Traditional dutch apple fritters are perfect for an afternoon snack or a way to end dinner on a refreshing but sweet note.
By Susan Knapp
I’ve made it my mission over the last couple of years to give Dutch staples a go as my family Dutch traditions have fallen by the wayside. I’ve made oliebollen and it was time to try out the appelflappen (or ‘apple flappies’ as we used to call them). And, I have to say, they didn’t disappoint. Delicious slices of apple rested in cinnamon sugar, encased in a crisp tempura style batter and doused in a snowy layer of icing sugar. Just as good as I remember… 
I went to the best source of Dutch recipes – The Dutch Table – for this recipe. I kept to it for the most part, though I did substitute spelt flour for the standard wheat flour (if you want to use spelt flour, use a little less milk as spelt absorbs more liquid than standard flour). The type of apple you use is fairly important – they need to be a little on the tart side given they’re being paired with sugar. I chose good old Granny Smith apples, though they’re not recommended in the original recipe due to them being too tart and juicy. Personally, I love that cheek-puckering tartness, and they cooked perfectly well, but I suggest you go with whichever type of apple you prefer. Enjoy… or should I say, smakelijk eten!
Print
Dutch Apple Fritters
- Yield: 4 -5 people 1x
Description
Traditional dutch apple fritters, perfect for an afternoon snack or a way to end dinner on a refreshing but sweet note.
Ingredients
- 4 apples (I used ‘granny smiths’)
- 1 lemon (halved)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup of standard flour (I used spelt flour)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar, to sprinkle)
Instructions
For the apple fritters:
- Peel the whole apples. Grab a small knife and, working with one apple at a time, slice off each end to create straight edges. Now, working from one end, slice the apple horizontally in quarter inch rounds. Take each slice and cut out the core to create a ‘hole’. Take a lemon half and rub it over each slice – this ensures it won’t brown – and put the apple slices into a bowl. Repeat with the remaining apples.
- Mix together the sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle over the apples and toss together. Leave for about 15-20 minutes, during which time you can make the batter.
For the batter:
- In a bowl, add the flour, milk, egg, baking powder and salt and whisk until smooth. The batter is meant to be quite runny (for a tempura style batter), however you can adjust the texture by adding more flour (to make it thicker) or more milk (to make it thinner).
To cook:
- Heat up the oil in your deep fryer. Once at full heat, take some metal tongs, pick up an apple slice, dunk it into the batter ensuring it is fully covered, and drop carefully into the oil (continue to add as many apple slices as your deep fryer has room for without crowding). When the fritter is golden brown, flip it over to cook the other side. When done, lift the fritter out of the oil shaking off the excess oil, then place on a large plate covered in absorbent kitchen paper (this step is important – if you don’t drain the excess oil the fritters will be limp). Repeat with remaining fritters.
- Transfer the fritters to a serving plate, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.
Notes
The Dutch Apple Fritters can be served either warm or at room temperature. If you wish to serve them warm, you may want to cook them in batches and serve as you go. Or, keep them in a warmer drawer while you do the rest.
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: Dutch
I’d like a copy of your Dutch apple fritters recipe but there is no standard e-mail link, only Windows mail. How may I obtain a copy of this recipe as well as receive your recipes via e-mail? Thanks.
Hi there, you can signup for you email on the front page under “Newsletter”. To save this recipe you may click “Print” under the image in the recipe box and then save the file instead of printing. Happy fritters!
do you have a video?