Apple Beignets (Appelflappen)

Name: Apple Beignets (Appelflappen)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Dutch
Ingredients: 3 apples; 100g self-raising flour; 1 egg; 70 ml milk; oil for frying, vegetable, sunflower or light olive oil; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 3 tbsp caster sugar

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Crispy, buttery, delicious apple beignets. Traditional Dutch apple beignets as made from proven dough which is then deep fried. But these are my cheats version of appelflappen. So instead, they are simple little treats, made from sliced cored apples, dipped in a simple batter, fried in butter then dredged in cinnamon sugar. And we all know that apple and cinnamon is one of the best flavour combinations out there.

Why you'll love these Apple Beignets (appelflappen)

It's one of those simple desserts that is so delicious from just a few minimal ingredients.
They are as good in summer as in winter, with the fresh apples leaning into the summer vibes and the cinnamon giving more autumnal vibes.
They are also an easy dessert for small hands to get involved, with the batter dipping and with the cinnamon sugar dredging!

You will need the following ingredients:

This version of appelflappen are so simple to make and don’t require many ingredients at all.
Apples - the key ingredient in appelflappen (use your favourite apples here, but not cooking apples. Since these apples don’t cook for long enough in the pan, you want an eating apple so that it remains nice and sweet)
Flour - self-raising flour puffs up the batter to make these light and airy
Milk
Egg
Sugar - caster sugar is ideal but you could use granulated in a pinch – it just will be a little chunkier on the outside
Cinnamon - cinnamon is best here but you could experiment with a pinch of nutmeg alongside or ground ginger for another twist
Butter

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements

Substitutions and Variations

Flour: you could use plain flour mixed with baking powder, if you don't have self raising. Try 100g flour with ¾ teaspoon of baking powder.

Cinnamon: I'd say cinnamon is fairly crucial here but you could experiment with ground ginger or nutmeg, alongside the cinnamon.

Apple: I haven't ever tried to make this with another fruit but I do think this could be good with pineapple, since it softens to a similar texture to an apple. But apple is of course the classic! I wouldn't recommend using a softer fruit like a pear as it might disintegrate when frying.

Easy Cheats Apple Beignets - Appelflappen. Fried Apple Doughnuts

Here's how to make Apple Beignets (Appelflappen)

Below is a helpful step-by-step guide to go alongside the full recipe, which you can find below.

ONE: Holding the apple carefully and with an apple corer, remove the apple core.

TWO: Slice the apple into rings.

THREE: Mix the batter together.

FOUR: Dunk the apple rings into the batter then transfer to hot oil.

FIVE: Fry in hot oil until puffed and golden.

SIX: Whilst still piping hot, add to the bowl with sugar and cinnamon. Toss together and enjoy whilst still hot!

Cooking Tips

Coring apples: this is easy for these apple beignets. If your apple is not totally straight between the top and bottom (of course!), just try your best with the corer down the middle. Then depending on the angle of the core, adjust the corer and press down. It means the hole in the donuts won’t be perfectly circular but at least there won’t be any seeds or bits left.
Mixing the batter: you want it thick enough for it to coat the apples without dripping off completely but not so thick that it becomes cakey when fried.
Fry until golden on each side, this takes around 2 minutes. Make sure you dredge in the cinnamon sugar whilst still hot so that it sticks well and you don’t end up with a crumbly sugary mess. These are best served hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t have self-raising flour, what should I use instead?

If you don’t have self-raising flour, take 100g plain flour and mix in ¾ teaspoon of baking powder. This should have a similar effect when crisping up these apple donuts.

What type of apple should I use?

You can use any apple you like, other than cooking apples such as a Bramley apple. They can be too sour for this recipe. We like gala apples, Braeburn apples and pink lady apples too. Gala tend to be the sweetest of these three.

More recipes you might like

For more baking recipes that are nice and simple, I have plenty of those. Try my Easiest orange cake, it's a total hit and so easy - doesn't even require preheating the oven. This is a great Moist chocolate cake recipe, if you are a chocolate fan. Then also, these Triple chocolate brownies are a hit recipe on the site, inspired by the queen Nigella. Give them a go. Finally, if you like a more fruit-based dessert, this Lemon posset (in scooped out lemon halves!) look so cute and are delicious! Same for this Lemon drizzle loaf - a classic for a reason.

Made this recipe and loved it?

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