There’s something magical about biting into a warm, crispy funnel cake dusted with powdered sugar. You don’t have to wait for the next carnival to enjoy one. With a few pantry staples, you can make a homemade Funnel Cake Recipe right in your kitchen. It is one of my favorite easy snacks!
It's perfect for a summer weekend treat, a birthday surprise, or just because you're craving it. When you try this easy funnel cake, I bet you'll agree that it is just as good or better than anything you'd get at a carnival.
If you are in a carnival mood, you should check out our Circus Popcorn Cupcakes and our Powdered Sugar Zeppoles.
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Why You'll Love Homemade Funnel Cake
- Bring the fair home: This easy funnel cake recipe makes it simple to enjoy your favorite carnival treat anytime!
- Crispy, golden, and sweet: Just like the funnel cakes you’d find at the fair, these are made with basic pantry staples.
- Quick to whip up – This warm, sugary goodness is done in minutes.
- Make it your own: Top with powdered sugar, fresh berries, whipped cream, chocolate syrup… or all of the above.
- Family fun in every bite: This recipe is a guaranteed hit with kids and grown-ups alike. Just make sure little ones keep their distance while frying.
Sweet Snacks
Looking for more fun and yummy treats? These sweet snacks are easy to make and totally kid-approved. Whether you're baking for a party, a lunchbox surprise, or just because, these recipes are sure to be a hit.
- Reese's Cookie Sandwiches
- Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart Bars Recipe
- M&M Cookies Recipe
Ingredients for Basic Funnel Cake Recipe
- Whole Milk – Helps smooth out the batter.
- All Purpose Flour – The base of your funnel cake batter.
- Baking powder – This helps your funnel cakes puff up as they fry.
- Egg – Helps bind everything together.
- Powdered sugar – This sweet topping gives funnel cakes their classic look.
- Vegetable oil – Great for frying because it’s neutral and holds up well to heat.
- Salt – Just a pinch to balance all that sweetness.
- Cinnamon – Totally optional, but a sprinkle adds a warm, cozy flavor.
Tools For Making Funnel Cake
You don’t need any fancy gadgets to make funnel cake at home. You'll want a deep skillet or saucepan for frying, and a funnel for pouring the batter. Don’t forget tongs or a slotted spoon to flip and lift your funnel cakes safely.
Gas One Aluminum Cooking Pot Deep Fryer with Basket –
2-Pack Powdered Sugar Shaker,Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Powder Shaker JarKongNai 4 Pieces Plastic Funnel Set for Kitchen and AutomotiveCandy Oil Frying Thermometer Turkey Thermometerwith Clip (2 Pack and
How to Make This Funnel Cake Recipe
1. Heat up your oil:
Grab a large skillet and get your oil nice and hot at 375°F. It takes a few minutes, so you’ve got time to mix up your batter while it heats.
2. Mix your wet and dry ingredients separately:
In one bowl, whisk together your egg and milk. In another, stir up the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and powdered sugar. Keeping them separate at first helps everything mix more evenly.
3. Whisk it all together:
Pour your wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until the batter is smooth. It should be pourable, but not too thick or too runny. We like to do a quick test pour back into the bowl just to check the flow.
4. Funnel fun time:
Now the fun part! Pour the batter into a funnel (or squeeze bottle, if that’s more your style), then swirl it into the hot oil in a loopy circle. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
5. Keep an eye on your oil:
We noticed the batter can cool the oil a bit when it first hits, so you might need to turn the heat up slightly. A steady sizzle is what you’re looking for!
6. Flip when golden:
Once the bottom turns a beautiful golden brown, carefully flip it over to cook the other side. A slotted spoon or tongs work great here.
7. Drain and dust:
Let the cooked funnel cake rest on a paper towel-lined plate to drain off the excess oil. Then dust generously with powdered sugar while it’s still warm.
8. Serve it up warm:
Funnel cakes are best enjoyed fresh and warm!
How good does that look? At this point you can serve it as is, or go wild with toppings. Whipped cream, berries, chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, ice cream -we've used all these things on funnel cakes.
This fair funnel cake recipe was a huge hit with the kids. The powdered sugar made for quite a mess, but it was so worth it!
Tips for Best Funnel Cake
Tip 1: Use a squeeze bottle for better control when pouring batter
Tip 2:Maintain oil temperature at 375°F for optimal crispiness
Tip 3:Drain on a wire rack to prevent sogginess
FAQS for Homemade Funnel Cake
This batter is best used as soon as it is made. If you need to refrigerate it, I would try to use it within a day. I recommend freezing funnel cake batter and letting it thaw in the refrigerator before using.
You can freeze funnel cake between sheets of wax paper. To reheat, let them thaw and then place them in a 350-degree oven until they become crispy.
📖 Recipe
Funnel Cake Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 cup of flour
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 Egg
- 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar for making the batter and more for dusting
- 4 cups of vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat oil to 375 degrees in a large skillet.
- While the oil is heating, beat the egg and milk together in one bowl and combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and powdered sugar in another bowl.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until the batter is smooth.
- When the oil has reached 375 degrees, pour the batter into a funnel, holding your finger over the small opening.
- Hold the funnel with the batter over the oil and make a circle with your hand repeatedly to form the cake.
- Fry until the bottom has turned golden brown and turn over and fry the other side.
- When both sides are golden brown, remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
- Use a small strainer to shake powdered sugar over the funnel cake.
Notes
- Use a squeeze bottle for easy pouring and cleaner swirls
- Keep oil around 375°F so the cakes turn out crisp, not greasy
- Let them cool on a wire rack to stay nice and crunchy
Sue says
You cake stream is thin and thready looking. This happens, as in your picture of you holding the funnel 6-8 inches above the oil. Hold the end of the funnel 1 inch or less from the oil. The batter stream will blossom into a wide strand, providing a base for other stands to float on. It also makes a thicker strand so it does not fry into a hard string but has a crunchy exterior and soft inside.
To keep the cake from getting too thick and not fry thru, pour a circle of batter around the edge of the pan, then zig zag thru the middle. Stop the stream fora couple seconds and the batter will float to the top of the oil. This gives the rest of the batter something to float upon. Then continue in a zig zag motion to fill in the holes. When you see the edges of the batter turning born, use a long tong and roll over to the other side. Fry until both sides look the same. Do not lift out of the oil completely, or the cake will break in pieces and splash you with oil.
I base there comments on 29 years of making funnel cakes in out 7 concession trailers.
Vicky says
Thank you so much Sue! This is super helpful especially coming from someone of your expertise. Will be trying your technique next time!
Allison says
I'm featuring this on The Sunday Showcase this week!
Mandy Beyeler says
Thanks for linking to Take-A-Look Tuesday over at Sugar Bee Crafts - you were featured today!
--Mandy, http://www.SugarBeeCrafts.com
Diana - FreeStyleMama says
What a fun treat!