Crispy, fluffy, and sweet Apple Pear Fritters with a honey glaze — an easy recipe that comes together in about 30 minutes. Warm spices and juicy apple and pear pieces are finished with a cinnamon-honey glaze for a perfectly comforting treat.
Your new favorite recipe 🙂
These apple pear fritters are loaded with apple and pear chunks and cozy spices — cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg — yet they’re surprisingly simple to make. They have a homemade, rustic look, but they’re impressive enough to serve to guests. They’re one of those easy recipes to keep on hand when you want something that tastes like a treat with minimal fuss.
Key ingredients
- Fuji or Honeycrisp apples: Fuji are very sweet and easy to find; Honeycrisp works well too. Both hold up and add nice texture.
- Bartlett pears: Choose firmer pears so the fritters aren’t too watery — Bartletts are juicy and flavorful.
- Buttermilk: Keeps the fritters tender and helps create a light interior.
- Vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg: The warm spices and brown sugar give the fritters a classic autumnal flavor.
- Eggs, butter, flour: Provide structure and richness so the batter fries up golden and tender.
Are apple fritters donuts?
Not exactly. They’re similar in that both are sweet fried dough, but donuts are typically round and often yeast- or cake-based. Fritters are batter-based cakes with fruit folded into them and are usually deep- or pan-fried. These apple pear fritters fall squarely into the fritter category: fruit-laden batter fried until golden and finished with a glaze.
Tips for making apple pear fritters
- Use a candy thermometer if you have one to keep oil near 350–360°F. Consistent oil temperature yields evenly cooked fritters.
- Chop the fruit into small cubes; they don’t need to be perfectly uniform. Mixed sizes give a rustic, homemade look.
- An ice cream scoop is handy for portioning batter so the fritters are similar in size and cook evenly.
Did you know?
California is a major producer of apples and pears in the United States, growing large quantities of both fruits. This recipe works with fresh apples and pears in season (July–September) or with canned pears when fresh fruit isn’t available. If you use canned pears, be sure to drain them well so excess syrup doesn’t thin your batter.
More recipes you’ll love
- Apple Pie Filling
- Greek Yogurt Pear Coffee Cake
- Cast Iron Peach Cobbler
- Cranberry Apple Pear Sangria
- Spiced Pear and Almond Cake
- Apple Walnut Crostata
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This recipe was created in partnership with California Grown. The author received compensation for this work and shares genuine opinions about the products used.
Apple Pear Fritters with Honey Glaze
Ingredients
Apple Pear Fritters
- 2 Fuji apples
- 2 Bartlett pears
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 lemon, zest
- 4 tbsp salted butter, melted
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- Neutral oil for frying (canola or grapeseed)
Honey Glaze
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Chop apples and pears into small cubes and set aside. If using canned pears, drain well.
- In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, brown sugar, lemon zest, and melted butter until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, then fold in the chopped apples and pears until evenly distributed.
- In a skillet, heat about 2 inches of neutral oil over medium-low to medium heat. If using a thermometer, aim for 350–360°F. Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to portion batter and carefully drop 2 heaping tablespoons into the oil. Fry until golden brown on each side, about 3–4 minutes per side.
- Remove fritters to a cooling rack or paper towel to drain excess oil.
- Make the honey glaze: in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine honey, melted butter, powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth and warmed through, about 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Brush the warm fritters with the honey glaze and serve immediately.
Notes
- If using canned pears, use three 15 oz cans of sliced pears and drain them thoroughly before using.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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