Fresh cherry fritters dipped in a simple vanilla glaze might just be the best bite of summer ever. These are naturally sweet, light fritters with juicy bites of ripe cherries. Cherry fritters are a traditional French recipe made with an easy, moist batter that stays fresh tasting for days.
Cherry fritters the perfect dessert to celebrate cherry season. This tender donut pastry base bursts with juicy cherries. (Follow down to the video to see how easy these really are!)
This was inspired by my French Apple Beignets Recipe (apple fritters), and pairs well with this Lavender Milk Tea. I absolutely LOVE fruity desserts. My other fruit favorites are Apple Oatmeal Cake and Easy Plum Flan with apples and plums that will be ripe soon after the cherries.
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Ingredients
Check out these simple pantry ingredients! Nothing fancy here besides sweet cherries for these fresh fruit fritters.
- Cherries - Any good, sweet eating cherry works well in this recipe. Bing, Rainiers and Chelans are the sweetest and what I've used here. You can also use sour cherries like Morello's or Montmorency's. Obviously that will result in a more tart fritter but still delicious. I don't recommend dried or preserved cherries for this because they won't be as fresh and juicy tasting.
- Eggs - The fritter batter is enriched with 4 eggs which give these beignets their spectacularly tender and moist crumb. (They also add lots of protein and vitamins so the fritters are healthy...right?!)
- Sugar - A small amount of granulated sugar (table sugar) is used in the fritter dough. (Brown sugar can be substituted in needed.) For the simple glaze, powdered sugar (aka icing sugar) is used for the smooth consistency which will firm up once it sets on the fritters.
See recipe card for quantities.
Video - How To Make Sweet Cherry Fritters
Instructions
Please don't be daunted by the steps. This is really easy and doesn't take long at all. Watch the video and follow the easy steps below. In less than an hour, you'll be enjoying fresh cherry fritters that are better than any donut shop around!
In a medium sized pot, heat water, sugar and butter until it comes to a boil, then remove from heat.
Stir in vanilla extract, then add dry ingredients (flour and cinnamon) and stir well.
It will be lumpy at first but keep stirring until it comes together in a ball and leaves the sides of the pan.
Add in eggs one at a time, stirring after each one until fully incorporated.
The batter will become nice and glossy by the time all 4 eggs are incorporated.
Add pitted and halved cherries.
Gently fold in the cherries. Don't overmix or the batter will become pink or even red.
Pour vegetable oil into a pot to a depth of 2-3 inches and preheat. If using a deep fryer, set it to 350' F or for a pot on the stove set to medium.
Once oil is hot (test by dropping a small drop of batter in, if it starts to bubble right away, the oil is ready) carefully drop large spoonfuls of batter in.
Only add as many as can fit in one layer with a little space between each one.
Cook until brown on one side, then flip and brown on the other side. These take approximately 5 minutes per batch. If they are browning too fast or too slow, adjust your heat accordingly.
(A small ice cream scoop works well for scooping too.)
Once browned, remove with slotted spoon and place fritters on a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to drain.
Let cool a few moments while you make the glaze.
Glaze: Combine powdered sugar, water and vanilla in a medium bowl and stir well until smooth.
(Hint: For an extra special glaze, use vanilla bean paste instead of extract. Vanilla bean glaze takes these to the next level!)
Dip each fritter into glaze or drizzle it over generously. Transfer to a wire rack, placed over a cookie sheet, plate, or large piece of parchment paper to catch drips.
Serve and enjoy!
Variations
- Apple Cherry Fritters - Use half a cup of peeled and diced apples and half a cup of pitted cherries and finish recipe as written.
- Cherry Almond Fritters - Add ½ teaspoon almond extract to recipe and omit the cinnamon. For the glaze, use vanilla as described and add ¼ teaspoon almond extract to make a vanilla-almond glaze. Sprinkle tops right away with ¼ cup slivered and toasted almonds if desired.
- Berry Fritters - Swap out the cherries for one cup of you favorite berries like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or strawberries. Complete recipe as per instructions.
See the Apple Fritter recipe here.
Equipment
You don't need any special equipment though a deep fryer works great if you have one. If not, just use a deep, medium to large sized pot set over medium heat for frying in. A slotted spoon is best for removing the cherry fritters and a wire rack is best for draining them. You can sub a paper towel lined plate or bowl if you like.
For the batter, a medium sized heavy saucepan or pot with high sides is perfect.
Storage
Leftovers will keep well for 3 days in a covered container at room temperature.
If you plan to make these ahead, you can fry the fritters and store them unglazed in a covered container at room temperature. When ready to serve, gently warm them in an oven set to 300' F for 5-10 minutes, then glaze.
These delicate fritters don't freeze great but it's better than wasting any. If you have leftovers you won't use soon, you can freeze them, tightly covered for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and then reheat in the oven as above.
Top tip
As you add the eggs, mix well with mixer or by hand until each is incorporated well before adding the next. I promise the batter will become silky smooth by the end and the result is well worth it.
Related Recipes
I hope you love these cherry fritter as much as me and my family do. If you try them, please tap the star rating to let me know what you thought and if you have any questions, send them in the comments below. I always try to reply quickly.
For more on what I'm cooking up, follow me on Instagram or Facebook. You might also like my FREE printable weekly meal planner.
Cheers friends! Sabrina
Have a delicious day, Friends
ox Sabrina
Recipe
Cherry Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 c Water
- ½ c Salted Butter
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon optional
- 1 c Flour
- 4 Eggs
- 1 c Cherries Pitted and halved
- Vegetable Oil For deep frying
Glaze
- 1 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Fritters
- In a medium sized pot, heat water, sugar and butter until it comes to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Stir in vanilla, then add flour and cinnamon and stir well. It will be lumpy at first but keep stirring until it comes together in a ball and leaves the sides of the pan.
- Add in eggs one at a time, stirring after each one until fully incorporated. The batter will become nice and glossy by the time all 4 eggs are incorporated.
- Gently fold in the cherries.
- Preheat 2-3 inches of oil in a deep fryer set to 350' F or a pot on the stove set to medium.
- Once oil is hot (test by dropping a small drop of batter in, if it starts to bubble right away, the oil is ready) carefully drop batter in by heaping teaspoons. Only add as many as can fit in one layer with a little space between each one.
- Cook until brown on one side, then flip and brown on the other side. These take approximately 5 minutes per batch. If they are browning too fast or too slow, adjust your heat accordingly.
- Once browned, remove with slotted spoon to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to drain.
Glaze
- Combine glaze ingredients, and stir until smooth.
- Dip each fritter into glaze or drizzle it over generously. Transfer to a wire rack, placed over a cookie sheet, plate, or paper towels to catch drips. Serve and enjoy!
George Moy
When you buy these fritters at the stores like Kroger,meijer and target it looks like there is a company who makes and packaged for all of them: you get 4 of them,slightly small and like it lacks a little sweetness,cinimmon and brown sugar so I hope you can make these fritters better by more flavor and bigger too
Sabrina Currie
I haven’t tried those ones but these are packed with flavour. You can definitely sprinkle extra cinnamon and sugar over these right when they are done frying. Good luck 🙂
Virginia Allen
In my town, the local bakery makes cherry thing-a-lings every year. They're good, but every year the line to the bakery gets longer. I don't fancy standing in the cold for over an hour. Your recipe is fantastic! It's much more fun to make these and have fresh warm fritters than to stand in the cold for a room temp doughnut.
Sabrina Currie
Wow, what a compliment! Thank you so much Virginia, have a wonderful week and stay warm ☕️