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4.25 from 4 votes

2 Ingredient Healthier Apple Fritters

These 2 Ingredient Apple Fritters are a lighter, oven-baked twist on the classic fried treat. No eggs, dairy, refined sugar, butter or oil needed. They bake up golden with a crisp exterior and tender, apple-filled center.
Servings: 10 fritters
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 375 g (about 3.25 cups) chopped peeled apples (about 1 inch cubes) + 100g (1 cup) finely chopped peeled apples (1/8 inch cubes), the 375 grams of apples can be substituted with 1.5 cups of unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 cups (285g) self-rising flour, see note before starting

Instructions
 

  • If baking the fritters, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Add a large cast iron skillet or metal baking dish to the bottom rack of the oven while it preheats. Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. If using air fryer, line the air fryer insert with parchment paper.
  • If making your own applesauce, add the 375 grams of large cubed apples into a pot filled with water. (If using store bought applesauce, skip to step 4). Bring to a simmer on the stove and cook the apples until they are fork tender. Drain and remove the cooked apples from the water and place into a blender.
  • Blend the apples for a few seconds until they reach an applesauce consistency. Your applesauce shoud be thick, grainy-like consistency but without visible chunks of apples. Measure out 1.5 cups of applesauce.
  • In a large bowl, add the self-rising flour and 1.5 cups applesauce. Stir with a spatula until you have a soft, 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 2 inches apart. Gently press each mound into a 2½ to 3-inch circle. If using an air fryer, you may need to do this in smaller batches. 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: Carefully add hot water into the baking dish that is on the bottom rack of the oven. Then add the baking pan with the fritters to the oven rack above 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 10 minutes or until golden on the surface and done.
  • 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 an apple spice glaze. Store uneaten fritters in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • Applesauce substitution note: To save time, you can use store bought unsweetened applesauce instead of cooking apples and blending them. You will need 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened applesauce for the recipe. You can also use 1 1/2 cups of cinnamon applesauce or sweetened applesauce.
  • If you have a kitchen scale, I recommend using it for weighing the apples as it is hard to get an accurate measurement for apples using cups. I use this kitchen scale.*
  • Self-rising flour amount. There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30g) serving). The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, I tested it with Gold Medal self-rising flour* (regular amount of protein). Please use a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup), or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Homemade self-rising flour: Whisk together 2 cup all purpose flour, 3 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill. You do not want a high protein flour for these fritters.
  • Optional glaze. I used a traditional apple pie spiced 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
    • 3 tablespoons water
    • Whisk together the powdered sugar, apple pie spice, and water until smooth. Drizzle over the fritters.
  • Estimated nutrition does not include optional glaze.
Serving: 1fritter, Calories: 105kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 280mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, NET CARBS: 23
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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