A classic comfort food with a lighter twist, these air fryer applesauce fritters are packed with wonderful apple flavor, a hint of cinnamon, and warm sweet notes from coconut sugar. Enjoy these with a vanilla cinnamon glaze while warm, and it will be your new favorite for the holidays...or any time of year!
vegan • oil free • dairy free • comfort food
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Jump to:
- ❤️ What you'll love about these applesauce fritters
- 🥣 ingredient list
- 🔪 equipment
- 👩🏽🍳 instructions for air fryer applesauce fritters
- Recipe
- 🧊 storage instructions
- 💡 Pro Tip
- ✅ acceptable substitutions and variations
- 🥰 tips for the best applesauce fritters
- ♻️ sustainability profile
- ❓frequently asked questions
- 🍎 additional apple recipes you'll love
If warm and inviting flavors are the cornerstone of every comfort food recipe, then these applesauce fritters are the ultimate in comforting. Quite a few apple fritter recipes exist, and they are all wonderful in their own way.
So, what sets this recipe apart?
These fritters are vegan (meaning they are also dairy free) and are oil free because they are "fried" in an air fryer. With a hearty exterior and tender interior similar to a muffin (fritters are muffins without the butter), the extra treat comes with a beautiful vanilla cinnamon glaze that adds a sweetness and great depth of flavor with each bite. Keep in mind these aren't deep fried fritters, so the consistency is similar to an apple muffin/biscuit with a glazed topping.
Applesauce fritters are essentially apple fritters with an applesauce foundation. While traditional apple fritters are deep fried in oil, we're giving our own twist to this recipe by incorporating vegan ingredients and air frying.
❤️ What you'll love about these applesauce fritters
Air fried instead of soaked in oil. Don't get me wrong - I love a fried fritter. But what I love even more if finding ways to make sweet treats slightly less guilty. After several minutes in the air fryer, you get a sweet treat ready for its topping. In fact, this entire recipe is oil free.
Vegan and dairy free. This fritter recipe omits eggs and dairy milk, which are common in most fritter recipes. Instead, this harnesses the power of plant-based milk and aquafaba (the viscous water from chickpeas commonly used a vegan substitute for eggs).
Dough sweetener uses coconut sugar, which is a more sustainable sugar option. Coconut sugar adds a nice depth of flavor that not only sweetens the dough, but also pairs well with applesauce and apple bits and is a more sustainable option when compared to regular granulated sugar. I should note, however, that we use a vegan powdered sugar for the icing.
🥣 ingredient list
Fritter Dough
Dry Ingredients
All-purpose flour. I use the "spoon" method to measure the all-purpose flour and help ensure we don't have too much.
Ground cinnamon. Ground cinnamon adds depth of flavor - I mean, what are apples (and applesauce) without the complement of cinnamon?
Baking powder. We use a little more baking powder than a traditional recipe to help make the interior crumb a little more tender, since baking powder serves as the leavening agent. Applesauce can make baked goods dense, so we counteract that with the baking powder and whipped aquafaba.
Salt. I prefer a kosher salt, and this helps enhance the flavor.
Wet Ingredients
Applesauce. The star of the show, applesauce not only provides the foundation of our apple flavor, but it also adds moisture that baked goods normally get from oil, butter, or eggs.
Plant-based milk. My recommendation is to use a milk that's unsweetened, or understand that a flavored milk will impact the final result. I use a homemade oat milk, but you can successfully use a different plant-based alternative.
Aquafaba. This chickpea brine may be one of the more unique ingredients in a fritter recipe - ha! Whipping aquafaba acts as egg whites do - provides a little lift and a lighter texture to the final product. While eggs aren't a traditional ingredient in fritter recipes, applesauce can create a more dense texture. The aquafaba and baking powder help to counteract a result that could be too dense.
Coconut sugar. Another unique ingredient, I highly recommend using coconut sugar as your dough sweetener - it's more sustainable than other sugar alternatives and is a wonderful pairing with apples and cinnamon. It's giving comforting vibes. 😊
Pure vanilla extract. As with all baked goods, vanilla extract adds depth of flavor and subtle sweetness. This "rounds out" the flavor profile and brings together the apple, cinnamon, and sugar components.
Mix-ins
Apple. We don't just rely on applesauce for that delightful apple flavor. Bits of apple add great bursts of apple flavor and one medium-to-large apple peeled and diced into bits yields enough to have apple pieces in each bite of these fritters.
Vanilla Cinnamon Glaze
Powdered sugar. As with many glazes, powdered sugar serves as the base of this vanilla cinnamon glaze. To keep this vegan, I recommend using an organic powdered sugar. If you don't have any powdered sugar handy, you can add organic granulated sugar to a food processor and blitz until it reaches a powdered sugar consistency (be prepared to add a little cornstarch if you aren't getting the consistency you desire)
Plant-based milk. Just as we discussed earlier, any plant-based milk type will work, but you will need an option that isn't flavored. Again, I suggest an unsweetened option.
Pure vanilla extract. As we mentioned earlier, pure vanilla extract adds depth of flavor to the glaze. Since the glaze relies on fewer ingredients, the vanilla plays a more prominent flavor role here.
Ground cinnamon. Why miss another opportunity to infuse some more cinnamon? Adding it to the glaze makes the flavor a little more bold.
🔪 equipment
Cutting board and knife. If you haven't peeled and diced the apple, a cutting board and knife will be necessary.
Air fryer. If you have a basket-style air fryer, that will work for this recipe. However, my favorite is the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven combo. Space is at a premium in our kitchen, so we love appliances that pull double duty. (Affiliate link above if you're interested in the combo version.)
Mixing bowls:
- Mixing bowl 1: Combine dry ingredients
- Mixing bowl 2: Combine wet ingredients (will be added to mixing bowl 1)
- Mixing bowl 3: Whipped aquafaba
- Mixing bowl 4: Vanilla cinnamon glaze
Hand mixer. The hand mixer makes whipping aquafaba much faster than trying to do it by hand. A basic hand mixer works well - here's the Cuisinart 5-Speed Mixer we use.
Measuring cups and spoons.
Whisk and large spoon. A whisk or dry ingredients and spoon for the rest.
Parchment paper. As mentioned in other blog posts, I prefer the If You Care brand of parchment paper.
Cooling rack. Helps the fritters cool evenly and without getting too much condensation on the bottom. I use a coated cooling rack from Sur La Table, but believe that's no longer available. In its place, their stainless steel version should be a great option.
👩🏽🍳 instructions for air fryer applesauce fritters
Before you start: Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius), if you have the option to do so. Mine doesn't preheat on the air fry setting, so I just allow it to start air frying for a few minutes before adding the fritters.
Peel and dice your apple if you haven't already done so.
Whisk dry ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt) using a whisk in your larger bowl. Mix until evenly incorporated.
Stir together wet ingredients, excluding aquafaba. Using a medium bowl, stir together the wet ingredients until evenly combined (applesauce, milk, coconut sugar, and pure vanilla extract) and set aside. Save the aquafaba for future step.
Whip aquafaba. Using a hand mixer, whip the aquafaba until soft peaks form and the brine is an even texture with no liquid pooling at bottom of bowl.
Pour wet ingredients into dry. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry. The dough will be dry and not evenly incorporated until we add the aquafaba, so only mix briefly.
Incorporate aqufaba. Gently fold in the whipped aquafaba until evenly incorporated. The dough should be sticky.
Add diced apples. Stir in the diced apples, but keep it brief so as not to overmix the dough. If the apples resist mixing completely, note that you'll be able to press them into the dough when adding to the baking sheet.
Line your air fryer basket or baking sheet with parchment paper and add your applesauce fritter dough. Use your hands to shape the dough on the sheet and press in any rogue apple bits. If you prefer a flat fritter, you can gently press the tops (I like the biscuit look, so leave them as-is).
Air fry for 8-10 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. The hearty exterior is a little deceiving, so check for doneness using a toothpick or skewer. Repeat if you need to air fry additional batches. I can make 6 at a time (2 batches) in my air fryer.
If using an air fryer/toaster oven combination, I place the baking sheet on the bottom level to help prevent overbrowning.
Make vanilla cinnamon glaze. Stir together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a small bowl until you achieve the desired consistency. Add more milk to thin, if you like. Taste to make sure you like the flavor before topping the fritters.
Drizzle the glaze over the fritters as they cool and while still on parchment-lined sheet. If using an air fryer basket, you can either do this directly in the basket, or remove the fritters and parchment paper. After a few minutes, transfer the fritters to the cooling rack.
Enjoy warm. Fritters can be refrigerated or frozen for future use. Serve for breakfast or brunch with your favorite coffee, or enjoy as a sweet dessert.
Recipe
Air Fryer Applesauce Fritters
Equipment
- 4 Mixing bowls 2 large and 2 medium, preferably
- 1 cutting board if you need to dice your apple
- 1 knife if you need to peel and dice your apple
- 1 whisk for dry ingredients
- 1 large spoon merging wet and dry ingredients
- parchment paper I prefer the If You Care brand
- 1 hand held mixer for whipping aquafaba
- 1 air fryer I use a combination air fryer and toaster oven, but a traditional basket air fryer will work as well
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups for dry and wet ingredients
Ingredients
Applesauce Fritter Dough - Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 179g
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder 12g
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 5g
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt 2g
Applesauce Fritter Dough - Wet Ingredients
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce 76g
- ⅓ cup oat milk any unsweetened plant-based milk will work, 76g
- ¼ cup aquafaba 59g
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar 21g
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3g
Mix-ins
- 1 ½ cups peeled, diced apple 1 medium-large apple of your choosing, 179g
Vanilla Cinnamon Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar I prefer organic, 64g
- 1 tablespoon oat milk any unsweetened plant-based milk will work, 4g
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3g
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2g
Instructions
Applesauce Fritters
- Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Leave a small well in the center of the mixture.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a separate bowl, stir together the wet ingredients until evenly combined.⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce, ⅓ cup oat milk, 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whip your aquafaba using a hand mixer until the aquafaba is evenly whipped and soft peaks form.¼ cup aquafaba
- Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the well you created in the dry mixture. Gently combine with your spoon. The mixture will appear dry and crumbly.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees, or allow your air fryer to heat a few minutes before frying.
- Gently fold the aquafaba into the dough. It will appear less dry, and be sure to stop when the mixture is evenly incorporated. Overmixing will result in a tougher fritter.
- Gently fold in the apple pieces until evenly distributed.1 ½ cups peeled, diced apple
- Add dough to parchment lined baking sheet (or parchment-lined basket) and air fry for 8-10 minutes, until the top is a golden brown and you see slightly charred edges on your apple bits. A toothpick or skewer inserted in the center should be clean when removed. Repeat for each batch. I'm able to fry 6 at a time.NOTE: If using an air fryer oven, place the baking sheet on the bottom rack to prevent overbrowning on top.
Vanilla Cinnamon Glaze
- In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, plant-based milk, pure vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon until you achieve an even texture with no bits of powdered sugar remaining.½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon oat milk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Drizzle the glaze over the warm apple fritters removed from the air fryer before transferring the fritters to a cooling rack.
- Enjoy warm. For storage, place in an airtight container in a single layer (or with parchment paper separating multiple layers) and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Warm for a few minutes in the air fryer or oven before serving again.
Notes
- If you prefer to add dry ingredients to the wet - as opposed to what's written in the recipe - you shouldn't experience any significant issues.
- Don't forget the wet and dry ingredients won't evenly incorporate with one another until the whipped aquafaba is added.
- When adding to your baking sheet, feel free to manipulate the dough to adjust size, etc. If needed, push some of the apple pieces deeper into the dough balls.
- OPTIONAL: If you prefer a flat fritter, you can gently flatten the tops of the fritters.
- I store aquafaba in the refrigerator for use in recipes. If you do the same, you can shake the storage container before whipping to help distribute the starches and proteins that may have settled at the bottom of the container. You can do the same with a can of chickpeas, if you don't have aquafaba stored in your refrigerator.
- Your aquafaba should whip within a few minutes of mixing with a hand mixer. If it struggles, add a pinch of cream of tartar. Occasionally, old aquafaba will refuse to whip and a fresh batch is needed.
- If you prefer a thinner glaze, add more plant-based milk (one teaspoon at a time) until you reach the desired consistency. Taste the glaze to determine if you'd like any additional vanilla extract or ground cinnamon.
- Any plant-based (non-dairy) milk of your choosing will work.
Nutrition
🧊 storage instructions
Refrigerate. These applesauce fritters can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Optional tip: Use a little parchment paper between layers, if stacking.
Freeze. After the fritters have cooled completely, place in a single layer within your freezer (for example, on a baking sheet) and freeze completely before transferring to a freezer bag for storage up to 3 months.
Reheat. I suggest warming in the toaster oven for a few minutes between 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit (176-190 degrees Celsius) until completely warmed through. While I haven't used this method, an alternative option is reheating in a skillet. Keep in mind that reheating in a microwave might make the fritter a little mushy.
Note: The glaze will likely absorb into the fritter during storage (yum!). Add a little fresh glaze when you reheat them to achieve a similar look and texture to the fritters when they were freshly air fried.
💡 Pro Tip
If you're aquafaba struggles to whip, try adding a pinch of cornstarch. You can also shake the aquafaba in its container before whipping.
✅ acceptable substitutions and variations
Functional substitutions.
Flour. If you only have self-rising flour available, omit the baking powder. If you prefer gluten-free flour, a traditional substitution is 140g of your favorite gluten-free flour per one cup of all-purpose flour (article). Please note I have not tested either of these variations.
Milk. The recipe uses oat milk, but you can substitute with the milk of your choice. Keep in mind that an unsweetened/neutral-flavored milk is best.
Oil for coating the tops. This recipe is written to be oil free. Some recipes recommend brushing the tops of the air fried fritters with a little olive oil (or neutral oil) to give a richer appearance.
Flavor variations.
Coconut sugar. If you don't have coconut sugar available, you can substitute for equal amounts light brown sugar (preferably organic).
Mix-ins. Consider playing with some of the mix-ins - add some nutmeg or allspice in place of cinnamon, or toss in some vegan chocolate chips.
Glaze. Omit the ground cinnamon for a strictly-vanilla glaze. Or, use different spices to suit your preferences. You can opt for a cinnamon sugar coating, if you prefer!
🥰 tips for the best applesauce fritters
Avoid overmixing the dough, which can make the applesauce fritters more tough instead of tender.
Add a pinch of cornstarch to your aquafaba if you experience issues with it whipping. The aquafaba should whip in 2-3 minutes.
When adding the dough to the air fryer basket or baking sheet, manipulate the fritter so you don't have rogue apple bits. Feel free to press them in so you have more in the interior of each fritter.
Drizzle the glaze over the fritters a few minutes after they've been removed from the air fryer, but before completely cooled. I also suggest glazing them while they are still on the parchment paper and before transferring to the cooling rack.
♻️ sustainability profile
Prevent apple waste. This is a great way to use an apple that is on the verge of aging. Cut away any brown areas and use in your compost, along with the peels.
Coconut sugar as a sweetener. In 2014, coconut palm sugar won the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization award for the most sustainable sweetener in the world (learn more in this article). Why? Coconut trees can produce for 20 years, require less resources than cane sugar production, and avoid additives and over-processing.
Choose a pure vanilla extract that supports sustainability. When we have the option to support small businesses that highlight sustainability and fair trade practices, we should seize the moment. My recommendations:
❓frequently asked questions
What apples are best for apple (or applesauce) fritters?
As with many apple baking recipes, tart and sturdy Granny Smith apples are usually a good choice. However, with air fried fritters, the apple type is a little more forgiving. Select your favorite apple and enjoy!
What does baking soda do in fritters?
Baking soda is a leavening agent that interacts with your wet ingredients to create a texture that is light and crispy.
Should fritter batter be thick?
It may feel counterintuitive, but fritter batter should be thick and a little sticky. For those that oil fry their fritters, this also allows your fritters to maintain their form. When air frying, we still want a hearty exterior and tender interior and the "sturdy" batter will help achieve the texture and structure that's ideal for supporting the apple bits.
🍎 additional apple recipes you'll love
We're big fans of apple, and while we think this recipe is a great option for apple lovers everywhere, we think you're also going to love:
- Homemade Apple Pecan Butter
- Apple Cinnamon Skillet Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Mug Cake (microwave required)
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