Do you ever end up with a bunch of apples that have turned soft, airy, and a little too mushy to enjoy raw—but you don’t want to throw them away?
This recipe is the perfect solution!
Today, I’m sharing French-style apple beignets—a simple, elegant, and delicious way to transform tired apples into something irresistible.
These beignets are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and surprisingly beginner-friendly. The batter uses just a few ingredients, and you can make them with shallow-frying, so they’re easy even if deep-frying feels intimidating.
What Are Beignets?
“Beignet” is a French word meaning fried dough.
Compared to donuts, beignets are lighter, fluffier, and airier. Fruit coated in batter and fried—like these apple slices—also falls under the beignet category.
Ingredients
- 1 large apple (I used Jonagold)
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 50 ml milk
- A few drops of vanilla extract (optional)
- Oil for frying
- Powdered sugar or cinnamon, for topping
How to Make It
Prepare the apples
Cut the apple into 12 slices, about 1 cm (½ inch) thick.
Leave the peel on and remove the core.
Make the batter
In a bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, sugar, and vanilla.
Sift in the flour and baking powder.
Mix until the batter is thick and slightly heavy—this consistency helps the coating stay on the apples.
Coat the apples
Add the apple slices to the bowl and gently coat them in the batter.
Fry
Heat oil in a small pan to around 170°C (340°F).
(If you drop in a bit of batter and it sinks, then floats up—it’s ready.)
Let excess batter drip off, then gently place the apples into the oil.
Fry until golden, flip, and fry the other side.
When the surface looks puffed and crisp, remove and drain on a rack.
Finish
Dust with powdered sugar or cinnamon and serve warm!
Tips for Success
- A slightly thick batter works best.
- Be careful of splattering oil. Using a fork to pick up the apple and sliding it into the oil helps prevent sudden drops.
- Apples cook quickly, so watch the color to avoid burning.
- If you have leftover batter, drop spoonfuls into the oil to make mini beignet-style donuts. Fry both sides until golden and coat with sugar—so good!
- Serving with vanilla ice cream is highly recommended. Warm beignets + melting ice cream = heaven.
Summary
These easy apple beignets are the perfect way to rescue soft, overripe apples.
Crispy, airy, and juicy—simple enough for an everyday treat, yet delicious enough to feel special.
They’re also perfect for using up apples before they go bad, so definitely give them a try.
Recommended Ingredients & Tools
Jonagold apples
I used Jonagold from Iwate prefecture, Japan.
They have a nice balance of sweetness and acidity, and their flavor becomes more pronounced when heated.
They also hold their shape well, making them ideal for beignets and baked apple desserts like pies.
Small frying pan (around 20 cm)
A smaller pan makes shallow-frying much easier and uses less oil.
It’s perfect for quick frying tasks like this—less cleanup, easier temperature control, and less stress.
