Apple Fritters with Speculaas Spice are sure to become a fall favorite. There's a speedy version of an Apple Cake Doughnut and a Carrot Cake Baked Doughnut that can be yours in about 30 minutes. Warm and crisp, they comes together easily using a few pantry ingredients, a bowl, a whisk, and a few measuring utensils.
The liquid used can be milk, water or beer. I like to use beer because it makes a lighter fritter and gives a bit more lift to the batter. That's pretty much it.
Fall Spices are often added to the batter as well as to the sugar in which the fried apple fritters are finished. I use Speculaas spice which is a combination of eight or more spices used in the German cookie of the same name. It has a deeper profile than just cinnamon alone. It can be used anywhere gingerbread spice is called for. An easy homemade version is included in the apple fritter recipe.
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There's a speedy version of an Apple Cake Doughnut and a Carrot Cake Baked Doughnut which can be yours in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Back row: sugar, flour, beer. Middle row: vanilla, egg, salt, diced apple. Front row: baking powder, Speculaas spice
Apple Fritter with Speculaas Spice Batter
- Granny Smith Apple - these give the most apple taste to the fritters. The apples can be peeled or not. I don't.
- Egg will bind the ingredients, give crispness and color.
- Beer, water or milk - the beer or water makes a crisper apple fritter. If using beer, use a light beer such as Stella Artrois.
- All-Purpose Flour is best to use here
- Baking powder provides the lift and lightness
- Speculaas spice - recipe below
- Vegetable oil - I use canola oil but any vegetable oil, except olive oil, can be used.
Speculaas Spice Ingredients - woody, spicy, warm, and sweet.
TOP ROW: Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg
BOTTOM ROW: Anise Seed, ground, cardamom, ground coriander, white pepper
Substitutions
- The apple fritters can be finished with granulated sugar, cinnamon sugar, or powdered sugar if desired.
- Cinnamon or another spice can replace the Speculaas spice.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Step by Step Instructions
Speculaas Spices and Sugar
Step 1. Put all the spices in a jar.
Step 2. Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously to mix the spices.
Step 3. Granulated sugar and speculaas spice.
Step 4. Sugar and spice mixed together for speculaas sugar to finish the fritters.
Apple Fritters
Step 1. Beat the egg in a medium size bowl.
Step 2. Add the vanilla, mix well.
Step 3. Add the beer to the batter, mixing in completely. Milk or water may be substituted.
Step 4. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Step 5. Batter without the apples mixed.
Step 6. Add the apples to the batter.
Step 7. Batter completed with apples. Ready to fry.
Step 8. Heat about 1 ½ inches of oil in a pan or skillet to 350°F.
Step 9. The apple fritters should be fried in vegetable oil about 2 minutes on each side until they are golden brown.
Step 10. Drain on paper towels.
Step 11. Immediately add the fritters to a bowl of speculaas sugar. Make sure the fritter is very warm or hot or the sugar will not stick to it.
Step 12. Roll the fritter around until completely coated in the sugar.
Recipe FAQs
A batter of egg, flour, beer or other liquid, a leavening agent, sugar and flavorings encase apples either in rings or cut into pieces and deep fried. They are then rolled in sugar, or a flavored sugar.
There are various types of fritters but all are deep fried. They can be plain fritters of deep-fried chou paste or a yeast dough. Generally they can be small pieces of meat, seafood, vegetables, or fruit coated in or stirred into a batter and deep fried. The pieces used in the fritter
Try to keep whatever is being coated or stirred into the batter free of as much moisture as possible. The prepared fritters can be refrigerated until cold and then deep fried which keeps them from absorbing as much oil.
Storage
Fritters of any kind are best eaten immediately or within a few hours of making as is any deep fried item. To store any remaining, cover loosely with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature until the next day.
Other Top of the Stove Treats
Apple Fritters with Speculaas Spice
Ingredients
Speculaas Spice
- 5 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground aniseed
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander seed
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Apple Fritters
- 2 cups diced apples, peeled or unpeeled
- 1 large egg
- 1 ⅓ cups beer, water or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ¾ cup flour (245 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon speculaas spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Canola oil as needed
Speculaas Sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon speculaas spice
Instructions
Speculaas Spice and Sugar
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small jar. Place the cap on the jar.
- Shake the jar vigorously to mix.
- Combine the sugar and speculaas spice, stirring until completely mixed together. Set aside.
- Yield: ⅓ cup
Apple Fritters
- Cut the apple in about ⅓ inch dice. Set aside.
- Whisk the egg to mix. Add the vanilla and mix well.
- Pour in the beer, water or milk and whisk to blend together.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, spice and salt. Whisk together until smooth.
- Stir in the apples.
- Heat about 1 to ½ inch of oil to 350°F in a medium size frying pan.
- Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons and fry to a golden brown. Turn and fry the second side. This will take about 2 minutes on each side.
- Drain on paper towels and immediately roll in the speculaas sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
Pat Sussman says
How can you convert this to a baked, not fried fritter? Haven't made anything from your site yet, but the recipes look great.
Thanks!
Pat Sussman
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Pat, I've never considered baked sweet fritters, but it is certainly something I will work on. Thanks for the great idea.
Tim Malm says
You had me at doughnuts! Thanks Helen, this recipe looks like fun.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Tim - I'll be doing an update on the baked or fried doughnut article which, believe it or not is always 1 or 2 on the most read list.
Ess Kay says
Would it be possible to make these as muffins - i.e. in a muffin pan? (Sadly, I can't eat deep fried)
Barbara says
Is 14 tsp of salt correct?
Helen S Fletcher says
Nope. Should be 1/4 teaspoon. Thanks for the catch.
Hilda Willman says
Helen, I hope your nose is itching or whatever the saying is when someone is thinking of you. I made 4 desserts for an auction dinner last week and 3 of them were Helen creations--Pave d'Amour, Basketweave Chocolate Caramel Tart and the Peach Frangipane Rosemary Tart. All turned out splendidly, except the Flan, which was not your recipe--I should have known and stuck with Helen recipes exclusively, but the theme was A Night in Seville so I had to throw in a Spanish dessert. Anyway, I think of you so often, especially when making fabulous Helen desserts, and hope you and Mike are well. You are the best!
hfletcher says
Hi Hilda - Thank you for this lovely note. I miss seeing you, although I have to admit since I stopped teaching, I rarely into KC. We are very well and extremely happy in the apartment. So big, so much storage, so wonderful. There is a full time maintenance person and whatever needs to be done, he just does it. He is ordering me a new range because the light in my oven keeps going out. So healthy, happy and so glad you keep in touch. Take care my friend.
Caryn says
Can't wait to try these! Apple fritters are my husband's favorite. Thank you!
hfletcher says
Hi Caryn: Mine too! These were even good the next day, which surprised me. I would be embarrassed to tell you how many we ate the first day.