Everyone loves the funnel cakes from the carnivals and fair. Now you can make them at home with this easy funnel cake recipe. Top it with powdered sugar, fruit, whipped cream, chocolate, caramel or all of the above!
Now you can make one of your favorite fair foods at home! This yummy dessert is simple and delicious, just like our Fried Oreos and Caramel Apples! Serve it with warm chocolate fudge syrup and powdered sugar making it heaven-sent.
Homemade Fair food
It’s no secret that my family loves dessert. So much of what we do revolves around food and treats, and there are so many recipes that have become family favorites over the years.
This next recipe for Homemade Funnel Cakes happens to be one of those. We have it at least every other month as we gather on Sunday nights to let the cousins play and to have an extended family dinner.
We especially crave this mouth-watering Funnel cake recipe in the fall when it cools down, but that doesn’t mean we don’t make them all year long – because we do (along with our Cookie Bars and Sheet Cake). 😉
We’ve been using this Funnel Cakes recipe for as long as I can remember. Half of us like it with powdered sugar while the other half loves it with a homemade fudge sauce. Although we don’t go to the fair often to have these guys, it’s a treat we ALWAYS get when we go to Disneyland, and I’m happy to say we can still enjoy that treat at home.
simple Ingredients
We love that we always have the ingredients for the funnel cake batter on hand. Yes, that does make it more of a temptation to make often, but they’re worth it!! Here are the basic funnel cake mix ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:
- eggs
- milk
- salt
- baking powder
- flour
- oil for frying
You probably have all of these in your pantry, huh? So simple to gather these items for this treat.
How to Make Funnel Cake
Once you have the ingredients gathered, making the funnel cakes are fairly simple. Just do the following:
OIL. Pour vegetable oil in a frying page (at least 1 inch high) on medium – high heat.
BATTER. Then, pour all the ingredients for the funnel cake batter into a bowl and whisk until the batter is smooth. It will look similar to pancake batter.
FUNNEL. Then, pour the batter into a funnel or squeeze bottle (if using a funnel, block the tip of it with your finger before pouring).
FRY. Position the funnel over the hot oil and slowly squeeze the batter in a circular and criss-cross motion over the oil OR move your fingers so batter comes out in a stead stream. Make circular and crisscross motions to form a funnel cake.
FLIP. Using tongs, flip the funnel cake so easy side is browned. Remove to a power towel to drain. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy warm.
Variations + Substitutions
Can you make funnel cake mix from pancake mix? Yes, you can – just mix together 1/4-1/3 water, 1 egg, and 1 tsp vanilla. Add 1/3 cup pancake mix and mix until combined. Then, you can add this to your squeeze bottle.
How to Make Funnel cake fries and bites? Another variation is to make funnel cake fries or bites.
- For funnel cake fries: follow the instructions as written except pipe the batter in long straight lines into oil. Fry until golden and remove.
- For funnel cake bites: Use cookie scooper to drop the batter into the oil. Fry until golden brown and remove.
Tips for Making Funnel Cake:
We’ve been making these for so long that they’ve become go-to treats in the family. We want them to be the same for your family, so here are some of our best tips for making homemade funnel cakes:
- The oil needs to be HOT! If you want it to cook properly, be sure to use hot oil so that it cooks quickly and starts to make the funnel cake strands we all know and love.
- 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 tongs and a spatula while cooking. 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. 😉
Our favorite funnel cake sauce – homemade hot fudge sauce!!
TOPPINGS + TIPS
There are so many great toppings to add to your funnel cake. It all depends on what you like, but here are some of our favorites:
- whipped cream
- fruit – strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and peaches are our favs!
- chocolate fudge sauce
- caramel sauce
- powdered sugar
Can funnel cake batter be refrigerated? Yes, you can make the batter ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and still be able to make a delicious funnel cake.
How long do funnel cakes last? Like most fried foods, they don’t last long. Having said that, the batter can be made in advance and can last in the fridge (if stored properly) for up to 4-5 days.
Can you reheat funnel cake? If you happen to find that you have left over funnel cakes you can store them in an airtight container the fridge for later. For a soft funnel cake you can microwave them. For a crispier cake you can put them in the over or the toaster.
Can you freeze funnel cakes? Just let your cakes come to room temp, then wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. It definitely want taste as great as it did fresh but can be made a little crispy and warm if reheated in the microwave.
My mouth is watering just looking at this picture! With it being fall, you can definitely bet we’ll be making this ASAP (even though we like making it all year long.)
As I mentioned we are more of the fudge sauce and powdered sugar type, but you can also top it with caramel or add a variety of berries and whipped cream on top. Either way you have it, I promise it will be enjoyed and devoured in about .2 seconds. 😉
For more fair food recipes, check out:
Funnel Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups flour
- oil for frying
Instructions
-
Pour vegetable oil in a frying pan (about 1 inch high) on medium high heat.
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Mix ingredients into a smooth batter.
-
Poor batter into a funnel, blocking the tip of the funnel with your finger. 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.
-
Using tongs, flip the funnel cake so each side is browned. Remove to a paper towel to drain.
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Enjoy with desired toppings.
Recipe Video
YUM! Our family loves funnel cake too, and this is close to the recipe we use 🙂 Tip for those folks who don’t have a funnel… Pour the batter into a heavy duty zip top bag, snip a small portion off the bottom corner of the bag, and gently squeeze the batter into the hot oil in crosshatches and zigzags for each cake. Super simple and easy cleanup to boot!
Great tip, Stephanie! We also will pour the batter into a plastic squeeze bottle and use that too. Super easy and it makes the BEST funnel cakes!!
I love funnel cakes. It brings such sweet memories of growing up and going to the local fair every year. So much fun!! This will be a great, surprise dessert for my girls this fall. Thanks for the recipe!!
Oh, your girls will love them. Back in AZ, we had them ALL the time… I need to make some asap – they’re my FAV!
I know is early but this sound great for breakfast right now 😉
They’re great any time of day!! 😉
Looks amazing! Pinned!
THANK YOU!!
Wow! That looks so good. Better than the ones at the fair.
xoxo
They really are so delicious!! Add some of the homemade chocolate fudge sauce and it’s practically heaven!! 😉
Just curious if anyone has any suggestions as to why it doesn’t quite taste like funnel cake at the fairs,etc.
I followed the recipe exact, but it’s like it’s missing some flavor. Just doesn’t really have the taste I find the events funnel cakes taste like. Want to figure it out. Thanks in advance!!
Although they don’t taste exactly the same they still taste great. I’m thinking at the fairs they probably add lard and use a real deep fryer. 😉
Add vanilla extract
These are pretty close to tasting authentic. I found that after adding 1 tsp of granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, these are dead on! Thanks so much for the recipe!!
I’m absolutely in love with funnel cakes! I usually don’t eat them until the fair comes to town. I’ve been looking for a simple recipe to follow and this is the one! I must ask, how many servings are in this recipe?
It really is super simple. It depends on how big you make them but we can usually get about 6 medium size cakes out of it. 😉
This is so good
SO glad you like it! They’re our favorite. 😀
The funnel cake recipe was delicious!!! I made a strawberry sauce to pour over it!!! Thank you!
I love funnel cakes!! Strawberry sauce sounds so good! Thanks for letting me know!
what is the temp for the oil?
Do you have a printed cookbook? If not… you need to!!!! I love your recipes!!! They remind me of my moms cooking!! Thx is for sharing your Hid given talent!!
Awe, you are so nice!! I do have E-books that you could get 🙂 Thank you so much!
Yum! I can’t wait to try this!
Let me know what you think 🙂 Hope you like them!
I love fair food and funnel cakes are my favorite!
Funnel cakes are my fav too! Thank you!
Just what I needed to learn how to make at home! NOT! Looks so delicious!
Haha!! Once in a while 🙂 Thanks!
I know my family is going to be asking me to make this for them all the time now! Sounds like a win/win to me!! Yum!!
Total win!! They are always a hit! Hope your family enjoys them!
I haven’t been to a single faire this year so I missed all the funnel cake…now I can make some at home! Thanks!
They are even better at home 😉 Enjoy!
What a fun treat to make at home!
It sure is!! No need for the fair 🙂
I am so excited that I can have these anytime & not have to wait for the fair!! I love adding the hot fudge! These are the best! Thank you!
This was so good and easier than I thought it would be. My kids love it with chocolate sauce, but my husband and I like to put fruit on it.
My husband loves funnel cake andbi look it up i like the way you yours so am going to try thank you
They are so good!! I hope he likes them!! Thanks!!
tHIS FUNNEL CAKE DEFINITELY TAKES ME BACK TO THE FAIR! lOVE THE CHOCOLATE AND POWDERED SUGAR ON TOP. tHE HUBBY LIKES STRAWBERRIES. i LIKE THAT WE BOTH CAN HAVE WHAT WE LOVE 🙂
Have you tried rolling the oreos in milk chocolate and then rice crispys?
I haven’t, but I will try 🙂 Thanks!
We all like funnel cakes. They taste just like the ones at the fair. Warm and crisp with ooey gooey hot fUdge sauce and sometimes a splash of whip cream.
A fairly eaSy dessert thats just like the stuff you get at the fair. The kids love the warmth of this dessert with goOey hot fudge or powdered sugar.
These Funnel cakes are so fun to make as a family! Yummy traditions!
TrIed making this recipe with the amount of flour the recipe asks for, but the batter was much too thin. I assume that the measurements here dont match up with the official weight measurement for flour.
I am sorry it did 🙁 I haven’t had that issue, so I am not sure what happened.