These glazed air fryer apple fritters are simply magical. These air fried apple fritters are the perfect fall dessert or snack. Served warm, they're a sweet treat that absolutely begs to be eaten.
With my son's birthday coming up, I asked him what kind of cake he wanted me to bake him. To my surprise he said apple fritters and to make lots of them! For someone who's a loves cake, this was not the answer I was expecting.
We'd had company over the week before, and I'd served air fryer apple fritters for dessert. Everyone raved about them, including Patrick. So, the memory of how good these apple fritters were, was fresh in his mind.
He gushed about them to his friends, so they were curious. The plan was to have his friends over and gorge on apple fritters.
Given how much I love apple fritters myself, I was happy to oblige. Although apple fritters weren't the only thing on Patrick's birthday menu, they were definitely one of the biggest hits!
My hope is that you'll feel the same way about these air fryer apple fritters too. And so, I'm EXCITED to share this air fryer apple fritters recipe with you today.
If you're crazy about donuts and apples, I urge you to give them a try. Put these air fryer apple fritters on your bucket list, as you're in for a real treat! Regular donuts have got nothing on these apple fritters!
When I was young, I made apple fritters that were deep fried. Being a few years older 😉, I'm more conscious of my health, and what I put in my mouth. So I try and avoid deep frying as much as possible.
I would bake apple fritters in the oven all the time. Along comes the air fryer and making apple fritters in the oven became a thing of the past.
If making apple fritters in an air fryer sounds kind of strange, I hear you. I couldn't imagine it at first either. Neither could my husband and son. They were astonished at just good these air fryer apple fritters tasted.
In just 8 minutes, I had them sitting on a cooling rack while I made the glaze. Oh, the glaze! More on that later.
All About Apple Fritters
There are several versions of apple fritters. In the midwest and the northern United States and Canada, donut dough filled with apple chunks is called apple fritters. They're usually glazed and can range from bite size to quite large.
In the southern United States, apple fritters are essentially hand pies. They're small, half moon shaped pies filled with apple pie filling and then pan or deep fried.
Either iteration can be traced quite far back into history. The first mention of what would later become the doughnut version of apple fritters can be found in a medieval English recipe from around 1390.
However, before that ancient Romans at scriblita, a sweet cake filled with cheese similar to a fritter.
No one knows exactly where fritters of this nature originated, and it's likely that more than one culture created them independently as they learned how to grind grain into flour.
Choosing the Right Apples
Granny Smith apples are best because their tartness balances out perfectly with the sugar. Fuji and Honey Crisp apples will work equally well. Of course, you can use any apple you like.
I do recommend that no matter what kind of apple you choose that you make sure it's a crisp apple that will stand up to the cooking process. Have a look at our best apples for baking for some recommendations.
To Glaze or not to Glaze
If you think the glaze is a bit too sweet for your liking, a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whip cream will do just fine.
But I have to gush about the glaze. Oh, the glaze. It's simply magnificent! The glaze or dip is so good on its own, I could drink the stuff! And apple cider has a lot to do with it. It captures the essence of the apple at it's core. (Pardon the pun)😊
Prepare to dip or pour this delightful glaze over the fritters, and you've got glazed apple fritters that are to die for!
The only complaint I ever got about these air fryer glazed apple fritters, was that I didn't put enough glaze on them. Well, that was an easy fix! You can't beat the apple-flavored glaze. The more, the better.
Take a spoonful of glaze and pour or drizzle it on top of each apple fritter while it sits on the cooling rack, or dip each donut into the apple cider glaze as you take each bite. Pick one of these up and there's no putting it down!
Heaven on earth and I kid you not.
Glazed Air Fryer Apple Fritters
For those that check my recipes often, you know about my adorable neighbor and taste sampler, Renate. She recently introduced me to her upbeat, Italian friend, Enzo. When I told them about this air fryer apple fritters recipe, they were eager to try it and give me their feedback.
Although Enzo is the eternal optimist, he's not afraid to voice his opinion; especially when it comes to food. Since his wife passed, he was forced to cook himself. So, he's gotten to know a thing or two about recipes.
Both of them had serious doubts that apple fritters made in an air fryer could taste as good as deep-fried. Boy were they fooled! Simply put, they were astonished! They loved these apple fritters so much, they ran out and bought their own air fryer! I've created a couple of monsters!
Actually, it was a good thing as we talked about all my other air fryer recipes I could share with them. So, it's been a delight.
Back to apple fritters.
Ingredients
It only takes a few ingredients to make these delicious air fried apple fritters. As decadent as they look, they're actually super easy to make and require very little work. You can immediately start to see that in the ingredient list.
Almost every ingredient on this list is a basic kitchen staple. The only thing you might have to buy for this recipe is the Granny Smith Apples or another variety from our best apples for baking post. Here's what you'll need.
For the Air Fryer Apple Fritters
- Optional: a few squirts of lemon juice (about 2-3 tablespoons) to keep the apples from browning.
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup of granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of table salt
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice (or 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon all spice)
- 1 cup of apple cider
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
For the Glaze
- ½ cup of apple cider
Making the Air Fryer Apple Fritters
Making these air fried apple fritters is just as easy as gathering the ingredients. The most labor intensive part of the entire recipe is simply peeling, coring, and chopping the apples.
After that, the entire recipe is simply a matter of mixing and then cooking in the air fryer. It's as easy as pie, er, fritters.
For the Air Fried Apple Fritters
- Bake at 340 degrees F for 8 minutes. (We frequently air fry two large apple fritter mounds at a time that are heaping half a cup in size each. Then air fry at 340 degrees for 15 minutes and golden. We end up with 6 or 7 big fritters)
- No flipping or preheating is necessary. Remove and place on a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter.
For the Glaze
Variations
Not an apple fan? Not a problem. The great thing about this recipe is how easy it is to tweak to make it absolutely your own. Instead of apples, as a fruit alternative, consider:
- Berries - Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries - or a mix
- Bananas
- Peaches
- Nectarines
- Pears
Pick your favorite and go for it. No matter which fruit fritter you decide on, it's bound to be delicious!
Serving Air Fryer Apple Fritters
These delicious air fried apple fritters are absolutely perfect with a big glass of milk or a cup of hot coffee. They make the perfect breakfast, brunch, or afternoon treat, and everyone always loves them. You can also bring these to any potluck for a super sweet treat that everyone will come back to again and again.
No matter when or where you decide to serve them, they're always a welcome treat with their delicious, sweet dough and apple chunks - and don't forget that delicious glaze!
Storing Air Fryer Apple Fritters
Although best eaten the day they're made, if well-wrapped, apple fritters can sit at room temperature for a couple of days. You can also store them in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to four days. Be aware that the longer they sit, the drier they become.
For longer storage, you can freeze these air fried apple fritters. Place them (spaced apart) on a cookie sheet and freeze. May take a couple of hours. Then put them in freezer-safe resealable bags, and they will last up to 3 months. Don't forget to label and date the bag(s)!
Get These Glazed Air Fryer Apple Fritters in Your Life
Air Fryer Apple Fritters with Glaze - Video
Air Fryer Apple Fritters Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
FRITTERS
- 2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and chopped into ¼-inch pieces or slices
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice on the apple slices will keep them from browning, if desired
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice (or 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon all spice)
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
GLAZE
- 3 cups icing, powdered or confectioners' sugar
- ⅓ cup apple cider
Instructions
- Pull out and measure all of your ingredients.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and apple pie spice.
- Peel, core, and slice or chop apples into ¼ inch pieces. In a large bowl, drizzle with lemon juice to keep from browning. Toss and set aside.
- Whisk cider, eggs, and melted butter in medium bowl.
- Drain the lemon juice from the apples and toss in flour mixture.
- Pour and stir cider mixture into flour blend and incorporate. Batter will look like thick pancake batter.
- Add a piece of parchment paper to the air fryer, cutting to fit the bottom. They make parchment paper liners for air fryers, but if you don’t have them, use regular parchment paper. Poke a few holes in it to allow for air flow.
- Dollop ⅓ cup of batter into four mounds in the air fryer.
- Bake at 340F for 8 minutes. No flipping or preheating is necessary. Remove to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining batter.
- (We frequently air fry two large apple fritter mounds at a time that are a heaping half a cup in size each. Then air fry at 340 degrees for 15 minutes. We end up with 6 or 7 big fritters)
- While fritters are air frying, in medium bowl, whisk confectioners’ sugar and cider until smooth.
- Top each fritter with a heaping spoonful of glaze or drizzle glaze all over. Allow glaze to set for a few minutes on top of fritters before serving or
- serve warm and use glaze as a wonderful dip.
- Enjoy every bite!
Nutrition
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