The BEST Fall Cravings Fix: Homemade Apple Fritters with Apple Cider Glaze

When sweater weather hits, some people reach for pumpkin spice. Me? I start dreaming about bakery-style apple fritters. You know the ones: thick, crispy, impossibly tender, packed with cozy warm-spiced apples, and coated in a shiny, sweet glaze that crackles the moment you take a bite.

Making them at home always felt a bit intimidating, but once you try this recipe, you will never want a store-bought fritter again. We aren’t using a simple pancake-style batter here. We are making a rich, brioche-like yeasted dough, layering it with a homemade spiced apple pie filling, chopping it all up into glorious rustic bits, and frying them to golden-brown perfection. Top them with a spiced apple cider glaze, and you have pure autumn magic.

Grab an apron, fire up your mixer, and let’s make the ultimate fall treat!

The Secret: Yeasted Dough & Homemade Filling

What sets an exceptional fritter apart from an average one comes down to two components: dough structure and apple flavor.

1. The Enriched Dough: We start with warm milk, active dry yeast, sugar, eggs, and bread flour. Kneading soft butter into the dough gives it a pillowy structure that holds up beautifully to frying without becoming greasy. Once it passes the windowpane test, let it proof until doubled.
2. The Stovetop Apple Pie Filling: Don’t throw raw apples into dough—they release too much moisture! Instead, simmer 400g of peeled, diced apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and a splash of real apple cider. A quick cornstarch slurry thickens the pan juices into a glossy, fragrant jam. Chill it down before layering!

The Fun Part: Lamination & The “Chop & Fold” Method

If you’ve ever wondered how bakeries get those craggy pockets of apples tucked inside every square inch of a fritter, here is the secret:

• Roll your proofed dough into a large rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
• Spread the cooled apple pie filling evenly over the dough.
• Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of flour and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. This absorbs excess moisture and keeps the dough workable.
• Perform a book fold (folding both sides into the center).
• Take a metal bench scraper and cut the dough vertically into 1-inch strips, then cut horizontally into 1-inch cubes.

Now you have a pile of sweet dough and apple bits! Divide into 12 equal portions, use a extra sprinkle of flour to gather each portion, and gently press them into rustic rounds. Don’t worry if they look messy—messy fritters equal extra crispy edges!

Frying & The Warm Cider Glaze

Let your shaped fritters rest on individual parchment paper squares for 20–30 minutes while heating 2 inches of oil to 350°F.

Lower the fritters into the hot oil right on their parchment squares, then slide the parchment out using tongs. Fry for about 3 minutes per side until they reach a deep, rich golden brown. Transfer them to a wire rack to drain.

While they cool slightly, whisk together:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup apple cider
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Dip each warm fritter into the glaze, turning to coat both sides completely. Let the excess drip off onto the wire rack. As the glaze cools, it sets into a crackly, aromatic shell that locks in all the moisture.

Happy baking!

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Apple Fritter with Apple Cider Glaze

Created by Sue Mun

Makes 12 large apple fritters

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

• 2 ¼ teaspoons (9g) active dry yeast
• 240g whole milk 
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 100g sugar
• 490g bread flour 
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 80g butter, room temperature

For the Apple Pie Filling:

• 3 apples (400g) peeled, cored, diced into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces 
• 70g light brown sugar
• ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 60g apple cider 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
• Cornstarch slurry: 1 tbsp cornstarch plus 1 tbsp water

For the Shaping/Layering:

• 3 tbsp flour, plus more for shaping
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

For Frying:

• vegetable or canola oil

For the Apple Cider Glaze: 

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup apple cider or apple juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

Prepare the Dough:

1. In a large mixing bowl attached with a dough hook, add in the warm milk and the active dry yeast. Mix and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes or until bubbly.
2. Add in the sugar and eggs to the milk and mix until smooth.
3. Add in the bread flour and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Then knead the dough in the mixer for 5-7 minutes or until thee dough comes together.
4. Add in the soft butter and mix and knead until dough for 10 minutes or until it passes the window pane test.
5. Put the dough in a greased bowl and rest for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size before shaping. 

Make the Apple Pie Filling:

1. While the dough is proofing, make the apple pie filling. In a medium pot, add in the peeled and chopped apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and the apple cider. Cook over medium heat until the apples begin to soften. Stir the mixture occasionally.
2. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and stir it in. Cook for about 1 minute until the mixture thickens.
3. Pour the apple pie filling into a bowl and cover and place in the fridge to cool off.

Shaping:

1. On a floured work surface, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a large rectangle that’s about bout 1/4 inch thick.
2. Then evenly scatter the cooled down apple pie filling on top. Then sprinkle the 3 tbsp of flour and 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon on top of the scattered apples. This will allow the apples to absorb the flour and be less sticky.
3. Perform a book fold by folding one side on the dough in the center and do the same with the other side.
4. Using a metal bench scraper, cut the dough into 1 inch long strips vertically. Then cut the dough horizontally to create 1 inch cubes all across the dough.
5. Then carefully portion out 12 equal portions.
6. To shape the fritter, take one of the portioned out dough and form them into rounds on a floured work surface (you will use about 2-3 tbsp of flour for each fritter since its so sticky). Press and shape the dough until it no longer falls apart and is now a somewhat round shape.
7. Place the shaped fritters on individual parchment pieces and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Allow the fritters to proof for about 20-30 minutes. While they are proofing, preheat the deep frying oil.
   

Frying Instructions:

1. In a shallow pot, add in about 2 inches of oil to the pot and bring the oil temperature to 350 °F.
2. Carefully lower 2-3 apple fritters into the oil. Then remove the parchment pieces out of the oil using tongs.
3. Fry for about 3 minutes each side until deeply golden brown. Make sure that the oil temperature stays around 325-360F.
4. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a wire rack to drain any excess oil.

Glazing the Fritters:

1. While the fritters are cooling off, make the apple cider glaze. In a medium bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, apple cider, and vanilla until la smooth glaze forms.
2. Using gloved hands, dip one side of the apple fritter into the glaze and flip it around to then cover the other side with glaze. Gently remove from the glaze and tap off any excess glaze back into the glazing bowl. Place the finished apple fritter on a wire rack to drain even more.
3. Repeat these steps with the remaining apple fritters.
4. Enjoy the apple fritters with warm coffee, milk, or even hot or cold apple cider!