Baked Gluten-Free Apple Fritters are easy to throw together at a moment’s notice and make for the loveliest fall breakfast, snack, or dessert! Dairy-free, refined sugar-free and loaded with apple cinnamon flavors!
What’s your relationship like with apple fritters? Tell me all the sordid details.
Truthfully, aside from these baked gluten-free apple fritters, I have only eaten a couple apple fritters in my life.
What can I say? I’ve always been more of a bear claw kind of gal. How about you?
That’s not to say apple fritters aren’t worth their weight in gold…they’re truly magic. Especially when you can make them in the convenience of your own home without having to deep fry them!
Let’s back up in case you have about as much experience with apple fritters as I.
Traditional apple fritters are deep fried like doughnuts to a caramelized golden-brown perfection. They have that airy cakey inside with a light crisp on the outside and that amazing crackly glaze.
So let’s be candid – this baked version is a stretch from the authentic version.
I know, I know…doughnuts are a thing and messing around with perfection is playing with fire.
I’m definitely of the opinion that if a craving strikes for something, a healthier, non-authentic version of that thing is probably not going to cut it.
That said, these baked fritters do hit quite a few of the features of your deep-fried fritter.
They have that crisp on the outside, the softness on the inside and are glazed to an oblivion.
Plus, they’re loaded with pumpkin pie spice for an actual explosion of fall in your face. Trust me on this one, using pumpkin pie spice where you would normally use cinnamon is pure genius.
I see these fritters as being particularly useful when you’re living in an area where apple fritters are difficult to come by (I grew up in a town where apple fritters were non-existent), OR you simply love a great home baked goodie that checks all the boxes of deliciousness.
Ingredients for Baked Gluten-Free Apple Fritters:
Eggs: Crucial for keeping these beauties held together in one delicious package, eggs play a pivotal role in this recipe. I haven’t tested it using an egg replacer, but if you try it, let me know what you use and how it works out!
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: Canned coconut milk serves as the fat and liquid portion of this recipe. It is nice and creamy so it adds a nice natural richness and a tiny sweetness. You can’t taste coconut!
Be sure you use the full-fat canned coconut milk rather than a lower-fat canned coconut milk or coconut milk from the carton. The fritters will not turn out as well without the fat content. If you do dairy, feel free to use melted butter or half & half here.
Vanilla Extract: Warming everything it touches, pure vanilla extract always adds a nice essence to any baked good. If you don’t have any on hand, feel free to skip it!
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: The element that binds all the deliciousness together! I use Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, but you can use your favorite blend.
Do note that some GF blends range in absorbency, so if you use a different blend and the dough turns out overly crumbly, add a little additional coconut milk until it forms a very thick non-crumbly dough. On the flipside, add more flour if the dough is sticky.
Maple Sugar or Brown Sugar: Keeping it refined sugar-free, I like using maple sugar for these fritters, but you can also go with light or dark brown sugar.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: Pumpkin pie spice takes the flavor profile of any treat up to 10! A combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom and more, pumpkin pie spice is a conglomeration of all the good flavors so that you don’t have to individually measure out these spices one by one.
If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can easily replace it with ground cinnamon, now harm done.
Lemon Juice, Baking Powder: Used for leavening!
Apples: The star of the fritter show! I used two small apples that came from my grandparent’s trees. You can use any type of apple you like! Granny Smith is customary. You simply need 2 cups of chopped apple for these beauties so follow your heart.
How to Make Gluten-Free Baked Apple Fritters:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk the coconut milk, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract together in a mixing bowl (note: if your coconut milk is separated or chunky, microwave it in a measuring cup for 20 to 60 seconds and stir well until it’s combined and creamy).
In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and sea salt.
Pour the dry mixture into the bowl with the wet mixture and mix until a thick dough forms. The dough will appear dry and crumbly at first…don’t worry, it will come together.
Add the chopped apples and mix them into the dough. For this portion, I use my hands to mix and press the apples into the dough so that the chunks are evenly distributed.
Portion out about ½ cup of dough and place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining dough.
I like the fritters to have a rustic look to them so I don’t do much in the way of shaping them. If you prefer, you can make the fritters into circular biscuit shapes or any shape you’d like 😉
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, until the fritters are golden-brown.
While the fritters are baking, stir together the ingredients for the glaze until creamy.
Remove the fritters from the oven and brush them with the glaze.
Place them back in the oven and turn on the high broil setting. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, keeping a watchful eye so that the fritters don’t burn (they burn quickly!)
Remove the fritters from the oven and drizzle with the remaining glaze. Allow them to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Store any leftover fritters in a sealed container on the counter for up to 5 days, then in the refrigerator or freezer.
These beauties are a perfect little treat to have on hand for when you have company in town and/or if you like having a nice sweet snack to enhance your day.
If you make this recipe, feel free to share a photo on Instagram and tag @The.Roasted.Root!
More Apple Treats:
- Spiced Apple Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping
- Healthy Apple Muffins
- Apple Fruit Leather
- Gluten-Free Apple Bundt Cake
- Paleo Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
Apple + Pumpkin Pie Spice for life!
Baked Gluten-Free Apple Fritters
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp lemon juice or cider vinegar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup maple sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 small apples peeled, cored and diced (2 cups)
Optional Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar (or powdered maple sugar
- 4 to 7 Tbsp apple cider or full-fat canned coconut milk or melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk the coconut milk, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract together in a mixing bowl.
- In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and sea salt.
- Pour the dry mixture into the bowl with the wet mixture and mix until a thick dough forms.
- Add the chopped apples and mix them into the dough. For this portion, I use my hands to mix and press the apples into the dough so that the chunks are evenly distributed.
- Portion out about ½ cup of dough and place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining dough.
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, until the fritters are golden-brown.
- While the fritters are baking, mix together the ingredients for the glaze in a bowl.
- Remove the fritters from the oven and brush them with the glaze. Place them back in the oven and turn on the high broil setting. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, keeping a watchful eye so that the fritters don’t burn.
- Remove the fritters from the oven and drizzle with the remaining glaze. Allow them to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
