Let me tell you a little story about apple fritters. First off, the best were made by Byers Donuts in my small home town while I was growing up. My friend’s family made them at they’re bakery and to this day, including mine, I’ve never had anything better. Sorry, just being honest here. I can come close but there’s little to replace the wheat and old-fashioned flavor of something like an apple fritter.
Years later, while at The Green Dragon farmers market in Lancaster County, a new stand opened that specialized in these pillows of dough. I was still eating wheat at the time so they became a weekly favorite for my husband and me. They were really good but I can’t eat them anymore so it’s been about ten years since I’ve had a good, doughy, apple-y, cinnamon-y fritter.
The weeks I spent making this recipe I definitely was frittered out but I think they’re exactly what I was looking for.
Not exactly like their wheat cousins, but a really satisfying version that’s not too hard to make and good enough that even gluten people will love them!
That being said, let’s talk about the oils. Since it’s a really prominent ingredient in this recipe, choose wisely. Industrial seed oils, better known as “vegetable” oil, is never a good choice unless you’re oiling bike wheels. They don’t do humans any favors because they’re highly processed and aren’t even meant for human consumption. It’s best to use natural fats such as avocado oil, lard or even tallow. The latter two have been used as a frying medium for millennia and have proven themselves over time. If you’d like to read why natural fats are best, start here.
For the apples, I don’t buy them if I can’t get organic. Apples are one of the Dirty Dozen – they’re one of the heaviest sprayed crops in the world and some of those toxins can’t be washed off. Do your body a favor and choose organic.
The apple fritters of my childhood had raisins and apples in them. I elected to leave the raisins out because my family wouldn’t have touched them otherwise. I’ll leave it up to you whether you want to add them to your fritters.
Gluten-free Amish Apple Fritters
Pillow soft, gluten-free apple fritters made just like the Amish do in Lancaster County, PA. They’ll fulfill all your fritter dreams!
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 18 fritters
Ingredients
For the dough:
1 cup gluten-free flour
2 Tbls oat flour
2 Tbls cane sugar
1 Tbls brown sugar
2 Tbls dry milk powder
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp xanthan gum
2 eggs
½ cup water
2 Tbls salted butter, melted
1 cup diced apple pieces
½ cup raisins (optional)
For the glaze:
1 ½ cup 10x sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp real maple flavoring
½ tsp cinnamon
4 Tbls water
Instructions
On the stovetop, fill a large, high-sided skillet with a real fat such as avocado oil, tallow or lard. It will need to be at least 2.5” deep and need to reach 350˚.
In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the apple fritters, mixing in the apples with the flour first, then adding the rest of the ingredients.
When the oil is ready, use two spoons to scoops out about ¼ cup batter, flattening it slightly or as best you can. This will help it cook more evenly.
Allow to fry until you see the edges in the oil getting browned then flip over. Cook for another few minutes, checking underneath until the color is a rich brown. Remove to a cooling tray while you cook the remaining batter, repeating the steps until the batter is all used.
Allow to cool while you mix up the glaze.
Dip each fritter into the glaze and allow to drain onto a pan fitted with a cooling rack overtop.
Serve immediately.
If you’re not ready to serve them, don’t glaze them right away. Wait until you’re ready to serve.
Notes
If you don’t have an oil thermometer, drop in a small piece of gluten-free bread when the oil starts to shimmer on top. If the bread starts to sizzle with bubble around the edges, then the oil is hot enough.
Make sure to not overcrowd the skillet so they cook evenly. At most, cook four at the same time.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Fried