The perfect small-batch, healthier air fryer apple fritters!
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How are these apple fritters healthier than other apple fritter recipes?
Probably the most obvious way this recipe is healthier than other apple fritter recipes is because these fritters are made in an AIR FRYER!
The air fryer really does help give the fritters a crisp outside and a soft inside just like fritters fried in oil.
This recipe also calls for whole wheat pastry flour instead of using all-purpose flour. We can feel a bit less guilty with some whole wheat and whole grains instead of more processed flours.
If you’re curious to learn more about whole wheat pastry flour and what it is, here is a great blog post outlining a summary of whole wheat pastry flour!
What is whole wheat pastry flour?
If you are looking to incorporate more whole wheat pastry flour into your baking, check out my other recipes utilizing whole wheat pastry flour!
Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze and White Chocolate Drizzle
Baked Spice Donuts with Maple Glaze
Don’t have coconut sugar?
I opted for coconut sugar in this recipe because coconut sugar does have a few more nutrients than white sugar. If you don’t have coconut sugar on hand, feel free to use brown sugar!
Although the health benefits of coconut sugar compared to white sugar are quite small, this post by Healthline gives a great summary of what makes coconut sugar different from other forms of sugar!
How many apple fritters does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 4 FRITTERS!
I love baking, but sometimes dessert recipes just yield too much for me. I wanted to make a dessert recipe that’s perfect for satisfying my sweet tooth without having leftover desserts for DAYS.
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How to brown your butter for your air fryer apple fritters!
Browning your butter is actually really quite a simple process!
Start by melting your butter in a saucepan and continuously whisk the butter over medium heat. Whatever you do, keep whisking!!!
Bubbles will start to form and you just got to keep whisking that butter.
After a few minutes, you’ll start to notice the butter turn a light amber color and some brown specks will appear at the bottom of the pan. You’ll probably also notice a warm, nutty aroma too!
Brown butter can range in darkness of color. The longer you keep whisking over heat after you start you see brown specks, the darker the brown butter will become.
What kind of apples should I use?
For this recipe, I love using Honey Crisp apples because of their crunchiness and sweetness! Granny smith apples will also work beautifully if you want more of a tart apple flavor.
Feel free to experiment with different types of apples to see which ones you like best!
Small Batch Air Fryer Apple Fritters with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Ingredients
For the apple fritters:
- ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour (107 grams)
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tbsp whole milk yogurt
- ½ large apple, peeled and cubed (130 grams)
- canola oil spray
For the vanilla bean glaze:
- 2 tbsp brown butter (28 grams)
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2½ tbsp unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
For the apple fritters:
- Preheat your air fryer to 400° Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients (whole wheat pastry flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and cinnamon).
- Next, in the center of the bowl, add in your wet ingredients (egg, almond milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla bean paste, and yogurt). Using a silicone spatula, incorporate the wet ingredients completely into the dry ingredients until everything is well-combined.
- Gently add in your cubed apples and fold into the mixture with the spatula.
- Line the bottom of your air fryer with parchment paper and spray with canola oil to make sure the apple fritters won't stick. Carefully scoop ⅓ cup of the batter on the parchment paper. (If your air fryer is large enough, you may be able to fit 2 fritters in at a time.)
- Make sure each fritter has ample room and each fritter isn't touching the other ones in the air fryer.
- Air fry the fritters for about 5-6 minutes. Flip the fritters over and continue frying for another 5-6 minutes. When done, the fritters should be a lovely golden brown color. Gently take out the fritters with a spatula.
For the brown butter vanilla bean glaze:
- Brown your butter in a saucepan until brown specks appear, a nutty aroma is given off, and the hue is a nice, darker golden brown color. Set aside and wait for it to cool.
- Add the browned butter, vanilla bean paste, powdered sugar, and almond milk altogether in a bowl and whisk until the texture is very smooth.
- Pour the glaze over the apple fritters or you can dip the fritters into the bowl of glaze. You can wait for the glaze to stiffen and harden or eat immediately while they're still warm! Enjoy!
Tried this recipe? Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
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