These irresistible Old-Fashioned Peach Fritters feature juicy, flavorful peaches in each bite, swirls of cinnamon and nutmeg throughout, all coated in the best rich vanilla glaze!
Words cannot even describe just how wonderful these homemade peach fritters are. I created this recipe from my dough recipe for the best yeast doughnuts ever that I developed and posted a few years ago. In my humble opinion, this dough recipe trumps all others. It is made with milk, butter, and egg for an extra rich dough that is just so tasty and satisfying. A little bit of vanilla extract flavors the dough slightly and makes it *chefs kiss*.
The dough is the foundation, built upon with fresh and juicy peaches, a generous amount of cinnamon and a little nutmeg, and the crowning jewel; after frying to perfection, these fritters are dunked in the best rich and slightly salted vanilla glaze. Everyone I have made these peach fritters for has fallen in love with them!
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Looking to try more yeasted dough recipes? Try my 6-ingredient White Sandwich Bread for a foolproof homemade loaf or my Monkey Bread Muffins if you want a simple and quick gooey cinnamon treat! Buttery Garlic Knots are always amazing, too.
⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- Flavor - Sweet buttery glaze, flavourful and slightly tart peaches, ripples of cinnamon and nutmeg, in a perfect rich yeasted doughnut that is fried to perfection.
- Texture - I may be biased, but I'd say these glazed peach fritters have the ultimate fluffy yet supple texture. Soft and fluffy inside, fried to crispy perfection on the outside, and they have plenty of fresh peaches throughout.
- Method - Homemade doughnuts and fritters might seem intimidating, but I promise it is actually very achievable, and you will feel like a rockstar when you serve them to your friends and family!
🧈 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make these homemade yeast peach fritters.
Ingredient Notes
- Yeast - This recipe calls for active dry yeast, which is also called traditional yeast. It needs to be activated in a bit of warm water and sugar before adding it to the recipe.
- Milk - I use whole milk (homogenized milk), but any kind will work, or you could substitute with a dairy-free milk.
- Butter - As in most of my recipes, I use salted butter for this recipe, but you could use unsalted butter with an extra pinch of salt if that is what you have.
- Sugars - You will need some granulated white sugar for the dough and both white sugar and powdered sugar for the glaze.
- Flour - No need to be fancy, just simple all-purpose flour shines in this recipe.
- Peaches - I've made this recipe with frozen peaches (thawed, patted dry, and chopped) and fresh peaches (skin-on, chopped), and I have to say, I prefer fresh peaches! But use what you have or can access seasonally.
- Spices - A generous sprinkle of cinnamon and a little nutmeg go so well with the peaches!
- Frying Oil (not pictured) - You will need to use a neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point that is suitable for frying. My favorite for doughnuts is sunflower oil, but canola or vegetable oil also work well.
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
📃 Instructions
Step 1: In a small bowl, stir together the warm water, ½ teaspoon of sugar, and the active dry yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes or until frothy and activated.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the warm milk, melted butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt until combined. Whisk in the activated yeast mixture.
Step 3: Add in about 2 ½ cups of flour and mix until the dough begins to form. Turn out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead, adding a little bit of flour at a time just until the dough is still tacky but no longer sticking to your hands when you knead it.
Step 4: Knead for 3-5 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth and a finger imprinted into the dough bounces back.
Step 5: Place in a bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until the dough is doubled in size.
Step 6: Punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly floured countertop. Stretch out with your hands or roll out using a rolling pin into a large rectangle about 12"x 20". Top half of the dough with the chopped peaches, then sprinkle the cinnamon and nutmeg over the peaches. Lastly, sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of flour over everything.
Step 7: Fold the empty half of the dough over the filling and then cut the layered dough into pieces around 1"X1".
Step 8: Grab a few pieces of the layered dough and form them into fritters. Press and fold them together, nestling the fruit inside as best as you can. Add flour to help them stick together if the peaches are really juicy. They will not be perfect, but don't need to be! Don't be afraid of them falling apart while frying; they (quite miraculously) stay together!
Step 9: Place the fritters on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet that has been sprinkled with a little bit of flour. Let rest and rise for 15-30 minutes while you heat the oil and make the glaze.
Step 10: To make the glaze, bring the milk, butter, white sugar, and salt to a rolling boil for 2 minutes while whisking. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Step 11: Fry the risen fritters in the heated oil, maintaining a 350℉ temperature as best as you can. Fry on each side until dark brown in color. Remove from the oil and let sit on a paper towel-lined plate for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Step 12: Dunk the slightly cooled fritters in the warm glaze, being careful not to burn your fingers (use a utensil), and place on a wire rack for excess glaze to drip off.
❓ Recipe FAQs
You have leftovers? Haha. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, but these fritters are truly best eaten the day they are made.
Yes. Simply thaw, drain, and pat the frozen peaches dry before adding them to the recipe.
Absolutely! In fact, I recommend it! 😉 This recipe is wonderful to double (or triple).
🍩 More Doughnut Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried these Homemade Peach Fritters or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Old-Fashioned Peach Fritters
Ingredients
For the Fritters:
- ¼ cup warm water
- ½ teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup warm milk (110℉)
- 3 tablespoons salted butter * melted
- 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped peaches (* fresh or thawed frozen)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 litre oil suitable for frying *
For the Glaze:
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
- pinch salt *
- 1 cup powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the warm water, ½ teaspoon of sugar, and the active dry yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes or until frothy and activated.¼ cup warm water, ½ teaspoon granulated white sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the warm milk, melted butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt until combined. Whisk in the activated yeast mixture.½ cup warm milk, 3 tablespoons salted butter, 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add in about 2 ½ cups of flour and mix until the dough begins to form. Turn out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead, adding a little bit of flour at a time just until the dough is still tacky but no longer sticking to your hands when you knead it. Knead for 3-5 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth and a finger imprinted into the dough bounces back. Place in a bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until the dough is doubled in size.2 ½- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- Punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly floured countertop. Stretch out with your hands or roll out using a rolling pin into a large rectangle about 12"x 20". Top half of the dough with the chopped peaches, then sprinkle the cinnamon and nutmeg over the peaches. Lastly, sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of flour over everything.1 cup chopped peaches, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Fold the empty half of the dough over the filling and then cut the layered dough into pieces around 1"X1". Take a few pieces of the layered dough and form them into fritters. Press and fold them together, nestling the fruit inside as best as you can. Add flour to help them stick together if the peaches are really juicy. They will not be perfect, but don't need to be! Don't be afraid of them falling apart while frying; they do (quite miraculously) stay together!
- Place the fritters on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet that has been sprinkled with a little bit of flour. Let rest and rise for 15-30 minutes while you make the glaze and heat the oil to 350℉ (at least 4 inches deep in a high-temperature safe Dutch oven or heavy pot).1 litre oil suitable for frying
- To make the glaze, bring the milk, butter, white sugar, and salt to a rolling boil for 2 minutes while whisking. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.⅓ cup milk, 2 tablespoons salted butter, ⅓ cup granulated white sugar, pinch salt, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Fry the risen fritters in the heated oil, maintaining a 350℉ temperature as best as you can. Fry on each side until dark brown in color. Remove from the oil and let sit on a paper towel-lined plate for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool slightly.
- Dunk the slightly cooled fritters in the warm glaze, being careful not to burn your fingers (use a utensil), and place on a wire rack for excess glaze to drip off.
Notes
- I use salted butter for this recipe, but you could use unsalted butter with an extra pinch of salt in both the dough and glaze.
- Fresh peaches (skin-on, chopped) are best for this recipe, but I have made this recipe with frozen peaches (thawed, patted dry, and chopped). Use what you have or can access seasonally.
- You will need to use a neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point that is suitable for frying. My favorite for doughnuts is sunflower oil, but canola or vegetable oil also work well.
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