Strawberry fritters might be my favorite fritter variation yet! Packed with juicy strawberries, fried until golden brown, and finished with a delicate strawberry glaze, they have the same crisp edges and soft center as the apple fritters I used to make in bakeries.
How to Make Them
1
Cook until the strawberry filling is thick enough to hold its shape when dragged with a spatula, with no visible liquid pooling in the pan. After cooling, it should be thick and spreadable.
2
Knead the fritter dough just until it’s smooth and tacky. You actually don’t want to knead it too much, as it can make them way harder to shape.
3
You don’t have to be exactly precise when rolling out the dough, but I found that a 1/4″ rectangle is the easiest size to work with.
4
Roll the dough into a log and place it seam-side down.
5
Use a bench scraper or a large, sharp knife to cut strips diagonally, then cut in the opposite direction to create squares of dough.
6
Use your bench scraper to gently toss the pieces together, then sprinkle with flour and shape them back into a log.
It’s easiest to portion out equal-sized fritters this way.
7
Cut the dough into 8 equal portions, then bring the pieces together into a circle.
8
Dust each portion with flour and use your hand to flatten them to roughly 1/4″ thickness before transferring them to parchment paper squares.
9
Make sure your oil is nice and hot within ~15 minutes of shaping.
Before throwing them in the fryer, use your hand to flatten them again if they start to puff up a little.
10
Once golden brown, let them cool completely before dunking each one in the strawberry glaze.
This recipe took me so long to test and perfect, but it was so worth it 😭
Once you get comfortable making fritters, you’ll have to work your way through other fruit variations like my brown butter peach fritters or other fried treats like my strawberry glazed donuts.
Enjoy!
— Cambrea
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Strawberry Fritters
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Filling
- 3 cups quartered fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Pinch fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
For the Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, (Plus extra for rolling out and dusting) *See notes below for measuring.*
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed to 110-115°F
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- Neutral oil for frying, like canola or vegetable
For the Strawberry Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons dried strawberry powder
- 5 tablespoons room temperature water
Instructions
Make the strawberry Filling
- In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 35–40 minutes, or until the berries have broken down and the mixture is dark red, really thick, and jammy.3 cups (400 g) quartered fresh strawberries, 2 tablespoons (28 g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, Pinch fine sea salt
- In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Add it to the strawberries and cook for 2–3 minutes longer, or until the filling is thick enough to hold its shape when dragged with a spatula, with no visible liquid pooling in the pan.2 teaspoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons water
- Transfer the filling to a shallow bowl and refrigerate until completely cooled. The strawberry filling must be completely cold before assembling the fritters. After cooling, it should be thick and spreadable.
Make the Fritter Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.3 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup (66 g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons (6 g) instant yeast, 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt
- Add the warm milk, egg, and egg yolk. Using the dough hook, knead on low speed until a rough dough forms, about 3 minutes.3/4 cup (182 g) whole milk, 1 (55 g) large egg, 1 (18 g) large egg yolk
- With the mixer running on low speed, add the butter 1/2 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to fully incorporate before adding more.2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- Once all of the butter has been added, continue kneading for 5-7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixing bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1–2 hours.
Assemble & Fry the Fritters
- Begin heating 2–3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 365°F (185°C). Line two baking sheets with wire racks. Cut out 8 squares of parchment paper, roughly 5×4 inches. Set aside.Neutral oil for frying
- Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 15×13-inch rectangle.
- Spread the cooled strawberry filling into an even layer across the surface, then sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour over it.
- Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a log.
- Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut the log diagonally into 1/2- to 1-inch strips. Cut across the strips in the opposite direction to create small pieces of dough.
- Sprinkle the dough pieces with another tablespoon of flour, then gently gather them back into a rough log shape.
- Cut the log into 8 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time, gently bring the dough pieces together, sprinkle the top with flour, then flip it, flour-side down, onto a square of parchment paper. Sprinkle the top with a bit more flour, then press it into a 1/2-inch-thick disc. Set aside.
- When the oil reaches 365°F (185°C), fry one fritter at a time, maintaining an oil temperature between 355–365°F (180–185°C).
- Using a skimmer slotted spoon, flip the fritter, parchment side up, into the spoon, gently peel the parchment paper off, then lower the fritter into the oil.
- Fry for 1 1/2–2 minutes per side, or until deep golden brown.
- Transfer the fritter to the prepared wire rack and repeat with the remaining fritters.
Make the Strawberry Glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, strawberry powder, and water until smooth.2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons (8 g) dried strawberry powder, 5 tablespoons (64 g) room temperature water
- Dip the tops of the fritters into the glaze, allowing any excess to drip off. Return them to the wire rack and let the glaze set before serving.
