These apple fritters are soft and full of apple flavor. The fritters are just 4 ingredients and don’t require any white flour, eggs, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil. The fritters are also baked instead of fried.

These healthier apple fritters are easy to prepare. You can also easily customize them to your liking.

Ingredients

  • Whole wheat flour
  • Baking powder
  • Maple syrup
  • Apples

Whole wheat flour: This recipe works best with a whole wheat flour with low protein, 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup serving. Golden wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour are types of low protein whole wheat flour. Regular whole wheat flour has a lot of protein and will make the fritters dry and less soft. You can also use regular all purpose flour if you don’t want to use whole wheat flour.

Baking powder: Baking powder is added to help the fritters rise.

Maple syrup: A little maple syrup is used to provide some sweetness and moisture for the fritters.

Apples: The apple fritters are made with a combination of chopped apples and apple puree. Make sure to use a sweet apple variety like Fuji or Honeycrisp.

How to Make Healthier Apple Fritters

  • Blend some of the apples in a blender to make apple puree.
  • Whisk together the flour and baking powder until evenly combined. Add in the apple puree and maple syrup and mix until a thick batter forms. Stir in the finely chopped apple pieces.
  • Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop the batter and release onto your prepared baking sheet. Cook the fritters in the air fryer for about 9 minutes at 400F. The fritters can also be baked in the oven but I do find that they are fluffier when cooked in the air fryer.

Expert Tips

  • If you like warm Fall spices, you can also add 1 tsp cinnamon to the fritter batter.
  • To save time, you can substitute the apple puree with store-bought unsweetened applesauce or unsweetened cinnamon applesauce.
  • You can leave the skin on or peel off for the finely chopped apple pieces, depending on personal preference.
  • The fritters are only very lightly sweet on their own since fritters are usually served with a glaze. These fritters are served with a classic glaze made with powdered sugar. You can use powdered sweetener if you want them to be refined sugar-free.


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4 Ingredient Apple Fritters

These healthier apple fritters need just 4 ingredients. No white flour, eggs, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil. The fritters are also baked instead of fried.
Servings: 8 pieces
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 24 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (360g) apple puree +1 cup (100g) finely chopped apples (1/8 inch cubes), see note
  • 2 cups (252g) whole wheat pastry flour or golden wheat flour, see note before starting
  • 4 tsp (12g) aluminum free baking powder
  • 2-3 tbsp (30-45ml) maple syrup

Instructions
 

  • These fritters are best if cooked in an air fryer but they can also be baked. If baking the fritters, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Add a large cast iron skillet or metal baking dish filled halfway with water to the bottom rack of the oven while it preheats. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. If using air fryer, line the air fryer insert with parchment paper.
  • If making your own apple puree, add about 380 grams (about 3 1/2 cups) large cubed peeled apples into a blender. Blend until it becomes a mostly smooth puree (there should not be any apple chunks remaining though it is normal for the apple puree to have a grainy consistency like applesauce). Measure out 360 grams (1 1/2 cups) of puree, for the recipe.
  • In a large bowl, add the flour and baking powder and whisk until evenly combined. Add in the apple puree and maple syrup and stir with a spatula until you have a thick batter and all of the flour has been incorporated. Add in the finely chopped apples and fold until they are evenly distributed.
  • Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop the batter and release onto your parchment lined baking sheet or parchment lined air fryer insert, spacing the fritters 1.5 inches apart. If using an air fryer, you may need to do this in smaller batches. If needed, gently spread each mound into a 2½ to 3-inch circle. If you are using a measuring cup with about 2 1/2 inch wide base, you may not need to spread the mounds at all if they took the shape of the measuring cup. Optional step: Lightly brush the surface of the fritters with avocado oil. While they will still crisp up without it, they will be more golden and crispy with the avocado oil.
  • Oven instructions: Once oven is preheated, add the baking pan with the fritters to the oven rack right above the pan with the water and bake the fritters for about 20 minutes until they are puffed and cooked through. Then switch the oven to broil and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the fritters are crisp and golden on the outside.
  • Ari fryer instructions: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Cook the fritters for about 8-10 minutes or until golden on the surface and cooked through.
  • Allow the fritters to cool slightly before serving. Fritters are best enjoyed soon after they are done cooking and while still a little warm. The fritters are very lightly sweet on their own. If desired, you can dust the fritters with powdered sweetener or make a glaze. The glaze I used is shared in the recipe notes. Store uneaten fritters in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • I recommend using aluminum-free baking powder to avoid any potential metallic aftertaste.
  • Apple puree note: To save time, you can use store bought unsweetened applesauce instead of making apple puree. You will need 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened applesauce (360 grams) for the recipe. 
  • Whole wheat flour note: Regular whole wheat flour is high protein and will make the batter very dry and tough. To keep the fritters soft, use a low protein whole wheat flour such as whole wheat pastry flour or golden wheat flour. You want to use a whole wheat flour with 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup (30g) serving. I used Whole Foods 365 Whole Wheat Pastry Flour.* You can also use regular all purpose flour, if you don't like whole wheat flour. If using all purpose flour, make sure it has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup serving).
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Optional glaze. I used a classic glaze for the fritters in the photos. You can skip the glaze or use powdered sweetener instead of sugar in the glaze to keep these healthier. You can also dust the fritters with powdered sweetener to keep them healthier.
    • 1¼ cups powdered sugar
    • ½ teaspoon apple pie spice (optional)
    • 3 tablespoons water
    • Whisk together the powdered sugar, apple pie spice, and water until smooth. Adjust the water or sugar amount until the glaze reaches your desired consistency. Drizzle over the fritters.
  • Estimated nutrition does not include optional glaze.
Serving: 1piece, Calories: 149kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.02g, Sodium: 161mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 9g, NET CARBS: 29
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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