Apple Fritters (Gluten-free, sugar free, and vegan)

We had friends over this weekend for a campfire cookout!  It is perfect fall weather in the Midwest…

We had friends over this weekend for a campfire cookout!  It is perfect fall weather in the Midwest, which made for a perfect night to cook out.  These fritters were the perfect way to end the evening!  Best of all, they are healthy and vegan.  They are sweet with a crunchy outer crust and a soft inner core.  They are the perfect way to welcome fall and celebrate fresh picked apples!  These fritters were kid tested and approved!  Skip the fall festivals and the fritters that are packed with gluten, sugar, and nasty oils, and stay home and enjoy this recipe!

Apple Fritters Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup milk of choice
• egg replacer for one egg or one egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped apple

Glaze Ingredients:

• 2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp. arrowroot powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoon milk of choice

Apple Fritters Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In pan over medium heat, heat enough coconut oil to fill one inch of the pan.  (I use a small pan and make the fritters one at a time in order to not waste too much oil.
3. While oil is coming to heat, mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
4. Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients and mix until smooth.  Using a spatula, fold in apple until apples are covered with batter.
5. To test oil drop cold water into oil and oil should begin to pop when hot enough.  Reduce heat to medium low.
6. Using hands, drop flattened or rounded fritter into oil and allow frying for about 3 minutes or until browned and flipping to other side.
7. Drain fritters on paper towel.
8. After all fritters are made and drained on paper towel, place in oven safe container and place in oven for 10 minutes.
9. In coffee grinder or Vitamix, powder coconut sugar and blend arrowroot powder into coconut sugar.  Add milk and mix to make glaze.
10. Remove fritters from oven and when cool to touch, dip each side of fritter in glaze and return to baking pan to cool.
11. These fritters are delicious served warm.

Nutritional benefits of this recipe:

The fiber found in apples combine with other nutrients in apples to give extra health benefits.  The fiber in apples can help prevent heart disease by lowering blood fat levels.  Recent research shows that the soluble fiber when blended with pectin from the apple is responsible for this effect. (1)

Studies are showing that health benefits of apples begin in the digestive tract.  Apples are shown to alter two bacteria’s in the large intestine.  Due to the altering of the bacteria, there is more fuel available to the large intestine for continued digestion.