Donut Recipes at Home: Soft Baked Apple Fritters
Soft baked apple fritters designed as a donut-style breakfast recipe. These baked fritters feature tender apples, warm spice, and a light vanilla glaze, made without frying for easy mornings at home.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Spoon or Cookie Scoop
- Small bowl for glaze
Ingredients
Soft Baked Apple Fritters
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups apples peeled and finely diced (about 2 medium apples)
Light Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk add more as needed for thin drizzle
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even browning.
- Peel and finely dice the apples into small, even pieces. Smaller pieces soften quickly and blend smoothly into the batter for a donut-style texture.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until fully combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Whisk in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until the mixture is cohesive.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until no dry flour remains. The batter should be thick and slightly lumpy. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the diced apples until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Scoop the batter into 10 mounds on the prepared baking sheet, about 1/4 cup each. Leave space between fritters for even baking.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the tops are set and lightly golden. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the fritters from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to allow them to firm up before glazing.
- Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and lightly pourable. Adjust consistency as needed.
- Drizzle the glaze over warm fritters and let set for several minutes before serving.
Notes
For breakfast prep, bake fritters the night before and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Reheat briefly in the oven or microwave. Freeze unglazed fritters for up to 2 months; thaw, warm, then glaze.