German Apple Fritters (Apfelküchle)

Fall is indeed the season for apples, but you can definitely make this yummy treat the whole year-round. German Apple Fritters (Apfelküchle) with vanilla sauce is great for snacks or dessert — kids and adults would be asking for more!

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My first German recipe post! 

We’ve been living in Frankfurt for three months now – but it took a while to publish a post because we were enjoying our summer too much. So, off we go exploring the charming towns along the Rhine and Mosley valley, sampling wines, of course! 😉

In case you have not heard, they love their apples here in Frankfurt.  So much so that their favorite drink is made out of it – ‘Apfelwein‘ (Apple Wine).  

Since making that is too complicated, I decided to start with the simplest but deliciously addictive German apple fritters with vanilla sauce.

Ingredients

• Milk – regular full-cream milk
• Flour – although I have never seen so many varieties of flour as I have seen in Germany, all-purpose flour is excellent for these apple fritters.
• Butter – unsalted butter
• Sugar
• Eggs – room temperature
• Vanilla
• Oil – use vegetable oil, not olive oil; any vegetable oil with no taste (neutral).
• White wine
• Apples – you can use whatever type of apple you want. 

I generally prefer the green ones, because of their tartness.  It goes so well with the sweetness of the vanilla sauce, plus you can sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on these fried apples as well if you think they’re not sweet enough.

Preparation

Start by preparing the vanilla sauce.  Combine and mix egg yolks, a quarter cup of milk, and corn starch in a small bowl (photo 1).

Using a small saucepan, combine the rest of the milk, sugar, and vanilla over medium heat and bring to a boil.

Take the pan off the heat and slowly add the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly.

Place the pan back into the heat and bring to a boil; the sauce will thicken at this point (photo 2).

Take the sauce off the heat and set it aside for serving.

Using a large mixing bowl, combine egg yolk, wine, sugar, and salt.  Beat until it gets foamy.

Add flour and melted butter while continually mixing to combine (photo 3). 

Set this batter aside for at least fifteen minutes.

Take this time to core, peel, and slice the apples into rounds (about ¼ inch thick).  Squeeze some lemon juice on them to avoid discoloration (photo 4).

On a separate bowl, beat the egg white until stiff, then fold it into the batter to combine (photo 5).

Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat and once the oil is ready, adjust the heat into medium.  

Dip a slice of the apple into the batter and coat it evenly (photo 6).

Start frying the fritters by carefully lowering them into the oil (photo 7).

Once the fried apples are slightly brown on both sides, remove them from the pan and place them on top of a paper towel to absorb excess oil (photo 8).

Serve with vanilla sauce or sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, if desired.

Helpful tips

• Do not cut the apples too thick (but not too thin either). No more than ¼ of an inch is alright.  For your reference, I usually get eight-round slices from a medium-sized apple.

• If you are concerned about the amount of oil for frying, use a frying pan instead of a saucepan and pour just enough oil to slightly submerge the fritters. It does not need to be deep-fried.  

Some locals even use clarified butter, so definitely not deep frying.

FAQs

• CAN I USE BAKING POWDER?

I’ve never encountered a serving of German apple fritters that used baking powder – and in case you’re wondering, yes, I did ask how they do it. 🙂

They said the traditional way is to use white wine or beer, not baking powder.  So, no-brainer on what I will be using, right? 

• CAN I USE VANILLA EXTRACT?

You can, but I find that using vanilla pod is noticeably better, both in aroma and flavor. 

Oh!  And this vanilla sauce is more like a custard – so don’t be surprised when you see the consistency of the sauce. 

If you want to try another traditional German dish, then you should head straight to German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe)!

Or perhaps another easy apple recipe? Check out my post on Tuscan Apple Cake!