Check out these vegan fried apples!
If you are looking for an easy dairy free or vegan dessert to satisfy your sweet cravings, this is the recipe for you. Inspired by Dutch cuisine, this recipe requires less than 10 ingredients to prep
About this recipe
Beignets are traditionally deep fried pastry made from dough including yeast dough. They are a popular dessert in France and in the United states. Beignets are said to have originated from Rome.
Apple Beignets are inspired by Dutch cuisine and are a variation on the traditional beignets. Normally, apple beignets are made in two ways, by dipping the apple in batter or by stuffing a puff pastry with apple slices. In both versions, the apple beignets are deep fried.
Apple beignets normally contain dairy products like butter, egg yolks and egg whites but this recipe focuses on making a vegan friendly version. This recipe is suitable for vegetarians and dairy free diets as well. It’s a great one if you’re looking for some good apple snacks.
Ingredients
- Apples: Use fresh apples for this recipe. In terms of which apple is best, Gala apples work perfectly with this recipe
- Flour: Use plain/all purpose flour
- Baking powder: This gives a rise to the batter.
- Salt: To taste
- Carbonated water: Any brand of carbonated water will work for this recipe. Carbonated water gives the beignets a lighter texture.
- Sugar: Use regular granulated sugar for this recipe
- Cinnamon: To taste
- Oil: For Frying. You can use canola oil or any neutral flavor oil for frying.
How to make Vegan Fried Apples
To make the apple beignets, make the batter by mixing the flour, baking powder, carbonated water and salt in a bowl. The batter should have a thick consistency, not a runny one.
Next, peel and core the apples. Slice them in the thickness you desire.
Heat the oil in a pan to about 350 degrees F.
Once the apples are prepared, dip the apples into the batter, shaking off the excess batter from the apples.
Fry the apples in the heated oil for about 3-5 minutes. The apples should be golden brown.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Coat the freshly fried beignets in the sugar mixture.
Serve warm
Tips for success
- The apples for this recipe should be fresh and firm. Since the apples are going to be fried, you would want the apples to hold their shape. So the best apples would be apples that are naturally firm.
- While this has not been tested, you can experiment using gluten free flour in place of plain flour to create a gluten free version of this recipe. Let us know in the comments if you used gluten free flour for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet apples (I used Gala apples)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup carbonated water
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Frying oil (I used canola oil, but you can also use vegetable or sunflower oil)
Directions
- Make the batter by mixing the flour, baking powder, salt, and carbonated water. It should have a thicker consistency. If it is too runny, add a little bit of flour. Mix until smooth.
- Peel and core the apples, then slice them as thick as you like.
- Heat up the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Heat up the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Dip your apple slices through the batter and let the excess fall off the apple slice.
- Once your oil has reached 350 degrees, you fry each apple slice until golden brown. Circa 3-5 minutes.
- Make your cinnamon sugar by mixing the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Dip the fried apple beignets in the cinnamon sugar and serve warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use gluten free flour for this recipe?
While this has not been tested, we believe you can experiment with gluten free flour blend. A good brand to use is Bob Red Mills 1 for 1 gluten free which is meant to act as a direct gluten free substitute for all purpose flour. Be mindful though that the final result may not be the same as if you use all purpose flour that contains gluten.
If you have wholewheat flour, you can also try using it in place of regular flour. The results would be almost the same as if you use normal flour.
Do I need to use carbonated water for this recipe?
If you want a lighter and fluffier beignet, then you need to use carbonated water. When carbonated water is added to batter, it creates air pockets that expand under heat, making the final product lighter. In some areas, carbonated water is sold as sparkling mineral water, sparkling water or mineral water.
If you can’t get a hold of carbonated water, you can leave it out of the recipe although this has not been tested by us.
What can I use in place of gala apples?
Gala apples are recommended for this recipe because they are naturally sweet and great apples for cooking. They are also great apples for cooking as well and as such work with this recipe that requires frying.
If you cannot find gala apples, Braeburn apples are a good substitute. They are very similar to gala apples and their texture is firm and crisp. In terms of taste, they are a perfect combination of sweet and tart, making them perfect for a dessert like this.
Another apple you can use for this recipe is the Granny Smith apple which is another well known cooking apple. It is important to note though that granny smith apples are quite tart in terms of taste so if you are using them the final result may not be as sweet as if you use gala apples.
What can I serve with vegan apple beignets?
Vegan apple beignets tend to be served on their own as a dessert. However, if you would like to serve something else along with the beignets, try serving with vegan ice cream for a full vegan dessert or if you are fine with dairy, you can serve with regular vanilla ice cream.
Can I use a deep fryer for this recipe?
Yes! It would probably be much easier to use a deep fryer. All you need to do is set the temperature of the oil in the deep fryer to 350 degree F and make the beignets as you would normally do.
Vegan Apple Beignets
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet apples (I used Gala apples)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup carbonated water
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Frying oil (I used canola oil, but you can also use vegetable or sunflower oil)
Instructions
- Make the batter by mixing the flour, baking powder, salt, and carbonated water. It should have a thicker consistency. If it is too runny, add a little bit of flour. Mix until smooth.
- Peel and core the apples, then slice them as thick as you like.
- Heat up the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Dip your apple slices through the batter and let the excess fall off the apple slice.
- Once your oil has reached 350 degrees, you fry each apple slice until golden brown. Circa 3-5 minutes.
- Make your cinnamon sugar by mixing the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Dip the fried apple beignets in the cinnamon sugar and serve warm.