Churro Funnel Cake

If you’ve ever had a Churro Funnel Cake from Disneyland, you know why it’s a favorite treat! It’s made from deep fried funnel cake, coated in cinnamon sugar, drizzled with caramel sauce, and topped with whipped cream.

It’s like a funnel cake and sugary churro combined into one delicious dessert! This is definitely a copycat recipe we’ll make from home frequently.

Our Favorite Disney Treat!

I know I have a lot of “favorite” Disney food (like the Churro Toffee or Safari Skewers), but I’m not joking when I say this is by far my favorite treat/dessert! I literally get one (or two, or three…) every time I visit the Disney parks!

It’s everything you love about a deep fried funnel cake, but covered in a delicious cinnamon sugar coating just like a churro. To make it just like the ones at Disneyland, I drizzle my churro funnel cakes with caramel syrup and top it with a Mickey Mouse shaped pile of whipped cream.

I can’t decide whether I’m glad to finally have a version of this recipe I can make at home, or whether I’m afraid for my waistline now that I have access to this treat any time I please. 😉

Regardless, I hope you give this Churro Funnel Cake a try and enjoy it *almost* as much as I do.

How to Make Churro Funnel Cakes

PREP. Pour vegetable oil in a frying pan (about 1 inch high) on medium high heat (You want it to be around 350 degrees). Place cinnamon and sugar in a shallow dish and mix well. Set aside.

BATTER. Mix eggs, milk. Salt, baking powder and flour in a medium bowl until it’s a smooth batter. Pour batter into a funnel, blocking the tip of the funnel with your finger.

FRY. If you have a metal funnel cake ring, place that in the oil. Position funnel over the hot oil and slowly move your finger so batter comes out in a steady stream. Make circular and crisscross motions to form a funnel cake. (If using the ring, pour batter around the edges first about 3 times before crisscrossing in the middle). Cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Using tongs, flip the funnel cake so each side is browned. Remove to a paper towel to drain for a few seconds.

TOPPINGS. Dip funnel cake in cinnamon and sugar mixture, spooning over to make sure it gets on the funnel cake. Drizzle with caramel and top with Mickey-shaped whipped cream.

RECIPE TIPS

• The oil needs to be HOT! Use a thermometer if possible to get it around 350 degrees.
• Squeeze Bottles actually work better than funnels. Find an old ketchup bottle or something similar that is clean that you can pour the batter into. It makes cooking the funnel cakes so much easier. 
• Use a spatula along with the tongs. Use the tongs to make sure the batter is submerged in the oil and use both the tongs and metal spatula to flip the cake. 

More Tips + Storing

Pre-make and freeze the mickey whipped cream toppers: 

1. Line a baking tray with wax or parchment paper. 
2. Place a starred top (like the Ateco #32) into a pastry bag, then fill the bag with whipped cream.
3. Pipe out the Mickey head shape onto the wax paper. To make the “face” start in the center and pipe outward in a circular motion until you reach the desired circumference. Top with ears using the same technique. 
4. Place in the freezer. They’ll be set and ready to use when your funnel cakes finish cooking. Freezing the shape will make sure that you have a beautiful piped design and the heat from the funnel cake will soften the frozen cream making a creamy churro treat. 

If you’d rather pipe the whipped cream directly onto the churro you can. Simply fill the piping bag with whipped cream and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to top. You can also chill it in the freezer, but be sure it doesn’t get too frozen that you can’t squeeze anything out.

Another option to get a creamy design is to use whipped cream in a can.

MAKE AHEAD: These really are best eaten right away. However, you can mix up the batter and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days before using. It’s also a great way to store leftover batter.

Leftover Churro Funnel Cakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Be sure to wrap each cake individually with plastic wrap then place them into a freezer Ziploc.

REHAEAT: For a soft funnel cake you can heat them in the  microwave for a few seconds. For a crispier cake you can put them in the oven or the toaster oven.

For more of our favorite Disney copycat recipe, try:

• Grey Stuff
• Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw
• Dole Whips
• Monte Cristo Sandwich