Apple Fritters

Total Time

Prep/Total Time: 20 min.

Makes

2 servings

Updated: Nov. 24, 2022
This is an old southern apple fritter recipe. When we got home from a trip through the South years ago, I found the recipe among the brochures I brought back. I've been making these easy apple fritters ever since. —John Robbins, Springdale, Pennsylvania

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup 2% milk
  • 4 teaspoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup chopped peeled tart apple
  • Oil for frying
  • Confectioners' sugar

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, milk, butter, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apple.
  2. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat 1/4 in. oil to 375°. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm.

Apple Fritters Tips

How do you store apple fritters?

Apple fritters are best served fresh and warm when you make them, but you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze cooled fritters in a freezer-proof container for up to 2 months. All out of fritters? Make one of our all-time best apple desserts.

What are some variations of these apple fritters?

A dash of cinnamon goes a long way if you want to add extra flavor to homemade apple fritters. You can also leave out the orange zest or replace the orange juice with an equal amount of milk or maple syrup. Not big on fried food? Instead of baking, try making air-fryer apple fritters!

How do you make sure each apple fritter is consistent?

Avoid mixing the batter between frying batches of fritters. You can keep the size of the fritters roughly the same by using a tablespoon to drop the batter into the oil. For the best apple fritters, be sure not to overcrowd the frying pan. This will keep the temperature of the oil consistent for all of the batches.

—Mark Hagen, Taste of Home Executive Editor

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 533 calories, 24g fat (3g saturated fat), 97mg cholesterol, 530mg sodium, 69g carbohydrate (13g sugars, 2g fiber), 10g protein.