Soft and Irresistible Pear Fritters

These Pear Fritters are golden and crisp with the soft texture and sweet taste of cubes of pear. They have the fragrant addition of lemon zest which makes them extra special as well! These make an excellent snack or dessert, rolled in sugar for both sweetness and texture before serving. The process of making them is easy, even for the novice baker.

A batter is mixed with eggs, sugar, lemon zest, milk, flour, and baking powder. Then, cubed pears are folded into the batter. Due to the fact it is a loose batter, spoonfuls of it get dropped in hot oil and have a rustic look. Once golden and crisp, they get rolled in sugar for a satisfying crunch.

What are Pear Fritters?

There are many different types of fritters that are made all over the world and they can include meat, fruit, vegetables, or even seafood. The common denominator between fritter recipes is that they include a certain ingredient (like meat, vegetables, or fruit) and a batter.

This pear fritter recipe is a sweet fritter similar to apple fritters. Quite often, apple fritters include additional seasonings like cinnamon and nutmeg, but these pear fritters are more refreshing and rely strictly on the fresh taste of pears and lemon zest.

Pro Tips

• Make sure your pears are ripe but still firm to ensure that you can slice them into nice cubes.
• Any type of pear such as Anjou, Bosc, or Bartlett will work well in this recipe as long as they are ripe.
• When you grate the zest from the lemon, make sure you only get the yellow part as the white part can be bitter.
• When frying the fritters, make sure you use a heavy-bottomed pot to ensure that it will be stable on the stove.
• Ideally, you should fill the pot up to 3 inches with oil and not all the way to the top. This way, the pot won’t bubble over when you add the fritter batter.
• The ideal frying temperature is between 350 F (176 C) and 375 F (190 C) as this will ensure the fritters become golden on the outside and cook through evenly.
• If you don’t have pears on hand, you can feel free to use apples in this recipe instead.

What to Serve with Pear Fritters?

These pear fritters are served simply rolled in sugar. However, to make them a little more special, you could serve them with a bourbon caramel sauce or chocolate sauce for dipping.

Are Pear Fritters a Doughnut or a Pastry?

Pear fritters are more like doughnuts rather than pastries since they are fried in hot oil. Pastries are usually baked goods including enriched doughs like choux pastry, puff pastry, phyllo pastry, or shortcrust pastry.

Why are My Pear Fritters Soggy?

Your pear fritters might be soggy if your frying oil isn’t hot enough. Make sure your frying oil is between 350 F (176 C) and 375 F (190 C) to ensure that the oil is hot enough that they turn golden and cook through evenly, but that it isn’t so cool that it soaks into the batter during cooking.

Should the Pear Fritter Batter Be Thick?

Yes, it should! You want the batter to be thick enough that it sufficiently coats the chunks of pear and is easy to dollop into the hot oil for frying.

How to Store Pear Fritters

Pear fritters are best enjoyed as soon as they are made, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you would like to reheat them, simply bake them in a 350 F (176 C) oven until heated through, about 8 to 10 minutes.

How to Make Pear Fritters

Step 1

Step 1

Step 1: Peel and cut the pears into small pieces.

Step 1: Peel and cut the pears into small pieces.

Step 2

Step 2

Step 2: In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the lemon zest, milk, flour, and baking powder until a lump-free batter is formed.

Step 2: In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the lemon zest, milk, flour, and baking powder until a lump-free batter is formed.

Step 3

Step 3

Step 3: Stir the pears into the batter.

Step 3: Stir the pears into the batter.

Step 4

Step 4

Step 4: Spoon portions of the batter in a pot of hot oil and fry them until they are golden brown.

Step 4: Spoon portions of the batter in a pot of hot oil and fry them until they are golden brown.

Step 5

Step 5

Step 5: Roll the fritters in sugar to coat them completely.

Step 5: Roll the fritters in sugar to coat them completely.

Step 6

Step 6

Step 6: Serve them immediately!

Step 6: Serve them immediately!