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Funnel Cake Apple Fries are everything you love about fair food, crispy fried funnel cake batter wrapped around sweet apple slices and dusted with powdered sugar. I first made these for a rainy carnival-themed movie night, and my girls declared them better than anything at the county fair, right up there with our homemade apple fritters.
If you crave funnel cake fries but want a fun fruity twist, these apple-stuffed fries are about to be your new favorite treat.
Funnel Cake Apple Fries Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 20 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 316kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Crispy, sweet, and cinnamon-spiced with tender apple inside
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our homemade apple fritters
Quick Answer
To make Funnel Cake Apple Fries, whisk up a simple funnel cake batter of eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Peel and slice apples, toss them with cornstarch, then dip each slice in the batter and fry in hot oil until golden and crisp. Drain, dust with powdered sugar, and serve warm with caramel sauce for dipping.
Jump to:
- Funnel Cake Apple Fries Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Funnel Cake Apple Fries
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Funnel Cake Apple Fries FAQs
- Other Recommended Fair Food and Apple Recipes
- Funnel Cake Apple Fries
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cornstarch helps the batter cling. Tossing the apple slices in cornstarch first gives the funnel cake batter something to grip so it does not slide off in the oil.
- A true funnel cake batter. Eggs, milk, and baking powder create that signature light, crispy funnel cake coating around each apple.
- Cinnamon in the batter. A teaspoon of cinnamon right in the batter makes every bite taste like a warm apple-cinnamon doughnut.
- The right oil temperature. Frying at a steady medium heat gives you a crisp, golden crust without greasy or doughy centers.
- Apples instead of plain fries. Using apple slices means these funnel cake fries have a tender, juicy fruit center the classic version cannot match.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They taste just like fair funnel cake fries but with a sweet apple surprise in the middle.
- They come together in about 20 minutes with pantry staples and a few fresh apples.
- They are a fun, hands-on treat for movie nights and parties, right alongside our candied grapes.
Key Ingredients
Here is what you need to make these Funnel Cake Apple Fries. See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Apples: Firm, sweet-tart apples like Opal, Honeycrisp, or Gala hold their shape and stay juicy after frying.
- Flour, Eggs, and Milk: The base of a classic funnel cake batter that fries up light and crispy.
- Cinnamon and Vanilla: They give the batter that warm, fair-food doughnut flavor.
- Cornstarch: Tossing the apple slices in cornstarch helps the batter stick and crisp up.
- Powdered Sugar and Caramel: A dusting of powdered sugar and caramel for dipping finish them like our easy fried apples.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These Funnel Cake Apple Fries are easy to switch up.
- Classic funnel cake fries: Skip the apples and pipe the batter into strips for traditional funnel cake fries.
- Caramel apple: Drizzle the fried apple fries with extra caramel and a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Different apples: Use Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji depending on how sweet you like them.
- More fair food: Serve them with a batch of our homemade fair funnel cake for a carnival dessert spread.
How to Make Funnel Cake Apple Fries
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon, then stir the dry ingredients into the wet to make the funnel cake batter.
- Peel the apples, cut them into fourths, remove the stems and seeds, and slice into even pieces. Toss the apple slices with the cornstarch so the batter has something to cling to.
- Add about half an inch of oil to a large deep skillet and heat over medium until a drop of batter sizzles right away.
- Dip each apple slice into the batter, letting the excess drip off, then carefully lower it into the hot oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown on both sides, then drain on paper towels.
- Dust the warm funnel cake apple fries with powdered sugar and serve right away with caramel sauce for dipping.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Toss the apples in cornstarch. This is the secret to keeping the funnel cake batter from sliding off in the oil.
- Keep the oil at a steady medium. Too hot and the batter burns before the apple softens, too cool and they turn greasy.
- Do not crowd the pan. Fry a few at a time so the oil temperature stays consistent and the fries crisp up.
- Slice the apples evenly. Uniform slices fry at the same rate so they are all perfectly cooked.
- Serve them warm. Funnel Cake Apple Fries are best fresh and hot, while the coating is still crispy.
- Drain well. Resting them on paper towels keeps the crust crisp instead of soggy.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These Funnel Cake Apple Fries are best served warm and fresh, piled in a basket with plenty of powdered sugar and a little bowl of caramel sauce for dipping, just like our easy fried apples.
They are a showstopping dessert for fall parties, movie nights, and carnival-themed get-togethers. Set them out next to our apple fritters and caramel apple pie egg rolls for a fair-food dessert table everyone will love.
For an over-the-top treat, serve them à la mode with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or pair them with a homemade fair funnel cake for the full carnival experience at home.
Want to dress them up even more? Set out a little spread of dipping sauces alongside the caramel, like warm chocolate ganache, marshmallow fluff, or a quick cinnamon cream cheese dip. A sprinkle of cinnamon sugar over the powdered sugar adds an extra cozy, doughnut-shop flavor that makes these Funnel Cake Apple Fries feel like a special occasion.
Funnel Cake Apple Fries FAQs
Firm, sweet-tart apples like Opal, Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji are best because they hold their shape and stay juicy after frying. Avoid softer apples like Red Delicious that turn mushy in the hot oil. If you prefer a tarter bite against the sweet batter and powdered sugar, Granny Smith apples are a great choice too.
Be sure to toss the apple slices in cornstarch before dipping. The cornstarch gives the batter something to grip so it stays put in the hot oil. Patting the apple slices dry with a paper towel before the cornstarch toss helps even more, since extra surface moisture is what makes the coating slip off.
A neutral oil with a high smoke point like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil works best for crispy, golden funnel cake apple fries. Keep the oil around 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and if you do not have a thermometer, drop in a bit of batter; it should sizzle and float to the top right away.
They are best served fresh and warm. You can slice the apples and mix the dry ingredients ahead, but fry them just before serving so the coating stays crisp.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in an air fryer or hot oven to bring back some of the crisp, as the microwave makes them soggy.
Yes. Skip the apples and pipe the batter into strips in the hot oil for classic funnel cake fries, then dust with powdered sugar.
Craving more fair-food treats? Try our homemade fair funnel cake or crispy apple fritters next.
Funnel Cake Apple Fries
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 Opal Apples
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- vegetable oil for frying
- powdered sugar for garnish optional
- caramel sauce for dipping optional
Instructions
- Place eggs in a large bowl and whisk together with the sugar, milk, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and flour. Add the dry mixture to the wet a little at a time until fully mixed in.
- Peel the apples cut them into fourths and remove the stem and seeds. Slice into three even slices. Toss with the cornstarch.
- In a large skillet with deep sides, add enough oil to about 1/2 inch up the side of the pan. Heat over medium heat. Oil is ready when a tiny drop of batter placed into the oil will sink and immediately rise with bubbles all around.
- Dip apple slices one by one into the batter, allowing excess to drip off. Carefully place into the oil and let fry, turning occasionally until golden brown on all sides. Let drain on a paper towel-lined sheet just to get off the excess oil. Place apple fries on a wired rack over a sheet try while frying the remaining apples.
- Top with powdered sugar and serve with caramel sauce for dipping, optional.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Has anyone tried doing these in an air fryer?
Can you make the batter ahead of time,for same day?
This sounds so good. I will be making this week. Thank you
This is how I want to eat more fruit! lol
My kids love this apple since it doesn’t get brown, and I know they’ll love these fries too!
I think this might be my favorite way to eat apples. Haha!!
First of all, YUM!!! This sounds amazing! I love eating apples with caramel, but my favorite way to eat them was the discontinued Applebee’s Apple Chimicheesecake. THE BEST!
These sound (and look) absolutely delicious! I have an apple sitting in front of me on my desk. Most days I eat them as-is but sometimes I dip them in some natural peanut butter =)
Yes! That is my favorite apple snack too!
These look amazing!! My favorite way to eat apples is with peanut butter, but this recipe might become my new favorite!