Keto Apple Fritters
Equipment
- Heavy pan or cast iron skillet
- Candy or deep-fry thermometer
- Slotted spoon
- Wire cooling rack
- Two mixing bowls
- Whisk
Ingredients
For the Fritters
- 1/2 cup coconut flour 56 g - sift if lumpy
- 1/4 cup granulated sweetener 48 g - erythritol or monk fruit blend
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp vanilla protein powder 14 g, sugar free - gives lift
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum binds the apple in
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk 160 ml
- 1 tbsp butter melted (14 g)
- 1/2 cup apple finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces (60 g), about half a small apple
- avocado oil for frying, about 1 inch deep
For the Vanilla Cream Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sweetener 60 g - must be powdered, not granulated
- 2 tbsp heavy cream add more for a thinner drizzle
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Dice the apple small: Cut into pieces about 1/4 inch across, no bigger. Large chunks split the fritter open in the oil. A firm tart apple such as Granny Smith works best.
- Mix dry: Whisk the coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, protein powder, xanthan gum, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together, breaking up any lumps.
- Add wet: Whisk the eggs, almond milk and melted butter in a second bowl. Pour into the dry and stir until combined, then fold in the apple.
- Rest 2 minutes: Coconut flour absorbs slowly. The batter looks too wet at first and thickens to scoopable within two minutes. Do not add more flour during this time.
- Heat the oil: Bring about 1 inch of avocado oil to 350°F in a heavy pan. Use a thermometer. Too hot and the fritters break apart on contact; too cool and they turn greasy.
- Form and fry: Shape into 12 balls, packing each tightly between your palms. Fry 3-4 at a time for 1-2 minutes per side until deep golden. Do not turn them early.
- Drain: Lift onto paper towels, then move to a wire rack so the undersides do not steam soft.
- Glaze: Whisk the powdered sweetener, cream and vanilla until smooth. Let the fritters cool 5 minutes, then drizzle. Glaze applied to piping hot fritters slides straight off.
Notes
Real apple, on purpose. Half a cup of diced apple across 12 fritters is about 0.6g net carbs per fritter. There is no need for zucchini and apple extract.
Pack the balls tightly. Loose fritters fall apart the moment they hit the oil, and the apple pieces are what pull them apart.
Do not skip the 2-minute rest. If you add extra coconut flour to fix a wet-looking batter, the fritters come out dry.
Oil temperature is the main variable. If they disintegrate on contact, the oil is too hot - pull the pan off the heat for a minute.
Powdered sweetener for the glaze, always. Granulated will not dissolve and the drizzle turns gritty.
Cinnamon sugar version: brush the hot fritters with melted butter and roll in granulated sweetener mixed with cinnamon instead of glazing.
Air fryer: 375°F for about 10 minutes, sprayed well with oil, turning halfway. Closer to a baked muffin top than a fried fritter.
Storage: 1 day in a paper bag at room temperature, 3 days refrigerated, 1 month frozen unglazed. Reheat in a dry skillet 2 minutes per side.