Batter:
- ½ cup plain/all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoon olive oil or groundnut/peanut oil
- A pinch of salt
- ½ cup tepid water
- 1 egg white
For Frying:
- 2 cups Grapeseed oil or another neutral oil suitable for deep-frying enough for a depth of about 2 inches (5 cm) in a suitable deep pan. See note below about oil absorption.
NOTE: The best oils for deep-frying battered fruit are neutral, high-smoke-point oils such as peanut oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, and refined canola or vegetable oil.
Instructions
- Sift ½ cup plain/all-purpose flour into a bowl and stir in the 3 tbsp olive oil or groundnut/peanut oil and a pinch of salt. Gradually whisk in ½ cup tepid water until the batter is smooth and thick enough to coat an apple slice.
- Cover and leave the flour-and-water batter to stand for about 30 minutes. Keep 1 egg white separate and refrigerated until you are ready to fry.
- Mix ½ cup caster/superfine sugar, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, and ⅛ tsp ground cloves or ground nutmeg. Divide between two dishes, reserving one clean portion for coating the cooked fritters.
- Peel and core 6 eating apples, then cut crosswise into rings about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. If you do not have a corer, remove the core carefully from each slice. Pat the rings dry.
- (See the oil information below in the notes section. Using 2 cups Grapeseed oil or another neutral oil suitable for deep-frying.)Before turning on the heat, add about 2 inches (5 cm) of frying oil to a deep, heavy saucepan, keeping the pan no more than one-third full. Heat to about 350°F (175°C), checking with a frying thermometer.
- Whisk the egg white in a clean bowl until light and frothy. Gently fold it into the rested batter just before cooking.
- Working a few rings at a time, give the apples a light coating of spiced sugar from the first dish, then dip in the batter. Let excess batter drip off and carefully lower each ring into the hot oil, away from you.
- Fry in small batches, turning once, until golden on both sides, the batter is cooked through, and the apple is tender. Start checking after about 1-2 minutes per side. Adjust the heat to keep the oil near 350°F/180°C and let it recover between batches.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on kitchen paper, then move to a wire rack in a single layer. Check the first fritter before cooking the rest: its center should have tender apple and no wet batter.
- Sprinkle with the reserved clean spiced sugar while warm and serve warm. Discard any sugar that has come into contact with raw batter.
Notes
- The best oils for deep-frying battered fruit are neutral, high-smoke-point oils such as peanut oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, and refined canola or vegetable oil.
- A smaller percentage of the cooking oil will be absorbed into the food if the cooking temperature is maintained at 350°F/180°C; more will be absorbed if the temperature is allowed to go lower.
- I use a 7½ inch inside diameter pot with 4 cups of oil to reach a depth of 1¼ inches of oil. I find this works sufficiently for cooking two apple rings at once.
- The food values (calories) are calculated at a 10% absorption rate, not the full 4 cups.
- Keep the oil around 350°F/180°C, fry in small batches, and allow it to recover between batches. Do not let it smoke.
- Use a deep pan no more than one-third full of oil, keep water away from hot oil, and never leave frying unattended.
- This amazing batter recipe can be used for many different foods like fruit, vegetables, meat, or fish.
- The batter needs a 30-minute rest before the egg white is added to allow the flour to incorporate the liquid evenly. You can skip it, but better results will be achieved by letting it rest for a bit.
- Slice the apples evenly to about ¼ inch (6 mm) so they soften as the coating cooks.
- Fold the egg white in gently just before frying and use the batter promptly.
- Reserve clean coating sugar before starting; do not reuse sugar touched by raw egg batter on cooked fritters. That is the reason I suggest splitting the sugar and spice mix into two portions.
- Drain briefly, then keep the fritters in a single layer on a rack; stacking traps steam and softens the coating.
- Serve freshly cooked for the best texture. Refrigerate cooled leftovers within 2 hours and use within 2 days for best quality. Reheat in a single layer in a 350°F/180°C/Gas 4 oven until hot throughout; the coating will be less crisp than when freshly fried. (Warming in air fryer will produce better results.)
- Freezing is not recommended for the best texture, as the apple and coating soften after thawing.
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