In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the applesauce, milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir together until the ingredients are well combined.
Using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, gently fold in apple pieces.
Fry the donuts
Heat a Dutch oven or other large deep pot with about 2-3" of vegetable oil until the oil starts to sizzle slightly around 280°F. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and set aside.
Using two tablespoons, gently lower a huge tablespoon full of the batter into the oil and slightly flatten into a disc-like shape with one tablespoon while holding the batter down with the other. Or you can simply scoop a couple of tablespoons of batter out and carefully drop them into the oil.
Repeat until you have 3-4 fritters frying. Take care not to crowd the pan.
Once the bottoms of each fritter begins to brown, carefully flip over with a slotted spoon.
Fry until both sides are golden brown, which takes about 3-4 minutes per side.
Using a slotted spoon, gently lift each cooked fritter out of the hot oil and place onto the prepared wire rack to drain off excess oil and allow the fritters to cool down.
Continue frying the remaining batter. This batter makes approximately 15 fritters, if each fritter is approximately 3" wide.
Glaze the donuts
In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and milk to create the glaze. If the glaze is too thick, add a teaspoon of milk at a time. If the glaze is too thin, add about one tablespoon of powdered sugar to the mixture until the glaze reaches the desired consistency.
Carefully dip the slightly cooled fried fritters into the glaze then place back on the wire rack so the excess glaze drips off the donuts. Alternatively, you can use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the tops of the donuts.
Serve immediately.
Notes
Makes approximately 15 donutsMake it dairy-free: substitute almond milk for the regular milk in the batter and in the glaze. Substitute vegan butter for regular butter in the batter. Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Toreheat: For best results, reheat in an air fryer at 350°F for 1-2 minutes, just until heated through. You can also reheat apple fritters in the microwave, but they may not be as crispy reheated.