These gluten free cinnamon apple fritters are one of my favorite treats to make when apple season comes around. They are crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and loaded with little bites of tart apple in every piece.

The batter comes together really quickly with just a few basic ingredients. You don’t need any fancy equipment either – just a pot for frying and a bowl for mixing.

Once they are fried up golden brown, you dip them in a simple vanilla glaze that makes them absolutely irresistible. They taste just like something you would get from a bakery, but without any gluten.

If you have been missing out on classic fritters because of a gluten free diet, this recipe is going to make you very happy. They are that good.

Let me walk you through how to make them step by step.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Tastes Like Fall in Every Bite – The combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, and tart Granny Smith apples makes these fritters taste like your favorite autumn dessert. They are warm, cozy, and completely irresistible.

Crispy Outside, Soft Inside – Frying these at 350F gives them a deep golden crust while the inside stays fluffy and packed with juicy apple pieces. That contrast in texture is what makes a great fritter.

Simple Ingredients You Probably Already Have – There is nothing fancy or hard to find on this ingredient list. Flour, sugar, eggs, milk, apples, and a few spices are all you need to make a seriously impressive treat.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Salt
1 large Egg
1/3 cup Whole Milk
2 medium Granny Smith Apples, peeled and diced small
Vegetable Oil for frying

For the Glaze

1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
3 tbsp Whole Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

How to Make

Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk together gluten free flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add egg and milk and stir until a thick batter forms. Fold in diced apples until evenly distributed.

Step 2

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven to 350F, filling about 3 inches deep. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Step 3

Using a large spoon, carefully drop about 2 tablespoons of batter per fritter into the hot oil, working in batches of 3 to 4 to avoid crowding. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden brown and cooked through.

Step 4

Remove fritters with a slotted spoon and place on the paper towel-lined sheet to drain.

Step 5

Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until a smooth glaze forms. Dip the top of each warm fritter into the glaze or drizzle it generously over them. Let the glaze set for 5 minutes before serving.

Helpful Tips

Use a Thermometer for the Oil

Keeping your oil at 350F is the single most important thing with this recipe. If the oil is too hot, the outside burns before the inside cooks through. If it’s too cool, the fritters soak up oil and turn greasy instead of crispy.

A clip-on deep fry thermometer is the easiest way to monitor it. Just attach it to the side of your pot and keep an eye on it between batches.

The temperature will drop every time you add a new batch of batter, so give it a minute to climb back up to 350F before dropping in more fritters.

Dice the Apples Really Small

Cut your Granny Smith apples into pieces no bigger than about 1/4 inch. If the chunks are too large, they won’t cook through in the short frying time and you’ll end up with crunchy, hard apple bits inside your fritters.

Small pieces also distribute more evenly through the batter, so every bite has apple in it instead of some bites being all dough and others being all apple.

Granny Smith apples are the best choice here because they hold their shape and have that tart flavor that balances out all the sweetness from the sugar and glaze. Don’t swap them for a softer apple like Fuji or McIntosh, because those tend to turn mushy when fried.

Make Sure Your Gluten Free Flour Has Xanthan Gum

Not all gluten free 1-to-1 baking flours are the same. Check the ingredient list and make sure yours includes xanthan gum. That’s what helps the batter hold together the way regular flour would.

If your flour blend doesn’t have it, the fritters can fall apart in the oil and you’ll end up with a mess instead of nice round fritters. Brands like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 already include it, so just double check your bag before you start.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of gluten free flour works best for these apple fritters?

This recipe works best with a gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour blend, like the ones from Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur. These blends are designed to replace regular all-purpose flour directly, so you get the right texture without having to mix multiple flours yourself.

If your blend doesn’t already contain xanthan gum, you may want to add about 1/2 teaspoon to help bind the batter and keep the fritters from falling apart in the oil.