Given the choice between being home and not being home… I’m the girl that always chooses home.
Brooklyn is amazing. ย San Francisco is delicious. ย Baltimore is bonkers. ย Home is my heart. ย Home is where I keep my jar of Sharpie markers, my clean white sheets with the familiar smell, and my giant mankitten.
Home is also where I keep my fry thermometer and bowl of apples.
Home will come soon… until then, I still have some new sights to put my eyes on. ย Until then… please enjoy these fried apple things I made.
Imagine what onion rings would taste like if they were made out of apples instead of onions… and then topped with sugar.
Totally easy to imagine, mostly because it’s done and done right here.
I never seem to have much luck with an apple corer. ย God made apple all wonky and crooked. ย The core never goes straight down. ย I use a small, 1-inch circular biscuit cutter to chop the core out of apples.
See there? ย I just popped the holes out!
The beginning of apple doughnuts!
This is a double battered creation. ย The first batter is a milky cinnamon sugar batter. ย This lays the base for the second batter… crispy panko bread crumbs.
The milk batter adds sugar, spice and flavor, the panko bread crumbs keep the doughnuts crispy. ย Also… anything double battered is inherently awesome.
They look just like onion rings, but they’re dessert!
Ps. ย I also consider onion rings to be dessert… but maybe that’s just me.
I love to sprinkle these fried apples with powdered sugar, and serve hot out of the fryer. ย The batter is spiced and crunchy, the apple inside is tender with just a hint of crunch. ย They’re cooked but still maintain a bit of crunch.
Crispy Apple Doughnuts
makes about 24 rings
For the Panko:
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Milky Batter:
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk (I used 2% milk)
1 large egg
4 Fuji or Granny Smith apples
oil for frying
In a medium bowl, whisk together panko crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. ย I like to use my fingers to crush the panko crumbs into a finer breadcrumb. ย Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. ย In a small bowl, whisk together milk and egg. ย Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and whisk until no lumps remain. ย Set aside to rest while you peel and slice the apples.
Peel the apples and slice into about 1/3-inch thick rings. ย Use a small biscuit cutter to cut out the core. ย You can also peel the apples and use a apple corer to core the apple before slicing it into rings.
Soak apple slices in milky batter mixture. ย Set the panko mixture next to the milky batter. ย Heat a heavy bottom sauce pan with 2-inches of oil to 350 degrees F, measuring heat with a candy/fry thermometer.
When oil has reached 350 degrees F, use ย pair of tongs to remove a few rings from the milky batter, and coat in panko crumbs. ย Once throughly coated in crumbs, use tongs to carefully place rings in hot oil. ย Fry about 4 rings at once. ย Fry until golden brown, flip over and fry until golden. ย Remove from oil, place on a paper towel and fry the rest of the apple rings. ย Bring the oil back up to 350 degrees before adding additional apple slices.
Keep the fried apples warm in a 200 degree oven while the others fry. ย Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and serve.
195 Responses
This looks so deliciously. You have an incredible idea doing this. love love <3
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Many people love doughnuts. But the “double Crispy Apple Doughnuts ” which you have
shown is really awesome .I Would like to try it as the Christmas season is coming.I’ll Surely include it in to my Christmas special menu.
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Wow, these look amazing. I love apples and doughnuts. I can’t wait to try these!
Wow, this is an interesting idea. You’re right they do look like onion rings. I bet my kids would love them.
Rosh
Great idea. Thank you. Love your blog
Wow!!! Really good recipes…
hi! panko bread crumbs is my favorite ingredients for deep fry. interesting concept. definitely I will try apple doughnut…
I love yous Apple Doughnuts! Nice pics! Thanks…
Wow these look amazing! Super novel too since I’ve never seen fried fruit rings. Gonna try these first thig I get back home.
I love it! It’s delicous.
I am making these. Your are divine! HugsP.S. I invite you to add this yumminess to my Thursday Favorite Things hop ( it’s still open for links to be added)
Your daughnuts looks amusing appreciate your photography skills well I will try this in this week end hop I can make it ok
Can you say Yum to the “Double Dipped Apple Doughnuts”? Ummmm (in the Homer Simpson voice) :)
This is indeed a refreshing recipe. My children will surely love this recipe. I will try this one for a change.
These look awesome! I’m completely craving them now having read your post. I’ll have to try them tonight!
These look amazing! We would love to invite this apple recipe and other other of your favorite apple recipes in this week’s Iron Chef Mom link up contest!
The Iron Chef Mom Team :)
https://www.cheeriosandlattes.com/iron-chef-mom-1-apples/
This is really an interesting concept. I will certainly give this a try. Thanks for sharing this.
Hi Joy,
Have you tried using a beer batter as an alternative?
You don’t taste the beer but it does give a “yeasty” quality to remind the eater of doughnuts.
Beer batter (plain flour, beer, cinnamon, vanilla sugar)
The batter should be thick (no milk or other liquids).
By the by…putting egg into a frying batter will make the batter go soggy eventually.
Once you’ve made the batter just dust your apple rings in flour then into the batter. I’ve also tried adding fresh thinly peel coconut the the batter.
Best Wishes
Kevin
Sharing these with my readers, pronto. Thank you!
mmmmm… yummy! I’ll try with pineapple too!
These look amazing! How creative! Have to try them, for sure!
Very good idea, looks good. I will try to do it at home.
Thanks
Oh my god that looks so appetizing! I recently discovered your blog and is so elegant and interesting! Unfortunately mine is in french only… But I really have to make it bilingual ^^ Have a good day :)
It is really an amazing recipe ever!
Nice recipe, It looks delicious. Thank you for sharing…
Wasn’t hungry until I saw these!!!
When I saw that you’ve been to Baltimore, I nearly died. I hope you enjoyed it and it was the good kind of bonkers. :) Also, these apple doughnuts look so yummy.
love this posssst
is it possible to do the same and bake them instead of frying?
thanks!
great question! i’m not sure how they turn out baked… that’s a different recipe.
do you have any idea what i should change in order to make these as baked apples?
Hi Joy, These look delicious! I would love to make them. I noticed that you put the finished apples on paper towel to let the oil seep out. I just wanted to let you know that I just took a culinary class and we were taught never to use paper towel… always use real cloth or brown paper. This is because apparently, eating hot oily food that has touched paper towel can be harmful to your health! Just wanted to pass along the information, so we can all indulge healthily!!
Ohhh Miette! I’m travelling to the lovely San Fran in a month, all the way from Australia (it’s not really THAT far) and am so so so excited for to visit Miette and Citizen Cake! And then Carlos’ Bakery in NYC….I may as well just label my trip as a bakery crawl….
We made these for dessert tonight, they were delicious! But..
The milky batter was not very milky. It actually seemed way too thick almost like pancake batter. Your photos make it look a lot more runny than that, so I doubled the amount of milk and it worked out quite well. 1 c flour to 3/4 c milk doesn’t come out very milky to me!
Was this a mistake on my part?
I want to do this to bananas.
DO IT!!!
Just made these! SO YUMMY!!!! Thank you so much for your blog, I truly adore it!
I’m a new reader and I LOVE this idea. I’m copying for Thanksgiving! Who says pumpkin pie, apple pie, and chocolate cake are enough desserts… bring on the apple donuts. Crispy warm apple slices sound soooooo good.
This is awesome. I love the cooked apple.
“Donuts” I might actually be able to make, and Thanksgiving is one week away. This is no less than a miracle –
These looks delicious!! My husband will love me forever. Well, he should anyway, but you get the idea.
oh I’m going to have to make these, they look wonderful!!!
The only problem with these is that I have to wait to make them! Well, that’s actually a problem about dorms, more than with these. These look and sound flawless. I’ll definitely be making them when I go home next week for Thanksgiving… apple rings, here I come! :D
I just discovered your site today. I regret to inform you that I’ll be sending you a bill for all the new pants I’m going to have to purchase after I make every single one your recipes. I seriously can’t even decide where I should start! Also, your posts make me laugh out loud on a very regular basis, which will conveniently help combat all the calories I’ll be consuming shortly. :)
This just made my day….omg…why is food so damn good!
The really great thing about this recipe is that you could have this all prepped before your dinner party and then fry these up as dessert and serve them hot. Good reason to have people over for a dinner party!
What a great autumn treat. Pass that cider jug please, I’m in!
Holy crap these look good.
I also love Brooklyn
Just crying out for some caramel sauce to dip them in. I can’t wait to try them.
You’re genius. How did you know all of those things are in my kitchen? Maybe I’ll make a peanut butter & caramel sauce to dip these beauties in.
beautiful!! and love the idea of making the donuts cripsy!!! :)
I love that you used the biscuit cutter instead of an apple corer! I was just making a recipe that required the use of an apple corer and I didn’t have one. I wasn’t sure what to do, but now I know, thanks!
Wooow, amazing!
Home is also where you have your chocolate drawer and let’s face it, a girl cannot live without that!
This is dangerous, I have all the ingredients on hand right now.
Oh. OH. If only I could accurately use words to tell you how close to heart your writing is to me.
Or, probably a little more plausible (and not so creepy), how close your FOOD is to my heart.
Would it be extreme to say that I copy and past and print every recipe you post?
It’s not extreme? Oh, I’m so glad you said that.
In that case: I copy and past and pring every recipe you post.
What is this magic? I think I have all the ingredients to do this right now. I think this might have to happen. I love you, Joy the Baker!! I love being home too.
I love donuts. Sometimes I eat them on the bed but my favorite place to eat them is on the toilet. I call it a “toitey snack”. YEY for a new toitey snack! Thanks Joy!
I LOVE panko bread crumbs. These are seriously making me drool!
Thats looks fantastic… and tastes like home!
I want these… right now… in my belly.
what is the font you use in the SF-Brooklyn-Baltimore photo?
i’m so mad you’ve been in brooklyn and didn’t set up shop in, like, doughnut plant so we could come and meet you!
i’m so happy that you posted about apple rings.
i’m torn. :)
Brooklyn IS amazing! I might be slightly biased, living there and all. Another thing that’s amazing….these glorious fried, sugary apple rings! YUM!
I just know these would be amazing on their own but irresistible drizzled with hot, buttery, melted caramel sauce all over them…or how about some melted peanut butter?!
I haven’t commented in a while because I’ve changed the way I eat (less baking … boo!) but these are totally inspired and, damn the diet, I’m going to make them!
Hey Kristen M., I’m in the same boat. I make delicious baked onion rings, though…maybe the same technique just baked instead of fried?
man you’re a culinary genius.
Holy yum! I need to make this soon and dip it into a luscious caramel sauce. Heavenly!
Sometimes I wonder how much better my life would be with more doughnuts in it.
What an awesome doughnut idea! Your recipes never cease to amaze me!
What a great idea, Joy! Amazing treat! I am a “homebody” too. My husband plays baseball, and for 6 months out the year we are away from our home. We move from place to place, renting homes and staying in hotels. It’s such a great feeling when we get to come home, sleep in our bed, sit on our couch, and cook/bake in our own kitchen (the kitchen is often the hardest part!). It’s nice to hear of another homebody :).
What kind of fryer do you use? These look amazing! Thanksgiving dessert paired with spiced cider?
whoops! I linked my name to the wrong URL above!
i use a pot with 2 inches of vegetable oil and a fry thermometer.
These look very yummy! Any suggestions for trying it gluten-free?
wow now thats a sweet stack of fun
Usually double dipping is frowned on, but these look pretty good.
YUM! I think I’ll try to make a vegan version of these for dessert sometime this week!
Your recipe evoked a powerful sense memory in me: my Dutch Aunt used to make a similar treat in the late sixties: Dutch Apple Fritters in a beer batter. I never saw her use an egg, so I believe they were vegan.
What an ephemeral treat, they must be eaten immediately, which of course isn’t a problem when something is that good!
Your addition of the Panko bread crumbs–well it would just add double the JOY to the whole battered apple thing.
It snowed here in the North Okanagan for the first time this season, definately apple fritter time.
Apelbeignets:
https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Dutch-Apple-Fritters-_apelbeignets_-Recipezaar
Oooohhhhh!! These sound scrummylicious!
Dear Joy-
I think I might love you. In a total I-think-you’re-awesome-and-want-to-taste-test-everything-you-make-and-we-should-meet-up-next-time-you’re-in-Baltimore-and-have-cookies type of way, obviously. That is all.
Love,
Sarah
deal!
These are totally the sweet sister to savory onion rings. I’d like to get proposed to with one of these to wear on my finger. Big deal and yum!
“Home, James, and don’t spare the horses. I gotta make some of these apple doughnuts, quick.” I love home. And apples. And doughnuts. Perfect!
Garlic bread is also a dessert.
true words!
My mouth was hanging open as I read through this entry. I want something fried and sweet now.
I love Home. It’s the best. Now I need to go putter in my kitchen (I’m too lazy to make these at the moment, so I’ll probably just get a spoonful of Nutella or something).
I think I just found the recipe to inaugurate our deep fat fryer.
A batch of these and some chocolate sauce, I’d be a very happy lady!
SUCH a genius idea! Apples are practically their own food group for me during the fall, love them!
Hey – Baltimore is NOT “bonkers”. I live here and it’s “Charm City” and crazy with good restaurants and good cooks, like me! Come for a visit – you’ll love it!
These donuts look seriously wonderful. Love your blog; love my city!
I have a sneaking suspicion from the way Joy talks in general that bonkers in this instance is awesome, crazy good. Just my opinion. :)
I usually do not crave donuts, but these look melt in your mouth crazy good:) Thanks for sharing and making us all drool!
These look amazing. Can I marry one?
I love traveling, but it definitely makes me miss home that much more. Especially when home involves fried apples and mankittens!
Hot damn, these look awesome! I would have never thought to fry an apple like an onion ring. What a fun idea! I think I’ll be trying my paws at this one very very soon. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m definitely like you and would prefer to stay home. After years of college and doing the whole party thang, I’m perfectly content now to stay at home with my husband and my apron and spend the evening cooking up a yummy meal and enjoying it with the one I love. Sounds lame and kinda gooey, but it’s true :)
Oh my…. apples in onion ring form. I love apples and I love onion rings. When you marry the two (apple goodness plus onion ring shape and method) I think you just may have inadvertently stumbled across the meaning of life.
oh yummm these sound so good!!! i’d be tempted to dip them in a caramel sauce :)
What an awesome idea! I love apple anything and everything.
What? How? Apple RINGS?!! This is WONDERFULNESS!!
I am seriously impressed!
I am a homebody as well. Where else can you throw your hair in a clip and lounge around wearing PJ’s with fuzzy socks, lounging on the couch, with candles lit, drinking hot boozed coffee, watching crazy tv or movies. This is the definition of home love. For me, at least.
Yes, please. To all of the above. And doughnuts.
Love this idea! Love.
Yum! My husband is already insisting I get these made :-)
I choose home too. But home often is where people that I care about are. So home is not outside, maybe, but somewhere inside us.
I hope you had a chance to check out Woodberry Kitchen when in Baltimore. It’s definitely one of my favorites in town. “Bonkers” is very polite – I have lived here for 27 years and I’m not so sure I’d be as diplomatic :)
The apples look like something that dreams are made of.
Oh dear… how wonderful!!!
Holy amazingness. Last night I made the baked cinnamon apples and totally ate dessert before dinner. Now I am going to have to make time to make and eat these, too. Thank you, Joy!
Oh my goodness! This is on the must try list. Who would have thought of apples as onion rings, but what a perfect idea!
Are the sharpies, sheets, and kitten all connected?! No wonder you miss home. Have a fun trip, thanks for having delicious things for us to eat with our eyes while you’re gone!
seriously, this dessert looks life-changing. fried apples that look like doughnuts but aren’t quite doughnuts? LOVE IT.
We have something similar in Holland.They’re pretty popular around New Year’s Eve. It’s like apple fritters with a hole and apple beignets.
Ooh. Those look really good. But yeah, they do look like onion rings, and it’s throwing me off. Also, is that a macaron I see in your picture?
For me, Baltimore is home :)
Hope you enjoyed your stay! These look amazing delicious. Wonder how they would taste with some caramel drizzled over them!!
I want to dip these in caramel and eat a whole plate of them!!
I was JUST typing that. These would be so good with caramel!
If there was ever a post to start off my Monday morning at work, this was it. I just spent my weekend apple picking with one of my closest friends and our children. Those beautiful and totally dreamy looking donuts will be in my hands by the end of today. All the better for completing my Jane Austen reading. Thanks Joy!!!
Iโm the girl that always chooses home too…
Joy, I love your blog :) And you have ties in Baltimore?? Born and raised there, although I have lived in Massachusetts for the last year or so. It’s a great place and close to my heart…
frying is one of those things that i’m scared of doing every time…and then when i do i wonder what took me so long! these look incredible…super crunchy and flavorful!
How clever! Panko apple rings :D
Normally I’m one for cakey donuts, but I have to admit that the crunchy outside of these is making me swoon! Bookmarking! :)
…*swoons*sigh*thud!* ;o)
…You had me at “double dipped”! Yeah, I’m that easy. *sigh*
…And how cute are those lil’ apple core circles, huh? They look like mini circular works of art, no?
…And this recipe Joy? *speechless* Seriously, there are no words.
…[singing the words] “Making these.” ;o)
…Thank you my dear!
…Blessings :o)
These sound so freaking yummy! Love this recipe!
Wow. I love this. The kids will love this. I always feel guilty about donuts, but this? Well, I’ll still feel guilty, but minus like, 50%… :) awesome idea!
These look delicious, but the apple rings don’t fall apart when you fry them do they? Or do the insides stay sort of crisp?
Ok, just genius. I may even have to add a side of caramel sauce of dunking just to put them even more over the top!
What a fabulous idea!
Definitely healthier than the regular, high carb, full-floured doughnut!
My grandma used to dip the apple rings in a crepe batter and fry them on a pan. Then powdered sugar on top. Delish too.
I remain quite terrified of frying things but I really need to get my head round it. These look so amazing!
ah, this is too cute! i am glad you are back home, safe and sound with the mankit.
Wow, these look totally delicious. Apple season is my favorite time of year. Always reminds me of my childhood. Oh, and another reason why I need a deep fryer!
These look get outta town good, which is appropriate since you are, in fact, out of town. I hope you’ve had a throw down at Donut Plant in New York and sampled some of B’more’s pit beef – so good! I really like Baltimore in the fall, part of it look very Dickensian. Safe travels!
Just wondering if these keep or do you need to eat them all at once? Making these tonight!!!
these are best enjoyed right away.
These look amazingly delicious! Panko breadcrumbs make everything look and taste better. ^_^
These look so delicious! I have never tried making doughnuts before so will have to give these a try!
Oh my goodness, I SO want to make these!!
I think they’ll be the perfect treat when my college sophomore comes home for Thanksgiving. She’ll be so happy!
Thank you, Joy!
Wow! I’d never thought it can be apples. Yummy :)
These look mouthwatering!
what a genius idea! i absolutely need these in my life. good thing you can buy gluten-free panko bread crumbs these day – i’d probably cry if not.
I wonder what would happen if I sucked the fun out of it and made a baked version?
Or not. Either way, I want them. Like, now.
hm…. baked version! interesting!
I really dig the double-coating. It looks like it could be dangerously addictive.
Wow, those look good! I’ll have to make them for my husband. I am unfortunately allergic to apples, so I live vicariously through him. :)
Oh, I hear ya. I lived in Baltimore for a year straight out of college. That place is, indeed, bonkers.
These donuts on the other hand? Bonkers – but in a delicious way! :)
These look soo good and may make me break down and fry something. Not b/c I have any big objection to it other than having grease burns and grease slapper all over my hands. lol
I think these may be worth the risk!
These look like the kind of delicious that makes me want to forget my diet and spend the rest of my life eating these fried apple things. What an incredible looking recipe!
These look so dang good! What an awesome recipe – Thanks, Joy!
I love the feeling of coming home after being away for a long time. There’s nothing like that sensation of comfort mixed with nostalgia and happiness. These sound so good, I would cover them in peanut butter
WOW that looks delicious!! *bookmark*
The cookie butter !!:D i love u and you need to knoe that ok?
Wow, these look amazing and so unique. My kids will love these. I am with right there with you, there is no place like San Francisco. It’s home!
Oh yummmm! …..It’s like an apple ring of deliciousness— onion ring minus the yucky breath! :)
exactly! you understand me.
1. These look beyond delicious.
2. I totally agree. Maybe they should say “home is where the fry thermometer is”.
3. For me, San Francisco is just that place, and I couldn’t help but notice that you stopped by one of my favorites: Miette.
If I could move into this little shop, I totally would. And then my “home” would be filled with delicious gingersnaps, beautiful cupcakes, and salted caramels.
https://ayearinthanks.blogspot.com/2011/09/day-253-september-9-2011.html
home is TOTALLY where the fry thermometer is!
yes!
this is genius. Now I just have to think of a bunch of dips for them, like onion rings :)
Like Peanut butter, caramel and chocolate sauce!
hmmmnn.. let me try this instead of Apple Fritters….
“God made apple all wonky and crooked. The core never goes straight down.”
I KNOW, RIGHT?!
Also, these look amazing. And I’m all about some home as well. I can’t tell you (but you probably know) what a relief it was to see my own bed on Monday, even though San Francisco was fantastic.
i hear you!
These apple doughnuts are so clever! They look absolutely delicious! I’m with you on choosing home. I like home best. Safe travels!
UM, hullo? YUMALICOIUS!
Ohmygosh!!!! Crsipety Crunchy apple things are completely unbeatable! I have never used my fry thermometer (gasp) mainly because I think if I master it I may start frying everything within reach…THIS may force me to cross that threshold…..:)
I definitely share that same fear. Frying something healthy like an apple is one thing, but we all know it won’t stop there, especially since Joy’s already brought up onions. Makes me think what other veggies and fruits would taste just as delicious battered and fried. YUM!
Oh…JOY!!!! Thanks :) I have actually dreamed about this post…really I have. The total dork in me right now is listening to your pod cast and reading your blog…too much? I know way too much. But just had a little baby and this is my time while she is asleep. Thank you!!! Whole Foods cashiers can be crazy…no cat, but just saying.
yes! apples coated in delicious breading and fried. Thank you.
Baltimore seems random ? no?
I always choose home. It’s where the cats are.
Baltimore isn’t random to those of us on this side of the country! Glad to be included :-D
Love love love this idea. I’m thinking to make them with my family, day after Thanksgiving….
This is such a fantastic idea! I don’t know why these don’t exist everywhere. Also, totally agree with your sentiments about home. I love visiting new places, but there is nothing quite like snuggling up in my comfy bed at the end of a long day.
What? Apples as onion rings? You make the world a better place Joy! Traveling is always a good way to get perspective on the comforts of home. Have fun!