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Bring the carnival festivities into your home with my homemade funnel cake recipe. They’re golden brown, crispy on the outside, and super fluffy in the middle.
Love all things fried dough? Check out my sopapillas, beignets, and vegan churros next.
Aside from carnival season, funnel cakes rarely cross my mind. But when a family friend asked me to make them on a whim, I couldn’t say no!
Now that I’ve discovered how easy they are to make, we’ll be having them all the time. If you have everything to make a stack of pancakes, you have GOT to try this recipe!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- They taste exactly like the ones from the fair. All that’s missing is the carnival games, but my kitchen is a constant circus so that ticks the box!
- Simple ingredients. And you probably have all of them in your kitchen.
- They’re fast. I’m talking under 10 minutes fast.
- Customizable. Add your favorite toppings, or just keep them simple with a little powdered sugar.
- Funnel-free. There are zero fancy kitchen gadgets needed.
Ingredients needed
- Flour. I used self-rising flour, which contains all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and baking powder mixed in. Skip the store-bought stuff and make my homemade self rising flour.
- Sugar. Adds essential sweetness. White sugar is best, but brown sugar works.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but use any milk of your preference.
- Eggs. Lightly whisked.
- Powdered sugar. The finishing touch; also known as confectioner’s sugar.
- Oil. For frying. Any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point works, like canola oil or vegetable oil.
The best funnel cake toppings
- Cinnamon sugar. Mix 1 tablespoon of cinnamon with ½ cup white sugar.
- Fresh fruit. Sliced strawberries, blueberries, or peaches.
- Ice cream. A heaping scoop of almond milk ice cream or brownie ice cream.
- Sauce. Drizzle some caramel sauce, chocolate syrup, or strawberry sauce, or add a dollop of whipped cream.
How to make funnel cake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Mix the batter. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
Step 2- Assemble. Add the batter into a ziplock bag and snip off one end.
Step 3- Shape the cakes. Add two inches of oil to a deep pot or skillet. Drizzle the batter into it in a swirly shape into the hot oil. Depending on the pot, you may be able to make 2-3 cakes.
Step 4- Fry. Fry the cakes for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Place them on a paper towel to soak up excess oil, then dust them with powdered sugar.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Adjust the flavor. Add a splash of vanilla extract to the batter.
- Keep an eye on the oil. If it gets too hot, the cakes will fall apart when you shape them. Ideally, the oil should stay around 190°C.
- Adjust the batter consistency. It should pour easily, about the consistency of pancake batter. If it appears too thick, add a bit more milk.
- Pour in an even, thin stream. The trick to getting the proper shape is to drizzle the batter while constantly moving. You want a thin stream of equal-sized dough so it all fries evenly. If it’s really tricky, try using a squeeze bottle instead of a plastic bag.
- Let them cool before adding powdered sugar. Otherwise, the sugar will get soaked in the cakes.
Storage instructions
To store: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
To freeze: Store them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months.
Reheating: Reheat the cakes in a preheated oven or air fryer until warm, flipping every few minutes until they’re crispy.
Frequently asked questions
If your batter is too thin, it won’t clump into the classic swirly shape. Your batter should be the consistency of pancake batter. If it’s too thin, gradually add a little flour to thicken it up.
Technically, no. Fried dough is made with a different type of batter and fried in a thin sheet. Funnel cakes are made with a thinner batter and are fried in a swirly, nest shape.
More fun desserts to try
5-Ingredient Funnel Cake Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/3 cups milk
- 2 large eggs lightly whisked
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Combine the flour, sugar, milk, and eggs in a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.
- Add the batter into a ziplock bag and snip off one end of it.
- Add two inches of oil into a deep pot. Once the oil is hot, drizzle the batter into it in a swirly funnel cake shape. Depending on the pot, you may be able to make 2-3 funnel cakes.
- Cook the funnel cakes for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Place them on a paper towel to soak up excess oil. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published March 2023, updated and republished September 2024
Never heard of recipe like this before. Seems good.
Tried this for the first time. It was easy and tasted good, the family loved it. Made a lot more than anticipated
Thanks so much, Sara!
This recipe my girlfriend will like so much. Thank you for seeing this recipe. I will surprise her.
I made an Oreo flavored funnel cake and a funnel cake with fresh strawberries and coconut whip. They were delicious!!
Can you make it with an air fryer?
I haven’t tried 🙂
Really enjoyed the cakes. I only put 1/2 the sugar and it still came out great.
Is there a way to make this recipe keto friendly?
I haven’t tried but you are welcome to experiment and see