These bite-size apple fritters are crispy, tender, and full of apple flavor—and you won’t believe how easy they are to make. The simple batter is made with basic ingredients, including flour, sugar, melted butter, and milk, along with baking powder and eggs for lightness and lift. You’ll need two apples for this recipe, preferably a crisp, sweet variety, such as Rome or Gala. And while you won’t have to seek out any special equipment to make these fritters, you will need to do a bit of deep frying (we’ve got tips for making it a smooth and safe process). Serve them warm with a generous dusting of confectioners’ sugar for the ultimate fall treat.

Equipment Needs

Heavy-bottomed pot: Choose a medium to heavy pot for this recipe (a Dutch oven works well if you have one). A solid, heavier pot will hold its temperature better than a lighter one, which is key when deep-frying.

Thermometer: A deep-fry thermometer helps ensure your oil stays at the correct temperature while frying—too low and the fritters will end up pale and soggy; too hot and you run the risk of the exterior browning before the insides can cook through. If you don’t have a deep-fry thermometer, also known as a candy thermometer, check the temperature periodically with an instant-read thermometer.

Ice cream scoop: While not essential for this recipe, an ice cream scoop will form round, evenly sized fritters and make transferring the batter to the oil a snap. Alternatively, you can use two small spoons (one to scoop up the batter and the other to scrape it into the oil).

Baking sheet with wire rack: Once your fritters are golden and crispy, transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a cooling rack to drain. If you don’t have a wire rack that fits inside, you can line the baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels instead.

Spider or slotted spoon: If you have a spider—a metal skimmer commonly used in Asian cooking—pull it out for this recipe. Otherwise, use a slotted spoon to remove the golden fritters from the oil. In a pinch, you can use a pair of tongs.

The Best Apples for Apple Fritters

When choosing apples for this recipe, choose a firm, crisp variety that’s on the sweeter side, such as Rome, McIntosh, or Gala. Avoid Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples, which can easily become mushy and fall apart when cooked. 

Deep-Frying Dos and Don’ts

DO use the right oil: When deep frying, use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil, peanut oil, corn oil, or safflower oil. Avoid those with lower smoke points, like olive oil, or ones that can leave food with an off, fishy flavor, like canola oil.

DO add food gently: To minimize the risk of burns, drop scoops of batter into the oil as gently as possible and not from too high up, which can result in splashing.

DON’T use a lid: Unlike when simmering or steaming, you never want to cover your frying oil with a lid. Doing so can raise the temperature too high, which runs the risk of a grease fire. (Do have a tight-fitting metal lid handy, however, in case of fire, so you can cut off the oxygen and extinguish the flame.)

DON’T crowd the pan: Adding too much food at once can cause the oil to drop in temperature, which impacts the taste and texture of your fritters (the oil should stay between 320°F and 350°F). Instead, add just a few scoops of batter at a time, which will also give the fritters room to bob and bubble around.

These easy air fryer apple fritters are made with cottage cheese, sliced apples, and a simple homemade glaze. They’re crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. An amazing healthier twist on a classic sweet treat with all the iconic flavors of fall! I can’t wait for you to try this recipe .

Ingredients to Gather

• Diced apples: where are my honey crisp fans at?! I love the flavor and crisp texture of honey crisp apples, but you do you and choose the apple variety of your choice.
• 2% blended cottage cheese: any fuller fat cottage cheese will work for this recipe. I recommend at least 2%, but I’ve also tested this with 4% and it worked great. Any low fat cottage cheese will have a higher water content, which will require more flour to form into a dough.
• Brown sugar: you’ll toss the diced apples with brown sugar which is just straight up perfect fall flavors IMO.
• Ground cinnamon: same goes wit the cinnamon! It’s a perfect complement to the apple and brown sugar flavors of fall.
• Unsweetened almond milk: this is my preferred liquid for these fritters. Technically, any milk will work, but I prefer the mild flavor of plain, unsweetened almond milk.

Find the list of full ingredients in the recipe card below. 

My Method for Making Air Fryer Apple Fritters

1. Prepare the apples: Add the diced apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a bowl, and toss to coat the apple pieces. 
2. Prepare the dough: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the apples, and stir to mix. Then, add in the blended cottage cheese and stir until a ball starts to form. Then, use your hands to knead the dough in the bowl. Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out before cutting into 4 pieces. Place 2 apple fritters on parchment paper and press down to a traditional fritter shape (round or oblong). 
3. Air fry the fritters: Air fry the fritters, flipping halfway through to brown both sides.
4. Make the glaze: Add the powdered sugar and almond milk to a bowl and whisk to combine. That’s it! 
5. Glaze and enjoy! Dip the fritters into the glaze; set them on a wire rack, and allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before serving!

The Perfect Sweet Treat

I love making these apple fritters in the morning with the kiddos. Something about sitting in the porch on a cool fall morning enjoying one of these yummy treats with a cup of coffee while the kiddos play .

These apple fritters also make for a great after school snack or sweet treat after dinner. You really can’t go wrong with the ingredient list here, so choose your own adventure on when and where you serve ’em.

If You Have Leftovers

If you have leftover apple fritters, allow them to cool completely before storing on the counter in a vented bag. As the apples continue to soften over time, they will seep moisture and can cause the fritters to become soggy if stored in an airtight container. Venting it helps prevent this.

More Easy Air Fryer Recipes

Why did my apple fritters get soggy?

This could be happening for a couple reasons! If you crowd the apple fritters too much in the air fryer, it will actually steam them instead of air fry them. Make sure your fritters are not touching in the air fryer.

The other reason this could be happening is because you did not allow them to cool before storing leftovers. I recommend venting the bag or container you store leftovers in to prevent the apple moisture from creating a soggy texture. You can also air fry leftover fritters for a minute or two before serving to crisp them up again.

How do you prevent air fryer apple fritters from sticking to the basket?

I recommend cooking these apple fritters on parchment paper in the air fryer. Not only does it prevent them from sticking to the basket, it also prevents the lines from the grate on the air fryer from transferring onto the fritters.

Can I make these gluten-free?

I have not tested these apple fritters with GF flour, but my go-to is always Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. If you test this ingredient swap, please let me know how it goes in the comments!