12 Must-Know Tips For The Tastiest Apple Fritters

There are few fair foods that we love as much as apple fritters. There's something so enticing about peeking at a food window and watching the apple-filled patties being dropped into the oil before they're garnished with a glossy vanilla glaze. Though apple fritters are technically a type of donut in that they're made of dough and fried, it's hard to mistake them for the round, yeasty variety with a hole in the middle. Rather, fritters are supposed to be massive, dense, and heavy and incorporate the fruit into the batter itself rather than as a garnish or a filling.

Luckily, you won't have to wait for fair season to roll around to get your hands on piping hot apple fritter. We consulted cookbook author and restauranteur Mark Filippelli about some of his top tips for making delicious apple fritters in the comfort of your home kitchen. With a tall pot, spider skimmer, and a dream, you, too, can have tasty apple fritters in no time at all. 

There are so many different kinds of apples out there. How are you supposed to narrow down which ones to use for apple fritters and which to skip? Well, the first thing that you're going to want to look for when deciding on a variety is texture. Since the apples are going to be cooked, they need to be able to retain enough consistency so that they don't turn into an apple-flavored goop when they hit the oil or get mixed into the batter. Cookbook author Mark Filippelli recommends using either Granny Smiths or Pink Lady apples for fritters. These apples boast a beautiful color and a hearty texture that would make them a great fit for apple fritters, or baked recipes in general. 

While there are some apples that work well for fritters, there are also a few that you are better off avoiding. "In general, I would avoid overly ripe apples and steer clear of Fuji or Red Delicious, as they will likely be too soft and not hold up well," Filippelli says. 

Once you have your apple of choice narrowed down, it's time to start preparing them for your batter. We would recommend cutting your apples before you make your batter, as the peeling, coring, and cutting is usually far more time-intensive than making a batter, and letting your batter sit out for too long can cause it to become stodgy and difficult to work with. 

Ideally, you'll want to cut your apples into small but uniform pieces. Mark Filippelli explains that leaving some apple pieces larger than others may cause some to come out undercooked while others are overcooked. We'd recommend dicing your apples anywhere from ¼ to ½-inch in size. That way, when you bite into your fritter, you'll get a little bit of that toothsome apple texture and sweet flavor amidst the doughy backdrop. 

Overmixing is one of the most common mistakes that people make with baking anything — including fritters. Mark Filippelli explains that it's really easy to mix your batter until all of the lumps dissapear. But, if you overmix it, you will run the risk of the gluten strands tightening up. Overmixed batter won't create light and fluffy fritters, but rather ones that are dense and bread-like. 

Luckily, you can rely on visual indicators to determine when your fritter batter is mixed enough. "You can usually tell when it is perfectly mixed when it looks like a lumpy pancake batter and [is] not too runny," says Filippelli. In other words, if you give it a good stir, there shouldn't be any pockets of dry flour, but lumps are totally okay. Another way to reduce the risk of overmixing the batter is to only mix it with a spoon or spatula, as using an electric appliance — like a hand-beater — may cause your batter to become overwhipped. You can also mix your dry ingredients together first before adding the wet in to better distribute them, as the moisture is what triggers the gluten strands to start forming. 

If there's one important thing that you should know about frying anything — whether that's chicken, pork chops, or apple fritters — is that you should never crowd the pan. While cooking more at a single time might seem like a simple way to expedite the cooking process, overcrowding the pan will only lead to issues. For one, it's a lot of pieces of food to manage at once. And two, adding your fritters in too fast will cause the temperature of the oil to drop. Mark Filippelli notes that this drop in temperature may lead to your fritters coming out of the pan soggy and oily. 

He recommends cooking no more than two to four fritters at a time, though this will, of course, depend on the size of the pan. "The main thing is that they have enough space to cook thoroughly and get that nice crispness," he says. You can also keep an eye on the oil temperature as you fry by mounting a candy or cooking thermometer on the side of the pan.

Frying anything, fritters included, can be a daunting task for a novice home cook. There's a lot of oil splattering everywhere, hot food moving around, and the difficult task of making sure that your fritter comes out perfectly crispy rather than dense and greasy. One alternative — which will also allow you to cut down on the oil you use — is to opt for an air fryer instead of a deep fryer. Mark Filippelli shares that he's tried this hack himself. "To get that perfect crispiness, I tried giving them a light coat with some oil before adding to the air fryer and they came up a treat!"

In order to make your air-fryer fritters, you're going to want to line your air fryer basket with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking. Like with conventional frying, you're going to want to give the fritters enough space in the basket to ensure that the air can fully circulate and crisp all the edges up. For the best texture, Filippelli recommends air frying the fritters for eight to 10 minutes at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While the consistency might not be the exact same as a carnival-style fritter, this method is a little more approachable and will still yield tasty bites. If you don't have an air fryer and want to skip over the normal frying, you could also bake your fritters — but they just won't have the same texture as if you fried them. 

You can draw a lot of parallels between apple fritter batter and pancake batter. For one, they both contain ingredients like flour, sugar, leavening agents, eggs, and milk. There are some folks who even use leftover pancake batter as a shortcut for homemade fritters. However, one ingredient that you might add to your fritter batter that you wouldn't add to pancakes is starch. 

Mark Filippelli explains that adding a little cornstarch or rice flour to your batter can help your fritter come out extra crispy. Another benefit of adding some cornstarch to your fritter batter is that it will help stave off gluten development and reduce the amount of oil that your fritters soak up as they cook. The exact amount of starch or flour to add will depend on the size of your recipe, but you can start with a ¼ cup and scale upwards from there. 

Apples are a relatively neutral-tasting ingredient, so you'll want to rely on spices and seasonings to help give your fritters a kick and complement the fruit. Mark Filippelli says he likes his fritters to taste "like a chai latte"  — which means spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice make an appearance. Cardamom, one of the central components of a chai spice blend, would also be an excellent ingredient to add to your fritters, as its earthy flavor would elevate every bite and complement the honey-like profile of the fruit. 

If you're willing to be a bit more daring with your spices, you also may want to consider adding in a touch (emphasis on "touch") of cracked black pepper for warmth. The peppercorns, paired with the warming notes of the cardamom and the cinnamon, can offer the complexity that you recipe is craving. 

Walking through the oil aisle at the grocery store can be overwhelming — to say the least. From regular ol' vegetable oil to canola, rapeseed, sunflower, and olive oil, there are just so many different products to choose from. When it comes to selecting one for frying fritters, though, Mark Filippelli shares that there are two potential options: peanut oil and vegetable oil. He explains that these selections are optimal because they have a high smoke point and a neutral flavor. On the flip side, he would recommend avoiding olive oil and coconut oil, as they have a lower smoke point and may alter the flavor of your fritters. 

You may need more oil than you'd think for this recipe. For example, if you are cooking in a high-walled pot, you may want to use upwards of a quart of oil to fry your fritters. If you neglect to add enough oil, you may risk your fritters sticking to the pan (and subsequently burning) or browning unevenly. 

Fritters, like other types of donuts, are usually not accompanied by a dipping sauce. But, the world is your oyster when you make fritters yourself at home. Mark Filippelli suggests a somewhat unusual dipping sauce for fritters — tahini. However, once you think about it, it's easy to see how the fatty, slightly savory sesame paste would pair with a sweet apple fritter and make each bite all the more decadent. Another creamy suggestion, courtesy of Mark Filippelli, is peanut butter. If you've ever indulged in apple slices dipped in peanut butter, you may be partial to this recommendation. 

You can also rely on pre-made sauces and spreads to make your apple fritters extra special. Canned caramel sauce, preferably with a sprinkle of salt, can complement the apples well and elevate your dessert. As a whole, you may want to avoid any heavy or conflicting dipping sauces, like chocolate, as it can obscure the flavor of the apples too much and take the attention away from the fritter itself. 

A key part of making a batch of apple fritters is developing an equally tasty glaze to go with it. While some folks will just stick to a sprinkle of powdered sugar as a garnish, that's far from the only topping you can use for your fritters. Mark Filippelli shares that you can upgrade a standard glaze with an array of different ingredients, including orange zest, cinnamon, or even a dash of bourbon or rum. Adding these flavors to the glaze, rather than the fritter batter itself, will ensure that those flavors are the first thing that touches your taste buds. You won't have to risk these delicate profiles getting lost in all that oily goodness. 

The only thing more important than what flavors you add to your glaze is when you apply it. Filippelli explains that the best time to layer a glaze on a fritter is when it's warm, but not straight-out-of-the-fryer hot. Waiting for a little bit, he notes, will ensure that the glaze coats the entire fritter and doesn't make it soggy.

There are definitely some pans that are better for frying fritters than others. In general, Mark Filippelli recommends opting for a wide-bottomed pan made with stainless steel or cast iron. Working with a larger pan, like one that has an 11- or 12-inch diameter, will allow you to space your fritters out as they cook and prevent any risk of overlap. You'll also want to make sure the pan is deep enough that you won't run the risk of oil splashing up and over. Around 3 to 4 inches tall is ideal, per Filippelli. 

One of our favorites for cooking apple fritters is a Dutch oven. This useful kitchen pot both heats up evenly and retains heat well. Plus, the standard-sized ovens are tall enough that you can easily maneuver the fritters as they're cooking. You'll also want to get your hands on a long-handled spider, like this Hiware Solid Stainless Steel Spider Strainer, so that you can pull the fritters out and drain off the excess oil without getting too close to the sputtering grease. 

Anyone who has indulged in day-old french fries or eaten a donut that was left out overnight in the break room knows that fried food doesn't always taste great on day two. Luckily, Mark Filippelli has some tips for how to ensure that your fritters stay as fresh as possible after you cook them. At his restaurants, he lets the fritters cool on a wire rack once they exit the oil — though we personally prefer paper towels because they soak up the oil more readily. Regardless of how you remove the excess grease, this chilling step is important, as it prevents condensation from forming when you go to store the fritter. If you're cooking in batches, you can do as Filippelli does and toss the fritters in the oven to warm up before serving them. 

Apple fritters also freeze well. Filippelli recommends layering parchment paper in between the cooled fritters before you freeze them and says that "they cook up amazingly straight from the freezer."