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Glazed apple fritter bites with visible apple pieces on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet, with a small bowl of vanilla glaze

Apple Fritter Bites

Small spoonfuls of cinnamon batter packed with diced apple, fried until golden and dipped in a vanilla glaze.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Glaze Setting 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings (3 bites each)
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 200
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the batter
  • 1 1/2 cups apple finely diced (from about 2 medium apples), peeled and cored
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup milk plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups vegetable or canola oil for frying
For the glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • - Frying pan or deep fryer
  • - Slotted spoon
  • - Paper towels
  • - Small saucepan (for glaze)

Method
 

  1. Cut the apple into small pieces, about 1/4 inch, spread them on paper towels and pat dry.
  2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Toss in the apple. Whisk the egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla, then stir into the dry ingredients just until no dry flour remains.
  3. Heat the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350°F, with a deep-fry thermometer clipped to the side.
  4. Drop rounded tablespoons of batter into the oil without crowding. Fry about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, flip and fry about 1 minute more, until deep golden brown. Keep the oil between 325°F and 350°F and bring it back to 350°F between batches.
  5. Lift the bites out with a slotted spoon onto a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
  6. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Dip each warm bite, return it to the rack and let the glaze set about 10 minutes.

Notes

Storage: keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 350°F oven for about 5 to 10 minutes, then add fresh glaze if you like.
Make ahead: dice the apples and measure the dry ingredients ahead; mix the batter just before frying.
Substitutions: use apple cider instead of milk in the glaze, with a pinch of cinnamon; Honeycrisp or Gala instead of Granny Smith; roll the warm bites in cinnamon sugar instead of glazing.
Nutrition is an estimate, not a laboratory analysis; it assumes about 2 tablespoons of oil absorbed during frying.