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We love our homemade funnel cake recipe that is a best-loved fair food. Create your own at home and top with all of your favorite toppings!
This yummy dessert is simple and delicious, just like our Fried Oreos and Caramel Apples! Serve funnel cake with warm Hot Fudge Sauce and powdered sugar for perfection.
Funnel Cakes Are a Family Fav!
We’ve been making homemade funnel cakes since I was a little girl. They’re a family favorite dessert that we all enjoy and LOVE making!
Here is why we love them:
- They’re incredible delicious! They’re fried and covered in powdered sugar, chocolate sauce, berries and whipped cream. What’s not to love?
- Few ingredients. Not only do they take a few ingredients, but they are pantry staples that you probably have on hand.
- Easy to change up. Based on the toppings and mix-ins, you can easily change this recipe to fit any occasion!
Ingredients
- vegetable oil for frying- you will need an oil with a high smoke point such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil.
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- milk
- eggs
- Toppings- choose from Whipped Cream, fresh strawberries or blueberries, Chocolate Sauce, Caramel Sauce, Strawberry Sauce, powdered sugar, Vanilla Ice Cream, cinnamon sugar mix
Our Favorite Kit
We love this Funnel Cake kit from Amazon that comes with a large pouring container, metal ring for frying and tongs. We also have gifted it to other funnel cake lovers.
How to Make A Funnel Cake
- OIL. Pour vegetable oil into a skillet (at least 1 inch deep) on medium-high heat.
- BATTER. Add all the wet ingredients and dry ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk until the batter is smooth. It will look similar to pancake batter.
- FUNNEL. Pour the batter into a funnel, squeeze bottle, or piping bag. If using a funnel, block the spout with your finger before pouring.
- FRY. Position the funnel over the hot oil and slowly pour the batter in a criss-cross and swirling motion over the oil.
- FLIP. Using tongs, flip the funnel cake so each side is browned. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy warm.
Cooking Tips
Here are some of our best tips for these:
- Hot oil. 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. The best temperature to heat oil for funnel cakes is 375°F.
- Squeeze bottles actually work better than funnels. Find an old ketchup bottle or something similar. Clean and fill with the batter. 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.
- EXTRA HELP – We love our Funnel Cake Kit that comes with the pitcher and metal ring. Simply, stick the ring in the hot oil and pour the batter back in forth in there for the perfect funnel cake.
Variations
- Pancake mix. Do not use a pancake recipe to make the batter. However, the ingredients are so similar that you can use ⅓ cup dry pancake mix and add ¼-⅓ water, 1 egg, and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix until combined.
- 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 (like a churro). Fry until golden and remove.
- For funnel cake bites: Use a cookie scoop to drop the batter into the oil. Fry until golden brown and remove.
TOPPINGS
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
- Fresh fruit – strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and peaches are our favorites
- Chocolate Sauce
- Caramel Sauce
- Strawberry Sauce
- dust of powdered sugar
- a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream
- sprinkle on a cinnamon sugar mixture
Storing info
- STORE. Like most fried foods, they don’t last long. Having said that, the funnel cake batter can be made in advance and can last in the fridge (if stored properly) for up to 4-5 days.
- Reheat. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for later. For a soft funnel cake, microwave them. For a crispier cake, put them in the oven or the toaster.
- FREEZE. Let cakes come to room temperature, then wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. It definitely won’t taste as great as it did fresh but can be made a little crispy and warm if reheated in the oven or air fryer.
For More FAir Food Recipes, Try:
Funnel Cake
Homemade funnel cake is best-loved fried fair food. Create your own at home and top with all of your favorite toppings!
Equipment
Ingredients
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups milk
- 2 eggs
Toppings
- whipped cream, fruit, chocolate fudge sauce, caramel sauce, powdered sugar
Instructions
- Pour about 1 inch of vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat over medium-high heat to 375°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1½ cups milk, and 2 eggs.
- Pour batter into a funnel (blocking the tip of the funnel with your finger) or use a squeeze bottle. Position the funnel over the hot oil and slowly pour the batter in a criss-cross and swirling motion over the oil. Fry for 1–2 minutes or until golden brown.
- Using tongs, flip funnel cake and fry the other side for 1–2 minutes.
- Remove to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve funnel cakes warm with desired toppings.
Video
Notes
Choose your tool: Although they’re called “funnel cakes,” squeeze bottles actually work even better than funnels for making these. Clean an old ketchup bottle or something similar and pour the batter into it to make frying easier.
Make ahead of time: You can make the batter ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2–3 days before making funnel cakes.
Variations:
o For funnel cake fries: Follow the instructions as written, but pipe batter in long straight lines into oil. Fry until golden and remove.
o For funnel cake bites: Use a cookie scoop to drop the batter into the oil. Fry until golden brown and remove.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cake, Calories: 210kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 239mg, Potassium: 224mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 178IU, Calcium: 118mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.
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!
What a fun treat to make at home!
It sure is!! No need for the fair 🙂
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!
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!
Just what I needed to learn how to make at home! NOT! Looks so delicious!
Haha!! Once in a while 🙂 Thanks!
I love fair food and funnel cakes are my favorite!
Funnel cakes are my fav too! Thank you!
Yum! I can’t wait to try this!
Let me know what you think 🙂 Hope you like them!
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!
I agree that you need to publish a hard/soft cover recipe book. With Ebooks, not everyone has a printer nor can afford one. I am able to take my phone into the kitchen, but I don’t usually take it in the kitchen because phones aren’t exactly the cleanest of devices even after cleaning them.
Just a thought! I know it’s pricey to publish a book, but you have enough people who would be willing to buy that book, including me. I will be making these funnel cakes soon. It’s probably my favorite fair food and the hubs too!
what is the temp for the oil?