Easy Gluten Free Apple Fritters (Video)

Enjoy warm gluten free Apple Fritters in less than 30 minutes. Filled with apples, seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg, and finished with a maple glaze.

One of the few things I miss from my pre-celiac days is donuts. Legit, deep-fried donuts. The rare occasion we would visit the donut shop, I would usually get a maple donut. But I always eyed the apple fritters.

After seeing an easy recipe for apple fritters the other day, I decided to try to make gluten free ones at home.

I’ve made gluten free Portzelky (Mennonite New Year’s Cookies), which are like fritters made with yeast dough. But these gluten free Apple Fritters are made using just a few simple ingredients for the batter, and are loaded with diced apples.

How to make gluten free Apple Fritters:

Now don’t be intimidated because these are deep-fried. They really are easy to make.

1. Mix the batter using ingredients you most likely have on hand already.
2. Add the diced apples.
3. Fry them up.
4. Drizzle them with glaze, dust them with icing sugar, or roll them in cinnamon-sugar, the choice is yours.
5. Enjoy. And feel free to eat more than one. They must have some nutritional value, since they contain so many apples, right? 

How to fry gluten free Apple Fritters:

Don’t let the fact that these fritters are fried deter you from making them. Deep frying food is really not that scary if you follow a few simple tips.

1. Never leave a pot of heating oil unattended. Stay with it, don’t let it out of your site.
2. To make sure that the heat is evenly distributed, use a heavy bottom pot. Thin pots tend to heat more unevenly.
3. USE A THERMOMETER. Yes, all caps. That is because it is really important for you to use a thermometer. Oil can easy overheat, and when it overheats, it can start a fire. We don’t want that to happen, so, please, use a thermometer.
4. Make sure your oil is the right temperature (375 degrees F). The fritters will cook too slowly if the oil is too cool, resulting in a greasy fritter.If the oil is too hot, the apple fritters will cook too quickly on the outside, but still be raw on the inside.
5. Always keep a tight-fitting lid and/or baking soda within arms reach when you are deep frying. NEVER lift a pot if it starts a fire. Sprinkle it with baking soda, and cover it with the lid. The fire will extinguish itself if you do that.
6. Don’t be afraid. Yes, things can go wrong if you don’t take safety precautions. But things can also go wrong if you don’t take safety precautions when driving too, right? If you’re careful, it’ll go smoothly.

How long are these Apple Fritters good for?

I have found that these gluten free Apple Fritters are best eaten in the first 30 minutes. You know, when they are fresh and still warm. Yum. At the most, I would say maybe an hour. But the next day? Forget about it. No one likes day old fritters, right?

Can I bake Apple Fritters instead of frying?

No, sorry, that’s just not going to work with these fritters. The only way to achieve this results is to deep fry the gf Apple Fritters. No other method will do.

Now that you’re feeling brave enough to deep fry, here’s a few other recipes you should check out:

• Gluten Free Beer Battered Fish
• The Best Gluten Free Onion Rings
• Tasty Gluten Free Fried Chicken
• Gluten Free Donuts
• Gluten Free Old Fashioned Doughnuts

Easy Gluten Free Apple Fritters Recipe:

Easy Gluten Free Apple Fritters

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Enjoy warm gluten free Apple Fritters in less than 30 minutes. Filled with apples, seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg, and finished with a maple glaze. Adapted from I Am Baker

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Ingredients

Apple Fritter:

• 1/3 cup brown rice flour
• 1/3 cup potato starch
• 1/3 cup tapioca starch
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2-3 cups peeled, diced Granny Smith apples (about 3 apples)
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• vegetable or canola oil (for frying)

Maple Glaze (optional):

• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon maple extract (or vanilla if you want a plain glaze)
• 3-6 teaspoons water (enough to make a runny consistency)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, xanthan gum, and nutmeg. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together the diced apples and lemon juice. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the sugar and eggs together until fully incorporated. Add half the dry ingredients, and mix until combined. Add the last of the dry ingredients and mix until no dry powder remains.
4. Add the milk, and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated.
5. Stir in the diced apples, until they are fully coated with the batter. Set aside.
6. Pour about 2-inches of oil in a heavy bottom pot. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 375 degrees F with a candy thermometer.
7. Carefully scoop about 1/4 cup of batter into the hot oil, and let fry until golden brown. I use my largest metal cookie scoop for this, and it works great. I fry about 3 at a time, you don't want the pot too full, or the oil temperature will drop too much.
8. Flip the fritter, and fry until both sides are a golden brown. You can test for doneness by inserting a small sharp knife into the middle of the fritter. If it comes out doughy, you need to continue cooking until done. Since the apples give off a lot of moisture, and you do want to cook the apples, it may take a few minutes per side. Have patience. As long as your oil isn't too hot, the fritter shouldn't get too brown before it is done.
9. Carefully remove the fritters with a metal slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined cooling rack to cool for a few minutes.
10. Repeat with the remaining batter. You should get about 1 dozen fritters.
11. Once the fritters have cooled about 10-15 minutes, you can drizzle them with the prepared maple glaze, sprinkle them with confectioners' sugar, or roll them in a cinnamon-sugar mixture.
12. Maple Glaze: Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, extract, and water until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled apple fritters, and allow to the glaze to dry for a few minutes before enjoying.

Notes

Feel free to substitute the Granny Smith apples with your favorite baking apple. Honeycrisp would be delicious.

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Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Love apple desserts? Be sure to try these gluten free Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars too!

Gluten Free Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.