Dutch Apple Fritters (Appelbeignets aka Appelflappen)

Jump to recipe


This post may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will make a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Appelbeignets or Appelflappen are Dutch Apple Fritters. In the Netherlands this treat is known under both names and there’s always a lot of debate on what they’re called. If you want to know or read more about the debate I suggest you read my post on Appelflappen vs Appelbeignets. If you’re looking for the other version of Appelflappen, which is similar to Apple Turnovers check out my recipe for Dutch Apple Turnovers

For this recipe I’ll be focusing on the Appelflappen which are deep fried in batter. I call these Appelbeignets, when you go to the supermarket in the Netherlands, if you ask for an Appelflap you would get an Apple Turnover, however if you ask for Appelbeignet, there will be a mix available for you to make the batter with for your apples, or they would have the Baker’s Apple Beignet available. If you’re looking for the puff pastry version, check out my recipe for Dutch Apple Beignets with Puff Pastry.

How To Make Dutch Appelbeignets aka Appelflappen

Dutch Appelbeignets / Appelflappen are best eaten while still warm. They can be eaten cold as well, but I prefer them warm. If you want them warm you can heat them up in the oven or microwave. I found an old recipe for Dutch Appelbeignets on a Dutch website named Coquinaria they shared a recipe for appelbeignets dating back to 1905. This recipe is a rich one which also calls for basting the apples in alcohol. For my recipe I didn’t do that, but you can of course do that if you want to. I also tweaked the recipe a bit to make it perfect for me but it’s all based on and inspired by the old recipe from 1905. 

 Ingredients for Dutch apple fritters on a wooden surface.

For the Dutch apple fritters you’ll need flour, cornstarch, melted butter, lukewarm milk, cinnamon sugar, apples, egg, dry yeast, sugar and salt. (a full list of ingredients including measurements can be found in the recipe card below).

 

Collage of 4 photos. 1. Flour in a bowl. 2. Cornstarch being added to the bowl. 3. dry yeast being added to the bowl. 4. sugar being added to the bowl.

Start off by adding flour, cornstarch, yeast and sugar to a bowl

 

Collage of 4 photos. 1. flour, cornstarch, yeast and sugar being whisked in a bowl. 2. egg is added to the bowl. 3. milk is being added to the bowl while whisking. 4. butter is being added to the bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients you just added and add an egg. While mixing slowly add the milk till a batter forms and add the melted butter.

 

Collage of 4 photos. 1. oil is being added to the bowl. 2. salt is being added to the bowl. 3. batter is being whisked. 4. photo of batter in bowl.

Add oil and salt as well and mix till all is fully incorporated.

 

Collage of 4 photos. 1. bowl with batter is being covered with a damp cloth. 2. Apple slices on wooden surface. 3. Cinnamon sugar on a plate. 4. one slice of apple coated with cinnamon on the plate with cinnamon and sugar.

Cover the batter with a damp cloth and leave to rest in a warm place for at least an hour. While the batter is resting you can prepare your cinnamon sugar and apple slices. Peel and slice your apples about 0.4 inch/1 cm thick.  I usually do this about 20 minutes before the batter is done resting. Coat your apple slices with cinnamon and sugar. 

 

Collage of 4 photos. 1. Several apple slices coated with cinnamon and sugar on a plate. 2. one apple slice dipped half in batter. 3. one apple slice fully coated in batter. 4. one apple slice in batter being dipped into hot oil.

When your batter is ready, dip an apple slice in the batter. Tap on the side of the bowl to tap off any excess batter, you should see the hole in the slice of apple. Slowly drop your coated apple slice into the hot oil. The oil should be 356°F / 180°C. Always use sunflower oil or peanut oil for the fritters.

 

Collage of 3 photos. 1. three apple fritters being cooked in hot oil. 2. three apple fritters being turned over in hot oil. 3. three finished golden brown apple fritters.

Don’t overcrowd your deep fryer or pan, the batter will expand slightly around the apple slices. It takes about 5 minutes to cook the Dutch apple fritters, make sure to turn them over halfway. When they’re golden brown all way around, they’re done.

 

Recipe based on and inspired by: Coquinaria

Print
Dutch Apple Fritters (Appelbeignets aka Appelflappen)
Dutch Apple Fritters are known under two names in the Netherlands, Appelbeignets and Appelflappen. These deep fried apples coated in batter are delicious. Traditionally this treat is eaten around New Year's
Dutch Apple Fritters on a plate with lights in the background
Votes: 13
Rating: 4.77
You:
Rate this recipe!
Type Other, Snacks
Cuisine Dutch
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour
Servings
Dutch Apple Fritters
Ingredients
Batter
For Coating The Apples
  • 2-3 apples firm sour or sweet and sour apples
  • 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar 3 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp cinnamon
For frying
Type Other, Snacks
Cuisine Dutch
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour
Servings
Dutch Apple Fritters
Ingredients
Batter
For Coating The Apples
  • 2-3 apples firm sour or sweet and sour apples
  • 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar 3 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp cinnamon
For frying
Dutch Apple Fritters on a plate with lights in the background
Votes: 13
Rating: 4.77
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, mix flour, cornstarch yeast and sugar
  2. Add egg and while whisking continually, add the lukewarm milk. Mix until combined.
  3. Add melted butter, oil and salt and mix till fully incorporated. Cover the batter with a damp cloth and leave to rest in a warm place for at least an hour.
  4. While the batter is resting (roughly 20 minutes before the batter is done) you can prepare your cinnamon sugar and apple slices. Peel and slice your apples about 0.4 inch/1 cm thick.  Coat your apple slices with cinnamon and sugar.
  5. Heat up your oil to 356°F / 180°C.
  6. When your batter is ready, dip an apple slice in the batter. Tap on the side of the bowl to tap off any excess batter, you should see the hole in the slice of apple. Slowly drop your coated apple slice into the hot oil.
  7. Don't overcrowd your deep fryer or pan, the batter will expand slightly around the apple slices. It takes about 5 minutes to cook the apple fritters, make sure to turn them over halfway. When they're golden brown all way around, they're done. 
  8. Serve warm or cold dusted with a little bit of confectioners' sugar.
Recipe Notes
  • Use firm sour or sweet and sour apples.
  • If you don't have a warm place to rest your batter, you can use your oven. Preheat the oven to 95°F - 104°F ( 35°C - 40°C. Turn the oven off when it gets to 104°F. The oven will act as a warm place for the batter to rest and help it rise. If you feel the batter needs more warmth you can turn the heat back on and increase the warmth to 122°F - 50°C max. Make sure you don't increase the warmth any higher. And always turn OFF the oven once it reaches the desired heat. Don't leave it one while the batter is in the oven. Keep the bowl with the batter covered with a damp cloth.
  • Preferably use sunflower oil or peanut oil for the fritters. If you don't have these, use a neutral vegetable oil.
  • Keep the temperature of your oil consistent, if you don't have a deep fryer, use a thermometer that's save to use with hot oil to check the temperature regularly.
  • Don't overcrowd your deep fryer or pan, the batter will expand slightly around the apple slices.

Please note:

  • Please note that the US cup measurements in this recipe are approximate and are not the exact equivalent of the grams mentioned in the recipe. Either use US cup measurements OR grams.  I have added cups for those that prefer using cups. The recipe is most accurate using weights/metric measurements.

15 comments

  1. Tracey Giesen
    3 December 2022

    These look fabulous. My dad, who was born in The Netherlands, made these at Christmas every year. I have always known them as apple flappen. People can call them whatever they want. I call them delicious. My dad died almost 30 years ago and I have never made them. This recipe looks very similar to his so I am going to try them this year. I will probably add raisins, as he did. Can’t wait to try them. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

    1. Sophie
      31 December 2022

      My mom is from Netherlands also
      And we make some like balls with raisin s
      And apple and other ones shaped like flat rings with just apple we called them
      Applefloppen as beignets are the French
      Or Belgian way to say it. that is what my mom tells me

      1. Susan
        10 July 2023

        The balls are Ollie Bollen very delicious! And easy!

  2. Johanna Hodgson
    30 December 2021

    My mother always deep fried our appelflappen. They did not have a puff pastry and did not bake in the oven. In fact, many homes did not have ovens back in my day. The apples were always covered with with a batter more akin to pancake batter than puff pastry. I’m from Noord Holland. Maybe the difference depends on province from which one originates.

    1. Kathy
      29 December 2022

      This recipe called for a batter, not a puff pastry.

  3. Co Verstraten
    26 December 2021

    I have always know these as Appelflappen. The ones with a hole in the centre as shown in this recipe. No matter what these are called, they are delicious. This is how my mom used to make them for New Year’s Eve (Oudejaarsavond).
    I just wonder if anybody has tried to make these in an air fryer? If someone has tried, I’d appreciate to hear it. Thanks.

  4. Peter and Wilma Jilesen
    24 December 2021

    What are the best apples to use for Appel beignets.?
    At home we used a green apple.

    1. 27 December 2021

      It’s best to use firm sour or sweet and sour apples. In the Netherlands we would use Goudreinet Apples, Granny Smith should work as well.

  5. Dorie
    5 February 2021

    These are not appelflappen! These are apple beignets. Appelflappen are a filo dough-like pastry baked in the oven. Nobody in the Netherlands calls these appelflappen. Appelflappen literally translated are ”apple flaps” referring to the folding that occurs when shaping the pastry.

    1. 8 February 2021

      I personally call these Appelbeignets as well since I was a kid. But I’ve since learned that there is a group of people in the Netherlands that call these Appelflappen. I stick to calling them Appelbeignets though 🙂

  6. Dutchie Denise
    31 December 2020

    An appelbeignet is something different than an appelflap. An appelflap is made with puff pastry dough and is made in the oven. So deliciousssss!!

    1. 3 January 2021

      They are definitely different in my eyes as well. But I’ve learned that there is a group of people here in the Netherlands that calls what I call Appelbeignets (the ones fried in batter) Appelflappen at home (van huis uit). I’ve since learned that it depends where in the Netherlands you’re from. In the store everyone calls them Appelbeignets though. It’s more what people call them at home.

  7. Ann Penner
    15 November 2020

    I have a hard time keeping the dough on the apple before I fry it. I thought maybe it was too runny so I made it thicker but it still slides off Any suggestions?

    1. 17 November 2020

      It could be that your apple slices were too wet. Usually, dipping them in the sugar mixture helps suck up the moisture, but you can also pat dry the slices before coating them in sugar to take some of the excess moisture off.
      If that still doesn’t help you can indeed make the batter a bit thicker, but moisture usually is issue when batter slides off.

    2. Trish
      30 December 2020

      Yes fridge the coated apple flappen for about an hour before deep frying.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Home