Quick Apple Fritter Donuts (No Yeast)
These Quick Apple Fritter Donuts are made with tender maple apples folded into an easy buttermilk batter, fried until golden and crispy, and dipped in a sweet buttermilk glaze. There's no yeast, kneading, or rising required, and they're ready in less than an hour.
Servings: 12 fritters
Calories: 193kcal
Equipment
- Silicone spatula
Ingredients
Maple Apples
- 2 medium apples peeled, cored, and diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed - light or dark
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/16 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Fritter Donut Batter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- neutral oil such as vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Buttermilk Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk plus more as needed
- Pinch kosher salt
- Water optional, for thinning
Instructions
Prepare the maple apples
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until it is golden brown and smells nutty, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Immediately add the diced apples and stir to coat them in the brown butter.
- Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are just tender but still hold their shape.
- In a small bowl, whisk the maple syrup and cornstarch together until smooth. Pour into the skillet and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture thickens and coats the apples.
- Spread the apples onto a small sheet pan and place in the refrigerator or freezer to cool while you prepare the fritter batter.
Make the fritter batter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, buttermilk, and melted butter. Add a splash of vanilla if you like.
- Sprinkle over the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk in.
- Add the all-purpose flour and gently fold until just combined. The batter should be thick and scoopable. A few small lumps are fine.
- Cover and let the batter rest for 15 minutes while the apples finish cooling and you heat 2 to 3 inches of neutral oil to 350°F n a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven.
Make the glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, buttermilk, and salt until smooth. Add a little additional buttermilk or a splash of water if needed to reach a pourable consistency.
Combine and fry
- Once the batter has rested and the apples have cooled, gently fold the maple apples and their thickened coating into the batter until evenly distributed. Avoid overmixing.
- Using a large spoon or a cookie scoop, carefully drop portions of batter into the hot oil., being careful not to splash the oil.
- Fry in small batches for approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning as needed, until golden brown and cooked through. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain an oil temperature near 350°F.
- Remove the fritters with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
Make the glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, buttermilk, and salt until smooth. Add a little additional buttermilk or a splash of water if needed to reach a pourable consistency.
- Allow the fritters to cool for a few minutes, then dip into the glaze or drizzle the glaze over them. Return to the wire rack to allow the glaze to set slightly.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- Buttermilk substitutes: Substitute ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt mixed with ¼ cup water. If using Greek yogurt, add additional water as needed to achieve the consistency of buttermilk.
- For a milk substitute: Start with ½ cup whole milk, adding additional milk as needed to create a thick, scoopable batter. Omit the baking soda and increase the baking powder to 2 ½ teaspoons.
- Choosing apples: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady apples are good choices because they hold their shape when cooked.
- Cooling the apples: Allow the cooked apples to cool before folding them into the batter. Hot apples can thin the batter and affect the texture of the finished fritters.
- Batter consistency: The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape when scooped. If it becomes too loose after adding the apples, gently fold in an additional tablespoon of flour.
- Frying temperature: Keep the oil close to 350°F. Oil that is too hot can brown the outside before the center cooks, while oil that is too cool can produce greasy fritters.
- Storage: Apple fritter donuts are best enjoyed the day they're made. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Rewarm: Place on a wire rack in a sheet pan in a 325°F oven until heated through. Note that the glaze will melt when reheated.
Nutrition
Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg
