These easy gluten-free apple fritters come together in just 25 minutes with only 8 ingredients! We love the baked apples, cinnamon spicing, and crispy fried outside of one of our favorite treats. You won't believe how easy these are to make at home!
If you're missing the tasty fried treats at the Fairgrounds, carnivals, and pumpkin patch, these Gluten-Free Apple Fritters will hit the spot! I like them best in the Fall and Winter months since that's when apples are in season. This is also when I typically crave fried dough and apple treats after seeing them at carnivals, fairs, and the pumpkin patch or apple farm!
This simplified recipe is easy enough to make frequently and impressive enough for guests!
For more Fall treats that are easy to make at home, check out our Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Donuts, Gluten-Free Apple Coffee Cake, and Pie Iron Apple Pie.
How to make it (with photos)
8 ingredients, 25 minutes, and a really simple one-bowl method will have you biting into a crisp gluten-free apple fritter in no time!
Ingredients Notes + Substitutions
Here are the 8 common Fall baking ingredients you need for this recipe:
- Gluten-free all purpose flour - I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour. This flour already has xanthan gum so you don't need to add it. Other Gluten-Free All Purpose or 1-to-1 flour flours will work well as a replacement. I also like Pamela's All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour.
- Brown Sugar - You can substitute regular granulated sugar or coconut sugar for this recipe. If using coconut sugar, I recommend adding 2 extra tablespoons since it is naturally less sweet and less dense than regular sugar.
- Gluten-free baking powder - Clabber Girl and Rumford brands both make baking powder that is gluten-free in the USA.
- Apples - Any sweet apple variety will work! I used Envy apples. Avoid any that are particularly bitter.
- Apple juice - For extra spice, use apple cider.
- Vegetable Oil - I don't recommend using canola oil as a replacement because it leaves a strong aftertaste. The oil is only for frying.
See the recipe card for full ingredients and quantities.
Variations
This recipe is sweet and simple, which leaves plenty of room for you to make it your own! Here are some variations to consider:
- Lemon Zest - Adding a little bit of grated lemon zest tastes amazing in this recipe!
- Nutmeg - ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg adds a nice spiciness to this recipe.
- Glaze - Traditional apple fritters typically have either a sugar glaze or powdered sugar on top. We preferred powdered sugar, but I left a recipe for a simple glaze in the comments of the recipe card if you prefer!
- Chocolate Sauce - A little bit of melted chocolate makes a great dipping sauce for these apple fritters.
Instructions
These gluten-free apple fritters are so much easier to make than I expected!
Check out the step-by-step photos below the instructions to get an idea of the process as well as the consistency of the batter and color of the final fritters.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, add the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together.
- Wet Ingredients: Add the diced apples, apple juice, and maple syrup to the dry ingredient mixture. Stir until just combined. The batter will be very sticky.
- Oil: Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large deep fry pan or dutch oven.
- Form the fritters: Use a ¼ cup measure, ice cream scoop, or large cookie scoop to scoop the batter and place it into the hot oil. Add 4-5 fritters to the pan at a time. After about a minute, use a spatula to gently slide under each fritter so they don't stick to the bottom.
- Fry: Cook the apple fritters for 2-3 minutes per side, flipping with a spatula or turning with two forks, until they are crispy and golden brown on all sides. Meanwhile, put a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet.
- Cool: Transfer the cooked fritters from the oil to the wire cooling rack. Allow to cool for 7-10 minutes before sprinkling with powdered sugar if you like. Enjoy!
Hint: Did you know that you can reuse the vegetable oil for frying in the future? First, you want to strain out any food particles. I like to use a strainer covered with a nut milk bag so that it is filtered well.
Then pour it in a sealable storage container and keep it in a cool dark place in your kitchen. Use it up to 8 times over no longer than 2 months. Always inspect the color and smell the oil before use to make sure it is not rotten or rancid.
Top tip
Keep the apple fritters small (about ¼ cup of batter per fritter) and allow them to cook until they are golden brown and crisp on the outside. This will make sure the centers cook through.
Recipe FAQs
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat in the oven, place the apple fritters on a wire rack on a baking sheet and set the oven temperature to 350 degrees (using a convection setting if possible). Allow them to warm through and watch carefully to make sure they don't overcook.
I prefer reheating them using the air fryer set to 350 degrees. You can also make this recipe ahead of time and reheat before serving.
All apple fritters are made with apples, flour, baking powder or soda, oil for frying, and a sweetener. Other ingredients that are sometimes included are salt and spices, eggs, applesauce, and milk.
Fritters are fried with the fillings inside (apple pieces, for example) whereas the fillings are added to donuts after they are fried.
More gluten-free Fall treats to consider...
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card or comment field below. Thank you!
Gluten Free Apple Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons gluten-free all purpose flour (250 grams)
- ½ cup lightly packed brown sugar (75 grams)
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups apples, peeled and cored and cut into a small dice about 2 medium apples
- ¾ cup apple juice (175 ml)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (30 ml)
- 7 cups vegetable oil (1600 ml)
- optional: powdered sugar to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, add the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together.
- Wet Ingredients: Add the diced apples, apple juice, and maple syrup to the dry ingredient mixture. Stir until just combined. The batter will be sticky.
- Oil: Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large deep fry pan or dutch oven.
- Form the fritters: Use a ¼ cup measure, ice cream scoop, or large cookie scoop to scoop the batter and place it into the hot oil. Add 4-5 fritters to the pan at a time. After about a minute, use a spatula to gently slide under each fritter so they don't stick to the bottom.
- Fry: Cook the apple fritters for 4-7 minutes total (2-3 minutes per side), flipping with a spatula or turning with two forks, until they are crispy and golden brown on all sides. Meanwhile, put a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet.
- Cool: Transfer the cooked fritters from the oil to the wire cooling rack. Allow to cool for 7-10 minutes before sprinkling with powdered sugar if you like. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat in the oven, place the apple fritters on a wire rack on a baking sheet and set the oven temperature to 350 degrees (using a convection setting if possible). Allow them to warm through and watch carefully to make sure they don't continue cooking. I prefer reheating them using the air fryer set to 350 degrees. You can also make this recipe ahead of time and reheat before serving.
- Apple Varieties: Use any sweet apple variety that you have on hand and enjoy! I used Envy apples when making this recipe, but many types will work well. Stay away from any that are especially bitter.
- Oil Temperature: It's best to keep the oil temperature between 320-350 degrees F. The temperature will drop slightly every time a new fritter is added to the oil. Using a heavy pan or dutch oven helps maintain heat. Allow the temperature to return to 350 degrees F between each batch.
- Glaze: We preferred powdered sugar as a topping. However, if you would like to make a glaze, simply mix 1 cup of powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk or water and drizzle over the apple fritters just before serving.
- With regular all purpose flour: If using traditional All Purpose Flour that is not gluten-free, use 2 cups of flour. Gluten-free flour is more dense than traditional flour so this is still 250 grams. I'm including this note for my non-gluten-free friends who love this recipe and want to make it at home with what they have on hand.
Braden
These are delicious! The apple fritters are more flavorful than ones I remember. I think it's because of the apple juice and that they are loaded with apples. The recipe is very easy too. I'll be making these many more times!