These vegan apple fritters are crispy on the outside, fluffy and coated in an indulgent icing sugar glaze. Ready in 30 minutes and made with just simple ingredients, they'll become your new favorite breakfast!
My love for apple fritters is infinite. I mean, you all know how much I love starting the day with comfort food.
So, whenever I'm craving dessert for breakfast, these little bites of deliciousness with a cup of tea or coffee are my go-to these days.
Another great thing about vegan apple fritters is just how easy they are to make.
They don't require an oven or any complicated preparation steps. In fact, you need just accessible ingredients and making them is as simple as whisking the ingredients together and frying.
My favorite aspect of these apple fritters is definitely the icing sugar glaze. It's so easy to make and adds a magical finishing touch.
You can serve them as either breakfast or dessert, and either way they work perfectly. You can expect plenty of crispiness and a true 'wow' factor!
Ingredients for vegan apple fritters
Flour. I use all-purpose plain flour for this recipe. Although I haven't tried it with a gluten-free blend, I'm sure it could achieve similar results.
Baking powder. This makes the apple fritters fluffy without the need to use yeast.
Cinnamon. Plain ground cinnamon. This will make your kitchen smell amazing!
A pinch of sea salt for balance.
Brown sugar. You can also use white sugar or coconut sugar.
Apples. You can use any apple variety of your choice. I like to use Granny Smith because they have a great sweet and sour texture, and crisp flavor.
Plant based milk of your choice. Unsweetened oat milk, almond milk or soy milk all work well.
Lemon juice for a hint of tanginess. Tossing the diced apples in it also keeps them from browning while you mix the batter.
Icing sugar (also called powdered sugar) for making the glaze.
Vanilla extract to add to the icing sugar.
How to make vegan apple fritters
Firstly, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar.
Then, peel and dice the apples into small cubes and toss them with the lemon juice. Add them to the dry ingredients together with the plant based milk.
Stir together well. A thick dough should form at this stage.
Next, cover the bottom of a skillet over a medium-high heat with vegetable oil. After a couple of minutes, add around ½ cup of the batter per apple fritter and flatten it down using a spatula.
Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for a few minutes more. They should be crispy and golden brown on both sides.
Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Add the vanilla extract to the icing sugar, then gradually pour in water and mix together continuously until a thick glaze forms.
Transfer the fritters to a plate or a cooling rack, and drizzle the glaze on top.
You can also use a pair of kitchen tongs to dip them in the glaze. Allow them to rest for a few minutes for the glaze to solidify, then serve immediately.
Helpful Tips
Dice the apples small. Aim for cubes about ¼ to ½ inch across. Smaller pieces soften all the way through in the few minutes the fritters spend in the pan, and they stay tucked into the batter instead of poking out and falling off when you flip.
Get the oil hot before the first fritter goes in. You want about ¼ inch of oil over medium-high heat. Drop in a tiny bit of batter as a test: if it sizzles right away, you're ready. Oil that isn't hot enough soaks into the batter and gives you greasy, pale fritters instead of crisp golden ones. A deep frying pan with tall sides keeps the splatter under control.
Don't crowd the pan. Fry three or four fritters at a time, leaving space between them. Too many at once drops the oil temperature, and they'll steam rather than crisp. Give the oil a minute to come back up to heat between batches.
Flatten them, then leave them alone. Pressing each scoop of batter down with a spatula helps the middle cook through before the outside gets too dark. Resist the urge to move them around; let the first side get properly golden (3 to 4 minutes) before flipping.
Glaze them while they're warm. Drain the fritters briefly on a rack or paper towels, then drizzle the glaze on while they're still warm. It melts slightly into all the nooks and crannies, then sets into that classic thin, crackly coating. Add the water to the glaze a little at a time; you can always thin it, but a runny glaze just slides off.
Variations
- Chai spiced. Swap half of the cinnamon for ground ginger, cardamom and a pinch of cloves for a cozy chai-style fritter. If you love that flavor, try my vegan apple cider donuts too.
- Maple glaze. Replace the water in the glaze with maple syrup (plus a splash of plant based milk if it's too thick) for a deeper, autumn-y sweetness.
- Cinnamon sugar coating. Skip the glaze and toss the warm fritters in a mix of sugar and cinnamon, doughnut-shop style.
- Pear fritters. Firm, slightly underripe pears work just like apples. Dice them the same way and keep everything else as written.
- Add a crunch. Fold a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter along with the apples (just skip this if you need the fritters to stay nut-free).
- Chocolate drizzle. Fans of chocolate can finish the fritters with melted dairy-free chocolate instead of the vanilla glaze, like my 30-minute vegan donuts with chocolate glaze.
Serving Ideas
Apple fritters are at their very best still slightly warm, with a hot drink alongside. A cup of coffee or tea is classic, but on a chilly fall morning they're even better with a homemade vegan pumpkin spice latte or a mug of mulled apple cider.
They also make a fun addition to a weekend brunch spread next to fresh fruit, a tofu scramble and something savory. Browse my vegan brunch recipes for ideas to round out the table. For dessert, serve them warm with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of glaze.
Storing & Freezing
These fritters are best on the day they're made, since they lose their crispiness as they sit. If you have leftovers, let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a 350°F oven or an air fryer for 4 to 5 minutes to bring back some of the crunch.
To freeze, let the fritters cool completely and freeze them unglazed in a single layer on a tray, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Reheat straight from frozen in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until hot and crisp, then whisk up a fresh batch of glaze and drizzle it over the top.
Recipe FAQs
I haven't tried to do so myself, but you can substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
The number one way to ensure crispiness is to use a generous amount of vegetable oil, and to make sure that it's hot enough before adding the fritters. And be patient while they cook! Which may be hard given how delicious they will smell.
Apple fritters are best eaten immediately because they start to lose their crispiness quite quickly.
Yes, this recipe is 100% vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free. There's no butter, milk, or eggs in the batter or the glaze - the fritters get their moisture from plant-based milk and their lift from baking powder instead, so they're completely safe for anyone avoiding animal products.
Other amazing vegan breakfast recipes
- My homemade vegan crumpets are a must-try!
- If you love savory breakfast, you'll love my breakfast potatoes.
- You can't go wrong with cinnamon rolls in the morning.
- For a breakfast on the go, try my chocolate granola bars.
- These tasty homemade spiced apple rings.
If you give these vegan apple fritters a go, be sure to leave your feedback in the comments together with a star rating, and tag me on Instagram (@ohmyveggies). I always love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Deep Frying Pan or a large skillet
Ingredients
For the fritters
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar, or coconut sugar
- 2 apples, medium, peeled and diced small (Granny Smith recommended)
- ½ cup plant based milk
- vegetable oil , for shallow frying (about ¼ inch deep in the pan)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, optional, keeps the apples from browning and adds a hint of tanginess
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar, also called icing sugar
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoon water, add gradually
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar.
- Peel the apples and dice them into small cubes (about ¼ to ½ inch). Toss them with the lemon juice, then add the apples and the plant based milk to the dry ingredients. Stir until everything is well combined and a thick, sticky batter forms.
- Pour about ¼ inch of vegetable oil into a deep frying pan or large skillet and heat it over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes, until a small drop of batter sizzles right away.
- Working in batches of 3 to 4 so you don't crowd the pan, add about ½ cup of batter per fritter and flatten it slightly with a spatula. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown underneath, then flip and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until crispy and golden on both sides. Transfer to a cooling rack or a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
- While the fritters fry, make the glaze. Stir the vanilla extract into the powdered sugar, then add the water a little at a time, stirring continuously, until you have a thick but pourable glaze.
- Drizzle the glaze over the warm fritters (or dip the tops into the glaze using kitchen tongs). Let them rest for a few minutes until the glaze sets, then serve right away.
Video
Notes
- Use any apple variety of your choice. Granny Smith apples make a great option because they have a sweet and sour flavor profile, and plenty of crispiness.
- Apple fritters are best served immediately because otherwise they start to lose their crispiness.
- Leftovers keep in an airtight container for up to 1 day at room temperature or 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in a 350°F oven or air fryer for 4 to 5 minutes.
Feranmi says
I just tried this cus i had no eggs, and they came out pretty good, the recipe said it would come out cruncy. Still, it didnt really do that maybe its cuz i added a tiny bit of lemon juice(just a sprinze) and i used powdered milk with water(for the plant milk). However, it still came out really good, I finished 4 already and substituted the glaze for a blackberry jam, so I have no idea if that was good. Still, I do advise leaving it in the fridge, im not saying to leave it overnight. Still, I popped them in the fridge cus I was full and went back for seconds. They were even better, the apples were softer than before due to them staying a bit in the fridge and it all came together much better than fresh of the pan where you could still feel the crunchiness of the apple compared to the crunchiness of the ... dough. For the frying bit let your pan heat up well like the highest for 5 minutes before you start (I was impatient of course but actually let it sit, it makes a difference) i actually wish i added a bit more lemon to it so maybe half a lemon sqeezed would be okay and do not panic if you think it needs water, it doesnt just add your milk in large then small quantitiess(meaning large pour mixxxxx, then small pour mix, it shold be enough cuz my dough was so good and it hardly works out when I panic too and when you add the lemon it should be enough wetness for your dough) And be careful with the oil, i was playing it rough and spashed my entire hand but Im fine..seeing that I wrote this