Pear Fritters with Maple-Honey Glaze

It seems fitting that this recipe blends two of my greatest loves—pears and fritter donuts.  I’ve been a massive apple fritter obsessive for years, but when I saw this recipe for pear fritters my internal monologue went YUP THAT’S HAPPENING.

The daunting thing that’s always kept me from trying to make them myself has been the deep-frying part.  It just terrifies me.  These side-step that slightly, frying in a skillet vs. a deep fryer.  But it’s still kind of disconcerting for me.

And I also gravitate toward the ones that are dough-based (like a donut) rather than batter.  However, the major upside to batter is that it comes together so fast…no time to rise, cut, re-rise.  These are ready to devour in less than 30 minutes, which is BOMB.

And then there’s the absolutely crave-worthy glaze.  It was originally just a honey glaze, but maple and pear are such good friends that I couldn’t resist.  If you’re feeling really EXTRA, you could swap bourbon for the milk, because…why not??

Chop the pears into small cubes and set aside. 

In a large skillet, add about two inches of neutral oil and heat on medium-low to medium. 

In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, vanilla extract, almond extract, eggs, brown sugar, lemon zest, and melted butter. Whisk together until smooth.

Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg.   

Mix together until just combined, then add in chopped pears. Fold together until the pears are fully incorporated. 

Once the oil is hot (preferably reaching around 350 degrees F if using a candy thermometer), spoon 3 heaping tablespoons of batter into skillet.  I used a small ice cream scoop for this. 

You want the batter to spread out more vs. being in more of a ball (or they’ll be underdone).  Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Once cooked, remove from oil with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel to drain, then move to a cooling rack.

To make the glaze, add the honey, maple syrup, butter, powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to a bowl and whisk together.  I strongly recommend sifting the powdered sugar to avoid lumps.

Brush your pear fritters with the glaze, or (my preferred method) quickly dunk them in it on each side.  Set on a cooling rack to set…I put my cooling rack on top of a baking tray with foil for easy cleanup. 

It’s best to let the glaze set a bit, but I honestly couldn’t resist devouring a couple fresh and warm.  

These pear fritters feel so special and yet I made them in like 30 minutes…that’s what I call a return on investment!

Other delicious pear treats you’ll love:

• Pear Hazelnut Cake With Rosemary Honey Glaze
• Bourbon Pear Crumble Pie
• Easy Pear Torte
• Bittersweet Chocolate & Pear Cake

Adapted from Britney Breaks Bread

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Pear Fritters with Maple-Honey Glaze

Yield: 9-10 fritters

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

These super easy & delicious pear fritters with maple-honey glaze are a perfect fall treat, and come together in less than 30 minutes!

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Ingredients

• FRITTERS
• 2 ripe pears (Bartlett are sweet & work great)
• 1/2 cup of buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons of butter, melted
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt (3/4 teaspoon if using Diamond Kosher)
• 1/2 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• Neutral oil for frying (e.g. avocado, canola, grapeseed)
• MAPLE-HONEY GLAZE
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons of butter, melted
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons of milk (or you could substitute bourbon)
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon   

Instructions

1. Chop the pears into small cubes and set aside.  In a skillet, add about 2 inches of neutral oil and heat on medium-low to medium.
2. In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, vanilla extract, almond extract, eggs, brown sugar, lemon zest, and melted butter. Whisk together until smooth.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg.  Mix together until just combined, then add in chopped pears. Fold together until the pears are fully incorporated.
4. Once the oil is hot (preferably reaching around 350 degrees F if using a candy thermometer), spoon 3 heaping tablespoons of batter into skillet.  I used a small ice cream scoop for this.  You want the batter to spread out more vs. being in more of a ball (or they'll be underdone). 
5. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.
6. Once cooked, remove from oil with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel to drain, then move to a cooling rack.
7. To make the glaze, add the honey, maple syrup, butter, powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to a bowl and whisk together.  I strongly recommend sifting the powdered sugar to avoid lumps.
8. Brush your pear fritters with the glaze, or (my preferred method) quickly dunk them in it on each side.  Set on a cooling rack to set...I put my cooling rack on top of a baking tray with foil for easy cleanup. 

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