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A hand with green-painted nails holds a golden-brown, rustic apple fritter. Other fritters rest on a pink tray below, with two apples on the table nearby. Bright sunlight highlights the scene.
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5 from 1 vote

high-protein apple fritter (without protein powder)

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!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 203kcal
Author: Mika Kinney

Ingredients

Glaze

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.
    A stream of wet mixture is being poured into a well of flour inside a large metal mixing bowl, beginning the process of combining ingredients for protein apple fritter dough.
  • 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)
    Protein apple fritter cookie dough with visible apple chunks sits on a pink baking tray atop a wooden surface, ready to be baked.
  • 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

Storage: You can keep these in the freezer for up to 3 months or in a cool, dry place on the counter for up to 4 days. If you place them in an airtight container while still warm, they will lose their crunch. Still tasty, but not the best texture.
Mini apple fritters: Use a cookie scoop and a silicone muffin tin to make mini fritter balls. This recipe makes 12. Bake for 15 minutes or air fry for 5-7.
To make it dairy-free, you can use plant-based Greek yogurt in place of the cottage cheese and plant-based milk in the glaze.

Nutrition

Serving: 1fritter | Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 628mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 32IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 1mg