Glazed Gluten-Free Apple Fritters

My no-fuss glazed gluten-free apple fritters recipe quickly comes together with a few simple ingredients. These sweet fritters are loaded with fresh apples, which makes them extra delicious. This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill and contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

I’m always dreaming up new recipes here at Good For You Gluten Free. I often let my cravings guide what I’m going to make.

I noticed a local coffee shop had apple fritters, and boy did I want one. Unfortunately, apple fritters are made with flour and deep-fried. They are a definitely no-no in the gluten-free playbook.

Like any food I crave that is “typically” made with gluten, I knew if I was going to satisfy that craving, I would have to make them myself. And that’s exactly what I did.

In this post, I’ll share with you more about the almighty apple fritter (in case you don’t know what it is), what ingredients you’ll need to make them (including the all-important gluten-free flour blend), and how to make them at home with little fuss.

What is an Apple Fritter?

An apple fritter is a dessert that looks and tastes like a donut. Just like a donut, it’s battered and fried and tastes warm and delicious.

There are a few noticeable differences between a donut and an apple fritter:

• A fried donut is made with yeast. An apple fritter does not contain any yeast.
• A fried donut is rolled and shaped into its signature donut shape. An apple fritter is scooped by hand and misshapen on purpose.
• An apple fritter is pumped with fresh apples along with the fried dough. A donut is fried dough.

Apple fritters can be enjoyed as a delightful dessert, snack or sweet breakfast treat. Just remember, apple fritters are not “healthy” despite containing loads of apples. They are still deep fried in oil (fat). Enjoy them as a special treat on occasion and when those fried dough cravings hit.

What You Need

To make your gluten-free apple fritters, you’ll need a few key items:

Apples: Of course you’ll need fresh apples to make apple fritters. You can use any apple variety you like. If you want a more tart, less sweet, apple fritter, use Granny Smith apples.

I typically use Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples as those are the ones I find myself buying most. You’ll need two apples, peeled, cored, and diced. You’ll want to add a teaspoon of lemon juice on the apples to keep them from browning.

Flour: To make your apple fritters gluten free, you’ll want to use a gluten-free flour blend. I used one cup of Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend for this recipe and it worked perfectly.

The Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour is made from a combination of gluten-free flours, starches and xanthan gum (which holds everything together in lieu of gluten). I highly recommend using this flour blend for this and many other recipes.

You can see a list of the many recipes I’ve made with this flour in my article, 17+ Classic Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour Recipes.

Eggs: You’ll need two large eggs for this recipe. I know you’re going to ask if you can make these apple fritters egg free and the truth is I haven’t tried making them without eggs. You could always experiment with an egg-free version by using Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer. I’ve had great success with this product in other recipes. If you do make them egg free, will you leave a comment to share if it worked for you?

Sugar: The batter doesn’t require a lot of sugar. I used only three tablespoons of sugar, although you could use less if you’re using a sweeter apple. These fritters pull their sweetness from the apples and the sweet glaze you’ll add to them once they cool.

Milk: You’ll need 1/4 cup milk for this recipe, and it works beautifully with dairy-free milk too. I’ve tried making them with both almond milk and cashew milk with great success.

Oil: You’ll need plenty of vegetable oil (about 2-3 cups for frying). I use avocado oil because it’s a tasteless, high-heat oil. You can read more about how to choose the right oil for your baking needs in this article, Everything You Need to Know About Healthy & Gluten-Free Cooking Oils.

Miscellaneous: You’ll also need baking powder, salt, and cinnamon for this recipe.

How to Make Gluten-Free Apple Fritters

In this section, I’m going to show you how easy it is to make gluten-free apple fritters at home with little effort and fuss.

Step #1: Prepare the Apples

Combine the diced apples and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Mix and set aside.

Step #2: Make the Batter

To make the batter, first combine the Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

In another bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and milk and whisk together, and then add flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until batter is well combined. The batter should have a smooth and thick consistency.

Step #3: Add the Apples

Now it’s time to fold in those juicy diced apples. Mix everything until it’s well combined.

Step #4: Fry the Apple Fritters

To fry the apple fritters, heat 2-3 cups of high-heat vegetable oil in a heavy bottom pan or dutch oven until it reaches 375º F. Scoop large spoonfuls of the batter into the oil to form misshapen circles. You can use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon. Just be careful not to burn yourself from oil splashback.

Cook until the fritters brown on one side, then gently flip to fry the other side. 

Remove cooked apple fritters from the oil and place them on a paper towel lined plate for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to continue cooling. Do not leave the fritters on a plate to cool because they will become soggy from the oil.

Step #6: Glaze

To make the sweet glaze, combine 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 5-6 teaspoons of water and 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice in a bowl until you get a smooth consistency that is thick but still pourable. Add more or less water as needed.

Drizzle the glaze over the cooled apple fritters while they’re on the wire rack until they’re full coated. Allow the excess glaze to drip off.

Allow the glaze to dry for at least 30 minutes. The glaze will solidify around the apple fritters and they’ll be easier to handle. The glaze truly elevates the sweetness of this doughy, fried treat.

Time to Eat

These irresistible apple fritters make for the perfect dessert or snack. They also make a good grab-and-go breakfast, or fun bring-to-the-office treats.

For me, I consider them an indulgent dessert. I love the slightly crunchy outside and warm and soft middle. It tastes like a fried, yeasty donut without having to go through all the fuss of making a donut.

Because we front loaded this fritters with plenty of sweet apples, every bite will contain a mouthful of sweet, fresh apples. Just look at all those beautiful apple chunks inside!

You can get Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour on the Bob’s Red Mill website, Amazon, or at many grocery stores nationwide. Be sure to look for the blue bag!

FAQs

Can I Air-Fry the Apple Fritters Instead? Yes, you can lessen the calories by air-frying the apple fritters instead. Scoop the batter into your air fryer basket and cook at 350º F for 8 minutes. Flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes until lightly browned on the inside and cooked through. They do not taste as good when air-fried and I recommend oil frying for best results.

Are they Dairy-Free? This apple fritter recipe can easily be made dairy-free by using dairy-free milk.

Can I Make them Egg-Free? I have not made this recipe egg-free, but you could try using an egg replacer. If you make it egg free, please leave a comment to share how it turned out. 

Can I Use Another Flour? I have only tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour blend in the blue bag. I cannot guarantee results with another gluten-free flour.

What Oil Do You Recommend for Frying? I highly recommend using a vegetable oil with a high-heat smoke point. I use avocado oil, which is safe for heating up to 500º F without becoming carcinogenic. Avocado oil is also tasteless.

More Recipes

Try these other gluten-free dessert recipes made with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-t Gluten-Free Flour blend:

• Gluten-Free Pop Tarts – Homemade
• No Spread Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Recipe
• Gluten-Free Jelly Donuts (How to Make Sufganiyot)
• Classic Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
• 17+ Classic Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour Recipes