Vegan Apple Fritters

These Vegan Apple Fritters are filled with fresh gala apples, deep fried until crispy and golden, then generously coated in cinnamon sugar. Serve these delicious vegan donuts warm with a scoop of vegan ice cream or as a decadent breakfast treat. All you need is 30 minutes to make at home.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Quick and easy! Making homemade vegan apple fritters is just as convenient as driving to your local donut shop. All you need is 30 minutes to have these fresh donuts ready for family and friends.
• Air fryer option. Although the most classic apple fritter flavor is achieved through deep frying, you can make these vegan apple fritters in the air fryer with a very minimal amount of oil for a healthier treat.
• Authentic tasting vegan donuts. Although I absolutely love baked donuts (try my Peanut Butter Jelly Donuts, Maple Pecan Vegan Donuts, or Chocolate Peanut Butter Doughnuts)), nothing compares to a deep fried donut. These apple fritters have the most authentic, doughy donut texture that cannot be achieved in the oven.

Ingredient Notes

• Apples - My favorite apples to use when making homemade vegan apple fritters is gala apples. They are soft enough to cook quickly and create the perfect textured filling. If you can't find gala apples, I also recommend using fuji apples. Avoid granny smith or red delicious apples - they are too hard in texture and can be on the tarter side.
• Maple syrup - Maple syrup compliments the sweetness in the gala apples and makes the best flavored fritters. I do not recommend substituting with another sweetener, especially not a granulated sugar. The liquid is necessary for the correct consistency in the batter.
• All purpose flour - Using all purpose flour is going to create the lightest, fluffiest donut batter. I don't recommend using whole wheat flour as it will be much denser of a donut dough. The only other flour substitute I recommend is Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour.
• Flax egg - The flax egg in this recipe is helping to bind the dough together and keep the batter together as it fries. I have not tested another vegan egg substitute.
• Plant-based milk - Any plant-based milk will work in this recipe, just make sure to use an unsweetened milk. I like oat milk or soy milk best because they are the creamiest.

Step by Step Instructions

Prepare the batter

1. Peel the apples - In order to make the smoothest textured apple fritters, you want to completely peel your gala apples before dicing them into very small, chocolate chip sized pieces. You can do this easiest with a y-shaped peeler or if necessary, a simple chef's nice will work as well.
2. Whisk together the wet ingredients - In a large sized mixing bowl, whisk together the melted vegan butter, maple syrup, vegan milk, and flax egg until evenly incorporated.
3. Whisk together the dry ingredients - In a separate medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and sea salt.
4. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients to form a batter - Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold together gently with a spatula until a semi thick batter forms.

5. Add the apples to the batter - Fold in the diced apples until evenly dispersed throughout the batter. The batter should be thick, soft, and sticky. It will be loose, and not hold its shape on its own.

Frying the Fritters

6. Heat your frying oil - In a larger sauce pan, heat 2 cups of neutral frying oil until 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not own a thermometer, you can test the hotness of the oil by dropping a small piece of bread into the oil. If the bread immediately begins to form bubbles around it and starts frying, the oil is hot enough.
7. Fry your apple fritters in batches - Gently drop 1 tablespoon scoops of apple fritter batter directly into the hot oil. Continue until the frying pan is full, but not overcrowded. Fry each apple fritter on each side for roughly 1 minute, or until the fritters are crispy and golden brown.

8. Transfer the apple fritters to a paper towel - Once golden, remove the fritters from the oil using a slotted spoon and transfer the apple fritters to a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
9. Coat the apple fritters in cinnamon sugar - After the apple fritters have rested on the paper towel and drained any excess oil, transfer the apple fritters to a paper bag or a large Tupperware. Sprinkle the coating mixture over them and gently shake to coat the apple fritters.
10. Serve immediately while hot! Apple fritters are always best when served as fresh as possible. If you do need to reheat them, gently reheat them in the microwave for 30 seconds or the air fryer for 1-2 minutes at 450 degrees, Fahrenheit.

FAQs

Expert Tips

• Choose a frying oil with a high smoke point - When you are deep frying at home, it is important to use an oil with a high smoke point. I recommend using a vegetable oil or canola oil. Do not use olive oil or coconut oil. Instead, reserve olive oil and coconut oil for light pan frying and sautéing of vegetables.
• Use a wide, large pot for frying. It is always better to use a pot that is on the larger side as opposed to the smaller side when frying to reduce any chance of splashing over the side of the pot.
• Never leave a hot pot of frying oil unattended. Frying at home is something to take seriously. Always stay nearby while the oil is heating up to prevent any accidents. Once the apple fritters are done frying, turn off the burner and cool the oil completely before transferring the oil to an empty container.

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