Apple Fritters – an easy, delicious yeast doughnut filled with apple chunks, warm cinnamon, and a sweet glaze.
*This post is brought to you by Rhodes Bake-N-Serv. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Dessert Now Dinner Later possible.
When I was studying culinary arts in college I interned at a grocery store bakery. One of my early-morning tasks was frosting doughnuts before the store opened. Back then I thought apple fritters were made from leftover dough scraps mixed with apple pie filling and cinnamon. They felt like a “leftovers” doughnut, but customers loved them and my husband still does.
Apple Fritters Recipe
This recipe uses Rhodes’ pre-made frozen dough (thawed) to save time—no making yeast dough from scratch. Add apple pie filling and cinnamon, knead until the pieces cling together, fry until golden, and finish with a simple sweet glaze for homemade doughnuts that taste like fall.
The texture is similar to monkey bread: bits of dough, chunks of apple, and plenty of cinnamon. Combine everything by hand or with a mixer, adding flour as needed until the mixture forms clumps. Tip: scoop the apple pieces from the pie filling with as little syrup as possible to avoid excess stickiness.
Shape steps at a glance: divide the dough into roughly 3-ounce pieces, place them on a floured sheet pan, and flatten slightly. Let the dough rest and rise for about 1 hour. Heat oil to 350–375°F (177–190°C).
Use a floured spatula to transfer each fritter into the hot oil and gently flip it. Fry 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer cooked fritters to a cooling rack set over paper towels to catch excess oil.
Prepare the glaze in a shallow dish large enough to dip each fritter. While the fritters are still slightly warm, submerge or spoon glaze over them to coat completely. Return to the rack and let the glaze set before serving.
These autumn-inspired apple fritters are easy to make at home and always a family favorite.
Apple Fritters Recipe
Amber Brady
Ingredients
Doughnuts:
- 24 Rhodes white dinner rolls*, thawed
- 21 oz (595 g) can apple pie filling (reserve extra fruit for mixing)
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- Oil (canola or vegetable) for frying
Glaze:
- 6 cups (720 g) powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup (177 ml) milk, water, or apple juice
- 1 1/2 tsp maple extract (optional)
Instructions
- Thaw rolls on a lightly greased sheet tray covered with sprayed plastic wrap for about 2–3 hours at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight, until thawed but not fully risen.
- Cut each roll into six pieces. Scoop the apples from the canned pie filling and chop into chunks, avoiding excess syrup.
- Combine the cut rolls, apple chunks, and cinnamon. Knead by hand or with a stand mixer, adding flour as needed, until the mixture clumps together and resembles monkey bread.
- Pat the dough into a flat disc on a floured surface. Cut into 16 pieces (approximately 3 oz each). Dust two sheet trays with flour, place 8 fritters per tray, shape into balls and flatten slightly. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rest/rise for 1 hour.
- Heat oil in a large pot to 350°F (177°C). Using a floured spatula, gently flip each fritter into the hot oil. Cook 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pot. Transfer to a cooling rack set over paper towels.
- Whisk glaze ingredients in a shallow dish. While the fritters are still slightly warm, dip or spoon glaze over them to coat. Return to the rack and allow glaze to set. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
*To use fresh apples, make caramelized apples as directed in the Apple Fritter Monkey Bread recipe.