Apple fritters are a favorite breakfast treat and I’ve been wanting to make them but the recipes I have so far are all fried. Then along comes this recipe where the fritters are baked and then broiled once some glaze is applied. Lots of apple flavor with applesauce and fresh apples in the fritters and apple cider in the glaze (I actually made a maple drizzle too which I preferred).
These are not the tasty fried apple fritters we use to buy at a local bakery – hard to duplicate but still a nice fritter. They are cakey and soft in the center with a maple drizzle or apple cider glaze. I like apple cider but I LOVE maple syrup!
I first learned about this cookbook through an email from the reluctantentertainer where this recipe was mentioned. Even though I had the recipe I did want the cookbook as I felt it would be a nice addition to my collection. Brillant Bites by Maegan Brown (the baker/mama) was published in 2023. I have slightly adapted it mainly by adding the maple drizzle, using Cortland apples and homemade applesauce.
Apple Fritter Bites, Baked
- 1-1/2 cups AP flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (I always use Diamond in all my recipes)
- 2 tsp. cinnamon, 5 per cent oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup homemade applesauce, no sugar added
- 1-1/2 cups cored, peeled and finely diced apples of your choice; author suggests Honeycrisp and I used Cortland
Apple Fritters:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use silpat if you have it or parchment. The glaze is sticky and is best to use one of these items.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until well combined.
Add the melted butter to a large bowl and whisk in the sugar followed by the egg. Once combined, stir in the vanilla and applesauce. Add the flour mixture and stir well; fold in the diced apples.
Scoop 1 tbsp. of batter into mounds a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from the oven. Turn the broiler on high and make the glaze.
Apple Cider Glaze:
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. apple cider or you can use apple juice
Whisk together the ingredients; the glaze should be thin. Brush some of the glaze over each fritter and let it drip down the sides. Return the fritters to the oven and broil for 2-4 minutes, until the glaze starts to caramelize. Rotate the baking sheet every minute and be careful to watch so the glaze doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven and brush the remaining glaze evenly over the fritters (oops – I forgot this step). Let set on the baking sheet until the glaze hardens, about 15 minutes.
You can make these 2 days in advance and store at room temperature or up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Serve at room temp or reheat in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.
Maple Drizzle:
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- pinch of salt
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the maple syrup. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla, confectioners’ sugar and salt until smooth. Put through a sieve if you need to remove some lumps. If you use this drizzle bake the fritters another minute or two and drizzle the glaze on after being removed from the oven and cooled.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
These “applely” bites look so tasty. I like both options for the glaze, but if I had to choose only one, it would be the maple glaze.
Diamond Kosher salt is my preferred salt as well. It’s really the best. 🙂
I forgot to brush the bites a second time with the apple cider glaze. Might have helped the cider flavor but I still would prefer the maple drizzle 🙂
These look a lot like glazed donut holes, but sound healthier since they are baked instead of fried and have apples and applesauce in them – a good idea as a side dish for a company brunch
Thanks – anything that isn’t fried is healthier! I’m thinking these bites would be perfect on a “brunch (charcuterie) board” 🙂
I love a soft cookie and the flavors in these sound wonderful. thanks for the recipe.
Lots of great apple flavor and then the glaze/drizzle made these bites really tasty 🙂
these certainly look moist and delicious!!
The addition of applesauce made them moist and then all those apples – yum! yum! 🙂