I’m determined to find different ways to use apples this season.

I’ve found that I either 1) go apple picking and come home with way too apples, or more often, 2) buy plenty of apples after my kids love them… only for them to no longer be interested.

Always happens, right?!

These Apple Beignets are such a fun and delicious way to use apples.

And if you’ve been here a while I’m sure you’ve heard me say: food is meant to be enjoyed.

It’s fun – and important – to use seasonal produce not only to make the nutritious meals possible, but also to make food that just tastes good too.

Yes, apples do add nutrients and fiber to these beignets. But we’re not eating them for those reasons. And it’s so important to me that you know that that’s perfectly okay.

There are so many reasons to eat food outside of just nutrition:

Physical hunger. Taste hunger. Practical hunger (read more about the different types of hunger here).

And of course, you’re always allowed to eat something just because it sounds good.

Eating food just because it sounds good allows you to experience the full range of food.

It gives you the freedom to eat food that’s just delicious, food that’s nutritious, and everything in between.

So please remember, food has many purposes – whether that’s nutrition, flavor, nostalgia, experiences, or something else.

And while we’re not making this recipe for its nutrients, you are 100% allowed to use seasonal apples in this way.

More than allowed – I encourage it.

Prep ingredients

You’ll need red apples (Honeycrisp, Gala, or Mcintosh all work well), flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, salt, eggs, almond milk, coconut oil, and caramel to drizzle.

For the cinnamon sugar, you’ll need granulated sugar and cinnamon.

Remove core & cut apples

Using an apple corer, remove the core from the apples. Cut the apples into thin slices, about 1/2 or 1/4-inch wide. Place in a bowl and set aside.

Make the batter

In a separate medium bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine. Add the eggs and almond milk to the bowl. Whisk well until the batter is smooth.

Dip apples in the batter

Add the coconut oil to a large pan over medium heat (use about 2 tablespoons of oil for each batch of apples you cook).

While the oil heats, use a fork to dip each apple slice one by one in the batter. Make sure that the apple is fully covered in the batter, but not drenched.

Add apples to pan

Once the oil is hot (you should be able to feel the heat with your hand slightly above the pan), add the apple slices to the pan, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. You may need to cook them in 2 or 3 batches.

Cook until browned

Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until browned and cook through. Place on a large plate to cool and set aside.

Make cinnamon sugar

Combine the sugar with the cinnamon and mix well.

Toss in cinnamon sugar

Toss each apple beignet generously in cinnamon sugar.

Drizzle with carmel

Drizzle with caramel.

Serve

Serve for dessert!

Notes:

Flour: This recipe calls for all-purpose flour. I haven’t tried it with any other types of flour.
Milk: I use almond milk, but you can also use a dairy milk or other non-dairy alternative.
Oil: Coconut oil or vegetable oil work best here. I tried these with olive oil and they just don’t come out as well.
Cooking tips: Make sure the oil is hot before adding the beignets! They’ll cook faster, more uniformly, and will brown better. It’s also helpful to add a little drop of batter to the inside circle of the apple after you place them on the pan to cook so that they come out looking more like pancakes than donuts.
Make ahead: Make these beignets ahead of time and store them per the below. Simply wait to add the caramel drizzle until eating and/or serving.
Storage: Store beignets in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave or on broil in the oven if you want them a little crispy on the outside (watch so that they don’t burn!).