Homemade Fried Funnel is easy and doesn't have to come from the state fair or boardwalk. Add your favorite toppings to your DIY funnel cake!
Have you ever wondered how to make funnel cake at home. It is surprisingly easy, but there are a few tips that will help you along the way.
Funnel cake is especially popular in the summer when people are attending the state fair, county fair or enjoying the boardwalk at the beach. You don't even need a funnel cake maker or even a funnel! Let me show you how!
Some people like to use pancake batter mix to make funnel cake, but making it from scratch is even better than pancake mix and it uses ingredients commonly found in your pantry.
If you are looking for another fun summer treat try these Patriotic Themed Fruit Skewers!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It is incredibly easy to make!
- It tastes better than the state fair funnel cake.
- You don't need any pre-packed funnel cake mix.
- Making funnel cake at home costs less than buying it at the fair.
Ingredients for Funnel Cake
This is seriously the best funnel cake recipe I have ever made!
All-purpose flour is used in this recipe.
White Sugar sugar adds a very light sweetness to the funnel cake.
Baking Powder helps the funnel cake to rise.
Salt brings out the flavor in the funnel cake.
Milk adds moisture to the funnel cake.
Egg helps bind and leaven the funnel cake.
Vanilla adds flavor.
Oil is used in both the batter and in the pot for frying. Make sure you use high heat oil for frying like vegetable or canola oil.
How to Make Homemade Funnel Cake
Here are some quick visual instructions. The full recipe with ingredient measurements is below!
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix. In the same bowl add the milk to the dry ingredients.
Add the egg and oil to the bowl.
Mix the batter really well. When you lift the whisk it should drip off in a thick stream.
Add the batter to a bag and once the oil is hot snip off a corner and allow the batter to fall into the oil.
Let it fry for about 2-3 minutes until the first side is golden brown and then carefully flip it over.
After the second side is done carefully remove it from the hot oil and dust powdered sugar on top.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Using a small saucepan allows you to use less oil for frying.
- You can use a pastry bag or a ziptop bag for transferring the batter into the oil.
- Fold the tip that was cut and set it in a cup while you want to do the next funnel cake.
Storage and Reheating
- Storage: Store leftover funnel cakes in an air-tight container or bag in the fridge for 4 days.
- Reheating: You can reheat funnel cakes in the oven, microwave or air fryer. I prefer using the air fryer because it is quick and keeps the outside crispy.
- Freezing: Funnel cakes can be frozen individually in bags.
Substitutions
- Milk: Regular milk can be substituted with almond milk or oatmilk to make dairy-free funnel cake.
- Vanilla: I have made this recipe without vanilla and it is still delicious!
Variations
There are endless toppings you can add to your funnel cake. Here are a few of our favorite.
- Add Chocolate Sauce or Chocolate Syrup with Mini Chocolate Chips.
- Slice some Fresh Strawberries or a Strawberry Compote with Whip Cream.
- Use Fresh Blueberries or a Blueberry Compote with Whip Cream.
- Add Apple Pie Filling and a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.
- Crush Oreos and drizzle Chocolate Sauce.
- Add Cinnamon to the batter and Cinnamon Sugar on top to make a churro style .funnel cake.
- Scoop some of your favorite Ice Cream on top of the warm funnel cake.
- Put some Whip Cream and Sprinkles on top to make it a fun birthday funnel cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make funnel cake from homemade or boxed pancake batter. However, making funnel cake from scratch is really easy and the ingredients are usually already in your pantry!
It is called funnel cake because traditional the batter was poured through a funnel into the hot oil to make the fun funnel cake pattern. However, you can use a pastry bag or even a ziptop bag to make funnel cake at home!
You can make your own funnel cake mix at home using flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla, milk, oil and an egg.
Easy Homemade Fried Funnel Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon oil (vegetable or canola)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Oil for frying (will vary based on how large of a pot you use)
Instructions
- Measure and mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the milk, egg, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix the batter well.
- Fill a saucepan with about 2 inches of oil. Turn the stove on high and heat the oil to 375° F. Once it is heated turn it down to medium heat. If you don't have a thermometer wait a couple minutes and drop a very small amount of batter in the oil. If it immediately floats and starts sizzling then the oil should be hot enough.
- Put the batter in a pastry bag large ziptop bag. Using scissors cut across one of the corners to make a hole.
- Fold the corner that has the hole and bring it to the hot oil. Carefully let the fold go and gently apply pressure to the bag while moving around in a lattice pattern. Fold the corner and set the bag in a cup or bowl.
- Fry for about 1-2 minutes or until the first side is golden brown. Use metal tongs to flip and cook the remaining side for 1-2 minutes or until it is also golden brown. The second side cooks faster.
- Use metal tongs to remove the funnel cake from the oil and set it on a wire rack. Dust powdered sugar on top or add your other favorite toppings.
- Repeat 5 more times or until you have used all the batter. It makes about 6 small funnel cakes.
Notes
- Using a small saucepan allows you to use less oil for frying.
- You can use a pastry bag or a ziptop bag for transferring the batter into the oil.
- Fold the tip that was cut and set it in a cup while you want to do the next funnel cake.
- Storage: Store leftover funnel cakes in an air-tight container or bag in the fridge for 4 days.
- Reheating: You can reheat funnel cakes in the oven, microwave or air fryer. I prefer using the air fryer because it is quick and keeps the outside crispy.
- Freezing: Funnel cakes can be frozen individually in bags.
More Comfort Food Desserts
- Apricot Danish is made with flakey puff pastry and a delicious sweetened cream cheese filling and fresh apricots.
- Matcha White Chocolate Cookies are soft and delicious with sweet white chocolate to balance the matcha.
- Lemon Blueberry Cookies are made with a boxed lemon cake mix and are perfect for springtime!
Food Safety
- Be extremely cautious with hot oil.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
Olive F. says
These came out so good. We kept it simple with powdered sugar, but I love all the topping ideas. Will be making them again!
Thyme for the Table says
I'm glad they turned out good for you! No shame in going with the traditional powdered sugar funnel cake. We like to keep it simple here too!