Homemade Funnel Cake Recipe (2024)

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Love the fair and the food but want to make it at home? This homemade funnel cake recipe tastes just like the amazing funnel cakes you get at the fair. You only need a few simple ingredients that you probably already have you can make this delicious funnel cake recipe.

Homemade Funnel Cakes Recipe

One of my favorite things about going to the county fair during the summer months is funnel cake. I am a sucker for crispy funnel cakes and kettle corn. When I am leaving the fair you will see me with a bag of kettle corn and a plate with funnel cake. Yes, I have also enjoyed both while walking around but it is a must that I bring some home to enjoy as well.

As much as I love going to the fair to get this tasty treat, I love making things at home. The kids had been asking me for weeks to figure out how to make funnel cake at home because in the middle of winter there is no option of going to the fair. With a few test runs, I was able to come up with the best funnel cakes recipe. The kids were more than happy to be my taste testers and claimed this recipe to be the best funnel cake recipe.

If I am being honest making my own funnel cake at home was even better than the fair. Instead of having to wait to enjoy them like when I get them at the fair, I was able to enjoy a crispy funnel cake right after cooking them.

This easy funnel cake recipe is the perfect recreation of the amusem*nt park and local fair favorite and is sure to be a hit with your whole family. Funnel cakes made at home are the perfect fun treat to make as a family and serve with your favorite toppings.

Fair Foods You can Make at Home

Pretzel Dog
Caramel Apples
Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzels
Homemade soft Pretzels
Loaded Cheese Fries

What is a Funnel Cake?

Funnel cakes are made by pouring batter thru a funnel into hot oil in a circular motion. The batter is fried lightly in the hot oil until it is golden brown and then topped with powdered sugar or other toppings.

How to Make funnel cake without a funnel

For years we have been making funnel cake without a funnel. This year things changed when I found an awesome funnel cake funnel at Aldi but previous to now I used either a measuring cup, my pancake dispenser, or a zip lock bag with a hole cut on one end or a pastry bag. This is the pancake dispenser I use, I love it and it makes for easy clean up.

What is the Best Oil for Frying Funnel Cake?

To get the perfect crispy on the outside soft on the inside texture for the perfect funnel cakes from scratch the best oils to use are vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.

Can you Refrigerate Funnel Cake Batter?

Yes! If you have leftover batter, store it in the fridge in an airtight container. It will keep for 2 days.

Tips for Making this Recipe

Don’t let the oil get too hot. If the oil is too hot the funnel cake will fall apart.

Drain the funnel cake after removing it from the oil. There will be excess oil when it is done frying, remove the funnel cake and place it on a paper towel lined plate for about a minute and then pour on the powdered sugar.

Drizzle in a swirl motion. To get the funnel cake from scratch to look like the ones at the fair, drizzle the batter around in a circular motion around the pan.

Size doesn’t matter. You can make large funnel cakes or small funnel cakes, the sizing choice is up to you. I just recommend leaving enough room in the pan to be able to flip them easily.

Funnel Cake Topping Ideas

Confectioner’s sugar. If you want to go with classic fair food then you will want to sprinkle confectioner’s sugar on top. When adding powdered sugar make sure you add a generous sprinkling because the funnel cake will absorb some of the powdered sugar.

Strawberries and cream. Whipped cream and chopped strawberries.

Caramel Apple Funnel Cake. Caramel sauce drizzled on top with chopped apples.

S’Mores Funnel Cake. Homemade Chocolate hot fudge drizzle, crushed up graham crackers, and mini marshmallows.

Churro Funnel Cake. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Homemade Funnel Cakes Ingredients

Salt
Baking Powder
all purpose Flour
Eggs
Sugar
Milk
Powdered Sugar
Oil (for frying). You can use vegetable oil, or canola oil, we prefer to use vegetable oil.

How to make Homemade Funnel Cakes

In a large bowl and add the baking powder, salt, and flour in a bowl and mix together.

Then in another bowl add the eggs, sugar, and milk in a bowl and mix until they are creamed.

Carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

The batter needs to be thin enough that you can pour it.

Pour the batter into a glass measuring cup or a squeeze bottle.

Line a plate with paper towels.

Add the oil to a heavy skillet so it is 1 – 1.5 inches deep.

Heat the oil over medium heat to 375°F.

Pour the funnel cake mix in a circular motion to make the well know funnel cake shape, fry until golden brown, and then using kitchen tongs flip it over and fry the other side for about 1 minute.

Place your funnel cake on a plate to drain then top with sifted powdered sugar or any other toppings you are wanting.

Continue making funnel cakes with the remaining batter until it is all used up.

Fun Homemade Recipes

Homemade Potato chips
Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Chocolate Caramel Apple
Birthday Pancakes
Fried Macaroni and Cheese

homemade funnel cake recipe

Created by Lauren

3.93 from 148 votes

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 8

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

This homemade funnel cake recipe tastes just like the amazing funnel cakes you get at the fair. With a few ingredients you probably already have you can make this classic fair treat at home.

Ingredients

1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Powder
3 1/2 cup Flour
3 Eggs
1/4 cup Sugar
2 cup Milk
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1 quart vegetable Oil for frying

Instructions

In a large bowl and add the baking powder, salt, and flour in a bowl and mix together.
Then in another bowl add the eggs, sugar, and milk in a bowl and mix until they are creamed. Carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
The batter needs to be thin enough that you can pour it.
Pour the batter into a glass measuring cup or a squeeze bottle.
Line a plate with paper towels.
Add the oil to a heavy skillet so it is 1 – 1.5 inches deep.
Heat the oil over medium heat to 375°F.
Pour the funnel cake mix in a circular motion to make the well know funnel cake shape, fry until golden brown, and then using kitchen tongs flip it over and fry the other side for about 1 minute.
Place your funnel cake on a plate to drain then top with sifted powdered sugar or any other toppings you are wanting.
Continue making funnel cakes with the remaining batter until it is all used up.

funnel cake recipe, homemade funnel cake

Dessert

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FAQs

What is funnel cake batter made of? ›

Traditional recipes call for a fairly standard batter: flour, eggs, sugar, milk, baking soda or baking powder, but I discovered that you can make awesome funnel cakes with "complete" buttermilk pancake mix (look for brands that only require the addition of water).

What is the best oil for frying funnel cakes? ›

— Use a neutral oil for frying these funnel cakes—vegetable oil is a classic pick for us, and what we use here. — Achieve a thin pour by transferring your batter to a piping bag before frying. If you don't have a piping bag, no problem! You can cut a corner of a ziploc bag and use that instead.

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How many funnel cakes will a 5lb bag of mix make? ›

So a 5 lb bag would make about 30 funnel cakes." Hope this helps! :) Thank you for your feedback!

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Why is my funnel cake not crispy? ›

It's important to keep to a frying temperature of around 375 degrees. Any higher than that, and your funnel cakes will brown before cooking through. At too low a temperature, the batter will absorb excess oil, resulting in a greasy, limp funnel cake.

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What is the difference between fried dough and funnel cake? ›

Fried dough is made with a bread dough that uses yeast for leavening. Funnel cake has a more pancake-like batter, which is much thinner than bread dough, and it uses baking powder as leavening rather than yeast.

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Why is my funnel cake sinking? ›

Check the temperature of the hot oil by using a candy thermometer. If the oil is too hot it will burn the funnel cake. If it is too cool, the batter will sink to the bottom of the pan.

Tell Me More ›

Why is my funnel cake batter falling apart? ›

The most common reason your funnel cake is falling apart is your oil is too hot. This will cause the funnel cake batter to break apart when you pour it into the pan. Another reason your funnel cake may fall apart is your batter is too thick.

How do you keep funnel cakes fresh? ›

How to Store Funnel Cakes. Although best served hot and fresh, you can store funnel cakes for a couple of days. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat them in an oven or air fryer to crisp them up again.

What is the liquid bakers squirt on cakes? ›

Or in my kitchen, a brushing. Still, the idea is that you disperse simple syrup over the surface of your still-warm cake layers while they're fresh from the oven, allowing the syrup to soak into your cake — adding sustainable moisture and another level of flavor.