Gluten Free Apple Fritters Recipe

You know it’s apple fritter season when … the air is crisp, the evenings are cool, the apples are plentiful and state fairs are happening all around the country. In other words, right about now is the perfect time to make gluten free apple fritters!

In fact, October is designated as National Apple Month, so it seemed the perfect time to share an incredibly delicious recipe for fair food that isn’t typically gluten free – apple fritters.

A reader inspired me when she sent this recipe to me: Stacey’s Special Apple Fritters.* She raved about how perfect they turned out with my soft gfJules™ Flour and how her whole family was delighted with the results (in other words, they didn’t taste “gluten-free”!).

I couldn’t help but drool over her photo and wonder how different my state fair memories would have been if I could have found these gluten free gems there.

Until that day arrives, at least I now know (and so will you!) that these gluten free apple fritters could beat any apple fritter fair fare any day. Hands down!

In fact, I was so smitten with these hand-held glazed balls of joy that I called friends and invited them over for dessert just so I wouldn’t eat them all by myself! The recipe made about 13 large-ish fritters and I really should have doubled the recipe because they were scarfed up, and I do mean scarfed up, by two families of 6 adults and 4 kids — only 2 of us were gluten free. High praise and cries for more were all I heard when these babies were sampled.

And in case you’re worried about the “frying” step in making these gluten free apple fritters, don’t worry! Check out my quick video of what it will look like and you’ll have the technique down in a flash! (*note: having a candy thermometer for any fried doughnut recipe like this is super helpful! It ensures that the oil isn’t too hot but just hot enough.)

I hope you’ll embrace National Apple Month (or heck, anytime you’re craving an awesome donut) and make this amazing gluten free apple fritter recipe one day soon. By the way, if this recipe puts you in the mood for Apple Cider Donuts, you know I have a recipe for that!! Hop right on over to my gluten free Apple Cider Donuts, but not until after you’ve made these Apple Fritters!

And then you might want to give my Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Baked Donuts or my Gluten Free Glazed Doughnuts a try!

Once you try these delightful gluten free apple fritters, you’ll wonder what took you so long, and you might just want to enter them in a state fair baking contest near you!

*Many thanks to reader Stacey Shaffer for sharing her Apple Fritter recipe and inspiration. The recipe below is very close to her recipe as shared; I made a few changes here and there, but I think it does her recipe proud!

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Gluten Free Apple Fritters Recipe

Yield: 13-15 fritters, depending on size.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes

Total Time: 24 minutes

Just like the state fair, only these apple fritters are gluten free!

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Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled, chopped apples (cut to the size of blueberries) - pat dry if very wet - (Gala, Fuji or other crisp apple)
• 2 cups (270 gr) gfJules™ Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup granulated cane sugar
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. instant yeast (Red Star® Quick Rise)*
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. groung nutmeg
• 2 eggs, beaten (or favorite egg substitute like aquafaba)
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted (or vegetable shortening or butter, melted)
• 1/2 cup apple cider

Glaze

• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Additional

• high heat cooling oil for boiling fritters (enough to fill your pot at least 3 inches)
• candy thermometer (recommended for measuring heat of oil)

Instructions

Fritters

Peel and chop apples to the size of blueberries or small grapes. Pat the pieces dry if they are very juicy. Set aside.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Toss the apples in the dry mixture bowl to coat, then set aside.

In a larger mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients through melted coconut oil. Once mixed, stir in the dry-apple mixture, adding the apple cider by pouring on top. Stir to combine well, but do not over-mix. The dough should hold together easily when scooped with a spoon; if it is too dry, add more apple cider by the tablespoon until the consistency is right.

Heat 3 cups of vegetable oil in a large pot -- or enough to cover the bottom of your pot to about 3 inches. Heat on medium-high to a temperature of 325 F. If you have a candy thermometer, affix it to the side of the pot with the tip in the hot oil.

If you do not have a thermometer to test the oil, drop a small amount of batter into hot oil to test: if it burns quickly, the oil is too hot; if it bubbles as pictured in the video -- and the fritter begins to gently brown and float -- the temperature should be right.

Once the oil is the proper temperature, drop 1/3 cup spoonfuls of batter into the oil, leaving enough room between them so they are not touching. Once the underside of each fritter has browned nicely, use tongs to flip the fritter over to cook on the other side.

Total cook time should be around 3-4 minutes. Remove to drain on paper towels on a wire rack or plate and repeat with remaining batter.

Glaze

Once cooled, prepare the glaze by whisking all ingredients together in a small, deep bowl. The glaze should be thin but not watery.

Place one fritter inside the glaze bowl and turn over to coat on all sides; remove to a plate and repeat with remaining fritters.

Serve immediately or anytime on the day you make them; if serving later, allow glaze to set, then place in a container with a lid to keep the fritters crisp. 

Recommended Products

I may earn a small amount from qualifying affiliate purchases; this amount goes to fund this blog and does not cost you anything additional.

• 
  Taylor 3522 TruTemp Series Candy/Deep Fry Analog Dial Thermometer with 9" Stem
• 
  gfJules All Purpose Gluten Free Flour

Nutrition Information

Yield 15 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 117Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 25mgSodium 263mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 1gSugar 22gProtein 1g

Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.

Did you make this recipe?

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