Sourdough Blueberry Fritter Bites
These Sourdough Blueberry Fritter Bites are soft, tender, and incredibly fluffy on the inside with a beautifully golden exterior that makes every single bite absolutely irresistible. The sourdough discard adds a perfect subtle tang and incredible depth of flavor while bright, juicy blueberries are studded throughout every single bite. Fried until perfectly golden and coated in a silky vanilla bean glaze that melts into every crack and crevice — these fritter bites are the best served warm with a hot cup of coffee!
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Ingredients You Need:
Full ingredients and recipe are in the recipe card below. Read through this section for all the ingredients substitution and baking tips!
All-Purpose Flour: The base of the fritter batter that provides structure while keeping the interior soft, light, and perfectly tender in every single bite.
Granulated Sugar: Adds a subtle sweetness to the fritter batter and helps create that perfectly golden and slightly crisp exterior on every single fritter bite.
Brown Sugar: Adds a deep, molasses-like sweetness and a warm depth of flavor to the fritter batter that pairs beautifully with the subtle sourdough tang and bright blueberries throughout.
Baking Powder: Provides the lift needed to make these fritter bites incredibly fluffy and light with a beautiful, airy interior throughout.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors throughout the fritter batter and the vanilla bean glaze.
Milk: Adds moisture and helps create a smooth, well-combined fritter batter — any milk of choice works well in both the fritter batter and the vanilla bean glaze.
Sourdough Discard: The key ingredient that gives these blueberry fritter bites their signature subtle tang and incredible depth of flavor that takes them completely over the top and makes them truly unique from any other fritter recipe — Greek yogurt or sour cream works as a substitute.
Eggs: Provide structure, richness, and stability to the fritter batter while helping the bites hold together and fry up perfectly golden and fluffy throughout.
Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract: Adds a warm, sweet, and aromatic flavor that enhances both the fritter batter and the silky vanilla bean glaze throughout.
Salted Butter: Melted into the fritter batter for a rich, buttery depth of flavor that keeps the interior incredibly soft and tender — also melted into the vanilla bean glaze for a silky, smooth, and perfectly glossy coating.
Blueberries: The star of these fritter bites — fresh or frozen wild or regular blueberries are folded gently into the batter for bright, juicy pockets of fresh blueberry flavor in every single bite. Frozen wild blueberries are recommended as they are smaller and hold their shape beautifully during frying.
Avocado Oil: A neutral, high smoke point oil that is ideal for frying the fritter bites to a perfectly golden exterior without any unwanted flavor throughout.
Powdered Sugar: The base of the silky vanilla bean glaze that creates a smooth, beautiful, and perfectly glossy coating that melts into every crack and crevice of each warm fritter bite.
Why You’ll Love Sourdough Blueberry Fritter Bites:
Soft, Tender, And Incredibly Fluffy On The Inside: These fritter bites are incredibly soft, tender, and fluffy on the inside with a light, airy interior that melts in your mouth with every single bite.
Beautifully Golden Exterior: Each fritter bite fries up with a perfectly golden and beautifully crisp exterior that gives the most satisfying texture contrast with the soft, tender, and fluffy inside.
That Perfect Subtle Sourdough Tang: The sourdough discard adds a perfect subtle tang and incredible depth of flavor that takes these fritter bites completely over the top and makes them truly unique from any other blueberry fritter recipe.
Bright And Juicy Blueberries Throughout: Sweet and bright blueberries are studded throughout every single fritter bite for a burst of fresh, juicy blueberry flavor in every single bite that pairs perfectly with the subtle sourdough tang.
That Silky Vanilla Bean Glaze: The silky vanilla bean glaze coats every single crack and crevice of each warm fritter bite for a sweet, aromatic, and beautifully glossy finish that makes them look and taste absolutely stunning.
The Perfect Bite-Sized Treat: These fritter bites are the perfect pop-in-your-mouth size that makes them completely irresistible and impossible to eat just one — perfect for sharing or keeping all to yourself.
Served Warm For The Best Experience: These fritter bites are at their absolute best served warm straight from the glaze with a hot cup of coffee — the glaze is perfectly silky and the inside is incredibly soft, tender, and fluffy.
Perfect For Any Occasion: Whether it is a weekend morning, a holiday brunch, a special breakfast treat, or any time a fritter craving hits, these sourdough blueberry fritter bites are always the ultimate crowd-pleasing treat.
Tips for Making Sourdough Blueberry Fritter Bites:
Make The Glaze First: Prepare the vanilla bean glaze before starting the fritter batter or heating the oil so it is ready to go the moment the fritter bites come out of the oil — dipping them while still warm is the key to that perfectly silky and glossy coating.
Heat The Oil While Preparing The Batter: Start heating the oil while you prepare the fritter batter so it reaches the correct temperature right as the batter is ready — this keeps the process efficient and ensures the fritter bites go straight into the hot oil without any delay.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Milk, sourdough discard, and eggs should all be at room temperature so they incorporate evenly into the batter for the smoothest, most consistent result.
Use Room Temperature Sourdough Discard: Make sure the sourdough discard is at room temperature before adding it to the batter — cold discard can affect how evenly the ingredients incorporate and may result in a less tender and fluffy final fritter bite.
Stream In The Melted Butter While Whisking: Stream the melted butter into the wet ingredients slowly as you continuously whisk — it is completely okay if the butter curdles slightly and the mixture turns a little lumpy at this stage.
Don't Overmix The Batter: Fold the dry and wet ingredients together until just combined — the batter will be sticky and that is completely normal. Overmixing will result in dense, tough fritter bites rather than soft, tender, and fluffy ones.
Fold The Blueberries In Gently: Add the blueberries last and fold them in very gently until just evenly dispersed — folding too aggressively can break the blueberries and turn the batter purple.
Use Frozen Wild Blueberries For The Best Results: Frozen wild blueberries are smaller and hold their shape better during frying — if using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before folding into the batter for the best result.
Use A Medium Cookie Scoop For Consistent Sizing: A medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons) ensures each fritter bite is the same size for the most consistent frying time and the most beautiful, uniform result every single time.
Use A Thermometer For The Oil — And Keep It There: The oil should be between 360F–370F before frying and it is strongly recommended to keep the thermometer in the oil throughout the entire frying process — the temperature will fluctuate as you add and remove fritter bites and maintaining the correct temperature is the key to perfectly golden and cooked-through bites every single time.
Allow The Oil To Return To Temperature Between Batches: After each batch of fritter bites, allow the oil to return to 360F–370F before adding the next batch — frying in oil that is too cool will result in greasy, undercooked fritter bites.
Fry In Batches Of 6–8: Fry only 6–8 fritter bites at a time depending on the size of your pot — overcrowding the pot will lower the oil temperature too quickly and result in uneven frying throughout.
Dip In Glaze While Still Warm: Dip the fritter bites into the vanilla bean glaze while they are still warm so the glaze coats every single crack and crevice evenly and sets into that signature silky and glossy finish.
Serve Immediately For The Best Experience: These fritter bites are at their absolute best served warm straight from the glaze with a hot cup of coffee — the glaze is perfectly silky and the inside is incredibly soft, tender, and fluffy.
How to Store Sourdough Blueberry Fritter Bites:
Best Served Fresh: These sourdough blueberry fritter bites are at their absolute best served warm and fresh the day they are made. The exterior is perfectly golden and the vanilla bean glaze is at its most silky and glossy right after glazing.
Room Temperature (Short-Term): The glazed fritter bites can sit covered at room temperature for up to 1 day. The glaze will set and the exterior will soften slightly as they sit but they will still be incredibly delicious and flavorful in every single bite.
Refrigerator: Store leftover glazed fritter bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep in mind the texture will soften slightly after storing and the glaze may lose some of its silky finish.
To Reheat: Warm individual fritter bites in the microwave for 15–20 seconds until just warmed through — this brings back that soft, tender, and fluffy interior without affecting the glaze too much.
Freezer: Freeze individual unglazed fritter bites in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature, and dip in a fresh batch of vanilla bean glaze before serving for the best result.
Make Ahead (Glaze): The vanilla bean glaze can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Whisk before using and warm slightly if needed to bring back a smooth, silky, and perfectly pourable consistency before dipping the warm fritter bites.
FAQs:
Q: Can I make the vanilla bean glaze ahead of time?
A: Yes. The vanilla bean glaze can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Whisk before using and warm slightly if needed to bring back a smooth, silky, and perfectly pourable consistency before dipping the warm fritter bites.
Q: Can I substitute the sourdough discard?
A: Yes. Greek yogurt or sour cream works well as a substitute for the sourdough discard in this recipe. Keep in mind that the subtle tang and incredible depth of flavor that the sourdough discard adds will be slightly different with the substitution.
Q: Can I use fresh blueberries instead of frozen?
A: Yes. Both fresh and frozen blueberries work well in this recipe. Frozen wild blueberries are recommended as they are smaller, hold their shape better during frying, and do not need to be thawed before folding into the batter.
Q: Can I use a different type of milk?
A: Yes. Any milk of choice works well in both the fritter batter and the vanilla bean glaze — use whatever you have on hand or prefer for the same delicious result throughout.
Q: Why do I need to keep a thermometer in the oil throughout frying?
A: The oil temperature will fluctuate as you add and remove fritter bites from the pot — maintaining the correct temperature of 360F–370F throughout the entire frying process is the key to perfectly golden, cooked-through bites every single time. Too low and the fritter bites will be greasy and undercooked; too high and they will brown too quickly on the outside before cooking through.
Q: Why do I need to let the oil return to temperature between batches?
A: Adding fritter bites to the oil lowers the temperature significantly — allowing the oil to return to 360F–370F between each batch ensures every single fritter bite fries up perfectly golden and cooked-through without being greasy or undercooked.
Q: Can I use a different oil for frying?
A: Yes. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point works well for frying these fritter bites. Avocado oil is recommended for its neutral flavor and high smoke point but vegetable oil or canola oil work well as substitutes.
Q: Can I freeze these fritter bites?
A: Yes. Freeze individual unglazed fritter bites in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature, and dip in a fresh batch of vanilla bean glaze before serving for the best result.
Q: How do I know when the fritter bites are done frying?
A: The fritter bites are done when they are deeply golden brown on both sides — fry for 1–2 minutes on each side and use a slotted spoon or tongs to carefully flip and remove them from the oil at the right time.
Q: Why is it important to dip the fritter bites in the glaze while still warm?
A: Dipping the fritter bites into the vanilla bean glaze while they are still warm allows the glaze to coat every single crack and crevice evenly and sets into that signature silky, glossy, and perfectly sweet finish — waiting too long will cause the glaze to not adhere as well and lose that beautiful coating.
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Make sure to tag me @wellmadebykiley on Instagram and leave a review or comment if you make these sourdough blueberry fritter bites. Happy baking!
