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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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Baked Apple Fritters
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.
- Fritters are best enjoyed right away.
- You can keep leftover fritters for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
- They can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then reheat before serving.
Nutrition
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.
Just made these and I love them! I think next time I might add finely diced walnuts.
It would also be really good adding chopped dried cranberries. The possiblities are
endless! Thank you for sharing!
I must try some of these variations you mentioned. Thank you for making my recipes!!
Jen, My husband loves apple fritters. I want to make these, but need to ask you if the Greek Yogurt is full fat or fat free? I happen to have both in the house right now!
Hi Judy! The recipe works best with full-fat yogurt.
A question… Can this recipe be baked in a Bundt cake pan as one large mini-fritter cake? Are there any adjustments I need to make if using a Bunct cake pan?
Oh, another question… Is there a preferred apple? Granny Smith is tart, Honey Crisp is very sweet, and McIntosh is sort of in the middle. We do not have a taste preference, so the one that works best with the recipe is the one I’d like to use.
Thanks.
I have never tried making this recipe in a bundt pan so I have no idea what adjustments need to be made. For the apple, I used Granny Smith because I like the tart contrast with the sweet batter.
These were great! My son has a dairy allergy so I subbed 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup coconut milk for the yogurt. It was still delicious. One day, when I’m done breastfeeding and can have dairy again, I’ll have to try the real ones.
Thank you so very much for this dairy free version!!!
These were great! My son has a dairy allergy so I subbed 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup coconut milk for the yogurt. It was still delicious. One day, when I’m done breastfeeding and can have dairy again, I’ll have to try the real ones.
I love this baked version of apple fritters, those are something I really love, I am pinning this one to save in my apple desserts board for later!
I love this baked version of apple fritters, those are something I really love, I am pinning this one to save in my apple desserts board for later!
How did you know that apple fritters are my FAVES?! I love the looks of these, especially the part where you don’t need a giant pot of boiling oil 😉
I’m known for catching pots of oil on fire. True story. So I try to avoid that at all costs.
What a great idea, Jen! These are perfect for fall! 🙂 Love your food photography!
You’re too kind, Sina. Thank you!
My favorite fruit and caramel. That’s it!!! Looks amazing Jen!
Thank you so much, Remya!