If you enjoy apple fritters, you’ll love this peach fritters donut recipe. Fresh peaches tossed with brown sugar and warm spices are folded into frozen yeast dough, deep-fried, and dipped in a cinnamon-peach glaze.
These Southern-style fritters use a yeast dough rather than a batter, giving them the soft, airy texture of bakery-style doughnuts. Using pre-made frozen rolls makes this recipe much faster and less fussy while still delivering a delicious, fruit-filled treat.
Peach Fritters Donut Recipe
This method works well with thawed frozen yeast rolls. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight under lightly greased plastic wrap for a slow, even thaw, or leave the covered rolls at room temperature for a couple of hours until thawed but not over-risen.
For the filling you only need peeled, diced peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little flour to help bind. A quick cinnamon-peach glaze finishes the fritters—recipe below.
How to Make Peach Fritters
- Mix the diced peaches with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
- Cut each thawed roll into six pieces. In a large bowl, layer pieces of dough with the spiced peaches, sprinkling in a little flour as you go. Tip: use a slotted spoon to drain excess peach juices so the dough doesn’t become overly sticky.
- Gently fold the dough and peaches together two or three times, then transfer to a floured surface. Sprinkle more flour on top, flatten the mass with your hands, and divide into 12 pieces. Shape each into a round, lightly flatten, and place on a prepared baking sheet. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap.
- Let the shaped donuts rest at room temperature for 15–20 minutes.
- Heat 4–5 cups (about 1–1.2 liters) of neutral oil (canola or vegetable) in a large pot to 350°F (about 175°C). Using a floured spatula or turner, gently ease the donuts into the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the pot.
- Fry about 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a cooling rack set over paper towels to drain excess oil.
- For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar with peach nectar, a pinch of cinnamon, and a touch of nutmeg in a shallow dish until smooth. Adjust thickness with more liquid or sugar as needed.
- While still slightly warm, dip each fritter into the glaze, turn to coat, and spoon glaze over any missed spots. Let excess drip off, then return the glazed fritter to the rack to set.
Other Tips and Suggestions
- Using canned peaches: Yes—use peaches packed in natural juice, drain them very well and pat dry before adding. Excess liquid will make the dough hard to handle.
- Prefer not to fry? Make an apple-fritter-style monkey bread in a bundt pan or arrange the prepared pieces on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes or until golden. Drizzle glaze over baked fritters instead of dipping.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Rewarm a fritter for 10 seconds in the microwave for a fresh-picked taste.
These peach fritters make a wonderful breakfast or dessert—slightly messy to assemble but absolutely worth it for the fresh peach flavor and tender, yeasted dough.
Peach Fritters Donut Recipe
Ingredients
Donuts:
- 18 frozen white dinner rolls, thawed*
- 3 medium peaches, peeled, cored and diced (about 2 cups)
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (50 g)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (+/-) all-purpose flour (60 g) to help bind
- 4–5 cups (946–1183 ml) neutral oil (canola or vegetable) for frying
Glaze:
- 4 cups powdered sugar (480 g)
- 1/2 cup peach nectar (118 ml)
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Thaw frozen rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet covered with sprayed plastic wrap for 2–3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator, until thawed but not over-risen.
- Combine diced peaches with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
- Cut each roll into 6 pieces. Layer dough pieces and peaches in a large bowl, sprinkling in flour occasionally. Drain excess peach juice as you add the fruit.
- Gently fold two to three times, transfer to a floured surface, sprinkle more flour on top, flatten, and cut into 12 pieces. Shape and flatten each, place on a prepared sheet, and cover.
- Let rest 15–20 minutes at room temperature.
- Whisk glaze ingredients in a shallow dish and set aside.
- Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Carefully lower donuts into oil using a floured spatula. Fry 3–4 minutes per side until golden. Drain on a rack over paper towels.
- Dip warm fritters in glaze, spooning over if needed. Allow glaze to set, then serve.
Notes
- Canned peaches: Use peaches packed in natural juice, drain and pat dry before using.
- No-fry option: Assemble fruit and dough in a bundt pan for a monkey-bread style bake, or bake shaped donuts at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes until golden. Drizzle glaze on baked fritters.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. Reheat briefly if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 555 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 83 g |
Protein: 6 g |
Fat: 23 g