Air Fryer Buttermilk Apple Fritters Recipe

Alexander Roberts

November 19, 2023 at 5:45 PM·6 min read

air fried apple fritters - Alexander Roberts/Tasting Table

It's fall, y'all, the beloved season of warm spices, crisp air, The Great Pumpkin, and crunchy leaves on the pavement. When autumn rolls around, berries and melons take a backseat, and apples, pears, and pumpkins can have their deserved time in the spotlight. We've got the perfect treat to pair with your pumpkin spice latte this year: air-fried apple fritters. This is the ideal recipe to use up a surplus of hand-picked apples from your local orchard. The warm spicy apples and moist comforting crumb are topped with a creamy, tangy buttermilk glaze, to achieve a perfect balance of fall flavors.

Unlike traditionally fried fritters, these don't call for a huge amount of oil or require the sometimes dangerous and messy task of deep frying. After you mix up a quick batter with fresh apples, the air fryer will do the rest of the work for you, in half the time it would take to deep fry a batch. These simple yet tasty fritters are an excellent choice for bringing to potlucks or holiday dinners, or just to enjoy for a cozy night at home.

Gather The Ingredients For Air Fryer Apple Fritters

ingredients for apple fritters - Alexander Roberts/Tasting Table

Let's gather the ingredients together to make a batch of air-fried apple fritters. Of course, you'll need apples -- two Granny Smith apples are ideal here, but any other variety will also work fine. A cup of buttermilk will keep these fritters moist, give them a doughnut-like flavor, and also counter some of the sweetness from the sugar since it's tangier than regular milk. Brown sugar will also help attain the perfect moisture and sweetness levels. Besides that, you'll need vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda for the fritter batter. Once the fritters have been air-fried, use a simple mix of buttermilk and powdered sugar to glaze them.

Step 1: Combine The Dry Ingredients For The Fritter Batter

dry ingredients bowl whisk - Alexander Roberts/Tasting Table

Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, and salt to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.

Step 2: Combine The Wet Ingredients For The Fritter Batter

buttermilk egg vanilla bowl - Alexander Roberts/Tasting Table

Combine the egg, 1 cup buttermilk, and vanilla.

Step 3: Peel And Cube The Apples

cutting apples into cubes - Alexander Roberts/Tasting Table

Peel the apples and cut them into ¼-inch cubes.

Step 4: Combine Wet And Dry Ingredients

mixing wet and dry ingredients - Alexander Roberts/Tasting Table

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

Step 5: Add The Apples To The Fritter Batter

apples in cake batter - Alexander Roberts/Tasting Table

Add the cubed apples and fold them into the batter with a spatula.

Step 6: Prepare The Air Fryer Tray

air fryer tray parchment - Alexander Roberts/Tasting Table

Line the air fryer tray with parchment. Spray with cooking spray.

Step 7: Add The Apple Fritter Batter To The Tray

apple fritter batter on air fryer tray - Alexander Roberts/Tasting Table

Dollop ¼ cup of batter onto the lined tray. Repeat, leaving a ½-inch of space between each.

Step 8: Air Fry The Apple Fritters

baked air fried fritters on tray - Alexander Roberts/Tasting Table

Air fry 7-9 minutes at 400 F. Prepare more batches as needed.

Step 9: Make The Glaze

powdered sugar glaze in bowl - Alexander Roberts/Tasting Table

While fritters are cooking, whisk together powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons buttermilk in a small bowl until smooth.

Step 10: Drizzle The Glaze Over Baked Fritters With A Spoon. Serve Warm.

glazed air fryer apple fritters - Alexander Roberts/Tasting Table

Drizzle the glaze over baked fritters with a spoon. Serve warm.

What Should I Serve With Air Fried Apple Fritters?

Now that you've made your air fryer apple fritters, you might be wondering what to enjoy them with. They're perfect for dessert after a comforting meal, so of course you can enjoy them on their own, but adding a dollop of cool whipped cream or vanilla ice cream would take them up a notch. For a holiday gathering, apple fritters make an excellent addition to a dessert table. Whip up some other small baked goods, like pumpkin spice cupcakes or 5 ingredient pumpkin cookies, and serve them together on a large platter so guests can have options.

You could just go for a tall glass of cold milk -- oat, almond, soy, or dairy -- but some special fall-themed beverages will make for a full festive experience. For extra warmth and comfort try making a hot beverage -- hot chocolate, hazelnut coffee, or spicy chai are all great options. A big batch of mulled apple cider would be perfect with these, especially if you're serving them at a holiday party. Our slow-cooked version can be prepared ahead of time and be left simmering while the fritters bake. If you're feeling boozy, an autumnal cocktail would go nicely with these fritters.

Can I Make Vegan Or Gluten Free Apple Fritters?

air fryer apple fritters on tray - Alexander Roberts/Tasting Table

Some baked goods can be hard to adapt to specific dietary restrictions or allergies, but these apple fritters are fairly flexible thanks to the short ingredient list. If you want to make them vegan, you'll have to omit the buttermilk and eggs: luckily, that's a fairly easy swap.

To make a vegan buttermilk substitute, try adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of soy, almond, or oat milk. Adding acid to the dairy-free milk will make it closer to the tangy and slightly acidic flavors and properties of buttermilk. As far as the egg in the recipe, try using a flax egg or a vegan egg powder product according to the instructions on the package. To make these gluten-free, all you have to do is swap out the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free flour, in a cup-for-cup substitute. The recipe will work just the same.