Gluten-Free Apple Fritters Recipe (2024)

  • Apple
  • Gluten-free Desserts
  • Frying
  • Desserts
  • Doughnuts

By

Elizabeth Barbone

Gluten-Free Apple Fritters Recipe (1)

Elizabeth Barbone

Elizabeth Barbone develops delicious and creative recipes for the food allergic and gluten-free communities through her site Gluten-Free Baking. Author of three cookbooks: Easy Gluten-Free Baking (2009), How to Cook Gluten-Free (2012), and The World's Easiest Paleo Baking (2016).

Updated May 07, 2020

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Gluten-Free Apple Fritters Recipe (2)

Apple fritters should not be jelly doughnuts in which the jam is merely replaced with an apple filling. No, an apple fritter is a nubby affair with crisp bits of chopped apples scattered throughout and just the slightest hint of confectioner's glaze. Gluten-free fritters can be tough to make, but as it turns out, size matters. Our small fritters come out with the ideal ratio of crisp fried exterior to apple-packed crumb.

Why this recipe works:

  • Apples are lightly cooked before being added to the dough. This cooks them just enough so that when the doughnuts are quick-fried, they aren't too crunchy or too soft.
  • Leavened with yeast, the fritter dough is chewy, something you don't always get in gluten-free baked goods.
  • A small amount of dough is dropped into the hot oil. This ensures that the fritters cook all the way through and aren't raw in the center, a problem with larger fritters.

Notes: Chebe mix, which contains modified manioc starch, adds important elasticity to this recipe. It can be ordered online

How to Make Gluten-Free Apple Fritters

Recipe Details

Gluten-Free Apple Fritters Recipe

ActiveAbout 2 hrs

Total0 mins

Serves24 servings

Ingredients

  • For the Dough
  • 1 (7.5 ounce) box Chebe original cheese bread mix (see note)
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) white rice flour
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) sweet rice flour
  • 1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon, divided
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup water, warm
  • 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
  • 1 cup milk, warm
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Oil or nonstick cooking spray for greasing the bowl
  • For the Apples
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 3 large cooking apples, peeled, cored, and diced (about 3 1/2 cups total) (Granny Smith work best)
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
  • For Frying
  • 2 cups vegetable oil
  • For the Glaze
  • 2 cups confectioner's sugar
  • 4 tablespoons half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. For the Dough: In large bowl, whisk together Chebe mix, white rice flour, sweet rice flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, cinnamon, xanthan gum, and salt. Set aside.

  2. In small bowl, whisk together warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar until sugar dissolves. Add yeast. Whisk until yeast dissolves. Set aside until doubled in size, about five minutes. (If yeast doesn’t bubble and double in size, it means the yeast is dead. Discard it and start with a new packet of yeast.)

  3. Add warm milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract to the yeast mixturere. Pour milk-yeast mixture over the whisked dry ingredients. Stir, using a wooden spoon, until a stiff dough ball forms. Generously flour your countertop and turn sticky dough out onto counter. Dust dough with white rice flour and knead dough until smooth, about one minute. Lightly oil a medium bowl. Place dough in oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow dough to double in size, about 2 hours.

  4. For the Apples: In large cast iron or stainless steel skillet, combine butter and dark brown sugar. Melt butter and sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add apples and stir to combine. Cook until apples darken slightly and just begin to soften. In a small bowl, whisk together cider and cornstarch. Pour cider over the apples. Stir. Bring to a boil and cook until thick, about 3 minutes. Transfer apples to a bowl and allow to cool.

  5. When dough doubles in size, punch down or stir with a rice floured wooden spoon. Stir in cooled apple mixture. Cover and allow to rise until dough almost doubles in size, about 1 hour.

  6. To Fry: Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, or wok to 350°F. Adjust flame during cooking to maintain temperature. Using two spoons, carefully drop balls of dough about 2 tablespoons each into the oil. Cook until edges turn golden brown. Turn and repeat. Using a wire skimmer, remove fritters from hot oil. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is fried.

  7. Prepare the glaze: whisk together confectioner’s sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a wire rack over the baking sheet. One by one, dip the fritters into the glaze. Shake excess glaze off and place fritters on wire rack.

  8. Fritters are best served the day they are made but may be held overnight. Store leftover fritters on a plate and cover with plastic wrap.

Special equipment

12-inch cast iron skillet

This Recipe Appears In

  • How to Make Gluten-Free Apple Fritters
Gluten-Free Apple Fritters Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my apple fritters not crispy? ›

Best tips for apple fritters:

Use two spoons to drop the batter into the oil and spread gently. If you drop a scoop of batter into the oil, the outside will be crispy and the center will be raw. To make them really crispy, I prefer to fry them until they are dark brown not just golden brown.

Why are my apple fritters falling apart? ›

Sprinkle it with more flour on top and use your hands to squeeze and pat into a patty. All the extra flour is really important because it will help bind and seal the fritter so it doesn't fall apart when frying.

How can I thicken my fritter batter? ›

Adding flour to a wetter batter will give you the thick consistency you want. Add crumbled stock cubes for a flavourful kick! Add as little or as much as you like (or none at all), depending on the flavour you want.

What's the difference between apple cider donuts and apple fritters? ›

Apple Fritters vs Apple Donuts

Many apple cider doughnut recipes are cake-based, not yeast-based. And most apple fritters don't have cider in the dough, they just rely on the apple chunks to provide flavor.

Does baking soda make fritters crispy? ›

Is baking soda or powder best for frying? A pinch of baking soda can help produce crispy fried foods. It reacts with the acid in the batter to create carbon dioxide bubbles. These lead to an airy batter and a crisper, fluffier result.

What does baking soda do in fritters? ›

So we use both to get the best of both worlds; Baking soda (bi-carb) OR baking powder – just a touch, to aerate the batter every so slightly (without it, it's slightly denser); Parmesan – for a good hit of savoury flavour AND to make the fritters extra crispy! Green onion and coriander – for a hit of freshness.

Should fritter batter be thick? ›

You want a thick batter for these fritters. If you find it's a little too thin simply add in some more flour. If the batters too thick (can still see flour etc), add a dash of milk. The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape on a tablespoon without pouring off everywhere.

How do you get fritters to stick together? ›

This happens when there is not enough binder in the mix. I like to use Panko bread crumbs, 2 eggs, and cheese as binders. Fritters can also fall apart if they're stuck to the pan. Make sure to use enough oil, preheat the pan, don't flip too soon or too much, or you can use a non-stick cooking pan.

How do you stop soggy fritters? ›

Tips and Tricks
  1. Squeeze out any excess water from the vegetables such as potatoes and zucchini after grating to prevent soggy fritters.
  2. If you find the mixture is too wet, add additional flour.
  3. Try and make the fritters approximately the same size so that they cook evenly in the oven.
Jul 17, 2023

What is the purpose of the egg in fritters? ›

Alternatively, don't use them at all. The eggs are there with the flour to bind the fritters together, and to make the fritters rise a little, but they're not absolutely necessary where cheese will melt and act as binding.

Why are my fritters like pancakes? ›

Note: Some fritters recipes are more pancake than loosely-held-together fritter patty, one where it's important you eliminate a lot of water. For those pancake-style fritters, a loose, moist batter may be preferable. Most recipes will explicitly call for wringing moisture from ingredients if that's necessary.

Is pancake batter the same as fritter batter? ›

A fritter batter is a muffin batter without butter (fat). How does pancake batter fit in? Right in the middle of the two because it use 1/2 part fat, but keeps the other core components the same. These all fall under the quick bread family, which use baking powder or soda as a leavener.

Does Krispy Kreme donuts make apple fritters? ›

Apple Fritters are a classic. Handmade with apple filling, diced apples and plenty of cinnamon, this new fritter is glazed to perfection.

What is the unhealthiest doughnut? ›

Apple fritters are among the unhealthiest doughnuts. Just because a doughnut has fruit it it doesn't mean it is a good choice.

Why is my batter not getting crispy? ›

Keep the oil temperature up for crispy fried food

When it comes to battered foods, according to Bon Appétit, the lower the temperature, the longer your batter is sitting in the pot absorbing oil, which can lead to a dark, unappetizing oil-laden crust.

How do you fix soggy fritters? ›

Larger eggs have more water from the egg white, resulting in wetter batter and soggy fritters. Add flour to your wet batter! Most veggies have a high water content (which we know equals soggy fritters). Adding flour to a wetter batter will give you the thick consistency need to make the perfect batter.

Why are my fritters soft? ›

When frying, work in batches and avoid sticking the fritters too close together in the pan. If they are too close, they'll create steam which will make them too soft. Use hot oil! Don't add the fritters to the pan until the oil is nice and hot.

Why is my batter not crispy? ›

Timing. Bring it to the table immediately. Fried food in batter must be done almost in real time: the closer you get to eating it, the better. This is because the cover given by the batter and the humidity of the food quickly remove the crunchiness.

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