Gluten-Free Apple Fritters Recipe (2024)

  • Apple
  • Gluten-free Desserts
  • Frying
  • Desserts
  • Doughnuts

By

Elizabeth Barbone

Gluten-Free Apple Fritters Recipe (1)

Elizabeth Barbone

Elizabeth Barbone develops delicious and creative recipes for the food allergic and gluten-free communities through her site Gluten-Free Baking. Author of three cookbooks: Easy Gluten-Free Baking (2009), How to Cook Gluten-Free (2012), and The World's Easiest Paleo Baking (2016).

Updated May 07, 2020

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Gluten-Free Apple Fritters Recipe (2)

Apple fritters should not be jelly doughnuts in which the jam is merely replaced with an apple filling. No, an apple fritter is a nubby affair with crisp bits of chopped apples scattered throughout and just the slightest hint of confectioner's glaze. Gluten-free fritters can be tough to make, but as it turns out, size matters. Our small fritters come out with the ideal ratio of crisp fried exterior to apple-packed crumb.

Why this recipe works:

  • Apples are lightly cooked before being added to the dough. This cooks them just enough so that when the doughnuts are quick-fried, they aren't too crunchy or too soft.
  • Leavened with yeast, the fritter dough is chewy, something you don't always get in gluten-free baked goods.
  • A small amount of dough is dropped into the hot oil. This ensures that the fritters cook all the way through and aren't raw in the center, a problem with larger fritters.

Notes: Chebe mix, which contains modified manioc starch, adds important elasticity to this recipe. It can be ordered online

How to Make Gluten-Free Apple Fritters

Recipe Details

Gluten-Free Apple Fritters Recipe

ActiveAbout 2 hrs

Total0 mins

Serves24 servings

Ingredients

  • For the Dough
  • 1 (7.5 ounce) box Chebe original cheese bread mix (see note)
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) white rice flour
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) sweet rice flour
  • 1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon, divided
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup water, warm
  • 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
  • 1 cup milk, warm
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Oil or nonstick cooking spray for greasing the bowl
  • For the Apples
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 3 large cooking apples, peeled, cored, and diced (about 3 1/2 cups total) (Granny Smith work best)
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
  • For Frying
  • 2 cups vegetable oil
  • For the Glaze
  • 2 cups confectioner's sugar
  • 4 tablespoons half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. For the Dough: In large bowl, whisk together Chebe mix, white rice flour, sweet rice flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, cinnamon, xanthan gum, and salt. Set aside.

  2. In small bowl, whisk together warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar until sugar dissolves. Add yeast. Whisk until yeast dissolves. Set aside until doubled in size, about five minutes. (If yeast doesn’t bubble and double in size, it means the yeast is dead. Discard it and start with a new packet of yeast.)

  3. Add warm milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract to the yeast mixturere. Pour milk-yeast mixture over the whisked dry ingredients. Stir, using a wooden spoon, until a stiff dough ball forms. Generously flour your countertop and turn sticky dough out onto counter. Dust dough with white rice flour and knead dough until smooth, about one minute. Lightly oil a medium bowl. Place dough in oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow dough to double in size, about 2 hours.

  4. For the Apples: In large cast iron or stainless steel skillet, combine butter and dark brown sugar. Melt butter and sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add apples and stir to combine. Cook until apples darken slightly and just begin to soften. In a small bowl, whisk together cider and cornstarch. Pour cider over the apples. Stir. Bring to a boil and cook until thick, about 3 minutes. Transfer apples to a bowl and allow to cool.

  5. When dough doubles in size, punch down or stir with a rice floured wooden spoon. Stir in cooled apple mixture. Cover and allow to rise until dough almost doubles in size, about 1 hour.

  6. To Fry: Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, or wok to 350°F. Adjust flame during cooking to maintain temperature. Using two spoons, carefully drop balls of dough about 2 tablespoons each into the oil. Cook until edges turn golden brown. Turn and repeat. Using a wire skimmer, remove fritters from hot oil. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is fried.

  7. Prepare the glaze: whisk together confectioner’s sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a wire rack over the baking sheet. One by one, dip the fritters into the glaze. Shake excess glaze off and place fritters on wire rack.

  8. Fritters are best served the day they are made but may be held overnight. Store leftover fritters on a plate and cover with plastic wrap.

Special equipment

12-inch cast iron skillet

This Recipe Appears In

  • How to Make Gluten-Free Apple Fritters
Gluten-Free Apple Fritters Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my homemade apple fritters soggy? ›

Why are my apple fritters soggy? This is most likely the result of oil temperature. If your oil is too cool, your fritters will take a long time to fry and will end up greasy.

Why are my apple fritters not crispy? ›

Best tips for apple fritters:

Use two spoons to drop the batter into the oil and spread gently. If you drop a scoop of batter into the oil, the outside will be crispy and the center will be raw. To make them really crispy, I prefer to fry them until they are dark brown not just golden brown.

How can I thicken my fritter batter? ›

Adding flour to a wetter batter will give you the thick consistency you want. Add crumbled stock cubes for a flavourful kick! Add as little or as much as you like (or none at all), depending on the flavour you want.

Why are my fritters soggy in the middle? ›

The most common causes for soggy fritters are too much batter (basic flour and egg batter like used in pancakes will never cook up crispy), and whatever you're frittering leeches too much water when cooking.

Does baking soda make fritters crispy? ›

Is baking soda or powder best for frying? A pinch of baking soda can help produce crispy fried foods. It reacts with the acid in the batter to create carbon dioxide bubbles. These lead to an airy batter and a crisper, fluffier result.

Why are apple fritters unhealthy? ›

Apple fritters are among the unhealthiest doughnuts. Just because a doughnut has fruit it it doesn't mean it is a good choice. Apple fritters are deep fried in fat. A medium sized apple fritter contains approximately 17 grams of fat (almost half the fat from saturated fat) and 450 calories.

Can I use cornstarch instead of flour for fritters? ›

Ingredients. *I have found that rice flour will yield a batter that fries up light and crisp, while cornstarch will yield a batter with firmer crunch. Both are delicious.

How do you stop soggy fritters? ›

Tips and Tricks
  1. Squeeze out any excess water from the vegetables such as potatoes and zucchini after grating to prevent soggy fritters.
  2. If you find the mixture is too wet, add additional flour.
  3. Try and make the fritters approximately the same size so that they cook evenly in the oven.
Jul 17, 2023

Why is my batter not getting crispy? ›

Keep the oil temperature up for crispy fried food

When it comes to battered foods, according to Bon Appétit, the lower the temperature, the longer your batter is sitting in the pot absorbing oil, which can lead to a dark, unappetizing oil-laden crust.

What is the purpose of the egg in fritters? ›

Egg: When making potato fritters, the egg serves the purpose of binding the dough while adding more taste.

Why are my apple fritters greasy? ›

The oil temperature is important!

I like to cook my Bourbon Apple Fritters at about 350°. If the oil is too hot, the outside will burn and the inside will be under-cooked. If the oil is not hot enough, the fritters will absorb a lot of oil and will be greasy.

What can I use to bind fritters instead of egg? ›

16 egg substitutes
  1. Mashed banana. Mashed banana can act as a binding agent when baking or making pancake batter. ...
  2. Applesauce. Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. ...
  3. Fruit puree. Fruit puree will help bind a recipe in a similar way to applesauce. ...
  4. Avocado. ...
  5. Gelatin. ...
  6. Xanthan gum. ...
  7. Vegetable oil and baking powder. ...
  8. Margarine.
Mar 30, 2021

Can you keep fritter batter overnight? ›

You can make the batter up to 1 day ahead of time and store in the fridge. I've used this trick when I'm a bit short on time and know that I'll be needing to rush dinner the following night.

How do you fix wet fritters? ›

1. Batter consistency is key to good fritters. If too runny, add a touch of extra flour (otherwise fritters soggy inside). If way too thick, add a touch of water.

How do you fix mushy apple crisp? ›

Your day-old mush will turn back into the warm and crunchy crisp once more if you reheat in the oven at 350°. And for the love of autumn, please do not forget the ice cream. Or the whipped cream. Or the mascarpone…

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