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Fried to crisp golden brown perfection, these delicious southern-style Peach Fritters are soft on the inside with bits of peach in each bite and topped with a simple peach glaze to finish! The recipe is a quick and easy family favorite perfect for Sunday mornings that comes together in under 30 minutes!
Easy Peach Fritters Recipe
Crispy fried southern-style sweet peach fritters! Need I say more?!? A little different than a donut and not quite like a fruity muffin, but almost like a cross between the two. These fritters are crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and full of peaches.
The recipe is made with a simple batter using basic pantry ingredients. And because canned peaches are used it doesn’t need to be peach season to make these yummy bite-sized goodies. No fresh peaches are required. In fact, you can whip them together in under 30 minutes!
Peach fritters can be served for breakfast or brunch with a simple cup of coffee. But they can also be dressed up and served as a dessert too! Just warm them up and serve them with some creamy ice cream. Your family and friends will be delighted by the deliciousness.
Why You’ll Love These Peach Fritters
- Quick and Easy! This simple fritters recipe requires no special equipment or skills. You only need a few basic pantry ingredients, a can of peaches, and about 30 minutes!
- Tasty Southern Classic! A cornmeal meal batter with a dash of sweet and savory that is fried into little bite-size balls of crunchy perfection is southern food at its best.
- Make Ahead Friendly! You can easily double the recipe and freeze the fritters for up to 3 months! Then pop them in the oven to warm and drizzle them with the glaze right before serving.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Fritters
- Flour – Simple all-purpose flour is used to make the batter.
- Baking Powder – Used as a leavening agent to make the fritters light and fluffy on the inside.
- Salt – Enhances and balances all of the flavors.
- Sugar – A pinch of granulated white sugar adds a bit of sweetness.
- Eggs – Work to bind the batter and create a light texture.
- Milk – I like to use whole milk but any kind of milk in your fridge will work including plant-based varieties. Buttermilk can also be used.
- Canned Peaches – You need a can of peaches in juice not syrup. During peach season you could also make delicious fresh peach fritters.
Glaze
- Powdered Sugar – Also called icing sugar it’s used to make the glaze.
- Vanilla Extract – Just a dash of vanilla elevates the flavor.
Peach Juice – Adds a lovely touch of peach flavor to the glaze.
Making homemade fritters is really easy! All you have to do is make a simple batter and fry. Just follow these easy steps and you’ll have delicious sweet treats to share in under 30 minutes!
Make The Batter
To get started, you need to make a simple batter. To do this, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a medium bowl until there are no lumps and it’s well combined.
Next, gradually whisk in the milk along with the beaten eggs into the dry ingredients until a batter is formed. It should be thinner than a dough. Then carefully stir in the chopped canned peaches.
Heat The Oil
With the batter made, now heat the oil to 375°F (190°C). You can use a deep fryer, heavy bottomed pan, or large Dutch oven to fry the fritters. If using a pan or Dutch oven you need to fill it with about 2 inches of oil. Also, for safety reasons, it is crucial that you keep an eye on the temperature, which you can do using a digital cooking thermometer. If the oil gets too hot you need to turn the heat down or off. It’s much easier and safer to heat it back up.
Then line a sheet pan or plate with paper towels to place the fried fritters to drain.
Fry The Fritters
Once the oil is hot, make sure it’s at the correct temperature before you begin or the fritters will not fry properly. Then drop teaspoon size portions of the batter into the hot oil and fry them for about 5 minutes turning them once. When they are done, the fritters will be browned and crispy, but not burnt. Then remove the cooked fritters with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.
Make The Glaze
After the fritters have cooled to room temperature you can make the yummy peach glaze. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of peach juice to a small bowl. Next, whisk everything together until the mixer is free of lumps and smooth. The glaze should be a pourable consistency but not like water. If needed you can add a bit more peach juice to thin it out or a bit more powdered sugar to thicken it.
Glaze And Serve
When the peach fritters have reached room temperature, drizzle them with the glaze and then allow them to sit for about 5 minutes so that the glaze has time to set. Then serve them as is for breakfast or with a big scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream and a dollop of homemade whipped cream for dessert!
Can I Bake Them?
Yes, you can. To bake, put the peach fritter batter in a mini muffin pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Then bake them at 350°F (177°C) for 12 to 14 minutes until they are golden brown on top. Yet, the outcome of baking will be more like delicious muffins and less like traditional fritters.
Can I Add Things To The Fritters?
Yes! Feel free to customize the batter by mixing in cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, or any spices you like. You can also fold in chopped nuts, coconut, or dried fruit when you add the peaches. Just remember you must keep the ratio of ingredients in mind in relation to the quantity of batter.
Can I Make Gluten-Free Fritters?
Yes! This recipe can easily be made gluten-free. Yet, for the best results, I recommend using a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour with xanthan gum, which acts as the gluten replacement. And you may need to add a little more or less gluten-free flour depending on the brand.
Expert Tips
- Use neutral oil. Use a vegetable oil like canola oil to fry the peach fritters so it doesn’t impact the taste. It also has a higher smoke point which is better for frying.
- Correct oil temperature. The oil must be hot enough before you add the batter. If it’s not, the batter will just fall apart and not hold its shape. And if it’s too hot the fritters will just burn.
- Use a cookie scoop. Using a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop is the easiest way to drop the batter into the hot oil. This also creates fritters that are uniform in size.
- Temp the oil. For safety reasons and the best results, use a digital cooking thermometer to make sure that the oil is consistently around 375°F (190°C) as you fry.
Storage
Fridge
You can store leftover peach fritters in an airtight container or sealed bag in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, put them on a sheet pan in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for about 3 to 5 minutes or until hot.
Freezer
Fritters can also be stored in the freezer once they are totally cooled off. Just put them in a sealed bag or airtight container and they will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen, put them in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes at 350°F (177°C). However, if you are making them ahead of time to freeze, don’t add the glaze until right before serving.
Other Delicious Dessert Recipes to Try
- Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake
- Blueberry Biscuits
- Blueberry Lemon Rolls
- Italian Peach Cookies
- Peach Cobbler
- Basic Crepe Recipe
- Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
- Peach Scones
Peach Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ⅔ cup milk
- 15 ounce canned peaches cut in small pieces, juice reserved for glaze
Glaze
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons reserved peach juice
Instructions
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine. Gradually whisk in the milk and beaten eggs to make a batter.
- Fold in the chopped canned peaches.
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or heavy bottomed pan to 375°F (190°C). Drop batter by spoonfuls into hot oil, and cook, turning once, until browned, about 5 minutes. You can also use a small ice cream scoop to make it easier to drop the batter in the oil.
- Transfer fritters to a paper towel lined bowl to cool.
- Make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and a tablespoon of the peach juice. Whisk until smooth and add more juice as needed to achieve desired pouring consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled peach fritters and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- Recipe will yield about 36 fritters.
- Use neutral oil. Use a vegetable oil like canola oil to fry the peach fritters so it doesn’t impact the taste. It also has a higher smoke point which is better for frying.
- Correct oil temperature. The oil must be hot enough before you add the batter. If it’s not, the batter will just fall apart and not hold its shape. And if it’s too hot the fritters will just burn.
- Use a cookie scoop. Using a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop is the easiest way to drop the batter into the hot oil. This also creates fritters that are uniform in size.
- Temp the oil. For safety reasons and the best results, use a digital cooking thermometer to make sure that the oil is consistently around 375°F (190°C) as you fry.
- You can store leftover peach fritters in an airtight container or sealed bag in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, put them on a sheet pan in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for about 3 to 5 minutes or until hot.
