With an ultra fluffy donut batter and truly unbelievable filling, these keto apple fritters are encapsulate the best of fall… at just 2g net carbs!
Keto Apple Fritters đ
Keto Apple Fritters
We’re using here my unbelievably fluffy (1g net carb) keto donut batter, with the choux pastry method approach that gives the almond flour mix an unbelievable donut like texture… and spicing it up with my keto mock ‘apples’: i.e. proof that  zucchini might just give apples a run for their money!
Don’t believe me? (No hard feelings, I didn’t believe it was possible either!). So you see your own raving reviews here (my ‘apple’ muffins) and here (my famous keto ‘apple’ pie).
Note though: you can always use an actual apple here (a bit more carbs, but think about it as eating berries: a little goes a long way in a recipe like this, and its not much more carbs than eating a handful of berries): simply mix with some apple spice, sweetener and lemon juice. i.e. when using apples you don’t need to precook them, you can just incorporate it into the fritters before baking.Â
The Method
Pretty please watch the video in the recipe card, but mostly so you see how simple the methodology is đ
The batter for these keto fritters is essentially a choux pastry (used to make anything from eclairs to gougeres). But this is just a fancy way of saying that you first boil together water with sugar, butter (or coconut oil) and salt. Adding in the flour and cooking it until it forms into a ball. And step three, mixing in the eggs off the stove. I also add a bit of baking powder at the end for extra rise!
Now, when you mix in the eggs the dough will be very stiff, and given that weâre also adding in baking powder, the job is best done with a hand-mixer here. The final dough should be very elastic (courtesy of the eggs and xanthan gum).
For the shaping youâll need a pastry bag (disposable ones are terrific) or simply use a thick plastic bag. You donât need a tip here: just pipe it out onto a sheet pan as smoothly as you can into 4âł/10cm flattish-rounds (so they rise evenly).
My Top Tips For Success!!
As many of you seasoned bakers know, choux pastry is light, absolutely delicious and honestly very easy⌠but it is a bit finicky and known to deflate under certain circumstances, so be sure to check out these tips!
- The most common reason for deflating choux pastry is excess liquid. This can come in the form of too large eggs (since we arenât using a donut pan 2 is enough here!), be sure youâre cooking your dough long enough that it actually forms into a ball (see video), and make sure your oven is calibrated to the correct temperature (or just get a cheap oven thermometer- like most pros do anyways!).
- You also want to be sure your dough is below 125°F/52°C before beating in the eggs. It can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your room temperature. Otherwise you could be curdling your first egg (or two), leading to a lack of structure = deflating donuts.
- Allow your final choux dough to come to room temperature before transferring to a piping bag. Iâve come to realize this is a very important step to keep your donuts from deflating a bunch post bake (because they donât rise *that* much!).
- And last, but not least, be gentle! Refrain from opening your oven for the first 20 minutes⌠and if possible donât open it at all! Definitely be careful to not slam your oven door (I know mine has a tendency to do that), and be gentle when taking them out of the oven. Donât have your A/C blasting, keep doors closed, etc⌠i.e. ensure there are no drafts!
The Flours
I like a mixture of super fine almond flour (Anthonyâs is awesome) and coconut flour (again Anthonyâs, best taste and texture by a mile!). Add a touch of psyllium husk powder and xanthan gum, and weâre golden.
And… The Video Story!
(2g net carb!) Keto Apple Fritters
Ingredients
For the brown butter 'apple'
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large zucchini diced (about 300g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1-3 tablespoons golden erythritol to taste
- 1-3 tablespoons lemon juice to taste
- pinch kosher salt
For the keto donut batter
- 64 g almond flour
- 28 g coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon psyllium husk ground
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 240 ml water
- 57 g grass-fed butter or coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons erythritol or xylitol*
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Special equipment
- pastry bag or plastic bag
Instructions
Make the brown-butter 'apple'
- Note: you can always use an actual apple here (a bit more carbs, but think about it as eating berries: a little goes a long way in a recipe like this, and its not much more carbs than eating a handful of berries): simply mix with some apple spice, sweetener and lemon juice. i.e. when using apples you don't need to precook them, you can just incorporate it into the fritters before baking. Still, turning zucchini into 'apples' is definitely worthwhile as its actually shocking how legit they taste if you're looking for the lowest carb count (see your own raving reviews here and here)
- Heat up butter in a skillet or pan over medium/low heat. You want to use a skillet (or wide-base pan) as opposed to a saucepan so the juices get absorbed evenly by the zucchini. Continue to cook the butter for 2-4 minutes until brown in color.
- Add in zucchini, spices, salt and mix everything together. Add in the lower amounts of sweetener and lemon juice, cover, lower heat, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove lid and taste for sweetness and acidity; youâll most likely need to add more of both (donât be afraid of the lemon juice, as its acidity is what will give it that apple kick once itâs thoroughly absorbed).
- Cover once again and cook for 10 more minutes. Remove the lid, taste again, and allow to cook uncovered for 3-6 minutes longer to thicken up the juices. Transfer the 'apple' bits into a bowl to cool, and reserve the now ultra concentrated brown butter juice to glaze the fritters (trust me!)
Make the keto donut batter
- See recipe video for guidance on making the keto donut batter (i.e. choux!)
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Whisk together in a medium bowl almond flour, coconut flour, psyllium husk and xanthan gum. Set aside.Â
- Heat up water, butter, sweetener and salt in medium pot (or Dutch oven) until it just begins to simmer. Lower heat to low and add in flour mixture, mixing constantly to incorporate. Continue to cook and stir until the dough pulls away from the pan and forms into a ball, 1-3 minutes.Â
- Transfer dough back to the bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes. The dough should still be warm, but not hot enough to scramble the eggs. And if you have an instant thermometer, temperature should be below 125°F/52°C.
- Add in one egg at a time, mixing with an electric mixer at medium/high speed until fully incorporated (if using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment). Be sure to mix the dough for 2 minutes after adding in the last egg; the final texture should be very elastic. Mix in vanilla extract and baking powder. .
- Allow the dough to rest until it comes to room temperature (about 15-20 minutes). I've come to realize this is a very important step to keep your donuts from deflating much post bake; the donuts will rise a bit less but hold their shape better.
- Spoon dough into a piping bag or plastic bag (no tip needed). Cut out bottom of piping bag 2 cm (3/4 inch) wide. Pipe out roughly 1 inch rounds of dough onto the donut pan, alternating with bits of apple, and more dough on top until desired fritter size and shape (you can make them bite sized too!). Wet your finger tip and smooth out where the ends meet for a more even rise.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until deep golden. Do not open your oven door before the first 20 minutes (or at all if possible!), as choux pastry is notoriously sensitive to drafts. Allow to rest in pan for 10 minutes before removing. Note: if your fritters are browning too much, feel free to tent them with aluminum foil (just be sure it isn't resting directly over them!).
- Remove from oven and brush with reserved 'apple' brown butter juice. These are best enjoyed still warm and freshly glazed, but they keep quite well for a day or two stored in an airtight container at room temperature.Â
Forgive me, but is there a mistake on the oven temperature for this recipe? I did everything as written and I also have an oven thermometer. The fritters were not cooked through and barely browned. I compared this recipe to your donut recipe and you start the donuts at 425° for the first 15 minutes before reducing to 350°. Is that what needs to be done here?
looking for the video. seems to have been removed here.