Keto Apple Fritters
Published October 13, 2020 β’ Updated February 25, 2026
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I tested this dough four times to get it right. These apple fritters use zucchini and concentrated apple extract for the flavor, then fry up with a crunchy golden crust and a soft, buttery center.
I’ve been making these for years, and they’re the recipe that convinced my family that keto baking could actually be good. Not “good for keto.” Just good. Crunchy on the outside, soft and cakey in the middle, with real fritter flavor from a combination of zucchini and apple extract that I stumbled onto by accident.
The classic glazed donut was the first keto donut I cracked, but these fritters are the ones I make most often. I use zucchini in place of apples to keep the carb count way down, and the trick works so well that nobody at my table has ever questioned it.
The zucchini is practically tasteless on its own, which is exactly the point. Peeled and finely diced, it takes on whatever flavor you throw at it. I pair it with concentrated apple extract, lemon juice, and cinnamon to recreate that tart granny-smith bite you’d expect from a traditional fritter. Chayote squash works as a substitute too, but I always reach for zucchini because it’s cheap and available everywhere. The texture holds up, the flavor is convincing, and one serving has a fraction of the carbs.
The dough comes together in about five minutes. Almond flour, protein powder (the real MVP for structure and lift), sweetener, baking powder, and xanthan gum. I mix the wet ingredients separately (melted butter, nut milk, sour cream, water, one egg), fold everything together with the zucchini mixture, then drop spoonfuls into hot lard or avocado oil. The edges crisp up golden and almost crackle when you bite in. The inside stays soft and cakey. That contrast is what makes these worth the effort.
A quick note on frying: oil temperature controls whether these hold together or fall apart. When a reader named Carol had hers disintegrate, I knew right away what went wrong. The oil was too hot. If they start breaking apart the moment they hit the oil, lower your heat to medium and give them a full 3-5 minutes per side before flipping. I check by gently nudging the bottom with a spatula. If it lifts cleanly and looks golden, it’s ready to flip. I use this same patient approach for my churro donut holes too.
I finish mine with a cream glaze (confectioners sweetener, heavy cream, vanilla), but melted butter drizzled on top works just as well. Sometimes I skip the glaze entirely and eat them warm with just a dusting of cinnamon. Two of these with a hot cup of coffee is my idea of a low-carb breakfast.
If you love keto donuts, try these next:
How to make keto apple fritters
- Prep the “mock apples” – Toss finely diced zucchini with cinnamon, lemon juice, and apple flavoring. This is what gives the fritters their apple taste without the carbs.
- Mix the fritter dough – Combine almond flour, protein powder, sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Then stir in nut milk, sour cream, melted butter, water, and an egg.
- Fold in the zucchini mixture – Stir until everything is just combined.
- Fry in lard or avocado oil over medium heat. I use about a 1/4 cup of dough per fritter. Flip once the bottom is golden brown (3-5 minutes), then fry the other side.
- Let cool, then drizzle with cream glaze or melted butter.
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Keto Apple Fritters Ingredients
1 zucchini, peeled and finely diced -
1 teaspoon cinnamon
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2 teaspoons lemon juice
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1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon apple flavoring
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2 cup almond flour
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1/2 c unflavored or vanilla protein powder
-
3 tablespoons monkfruit sweetener or sweetener of choice
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2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
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2 teaspoon xanthan gum
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1 teaspoon salt
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1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
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1/2 cup unsweetened macadamia nut milk or other nut milk
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1/4 cup sour cream
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1/4 cup water
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1 egg
-
lard, for frying
Glaze Ingredients
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1/2 cup confectioners Swerve or use sweetener of choice
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2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Prep the mock apples
In a small bowl, add finely diced zucchini, cinnamon, lemon juice and apple flavoring. Add more or less apple flavoring to taste. Mix and set aside.
- 1 zucchini, peeled & diced
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon apple flavoring
Dry ingredients
Add the dry ingredients to a medium bowl. Mix until combined.
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup unflavored or vanilla protein powder
- 3 tablespoons sugar-free sweetener
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon salt
Add the wet ingredients
Mix in wet ingredients.
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup nut milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 egg
Lard & skillet
Add lard to a small non-stick skillet and heat to medium heat. Add enough lard to cover the donut almost halfway. Scoop about a 1/4 cup of the fritter dough into the skillet. You can swirl the oil in the pan to help coat the donuts as they cook. Flip once golden brown on the bottom (about 3-5 minutes) and fry the other side until golden brown.
Glaze
To make the apple fritter glaze, add confectioner’s Swerve, heavy cream and vanilla to a small bowl. Mix to combine. Microwave for 20 seconds to get a thin consistency if needed.
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar-free sweetener
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Are apples keto?
In my experience, apples are too high in carbs to fit into a keto day comfortably. One cup of diced apple has over 12g net carbs, which is more than I want to spend on a single ingredient. That's why I use zucchini with apple extract instead. You get the flavor and texture without the carb load.
Can I bake or air fry these instead of deep frying?
I've only made these fried, and I think frying is the way to go. The hot oil is what gives them that crunchy, golden crust that makes a fritter a fritter. Baking or air frying would change the texture completely, and I don't think you'd get the same crackly outside. If you want a baked option, I'd try a different recipe entirely.
Can I substitute coconut flour for almond flour?
I haven't tested this recipe with coconut flour, so I can't guarantee the same results. Coconut flour absorbs way more liquid than almond flour, so if you try it, use about 1/4 cup of coconut flour for every cup of almond flour and increase the wet ingredients. I'd also add an extra egg. But honestly, I'd stick with almond flour here because the texture is dialed in.
Why didn't my fritters hold together when frying?
I've heard this from a few readers, and every time the oil was too hot. When fritters hit oil that's too hot, the outside burns before the inside sets, and they fall apart. My fix: lower the heat to medium and let them cook 3-5 minutes per side. I also make sure the dough rests for a minute after mixing so the xanthan gum has time to bind everything.
Can I use real apples instead of zucchini?
You can, but I wouldn't unless you're OK with higher carbs. One cup of diced apple adds about 12g net carbs on top of everything else in the recipe. If you go that route, I'd use a small tart apple (granny smith), dice it fine, and adjust your macros. I've stuck with zucchini for years because the flavor from apple extract is convincing enough that my family doesn't notice.
Can I freeze these for later?
I freeze them without the glaze and they hold up well. I spread the cooled fritters on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They keep for about a month. To reheat, I thaw them in the fridge overnight and warm them in a dry skillet over medium heat until the outside crisps back up. I add fresh glaze right before serving.
What protein powder works best for this recipe?
I use unflavored or vanilla whey protein powder, and that's what I'd recommend starting with. Vegan protein powder works too, but the texture can vary depending on the brand. Protein powder is what gives these fritters their structure and lift, so don't skip it. Without it, I've found the dough comes out flat and falls apart during frying.
I've made at least three other keto apple fritter recipes and most of them are just almond flour dough with apple extract dumped in, which you can taste. The zucchini here actually changes the texture, you get pieces that behave like real apple chunks instead of a uniform dough ball all the way through. Four stars because I had to dial back the apple flavoring a bit (the 1/2 teaspoon was almost medicinal to me, 1/4 was the sweet spot), but the base is the best I've tried.
I've been meaning to make these for weeks. Don't usually keep lard around, so I grabbed avocado oil, but now I'm second-guessing it. Would that work for frying, or is lard what actually gives you that crunchy crust?
First time making anything keto-fried and the zucchini-as-apple concept had me nervous the whole prep. But once those hit the hot lard and I bit into that crisp golden crust, I couldn't taste zucchini at all. The apple flavoring just works in a way I didn't expect. Already planning a double batch for the weekend.
Lard was a good call. Gets hotter than most oils and that's what gives you that crackly crust. Double batch is the right move.
I've made three other keto apple fritter recipes in the last year and the apple flavor always felt forced or just nonexistent. The apple extract in this one actually works. You get that warm cinnamon-apple smell while they're frying and it carries through in the bite. And the crust has a real crunch to it, not the soft floppy texture I kept getting from the others. This is the one I'm sticking with.
Yeah the extract amount makes or breaks it. Too much and it reads as candy flavoring, not actual apple. That 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon range is narrow but it's where the flavor stays realistic.
Two months keto and this was my first time frying anything from scratch. The zucchini-as-apple thing seemed like a stretch, but the apple extract and cinnamon won me over. My fritters had this crackly crust and a soft, almost buttery center (didn't see that coming). Quick question: do they hold up overnight? Wondering if the crust stays crispy.
The crust softens overnight, not gonna lie. I store them in the fridge and reheat at 350 for a few minutes and they crisp back up pretty well. Still good, just not the same crackle as fresh.
I have tried probably four other keto apple fritter recipes and they all fail in the same spot: you get almond flour dough with artificial flavor, nothing that actually behaves like a fritter. The zucchini here actually gives you texture, that soft yielding center you expect when you bite in, while the outside fries up golden and holds together. The apple extract ratio is also right (I overshot it once in a different recipe and it tasted like hard candy), and this one hits it. The only keto version I would genuinely bring to brunch without a disclaimer.
Brunch without a speech is the whole goal. Four test batches just for that extract balance.
Brought these to a spring brunch without mentioning the zucchini. Someone grabbed a second before I said anything, and the look on her face when I explained was worth it. That apple extract is legitimately convincing.
The zucchini reveal is the payoff. Four batches to nail that apple flavor, worth it.
No lard so I used coconut oil and was convinced I'd ruined the whole batch, but they still came out golden and crunchy and now I feel dumb for panicking.
Coconut oil was actually in my early tests. Lard adds a little richness but the crust comes out the same.
Not sure what I did wrong, but they did not hold together. At all.
The only change I made was 2% milk for nut milk. I ended up with a lot of what looked like piles of fried bread crumbs. π₯Ίπ₯Ί
I'm sorry they didn't turn out for you. The reason why is that your oil was too hot. When you cook them, if you start to notice they are disintegrating when frying, the oil is way too hot. Lower it down and try again. Hope that helps.
Hello! Video shows to add 1/4 cup water, but not seeing it in printed recipe. New to keto baking so needing direction on whether to add water or not. Love all the recipes I've tried so far. Thanks!
Thank you for pointing this out! I updated the recipe. It should include 1/4 cup of water. I mis-read my recipe notes when I inputted this recipe in.