Funnel Cake

This funnel cake recipe creates the deep-fried treat made famous at summer fairs and carnivals that you can now make at home and enjoy with all your favorite toppings.

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Funnel cake is one of those things that’s just so darn delicious, it’s hard to resist. This classic fair food is made from a simple dough that’s deep-fried and topped with your favorite toppings, making it the perfect sweet snack.

Funnel Cake Ingredients

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The golden brown, crispy exterior gives way to a warm and fluffy center that practically melts in your mouth.

The delicate sweetness of the funnel cake batter is perfectly balanced by a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar, creating a flavor combination that is irresistible.

You’ll need:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of whole milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon of butter extract (optional)
• Vegetable oil for frying (1½-2 inches deep in skillet)
• Powdered sugar for dusting the top of the funnel cakes

Substitutions And Additions

TOPPINGS: You can get creative with the funnel cake toppings that you add. You can drizzle them with chocolate, or strawberry sauce, add whipped cream and sprinkles to the top, serve them with dipping sauces like frosting or Nutella, or add a big scoop of ice cream to them.

How To Make This Funnel Cake Recipe

Let’s walk through the easy steps to making the batter and frying up these classic treats.

STEP ONE: In a medium mixing bowl using a whisk, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a whisk to combine.

STEP TWO: In a separate mixing bowl, add milk, beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and butter extract. Use a whisk to combine.

STEP THREE: Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients while continuing to whisk together until no lumps remain. Set aside while heating the oil.

STEP FOUR: In a skillet with deep sides over medium heat, add enough vegetable oil to fill the skillet 1½ to 2 inches deep. Heat the oil to 350°F.

Use a candy thermometer to test the temperature. If the oil is too hot, it will quickly cook the outside without properly cooking the inside of the funnel cake.

STEP FIVE: Fill a piping bag with a large round tip on the end with ⅓ of the funnel cake mixture if making 3 large funnel cakes or ⅙ of the mixture if making medium funnel cakes.

STEP SIX: With your finger on the piping tip, hold the bag 3 to 4 inches above the hot oil. Remove your finger and gently squeeze while drizzling the batter into the oil.

Make a round circle with the batter to start, then drizzle the batter across the circle in one direction, then drizzle across the circle in the opposite direction. Complete the funnel cake with another circle on the top to close it.

Let cook in the oil until it is golden brown. Use tongs to carefully flip the funnel cake over. Allow the other side to cook until golden brown.

STEP SEVEN: Remove the funnel cake from the oil and place it on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to absorb the excess oil. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

How To Serve

There are so many options to choose from to top your funnel cakes. Try:

• Sliced strawberries and whipped cream
• Bananas, Nutella, and whipped cream
• Cinnamon and sugar
• Ice cream and caramel sauce or hot fudge
• Honey and butter melted together
• Fresh fruit
• Icing, 1 cup powdered sugar, and just enough milk (1 tablespoon at a time) to form an icing you can drizzle

Check out our funnel cake bites and deep-fried Oreos for more carnival-inspired treats.

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Storing Funnel Cakes

While best served fresh, here’s how to store these funnel cake treats:

ON THE COUNTER: These amazing funnel cakes need to be eaten immediately. They should be finished within 5 hours or so. It’s best not to store them as they will get soggy very quickly and not reheat well.

IN THE FREEZER: We do not recommend freezing funnel cakes as they will become soggy. Stick with making these fresh.

This homemade funnel cake recipe will allow you to make this fair favorite year-round in the comfort of your own kitchen. Just as flavorful as the originals, these deep-fried treats are perfect for adding all of your favorite sweet toppings.

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Funnel Cake

5 from 2 votes

This funnel cake recipe creates the deep-fried treat made famous at summer fairs and carnivals that you can now make at home and enjoy with all your favorite toppings.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 3 servings

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon butter extract, optional
• vegetable oil, for frying (1½ to 2 inches deep in skillet)
• powdered sugar, for dusting the top of the funnel cakes

Instructions

 

• In a medium mixing bowl, add the 2 cups of flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a whisk to combine.
• In a separate mixing bowl, add the milk, beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and butter extract. Use a whisk to combine.
• Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients while continuing to whisk together until no lumps remain. Set aside while heating the oil.
• In a skillet with deep sides over medium heat, add enough vegetable oil to fill the skillet 1½ to 2 inches deep. Heat the oil to 350°F. Use a thermometer to test the temperature. If the oil is too hot it will quickly cook the outside without proper cooking inside of the funnel cake.
• Fill a piping bag with a large round tip on the end with ⅓ of the funnel cake mixture if making 3 large funnel cakes, or ⅙ of the mixture if making medium funnel cakes.
• With your finger on the piping tip hold the bag 3 to 4 inches above the hot oil. Remove your finger and gently squeeze while drizzling the batter into the oil. Make a round circle with the batter to start, then drizzle the batter across the circle in one direction, then drizzle across the circle in the opposite direction. Complete the funnel cake with another circle on the top to close it. Let cook in the oil until it is golden brown. Use tongs to carefully flip the funnel cake over. Allow the other side to cook until golden brown.
• Remove funnel cake from the oil and place it on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Notes

• This recipe makes 3 large dinner-plate-sized funnel cakes or 6 medium-sized salad plate funnel cakes.
• When adding the funnel cake batter to a piping bag, it is helpful to place the piping bag in a tall wide glass mason jar to keep it upright while filling. You could also use a squeeze bottle instead of a piping bag to drizzle the batter in the oil.
• With each new funnel cake, test the oil temperature. If it drops too much below 350°F, the batter will soak up too much oil; if it heats up too much above 350°F, it will cook too quickly. To take a proper temperature, swirl the oil with the end of the thermometer and then let the tip sit in the oil until you get a proper temperature reading. Make sure not to touch the bottom of the pan with the thermometer.

Nutrition

Calories: 433kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 467mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Calcium: 179mg | Iron: 5mg

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