By Made with our classic cottage cheese batter, these high-protein apple fritters are quick to whip up and use ingredients you probably already have! Plus, the batter uses no added sugar, only apples and apple sauce! The only sugar in them is what's in the glaze. But here's the kicker, everyone who tried them just thought they were fritters from the local bakery!
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I strongly believe that apple fritters are the elite doughnut choice. I used to be pursued by maple glaze, but they are always too sweet, so a bear claw or apple fritter is always the go-to now.
And while there's nothing wrong with a classic apple fritter, there's also a lot right with one that has way more protein and less sugar but tastes like one from a bakery! So let's whip up these high-protein apple fritters that my dad described as "whoa, that's tasty" as he devoured 3 of them.
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whole eggs don't work
I know egg whites are not as common, but they truly make these have the best light and fluffy texture. Whole eggs cause the batter to be too dense and gummy. If you are separating your yolks and whites, save the yolks for our high protein tiramisu!
key ingredients & swaps
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Apples and apple sauce: I like to use green apples here, but any slightly tarter variety works well. The key is to chop the apples really, really small, like into ¼" inch squares. I leave the skin on, but feel free to peel it. And the apple sauce brings a little more sweetness and moisture. If you have leftover apples, try making our caramel apple yogurt bark! And use any leftover apple sauce to make apple cider donut holes.
- Cottage cheese and egg whites: These bring the protein and some fat to help with a tender texture. I use 2% cottage cheese, but any small curd one works well. Just be sure to stir in the whey (the liquid on top) first. Check out our full list of sweet cottage cheese recipes for more ideas on how to use it!
- Baking basics: Don't forget the baking powder, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon!
- Glaze: This is just powdered sugar, some milk, and spices. Of course, you can use a no-calorie powdered sugar replacement as needed.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
make it dairy free
You can easily use a plant based greek yogurt in place of cottage cheese (then you don't need to blend anything) and a plant based milk in the glaze.
step by step: tips to nail this recipe every time
- Blend really well. We don't want any curds to be visible!
- Line your sheet tray because these tend to stick. I've also got notes in the recipe card for how to air fry them and make mini fritters!
- It's a wet batter, so when you scoop out the fritters, it's ok if they are a bit all over the place. We like some peaks and valleys!
- Do not store warm! The steam will make the fritters soft and the glaze sticky. Let the totally cool before glazing and storing.
quick recipe video
have more apples to use?
Toss them in these apple pie baked oats, apple pie milkshake, or protein apple bread!
how to store & meal prep it
I'm very passionate about how you store leftover fritters. Whatever you do, do not refrigerate them and do not store them warm. Instead, keep them on the counter in a dry place or in the freezer (without the glaze). Let them come to room temperature overnight on the counter and then glaze the next day.
Recipe
high-protein apple fritter (without protein powder)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cottage cheese (2% low fat, whey mixed in)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 apple (peeled and diced super small)
- ¼ c egg whites
Glaze
- 1 cups powdered sugar
- ⅛ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.Blend together the ¾ cup cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ c egg whites, and 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon until no curds remain.
- In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer with the padel attachment), whisk together the 1 cup all purpose flour, 3 teaspoon baking powder, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Then pour in your liquid cottage cheese mixture. Mix together until a dough forms. Then fold in the diced 1 apple.
- Scoop out 6 fritters (I like to use an ice cream scoop for this) and align on the tray. Give them at least 2" of space between each other. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown all over.Alternatively, you can air fry them for 10-15 minutes. See notes for making mini apple fritters.Once baked, let them cool completely (transfer to the fridge or freezer to speed this up)
- Meanwhile, make the glaze by mixing the 1 cups powdered sugar, ⅛ cup milk, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, and Pinch of salt in a bowl until a glaze forms. Keep this at room tempurature until ready to use.When the fritters are cool, carefully dip the top of each one into the glaze and then place them back on the lined sheet tray to dry/harden. Once set up, enjoy!
Video
Notes
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
I can't wait to make these! What can I use instead of the applesauce, or can I leave it out completely? (My "littles" are 35 and 31 and out on their own!)
You could use pumpkin! You could probably leave it out and just replace with extra yogurt. You might want to add a bit of maple syrup to make up for the lack of sweet ingredients too! So sweet!
sorry replace with extra cottage cheese! ha!
Amazing! Love how not sweet the actual fritter is, and you can just add more icing or dip it as needed. Went together really smooth and easily. Disappeared just as fast!
Thank you again, so super happy I stumbled onto your website!
These did not turn out unfortunately, the baking powder taste was so over powering and mine turned into chewy blobs, not the Apple fritter “shape”. Went over the recipe twice before making and again afterwards and hesitated at 3 tsp of baking powder, wish I would have gone with my gut and used less.
Sorry to hear that, was your baking powder Aluminum-free? I should have clarified in the recipe to use this because it does have a very strong taste otherwise!