These Apple Friands are deliciously soft and light, filled with lemony ricotta and caramelised cinnamon apples. Small, moist and full of flavour, they make a delightful treat for afternoon tea or a special snack.
A friand is the perfect way to use leftover egg whites. Whisked to soft peaks and folded into almond flour, icing sugar and melted butter, the result is tender little cakes with a delicate crumb. These apple friands add two extra elements — a lemon-scented ricotta filling and caramelised apple pieces spiced with cinnamon — that elevate a simple bake into something truly special.
Friands (sometimes called financiers) come from France and are widely enjoyed in Australia and New Zealand. They are typically quick to make, but this version requires a few extra steps to caramelise the apple and prepare the lemon ricotta. The effort is worthwhile: creamy ricotta contrasts beautifully with buttery apple topping, giving a luxurious yet approachable bake.
Why You’ll Love These Gluten-Free Apple Friands
- The little lemony ricotta dollop inside each friand adds freshness and soft contrast to the almond base.
- Cinnamon-spiced, buttery apple pieces caramelise on top while baking and add a rich, glossy finish.
- These can be baked in a friand pan or a standard muffin tin.
- Suitable as a gluten-free recipe when you use any plain all-purpose gluten-free flour; xanthan gum is not required due to the high almond content.
Gluten-free friands
Converting friands to gluten-free is straightforward: replace plain flour with your preferred all-purpose gluten-free flour. These friands rely mainly on almond flour for structure and texture, so the small quantity of gluten-free flour only lightens the crumb. This makes the recipe forgiving and reliable across brands.
Ingredients needed
Apples: Granny Smith or Bramley work well — they hold their shape when cooked.
Butter: Unsalted is preferred and should be softened or melted as required in the recipe.
Icing sugar: powdered sugar for sweetness and dusting.
Ricotta: makes a light, creamy filling with bright lemon flavour.
Lemon: zest and a squeeze of juice; choose an unwaxed lemon or wash the skin well.
Vanilla extract: use a good-quality extract for the best flavour.
Almond flour: use blanched ground almonds (often labelled as ground almonds).
All-purpose gluten-free flour: any reliable brand will do; this recipe was developed with a plain gluten-free flour.
Egg whites: the recipe uses egg whites only — about 180 g (roughly 6 medium egg whites).
Spices: ground cinnamon and a little nutmeg complement the apple topping.
Salt: a pinch of salt enhances and balances the flavours.
How to make apple friands
Summary of the method — see recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and timings.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan. Add 1 tablespoon icing sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Add diced apples and fry for about 5 minutes until beginning to caramelise. Remove from heat and cool.
- In a small bowl combine ricotta with 1 teaspoon vanilla, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon icing sugar until smooth; set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / gas mark 4. Butter a 12-hole friand tin or muffin pan.
- In a large bowl mix almond flour, gluten-free flour, 240 g icing sugar (if using the full recipe), ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Whisk the egg whites until light and foamy, then fold them gently into the dry mixture. Stir in the cooled melted butter until combined.
- Divide the batter into the moulds, spoon a little ricotta onto each portion, then top with a few caramelised apple pieces.
- Bake until golden and set (about 20–25 minutes depending on oven and pan). Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
FAQs
A heavy friand tin gives the nicest shape and even browning, but a regular muffin tin will work fine if you don’t have a specialised pan.
Store friands at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Flash-freeze friands in a single layer on a baking tray, then transfer to a sealed bag once fully frozen. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
For dairy-free friands omit the ricotta filling and replace the butter with melted coconut oil in the rest of the recipe.
More Friand Recipes You’ll Love
- Blood Orange Buckwheat Hazelnut Friands
- Gooseberry Custard Friands
- Lemon Raspberry Friands
Apple Friands with Ricotta
These Apple Friands are soft and light, filled with lemony ricotta and topped with caramelised cinnamon apples. They are moist, flavourful and ideal for teatime.
Ingredients
Caramelised apples
- 3 apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- squeeze of lemon juice
Ricotta stuffing
- 160 g ricotta
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
Friands
- 240 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 160 g ground almonds
- 100 g gluten-free flour
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- 200 g butter, melted and cooled
- 180 g egg whites (about 6 medium)
Instructions
Caramelised apples
- Melt butter in a saucepan, add icing sugar, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice, then add the apple pieces.
- Fry for about 5 minutes until just starting to soften, then remove from the heat and cool.
Ricotta stuffing
- Mix ricotta with vanilla, lemon zest and icing sugar until smooth. Set aside.
Friands
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / gas mark 4. Butter a 12-hole friand or muffin tin.
- Mix ground almonds with gluten-free flour, icing sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Whisk egg whites until light and foamy.
- Fold the egg whites into the almond mixture, then stir in the cooled melted butter.
- Divide batter between the moulds, add a spoonful of the ricotta mixture to each and top with a few caramelised apple pieces.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and set. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Notes
Apples: Granny Smiths hold up well; Bramley apples are also suitable.
Flour: Any reliable plain gluten-free flour will work; the recipe is forgiving because almond flour does most of the structural work.
Freezing: Flash-freeze friands on a tray, transfer to a sealed bag and defrost at room temperature when needed.
Measurements: The recipe was tested using metric measurements. Using a digital scale will give the most consistent results.
Nutrition
Approximate per friand: Calories 377 kcal, Carbohydrates 37 g, Protein 7 g, Fat 24 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Sugar 27 g, Fibre 3 g. Nutrition will vary by brand and exact ingredients used.