Apple fritters can do wonders if you crave something sweet, but still want it to be a relatively healthy snack. Or, if you’re caffeine deprived…like me. Apple fritters are nothing new, and I’ll sometimes whip up a batch for breakfast, and eat them with a side of yogurt. I made the fritters with coconut sugar this time — both the in batter and for the caramelized crust. I bought a huge bag of coconut palm sugar last summer, and I still have enough left to last til the end of time. The brand in the link is the one I use, and I recommend it — and it doesn’t taste of coconut, btw, it’s made from the sap of the tree. I have no prep pictures because I made a giant mess of things.
The apple fritters are not deep fried — pour just enough olive oil to barely cover the bottom of your pan, that’s all you need. The apples inside will soften, and the batter and caramelized crust will be so yum. For best results, cut the slices about 1/3 of an inch thick at most — if cut too thick, and they won’t soften enough. I used organic Red Delicious apples for my recipe, although any sweet apple will do.
If you don’t have a 4lb bag of coconut sugar in your pantry, no worries. You can swap in white sugar, but use about 3/4 of what this recipe calls for. Coconut palm sugar is less sweet than white, but low on the glycemic index — it won’t cause a spike and crash in blood sugar. I use it because I love the flavor — it’s a bit like caramel, smoke and coffee…if you’ve never had it and enjoy trying new things, I say go for it and try.
No coffee drinking update: 10 days. I’m still on my get-better diet after stomach funk, which means I constantly fantasize about sipping a cappuccino /stuffing my face with tiramisu /chocolate cheesecake. The very smell of coffee could bring me to tears right now. And I technically wasn’t supposed to be having these:
I said that I made a huge mess — ya — I had an idea that I’d dip each batter-covered slice on a plate of sugar. You already see where this is going — plate of sugar gradually covered in batter, drippy, gluey batter EVERYWHERE. Here’s an idea, sprinkle some coconut palm sugar on top of fritters as they are browning in the pan.
Apple Fritters with Caramelized Coconut Sugar
Ingredients
batter:
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup plain white flour
- ¼ cup coconut palm sugar + more for sprinkling over while frying
- 1 egg
- pinch of salt
fritters:
- olive oil
- 6 medium sweet apples such as Red D
Instructions
- Whisk all batter ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Pour just enough olive oil into a pan to cover the bottom and warm up over medium heat. Dip each apple round in the batter, and place in the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan. When the whole batch is placed and frying on the pan, use a spoon to sprinkle more coconut palm sugar on top of each fritter (only one side). It will caramelize when flipped over.
- Serve garnished with powdered sugar.
