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This Funnel Cake Recipe brings the best part of the fair right into your kitchen, with crispy golden ribbons of fried batter buried under a snowstorm of powdered sugar. I first made these on a rainy summer day when the county fair got canceled and Maddie was crushed, and one bite turned the whole afternoon around. If you love our tiramisu recipe, this is the fun, fried treat to make next.
With just six pantry ingredients and about ten minutes, you can fry up funnel cakes that taste exactly like the ones from the boardwalk.
Funnel Cake Recipe Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 5 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 to 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 588kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Crispy, sweet, fair style
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our homemade french fries
Quick Answer
Whisk together eggs, sugar, milk, flour, baking powder, and salt into a smooth batter. Pour it into a piping bag, then drizzle it into 350 degree oil in a circular pattern and fry about 2 minutes per side until golden. Drain, dust with powdered sugar, and serve warm.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- A pourable batter is the secret. This batter is thin enough to drizzle in lacy ribbons but thick enough to hold its shape in the oil.
- A piping bag gives you control. Using a piping or ziplock bag lets you drizzle even, overlapping circles so the funnel cake fries up sturdy.
- 350 degree oil is the sweet spot. Hot enough oil fries the cake crisp and golden fast, before it can soak up grease and turn heavy.
- A wire rack keeps them crisp. Draining on a rack instead of paper towels keeps the bottoms from steaming and going soggy.
- Powdered sugar while warm. Dusting the funnel cakes right out of the oil helps the sugar cling for that classic fair look.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes exactly like the fair, but you can make it any day right at home.
- Just six simple pantry ingredients come together in about ten minutes.
- It is endlessly customizable with all your favorite sweet toppings.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes this funnel cake recipe so good. Everything is likely already in your pantry.
- All Purpose Flour: The base of the batter. Spoon and level it so the batter is not too thick.
- Whole Milk: Adds richness and helps create that tender, crispy texture.
- Eggs: They give the batter structure so the ribbons hold together in the oil.
- Baking Powder: A little lift keeps the funnel cakes light instead of dense.
- Powdered Sugar: The classic finishing touch. Dust it on while the cakes are still warm.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This funnel cake recipe is a blank canvas for your favorite toppings and twists.
- Berries and cream: Top with fresh strawberries and whipped cream for a fair favorite.
- Chocolate drizzle: Add a drizzle of melted chocolate or caramel sauce.
- Cinnamon sugar: Toss the warm cakes in cinnamon sugar instead of powdered sugar.
- Ice cream sundae: Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and hot fudge.
- Mini cakes: Make smaller funnel cakes for a party, like our bite sized almond cookies.
How to Make Funnel Cake Recipe
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until smooth.
- Keep whisking until the mixture is pale and well combined.
- Slowly whisk in the whole milk until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl.
- Stir into a smooth batter. A few small lumps are okay.
- Divide the batter between two piping bags or large ziplock bags.
- Snip the tip and drizzle the batter into 350 degree oil in an overlapping circular pattern. Fry about 2 minutes per side.
- Drain the funnel cakes on a wire rack set over a sheet tray so they stay crisp.
- Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve warm with whipped cream and strawberries.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use a thermometer to keep the oil right at 350 degrees. Too cool and the cakes turn greasy, too hot and they burn.
- Overlap the batter as you drizzle so the funnel cake holds together when you flip it.
- Do not crowd the pan. Fry one funnel cake at a time so the oil temperature stays steady.
- Drain on a wire rack instead of paper towels to keep them crispy.
- Dust with powdered sugar while warm so it sticks beautifully.
- Serve right away. Funnel cakes are at their absolute best fresh and warm from the oil.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This funnel cake recipe is meant to be eaten warm, straight from the fryer, piled high with powdered sugar. Set out bowls of fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce and let everyone build their own.
They make an unforgettable dessert for summer cookouts, birthday parties, and movie nights. Pair them with a cold glass of milk or an ice cream scoop for the full fair experience.
For a whole dessert spread, serve them next to our tiramisu recipe or a slice of Italian love cake.
Funnel Cake Recipe FAQs
Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. These fry the funnel cake recipe crisp and golden without adding flavor.
Yes. You can store the funnel cake recipe batter in the fridge for a few days. Give it a quick stir before piping and frying.
Greasy funnel cakes usually mean the oil was not hot enough. Keep the oil at 350 degrees and drain the cakes on a wire rack to keep them crisp.
Absolutely. A large ziplock bag with one corner snipped off works just as well for drizzling the batter into the oil.
Funnel cakes are best fresh, but you can reheat leftovers in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes to crisp them back up. Avoid the microwave, which makes them soft.
Powdered sugar is the classic, but this funnel cake recipe is delicious with strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, caramel, or a scoop of ice cream.
Want more sweet treats? Try our creamy tiramisu recipe next.
Skip the oven with our easy no bake cheesecake recipe.
For another easy fried dessert, try our sweet banana fritters.
Love this classic? Try the apple loaded twist in our caramel apple funnel cakes.
That same fresh fried magic shines in our homemade mini churros rolled in cinnamon sugar.
For another easy fried treat, try our peach fritters bursting with fresh summer peaches.
Craving a fried treat? Our apple fritters taste just like the cider mill.
Funnel Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- oil for frying
- powdered sugar for dusting
- Fresh whipped cream optional
- Sliced strawberries optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until smooth. Slowly whisk in the milk. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, stir it in until combined, this may take a few minutes. A few lumps are okay.
- Heat about 3 inches of oil in a heavy bottom skillet with deep sides like a cast iron skillet or dutch oven, you can even use an electric deep fryer for this. Heat to oil to 350°F.
- I like to divide the batter between two pastry bags, but you can also use ziplock bags.
- Once the oil is hot, cut off the tip of the pastry bag or one corner of the ziplock bag. Carefully drizzle the batter into the oil in a circular pattern, you can make these as big or small as you like. Make sure to pour the batter so it overlaps and sticks together. Fry for about 2 minutes, until lightly golden brown on the bottom. Flip it over and fry another two minutes.
- Take the funnel cake out and place it on a wire rack over a sheet tray so they don’t become soggy. Repeat with the remaining batter. Top the funnel cakes with powdered sugar and optional whipped cream and strawberries for serving. Best served warm.
Notes
- Toppings are not included in nutritional value.
- We like to use a piping bag to use make our funnel cakes but you can get special machines on amazon.
- Make sure to drizzle all over in the oil so you get a nice shape.
- Top these with anything that you’d like.
- You can easily double this recipe.
- You can store the batter for a few days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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