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Welcoming Friday and the autumn apples with these Cinnamon Spiced Apple Fritters with Vanilla Coffee Glaze. Sweet Honeycrisp apples in a light and airy batter with warming fall spices, fried and coated with a sweet vanilla coffee glaze. If you’re heading out apple picking this fall, make these fritters. They’re easy to make and beyond delicious. Truly the ultimate fall treat.
Before we get into today’s post, I want to take a minute to acknowledge the importance of this date. Nineteen years ago today so many lives were forever changed by terrorist attacks. I know that a lot of memorial events have been canceled this year, but as Alice M. Greenwald, head of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum stated, “This year, its message of hope, endurance, and resilience are more important than ever,”.
So please take a moment to remember all those we lost, to have hope for our future, and to be grateful for all that we have.
Apples…
For me, September is all about the apples. I know many of you are looking for pumpkin recipes right now (which I can see by the number of people making last year’s chocolate chunk pumpkin cookies). But it’s my thinking that we’ve got all of October and November to embrace all things pumpkin, so let’s leave September for the apples.
Enter these fritters. Oh, how I love them. I’ve been wanting to make apple fritters for the longest time and have had this recipe idea in the back of my head all summer long. Everything from the cinnamon spiced fritter to that sweet vanilla coffee glaze. I knew exactly how I wanted to create these, so when it was finally time, I couldn’t have been happier. Sounds dorky, I know, but I really love September apple season.
I’ve made fritters before, but it was many years back. And while the recipe was good, these are better and so much easier. My older recipe uses a yeasted dough. That’s great, but it’s much more time-intensive and will give you a fritter more like a doughnut. These on the other hand are quick and easy, light and airy, and just beyond good.
And the best part…these are so easy!
If you’ve made a basic pancake batter, you can easily make these fritters. The batter is basic – flour, eggs, milk, etc. But then what makes these fritters extra special?
First, the spices. Instead of just a plain fritter, I really wanted these to be warming and smell like our favorite spiced latte or apple cake baking away in the oven. I used a mix cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, which I always find to be the perfect autumn spice blend.
Second, the apples. As you guys have probably noticed, I love using Honeycrisp apples for both cooking and baking. I find them to have the best flavor, the perfect amount of sweetness, and always to be crisp. The other thing I do? I like to leave the skin on my apples. I know this is a little controversial, as some might say the skin adds an odd texture, but I find the skin to be one of the more delicious parts to the apple and never understood why you’d peel it away.
Of course, this is just my personal preference. If you already know you don’t enjoy apple skins in your baked apple treats, just peel them away. The recipe is great either way.
Moving along…
Once the batter is mixed up, simply fry it in oil and you’ll have perfect apple fritters minutes later.
So I usually try to avoid frying at all costs. For instance, I love an “oven fry” when possible. But for a really good autumn apple fritter, you need to break out the oil and do a little fryin’.
Annoying? Yes, for sure.
But, worth it? Yes, for sure. Especially if you’ve just picked up a couple of buckets of fresh apples from your local farm or market.
As the apples are frying, you slowly start to get wafts of cinnamon and sweetness flowing through the air. If fall had a scent, this would be it. It’s delightful.
Now on to that glaze…it might just be my favorite.
So, I don’t love a straight powdered sugar glaze. I find it to be pretty bland and really, it’s just too sugary for my taste.
With this glaze, I wanted it to be exciting, but not overpowering. I wanted the flavors within the glaze to help highlight the flavors in the fritters. I’ve always loved anything with autumn spices and a side of coffee, so naturally, I thought the glaze needed to be one flavored with coffee. The perfect fritter pairing, right?
I used my favorite espresso powder, a nice splash of vanilla, and a drizzle of maple syrup, to create a coffee glaze. Not too strong, not too sweet, but just right. Especially when you dunk a warm fritter right into it.
Delicious.
So with that, can I encourage you all to go apple picking this weekend? Oddly I’m on Ohio right now for my cousin’s wedding. I’d love to hit up one of the local farms for their fresh from the tree apples. Unfortunately, I doubt we’ll have any time in between wedding festivities, but it would sure be fun!
Any of you who are close to an apple farm…or just have a market close by (so that should be all of us), let’s agree to make these fritters. And if not this weekend, sometime soon. I promise you guys, these are the fall breakfast, afternoon snack, or after-dinner dessert we’re all in need of most this season!
My suggestion? Apple picking on Saturday…then Sunday afternoon fritter making…with a side of your favorite latte. Such a perfect way to spend a fall weekend.
See you guys on Sunday for another favorites post.
Looking for other sweet apple recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Salted Maple Apple Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds
Sweet and Salty Chocolate Drizzled Cider Caramel Apples
Double the Streusel Apple Butter Bars
Lastly, if you make these Cinnamon Spiced Apple Fritters with Vanilla Coffee Glaze be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spiced Honeycrisp Apple Fritters with Vanilla Coffee Glaze
Servings: 20
Calories Per Serving: 131 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1/2-3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon real maple syrup
- 3-4 Honeycrisp apples, peeled (if desired) and chopped
Vanilla Coffee Glaze
- 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1-2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-3 teaspoons instant coffee
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Add the eggs, butter, 1/2 cup milk, and maple, and mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix the batter. If the the batter feels thick, add 1/4 cup milk to thin. Fold in the apples.2. Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drop tablespoons size balls of batter into the oil for 4-5 minutes or until golden and crisp on all sides. Remove and drain on a wire rack with paper towels underneath.3. To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, maple, vanilla, and coffee powder. Add a pinch of flaky seas salt. Drizzle the glaze over the warm fritters. Eat warm. And enjoy.
Easy recipe to mix with just as easy frying. Not a big fan of frying or fried foods; however this recipe is excellent. Just a little powdered sugar and the family loves them. Thank you!
Hey Mary,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best day:) xTieghan
I have rated this long ago… And have used the recipe ever since for apple fritters. Obviously honeycrisp are best but sometimes I use whatever I can get that look good. However, since I bought a box of blueberries today I replaced the apple with fresh blueberries. Messy in the oil as the blueberries have more moisture and sort of “pop” as they cook. BUT…. They were delicious. Thinking about peaches next.
Hey Julie,
Awesome! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best week! xTieghan
These are delicious! I’ve never made anything like this and they were so easy to make, with great flavor. I’ll definitely make them again.
Hey Evelyn,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
These look delicious – can they be made and eaten later? I’d love to make some to bring over to my parents but, especially because of quarantine, it is difficult to get things to them right away. Will they be okay the next day? Or, if they don’t eat them all, the day after that?
Hey Carol,
I personally think these are best served warm and fresh, but they certainly will be totally fine the next day:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Don’t put the glaze on, let cool, then in a baggie. In the morning, we put in an air fryer to reheat and recrisp then glaze. ALMOST as good as fresh
Tieghan,
These were a hit with the whole family!!! Dare I say the best apple fritter!!! The coffee in the glaze is amazing, and puts the fritter over the top!
If we have leftovers do you suggest leaving them at room temp or in fridge?
Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Amy
Hey Amy,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so glad you enjoyed! I like to keep these in an airtight container at room temp. xTieghan
Amazing!!! This recipe is perfect and so so yummy
I am so happy these turned out so amazing for you, MJ! Thank you! xTieghan
They can be reheated in an air fryer as long as you don’t glaze them and they are almost as good as fresh. Just put the extra glaze in the fridge. We love these and they are so easy.
These were soooo good! They were so full of flavor and so incredibly tender. I do not regret immediately eating five!
Haha that is amazing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I’ve made this twice now and its a huge hit with my husband, kids and friends. I’ve made it with the coffee and without and it’s amazing both ways. This recipe is also super easy, which is a huge win for me with having little kids.
I am so happy to hear that Melody!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! xTieghan
These were so delicious! The coffee glaze really tied the flavors together nicely.
Thank you Maddi! xTieghan
These are so good! The coffee glaze pairs surprisingly well with the apple fritters! They are a bit soggy the next day but still delicious!
Amazing! Thank you Albany! xTieghan
Hi! I’m so excited to try this recipe but had a question about the maple syrup in the batter. Could I substitute it with an equal amount of dark brown sugar? Maple syrup is hard to come by where I live!
Hey Ana,
I haven’t tested this, but you could certainly give it a try, you could also use honey! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Absolutely amazing. I am a huge Apple fritter fan and these were decadent. My boyfriend doesn’t like any foods or desserts with warm fruit and he LOVED these so, that’s huge in my book. Thank you so much for creating such delicious recipes!
Thank you Jasmine! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Delicious! Whole family loved them! Your recipes never disappoint.
I am so happy to hear that, Sarah! Thank you! xTieghan
Just found your site this week and this is the third recipe I’ve made. These are absolutely delicious. Fun treat for a chilly Saturday morning.
Wow that is so amazing to hear! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Callie! Thank you! xTieghan
These are sooo good! So so tasty!
Thank you so much Rachel! xTieghan