Sweet, homemade applesauce fritters coated with cinnamon sugar are a classic fall treat.. This old-fashioned Southern dessert is super easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients and are ready in less than 20 minutes.
What are applesauce fritters
Applesauce fritters are a sweet, fried snack. They are much like Dutch oliebollen and Greek loukoumades, but filled with apples and a powdered sugar glaze or coated with cinnamon sugar. Like apple fritters, you add small pieces of apple, but you add extra flavor by making the batter with apple sauce.
Why you will love my applesauce fritters
- This old-fashioned Southern treat is super easy to make at home.
- They are a great fall snack or
- Applesauce fritters are crispy on the outside but have an incredibly soft center.
Ingredients
Flour: For this recipe, you need all-purpose flour. It will also work with gluten-free flour and self-rising flour! This is a type of flour that already contains baking powder, so you don't need to add extra.
Applesauce: I like to use homemade applesauce when I make these fritters, but you can also use store-bought. Make sure to use unsweetened applesauce to prevent your snack from becoming overly sweet.
Apples: For the filling, I like to use a slightly tart apple like Honeycrisp and Granny Smith. They hold their shape and balance out the sweetness. If you use a sweet apple, you might want to reduce the sugar in the batter.
Oil: Always use a neutral vegetable oil for frying these applesauce fritters. I like to use sunflower oil, but peanut oil and canola oil are also great options.
Sugar: To make the batter, I like to use brown sugar. It is my favorite type of sugar to use in my fall baking recipes because it adds a mild caramel flavor and extra color to the batter. You can use granulated sugar or make your own brown sugar with white sugar and molasses. You also need cinnamon sugar to coat your applesauce fritters.
Varitions
Spiced applesauce fritters: If you've been to my blog before, you know I love the combination of apples and speculaas spices. Replace the cinnamon with one tablespoon speculaas spice mix or pumpkin spice for extra fall flavor.
Nutty: Add ¼ cup of chopped nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans, to the batter for extra crunch.
Dried fruit: This is also a great recipe to use up leftover dried fruit. Think apricot, raisins, candied lemon peel, or cranberries for an extra festive touch.
How to make applesauce fritters
To make the batter, you add the wet ingredients to a large bowl and mix them until they are completely combined. I like to do this before I add the rest of the ingredients to prevent overworking the batter. Once combined, it is time to stir in the dry ingredients and apple pieces. Mix until you have a smooth mixture and let it rest while you heat up the oil.
Once your oil reaches 360°F (180°C), you can scoop small portions of the batter into the oil. Be careful, though, because when you add the cold batter to hot oil, it can get on your hands if you drop them too fast. Let the applesauce fritters fry until golden on both sides. This can take up to 8 minutes and transfer them to a bowl lined with kitchen towels to remove the excess oil.
If you want to coat them in cinnamon sugar, you need to do this before they cook. This way, the cinnamon sugar will stick to the fritters. Roll them in the sugar until completely coated and place them on a plate to serve while they are still warm.
How to serve the fritters
For me, the best way to eat Applesauce fritters is when they are coated with cinnamon sugar. I love the warm flavor of the cinnamon and the crispy texture of the sugar. You can also drizzle a little bit of powdered sugar glaze over your fritters or dip them in warm, melted chocolate.
My tips for the best applesauce fritters
- Make sure your oil is hot enough. When your oil is too cold, you will end up with fritters that are tough and greasy, but if it is too hot, they might not cool all the way through.
- Let the batter rest for a few minutes while you heat up the oil. This will help give the flour time to absorb some of the moisture, and you will know if it is too thick or if it needs a little bit of extra flour.
- Use a small ice cream scoop to make the fritters. You can make the fritters with two spoons, but using an ice cream scoop makes this a lot easier, and this way you know that they are all the same size.
- Dip the spoons into the hot oil before scooping the batter out of the bowl. This will help prevent the batter from sticking to the spoons.
- Don't overcrowd your pan. Adding too many applesauce fritters at a time will lower the temperature of the oil too much, and that will result in greasy fritters.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can make baked apple sauce fritters in the air fryer or oven. Preheat them to 360°F (180°C) and coat a piece of parchment paper with oil. Place a few scoops of the batter on top and bake for a few minutes until golden.
The best way to check if your oil is hot enough is by using a sugar thermometer or by using a frying pan. If you don't have a thermometer, you can check if your oil is ready by placing a piece of bread in the oil. If it starts to bubble as soon as it is in the oil, it is ready to bake.
To create nice and round applesauce fritters, you want your batter to be fairly thick. If your batter is too thick, you can add a little bit of milk or water, but be careful not to add too much at the same time.
Storage
Homemade applesauce fritters are at their best when they are freshly made, but you can store them for about three days in an air-tight container. They are also suitable for freezing! Frozen, they will last for six months. Let them thaw in the fridge when you're ready to enjoy them and reheat them in a preheated oven until warm. You can pop them in the microwave, but since they will become soft, that is not my preferred method.
More easy applesauce recipes
Applesauce Fritters
Ingredients
For the applesauce fritters
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1 apple
- vegetable oil for frying
For the cinnamon sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Add all the dry ingredients for your applesauce fritters to a large bowl and whisk until combined.
- Once everything is combined, add the wet ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter.
- Preheat your oil to 360°F (180°C).
- Mix the sugar and cinnamon for the coating together in a shallow bowl.
- With two spoons scoop a little bit of batter out of your bowl and carefully drop them into the hot oil. Don't overcrowd your pan that will lower the temperature of the oil.
- Fry your applesauce fritters for 3-4 minutes on ech side before taking them out of the oil and transferring them to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Roll them into the cinnamon sugar and serve while they are still warm.
Notes
- The best temperature for frying is 360°F (180°C), but if your applesauce fritters cook too fast or too slow, you can adjust the temperature when needed.
- The batter should be a little thicker than Greek yogurt. If your batter is too thick, add a little bit of applesauce or milk.
- It is important to drain the excess oil after frying.
- Homemade applesauce fritters will stay fresh for up to four days. Frozen, they will last for about six months.
Looks like the perfect fall snack! I love that you used applesauce in the batter for extra flavor and moisture, and the cinnamon sugar coating makes them so cozy. I can already imagine enjoying these warm with coffee or tea.