With just 25 minutes of prep time and easy-to-follow instructions, this homemade apple fritters recipe yields a batch of the best, golden, and fluffy fritters filled with loads of apples! The vanilla glaze adds the perfect finish to every bite so you'll never go back to store-bought fritters again!
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, stir together the warm milk and yeast. Let sit 5 minutes, or until foamy.
Beat the eggs, butter, sugar, and salt into the yeast mixture on medium-high speed until combined.
With the mixer on medium-low speed, slowly add 2 cups flour until nearly combined. Mix in the remaining 2 1/4 cups flour 4 minutes, or until the dough is no longer sticky and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is still wet and sticky, add 2 Tablespoons flour at a time. Transfer to greased bowl and cover. Let rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Apple Filling
While the dough is rising, make the filling. In a medium saucepan, stir together the butter, apples, sugar, and cinnamon over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the liquid has reduced by half. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Rolling
On a floured work surface, turn out the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12x16-inch rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick.
With the rectangle placed horizontally in front of you, picture it divided into three parts from left to right. Using a slotted spoon, spread apple filling evenly over 2/3 of the rectangle, leaving 1/3 without filling. Sprinkle a little flour over the apple filling.
Fold the 1/3 plain dough over the 1/3 filling in the center. Fold the remaining 1/3 with filling over the top to create a long rectangle facing away from you. Press down gently.
Using a sharp knife or a dough/bench scraper, cut the log into 1/2-inch squares, keeping the dough together and the filling inside. Sprinkle a little flour over the top and press the dough pieces together to form a log. Cut into 10 pieces and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet to rise while the oil is heating.
Frying
Place 2 cooling racks over baking sheets near where you will be frying. In a deep, heavy-bottomed pot, add enough oil to fill at least 3 inches of the bottom of the pot. Heat over medium-low heat until temperature reads 375℉ on a candy thermometer.
Carefully add 2 to 3 fritters to the oil and fry 1 minute, or until golden brown. Flip and fry 1 minute more, or until golden and cooked through. Using tongs, transfer to the cooling racks to cool slightly. Wait until the heat reaches 375℉ before adding the next batch of fritters. Repeat with remaining dough.
Glaze
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and about the thickness of heavy whipping cream.
Dip each fritter into the glaze and return to cooling rack to set. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Variation: Instead of glazing, you can also roll the fritters while warm in a quick cinnamon-sugar mixture, if preferred. Tip: I like to use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature of my oil for accuracy. Frying: Make sure your oil is at temperature in between adding each batch of donuts, so that they fry properly. Be careful around the hot oil. Storage: These donuts are really best the same day, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.