Baked Apple Fritters

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Baked Apple Fritters are an easy donut shop favorite that you can make at home now. These fritters are baked instead of fried, making them an easy treat to whip up on a whim.

Baked Apple Fritters

Baked Apple Fritters

This is one of the first recipes I make in the fall and they are an awesome way to warm up the kitchen on a chilly morning.

Apple Fritters are one of my husband’s favorite bakery treats and I love that I can make this hassle-free recipe at home.

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Apple Recipes

Apple recipes are a favorite with my family year-round, but there’s something about them that calls to me even more through the winter.

These Baked Apple Cider Donut Muffins are another bakery-style treat that the kids love. And the Caramel Apple Puff Pastries are an impressive pastry that looks so much fussier than they actually are.

(If you haven’t tried Puff Pastry Danishes, put them on your list as well. Because there is honestly nothing else with the ability to impress with such a minimum of effort!)

Last but definitely not least, Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls are a brunch favorite.

Baked Apple Fritters are so much easier to make!

How to make baked apple fritters with no yeast

This recipe uses no yeast and instead starts with a biscuit-style dough. To start, mix together the dry ingredients.

Flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder are combined in a mixing bowl. Then, you’ll cut in butter until small crumb sized.

Here’s a tip: Take a stick of frozen butter and grate it directly into the dry ingredients, then stir. It’s a quick and easy way to start the crumb mixture.

Next, toss in some finely diced apples to coat with flour.

Homemade Apple Fritters

Last, you’ll gently stir in some milk to make a thick batter. (The lack of egg in these apple fritters, makes them very tender.)

Drop by big spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Can you bake apple fritters?

Yes, but I would use a recipe like this one that is meant to be baked. You don’t want to try baking a dough or batter recipe that is intended to be fried.

After you make the dough and scoop it onto the cookie sheets, you’ll bake in a 400°F oven.

After the fritters are baked, you’ll brush them with a thin powdered sugar glaze, and pop them under the broiler for a few minutes, until slightly browned.

Baked Apple Fritters are a bakery treat that you can make at home now!

I picked up that broiling tip from Maegan at The Baker Mama when she shared her baked blueberry fritters.

Broiling the initial glaze not only gives these apple fritters a nice caramel color, but it crisps the outside of the fritter to make it more similar to its deep-fried cousin.

If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it. Leave me a comment below or give it a rating in the recipe card. Happy Baking!

baked apple fritters with a bite taken out

Baked Apple Fritters

4.43 from 42 votes
Make this donut shop favorite at home this fall. These baked apple fritters are easy and baked, not fried.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Breads
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 -15

Ingredients 

For the Fritters

  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup butter cold
  • cups finely diced apples
  • ¾ cup milk I used whole milk

For the broiled glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk or apple juice

For the finishing glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until pea sized. Or I like to freeze the butter and grate it in with a cheese grater.
  • Gently stir in the apples. Then add the milk, stirring just until combined.
  • Drop by spoonfuls onto a well-greased baking sheet, allowing at least 2 inches of space between them.
  • Bake for about 12 minutes or until just lightly browned. Meanwhile, make the broiling glaze by mixing the powdered sugar and apple juice together until smooth. Remove the fritters from the oven, turn the broiler on and immediately brush with the glaze.
  • Place the fritters under the boiler, about 3 inches away and broil for 2-4 minutes until the glaze is browned and caramelized. Rotate the pan if needed.
  • Let cool on wire rack for several minutes. Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk for the last glaze and brush onto the warm fritters. The are best enjoyed warm.

Notes

I like to line my baking sheets with parchment paper as it makes the mess easier to clean-up, no baked on glaze. However, it is a fire risk under the broiler, so be careful if you try it.
If you make this recipe, leave me a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g · Calories: 219kcal · Carbohydrates: 38g · Protein: 2g · Fat: 7g · Saturated Fat: 4g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g · Cholesterol: 18mg · Sodium: 308mg · Fiber: 1g · Sugar: 23g
Tried this recipe?Mention @chocolatewithgrace or tag #chocolatewithgrace!

{originally published 9/9/19 – recipes notes and photos updated 1/20/21}

Baked Apple Fritter ingredients
Baked Apple Fritters

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  1. Edwin Moskwa says

    4 stars
    Rather than cube the apples I grated them and used peanut oil. They were sweet enough so did not include the glazes. They were pretty good , but not as crispy as the store-bought ones.

  2. Thom says

    5 stars
    Great recipe

    Just a heads up that if you use salted butter
    (All I had on site) then best to cut the salt back to 1/2 tsp. A little salt otherwise

  3. A.R. says

    5 stars
    We made these during the lockdown and it brough back fond memories of childhood while being able to create some for our children. These were great! We added ginger and lemon zest and accidentally 8oz of coconut based yogurt. Omitted the egg and WOW! Glad to try your recipe. Fun easy and completely like the classic fried just a ton less oil! And so light!!

  4. Susan Gale says

    5 stars
    Made these today! So delicious and easy. Assumed you meant packed brown sugar for the 1/2 cup brown sugar. Mine made 23😊. Tried to leave a picture, but couldn’t figure how to do it.

      • Marilyn says

        5 stars
        Baking powder can go flat (stale) if stored near heat or if old. If you haven’t used baking powder for a while or if it is stored close to your stove or oven, that might be why.

  5. Krista says

    5 stars
    These are delicious! Love the caramelization broiling gives them. These were better than some I made in the air fryer. Thank you!

  6. Tracey Purcell says

    4 stars
    Just made them, used 2 large apples, a bit more than the recipe. Used 2 tbsp each, were more like cookies and had to bake for 23 minutes to get a browning. I only used 1 layer of the glaze, they were plenty sweet. Quite delicious! I put half of the dough in the refrigerator to bake tomorrow.

  7. Mary Jane Davidson says

    5 stars
    These turned out awesome! I microwaved my chopped apples till they were tender with half of the brown sugar, let them cool and then made them. I also used my Belgian waffle iron to make half of the batch as I was getting impatient and they were AWESOME!!!

  8. Lori says

    Any recommendations on how to store these? I made them yesterday and they looked and tasted so good. Foiled them on a plate on the counter over night and they’re now soggy. Wonder if there is a way to prevent that from happening…

  9. Pam Gentry says

    5 stars
    Just made these and they were delicious! The only thing I changed was to the finishing glaze – I added a hint of maple extract and pure maple syrup to it. Definitely will make them again

  10. Sandra Udinson says

    4 stars
    Ii made the apple fritters and they were yummy but mine ran can you tell me what I might have done wrong. Thank you

  11. Charlene Noland says

    5 stars
    My husband loves Apple Fritters so I thought I would try it. It turned out great. I had to bake them for a couple of minutes longer because it was a little doughy in the middle. I didn’t put them in the broiler because mine is on the very bottom of the stove. They were delicious.

  12. John Nevin says

    4 stars
    As a rookie, I tried this recipe as I love Apple Fritters. Did the recipe as noted, but the fritters didn’t cook all the way through. they are still great and will make them again. Thankyou

  13. Jackie says

    5 stars
    Oh my god these are good. I added a bit of ginger and nutmeg because I love them with apples. the broiled glaze adds so much more than I expected

    • Mary says

      If you typically use margarine in your baking without any issues, it should work fine. That said, I’ve never tried this recipe with anything other than real butter, so I can’t say for certain how it might work.

  14. Eunice says

    5 stars
    Was asked to make a gluten free apple fritter for a conference. Everyone loved it. Thank you for posting this.

    • Mary says

      Bill – I have not tried it with GF flour. However, I am guessing if you use a 1:1 GF flour substitute you should be fine.

  15. Eileen says

    These were delicious, I didn’t make the glaze for them but sprinkled with cinnamon sugar & they were perfect, healthier!

  16. P Merkis says

    3 stars
    The fritters were not crisp on the bottom as I had hoped. I think they need to be cooked longer. The taste was good. Not sure I’ll re-try this recipe.

  17. Denice Swanson says

    5 stars
    These are delicious. I’m taking them over to my dad today for Father’s Day. He loves all things apple. I did bake mine for an additional 10 minutes and it turned out perfect. I also used a gluten free flour mix!

    • Mary says

      I hope he loves the apple fritters, Denice. I’m glad you were able to make the recipe your own. Happy baking!

  18. Ann says

    We have a great crop of sweet sixteen apples this year, so I have been trying many different recipes. I made these for the first time this evening and they are definitely a hit! I will be making these again for sure. I like that these are baked and do not include eggs in the ingredients. Thank you.

    • Mary says

      You are welcome, Ann. I’m glad to hear that you’ve been enjoying the fritters; I’m sure they’re even better with fresh apples. Happy baking!

  19. Kim says

    5 stars
    Hi. What do you use to measure out for your 2 inch dropfuls? I think mine were too thick and came out doughy, so I cooked longer (after the broil and glaze) nice recipe!

    • Mary says

      Sorry for the confusion, Kim. I just use a spoon to drop the batter onto the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them. I’m glad you were able to make it work for you! If you were able to get at least a dozen fritters from the batter, that’s about the right size.

  20. Bonnie says

    5 stars
    It was a simple, well-explained recipe that was really tasty. My husband, who is a fritter afficianado, loved them!!

  21. Linda. Caudill says

    5 stars
    I made these for the first time and they were delicious! I didn’t cut the apples finely. We loved them a bit chunky. This is definitely a keeper! Thank you!