Baked Apple Fritters

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These Baked Apple Fritters are so delicious. With hints of warm cinnamon and nutmeg, these fluffy delights are so tasty, you will be popping one after another into your mouth.

Side view of baked apple fritters dusted with powdered sugar lined up on a wire rack that is nestled in a stainless steel baking pan.

Apple fritters that are baked and not fried!!

That’s right. These little pillows of goodness are just as good as the ones from the fair without all the added fat from frying.

Yep. You can forget about greasy fingers while enjoying these baked apple fritters that are also made without yeast. Say what!!

They’re a must-have for cold weather! Just like these easy baked apples I made the other day!

Overhead view of baked apple fritters dusted with powdered sugar piled in a wooden bowl lined with white parchment paper and a few fritters scattered around the bowl.

You probably already know, I am all about apple desserts. Well, anything apple really. Especially when it’s an apple cinnamon scone or apple streusel muffin (omg, they are delightful!).

Not too long ago I devoured an apple pie with brown butter crust AND apple streusel bars. I just can’t help myself. Apple is my happy place at the moment.

So let’s talk about how to make another fabulous apple treat.

These fritters are like a cross between a muffin and a donut. Soft but sturdy and full of apple chunks, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

To keep them moist I use a mix of butter and plain Greek yogurt. They bake up so rich, tender, and fluffy.

Close up view of a baked apple fritter that's cut in half so you can see the fluffy interior speckled with chunks of apples.

The fritters come together with basic ingredients like sugar, butter, egg, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, yogurt, vanilla, and of course apples.

I like to Granny Smith for the fritters since the batter is quite sweet. But feel free to experiment and use your own favorite variety or mix a couple of different varieties together.

These baked apple fritters are basically mini muffins. The batter is your typical muffin batter and it can be baked in a mini muffin pan or a donut hole pan.

I baked half the batter in each of the pans mentioned and had excellent results with both.

Baked apple fritters dusted with powdered sugar piled in a wooden bowl lined with white parchment paper and a few fritters scattered around the bowl.

The tops of the fritters don’t brown as nicely as the bottom. To solve this issue, I set the fully cooked fritters under the broiler for a couple of seconds.

With a quick toast, they became more uniform in color the way a fried fritter would be.

Just stay close by because they will burn quickly. It only takes a second or two to go from brown to burnt.

I enjoyed these baked apple fritters with a light dusting of powdered sugar and a generous dunk in homemade caramel sauce. It was phenomenal!

Overhead view of baked apple fritters dusted with powdered sugar lined up on a wire rack that is nestled in a stainless steel baking pan.

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Baked Apple Fritters

4.50 from 70 votes
Side view of baked apple fritters dusted with powdered sugar lined up on a wire rack that is nestled in a stainless steel baking pan.
These Baked Apple Fritters are so delicious. With hints of warm cinnamon and nutmeg, these fluffy delights are so tasty, you will be popping one after another into your mouth.
Jen Sobjack
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Serving Size 32

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (200 g) plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 ½ cups (195 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and diced
  • confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling, optional
  • caramel sauce for dipping, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat the cups of a mini muffin pan or a donut hole pan with cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl beat the sugar and butter together until fluffy. Beat in the egg followed by the vanilla. Add the yogurt and beat until well combined.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir with a whisk. Add to the butter yogurt mixture and gently fold with a rubber spatula until the batter comes together. Gently fold in the apples.
  • Fill the cups of the prepared pan with about 1 tablespoon of batter. (There will be extra batter. Use a second pan if you have one or refrigerate the batter until the first set of fritters has finished baking. Repeat with the remaining batter once the pan has cooled completely.)
  • Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the fritters from the oven. 
  • Using oven mitts, adjust the rack to the second position from the top. (Use caution, the oven is still very hot) Turn the broiler to high and wait 3 minutes. 
  • Return the fritters to the oven until the tops are lightly toasted, about 30 seconds. (Stay by the oven and keep a close eye on the fritters. The broiler is very hot and can easily burn the fritters if left unattended.)
  • Transfer the fritters to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Dust the tops with powdered sugar and serve with caramel sauce for dipping.

Notes

  • Apple: I used Granny Smith apples because I like the tart contrast with the sweet batter. You can use any variety you desire. 
Make ahead tip
  1. Fritters are best enjoyed right away.
  2. You can keep leftover fritters for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
  3. They can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then reheat before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1fritter | Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.3mg

The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

64 Comments

  1. Amy | Club Narwhal says:

    Oh. Em. Gee! These look bonkers amazing! I love that they’re baked instead of fried–I can eat more, right?

  2. Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says:

    Love that you lightened up apple fritters! Can’t wait to give these a try!

    1. Thanks, Jessica! They are so good.

  3. Medha @ Whisk & Shout says:

    These look so delicious! I love apples 🙂

  4. Blair @ The Seasoned Mom says:

    I love that you baked these!! So darn smart and I would have never thought to bake fritters. I bet they do taste amazing. What a great fall treat!

  5. Maya @ Treats and Eats says:

    These sound amazing! I’m ready for Fall and baked apple fritters are high on my list of things to eat very soon. Love it!

    1. Apple fritters are a must in the fall.

  6. These fritters look gorgeous! I want to dive right in!

    1. Thank you so much, Sara!

  7. You done good, girl. Making these baked instead of fried is a public service and deserves to be recognized as such! Looks AMAZING.

    1. You’re too kind, Mir. Thank you!

  8. Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says:

    I love the idea of baking these Jen, and that was a good call to brown them under the broiler. I would love to have some of these with that caramel sauce!

    1. They were a huge hit, especially with the caramel sauce.

  9. Maryanne @ the little epicurean says:

    Baked fritters? These sound too good to be true! A delicious fall treat 🙂

    1. Thank you for the kind comment, Maryanne!

  10. Manali @ CookWithManali says:

    these sound so good, I can only imagine how great they must have tasted dunked in caramel sauce!!

    1. It was the perfect duo! Thanks, Manali!

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