These fair funnel cakes are crispy on the outside, tender in the middle, and taste just like the ones from your favorite summer fair or amusement park. No funnel required. All you need is the simple batter, hot oil, and a ziplock bag.
Quick Look
- 📋 Recipe: Fair Funnel Cakes with Strawberry Compote
- ⏲️ Ready In: 45 minutes (about 30 minutes active)
- 👪 Servings: 6 funnel cakes
- 🔪 Difficulty: Easy
- 🫙 Batter Tool: Ziplock bag with corner snipped off (the best method!)
- 🍓 Top Tip: The strawberry compote can be made days ahead and stored in the fridge.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Totally customizable. Classic powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, ice cream, fresh fruit. You choose.
- Tastes just like the fair. The batter is light, crispy, and dusted with powdered sugar exactly like you remember.
- No funnel needed. A ziplock bag gives you total control over the pour with zero mess.
- Easy enough for a party. Plug in a small deep fryer and cook these fresh for guests. Everyone gathers around.
- The strawberry compote takes it to the next level. Warm, jammy, and so easy to make ahead.
Jump to:
There's something about a warm funnel cake that brings out pure joy. Just the sight of one covered in powdered sugar takes you straight back to a summer fair, a carnival midway, or a theme park lineup worth every minute of waiting. We served these at a recent circus party and they were the hit of the whole evening. Honestly, they might have stolen the show from the actual circus activities.
The good news is that you don't have to wait for fair season to enjoy them. This easy homemade funnel cake recipe comes together with pantry staples, fries up in minutes, and works beautifully for entertaining. They're perfect for a party. Make the batter ahead of time. Then set up your small deep fryer in the kitchen, or right outside beside the barbecue, cook the funnel cakes fresh, and serve them warm. Prepare for your guests to be wowed.
If you love easy fried treats, you might also enjoy our homemade sour cream donut recipe, honey cruller donut recipe, or our take on Canadian fried dough, another fairground classic.
Ingredients
The funnel cake batter uses simple pantry staples. Measurements below in the recipe card.
- All-purpose flour: Regular flour works perfectly here. Do not use self-rising flour as it will affect the rise and texture.
- Baking powder: This is what gives the batter its slight lift and keeps the inside tender rather than dense.
- Milk: Whole milk gives you the best flavour and texture. 2% works too. Plant-based milks can be substituted but may slightly affect the result.
- Eggs: Two large eggs add structure and richness to the batter.
- Vanilla extract: A full teaspoon. This is what makes the batter taste like fair funnel cake and not just fried dough.
- Salt: Just a teaspoon. It balances the sweetness of the powdered sugar topping.
- Powdered sugar: For dusting. Generous is always the right amount.
- Frying oil: Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point: canola, vegetable, or peanut oil all work well.
For the Strawberry Compote (optional but recommended):
- Frozen strawberries: Frozen works beautifully here and is available year-round, but when in season you could use fresh instead.
- White sugar: Sweetens the fruit and helps it break down into a jammy sauce.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the strawberry flavor.
- Lemon juice: Brightens the whole compote and balances the sweetness.
Equipment
You don't need much, but a couple of things are worth knowing before you start.
- For pouring the batter: You have three options: a real funnel, a squeeze bottle, or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. We've tried all three. The ziplock bag is the clear winner for me. It gives you the most control over the flow, it's easy to squeeze steadily, and cleanup is just throwing the bag away. A specialty funnel with a stopper works but is a little awkward. A squeeze bottle is fine but sometimes the hole is too big or too small. With the ziplock bag, just snip a hole about ½ inch wide in the corner of your ziplock bag and you're set. Any leftover batter stores right in the bag resting in a mixing bowl, in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- For frying: A small countertop deep fryer is ideal. It regulates the oil temperature automatically, which takes the guesswork out of the hardest part of deep frying. It's also much safer than a pot of oil on the stove, especially if you have kids nearby. That said, a deep, heavy-bottomed pot works perfectly well. You need enough oil to come about 2 to 3 inches up the sides and an oil thermometer to regulate the temperature of the oil.
- A slotted spoon, spider strainer, or metal tongs: For flipping and lifting the funnel cakes out of the oil safely.
Funnel Cake Topping Ideas
The classic funnel cake topping is powdered sugar, and it's a classic for a reason. But once you start adding toppings, it's hard to stop. If you're making the strawberry compote, start it before you begin the batter since it takes about 12 minutes. Serve it warm or at room temperature.
Here are our favorite toppings:
- Warm strawberry compote with vanilla ice cream (shown in the photos above)
- Cinnamon sugar instead of powdered sugar
- Whipped cream with fresh berries
- Chocolate sauce (our hot fudge recipe would be perfect as a funnel cake topping)
- Caramel sauce with a pinch of flaky salt
- Fresh sliced peaches in summer, or any fresh fruit that's in season
- Whipped cream and ice cream -any flavor
- Chopped Oreos and ice cream for cookies and cream
If you're serving these at a party, set up a little topping station with small bowls. Guests love customizing their own.
How to Make Fair Funnel Cakes
- Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Step 3: Make the batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.
- Step 4: Fill your ziplock bag. Spoon or pour the batter into a large ziplock freezer bag, seal it, and snip a small hole (about ¼ inch) from one corner.
- Step 5: Fry the funnel cakes. Heat your oil to 350°F. Hold the bag a few inches above the oil. Squeeze the batter in a circular, criss-cross pattern, aiming for a connected swirl shape. Don't worry about making a perfect circle. Fry until golden brown then carefully flip with a slotted spoon or tongs. Cook the second side until also golden brown. Fry in batches. Drain on a paper towel and serve with powdered sugar and toppings.
- Step 6: Optional strawberry compote: Combine the frozen strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium and cook uncovered for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries are completely soft and the sauce has thickened slightly. Serve warm or room temperature.
Expert Tips: The batter should be thick enough to hold a ribbon when you lift the spoon, but thin enough to flow easily. Add milk one tablespoon at a time if it's too thick, or flour one tablespoon at a time if it's too thin. The key to making funnel cakes is not to stress about making them perfect. They're supposed to be a little wild and swirly. That's the whole point.
Serving Funnel Cakes at a Party
This is one of our favorite entertaining moves. Plug in a small countertop deep fryer and cook funnel cakes fresh while guests are mingling. The sizzle gets everyone's attention, and there's something so fun about watching them come straight out of the fryer. It also works great for a backyard party. Setup outside, and serve guests as they're ready, and let them help themselves to the toppings.
If you love casual summer entertaining like this, our ice cream sundae dessert board is another easy crowd-pleaser you can set up and let guests build themselves.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Batter: The funnel cake batter can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in a sealed ziplock bag in the fridge. Give it a gentle stir or squeeze before using.
- Strawberry compote: Make up to 5 days ahead. Store in a jar or airtight container in the fridge. Reheat gently in a small saucepan before serving, or serve at room temperature.
- Leftover funnel cakes: Funnel cakes are best fresh. Fry what you need and store leftover batter in the fridge, then fry more when needed
- Freezing: Not recommended. The texture doesn't hold up after freezing.
Gluten-Free Note
Several readers have had great success making these gluten-free using Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour as a direct substitution. This blend already contains xanthan gum, so no need to add any. One tip: spoon the flour into your measuring cup rather than scooping directly from the bag. Scooping packs it too densely and can make the batter too thick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point. Canola, vegetable, and peanut oil all work well. Avoid olive oil or butter as they burn at frying temperatures and will affect the flavor.
No. A ziplock bag with a small hole snipped in one corner works better than a funnel. It gives you more control over the flow of batter, is easier to squeeze, and cleanup is simply tossing the bag. A squeeze bottle also works if the hole in the top is the right size.
This usually comes down to one of two things: the batter is too thin, or the oil is not hot enough. If the batter is too runny it won't hold its shape. If the oil is below 350°F the batter spreads and breaks apart before it sets. Check your oil temperature before each batch and adjust your batter consistency as needed.
The batter should be similar to a thick pancake batter. When you lift a spoon it should hold a ribbon for a moment before falling. It needs to be thin enough to flow through the bag but thick enough to hold its swirly shape in the oil. Add milk one tablespoon at a time if it's too thick, or flour one tablespoon at a time if it's too thin.
Yes. The batter keeps well in a sealed ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 2 days. Give it a gentle squeeze to recombine before using as it may settle slightly.
Funnel cakes are best fresh. You can try doing it in an air fryer. Reheat at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes until crispy again. Avoid the microwave as it makes them soft and soggy. Better yet, save leftover batter in the fridge, and fry fresh when you want more.
Yes. Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour works as a direct substitution. This blend already contains xanthan gum so there's nothing extra to add. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup rather than scooping directly from the bag to avoid packing it too densely.
More Recipe Inspiration
If you try these fair funnel cakes or any other recipe on my blog, leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Recipe
Easy Homemade Fair Funnel Cakes
Equipment
- Deep Fryer You can use a deep pot, with a thermomter, but the deep fryer regulates the oil temperature for you, and is safer and easier to use.
- ziplock bag This is the easiest way to add the batter to the oil, you can also use a special funnel with stopper, or squeeze bottle.
Ingredients
Funnel Cakes
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- frying oil
- powdered sugar
Strawberry Compote (Optional)
- 700 grams frozen strawberries -or use fresh
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until combined.2 eggs, 1 ½ cups milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth. It should be thick enough to hold a ribbon when you lift the spoon but thin enough to flow easily. Add milk one tablespoon at a time if too thick, or flour one tablespoon at a time if too thin.
- Spoon or pour the batter into a large ziplock bag, seal it, and snip a small hole (about ¼ inch) from one corner. Remember, you can always make the hole larger if needed, but you can't make it smaller, so snip and try, then adjust if needed.
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep, heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F. Hold the bag a few inches above the oil and squeeze the batter in a circular, criss-cross pattern, aiming for a connected swirl shape. Fry until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes, then carefully flip with a slotted spoon or tongs. Cook the second side until golden brown. Fry in batches. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and serve with powdered sugar and your favorite toppings.frying oil, powdered sugar
- For the strawberry compote: Combine the frozen strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium and cook uncovered for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries are completely soft and the sauce has thickened slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.700 grams frozen strawberries, ¼ cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Video
Notes
- Batter Thickness: Adjust the batter with a tablespoon of milk if too thick, or a tablespoon of flour if too thin.
- Batter storage: Seal leftover batter in the ziplock bag and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Compote storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Gluten-free: Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour works as a direct substitution.
- Mini funnel cakes: Reduce batter per cake. Cook about 1 minute per side, or until golden brown.
Nutrition
Salma says
This Recepie is great! I love it, I've made Funnel Cakes several times using this exact recipe! Thanks! Keep Cooking!
dnr says
Kayla, thanks so much for all the tips for those who want to make these gluten free.
Dannyelle
Kayla Brooks says
Bob's Red Meal 1 to 1 Gluten Free flour (Whole Foods) is the best. I substitute it for recipes calling for flour. Add in place of reg flour and follow your recipe. However...DO NOT add any xanthum gum (or guar gum) as it is already in this flour. Use a spoon to scoop flour from bag into measuring cup, if not and you scoop it WITH measuring cup...too dense! Happy baking!!
dnr says
Kait, best of luck with your gluten free version!
Dannyelle
Kait says
Ahhhh I'm so excited for this! I've always wondered how to make funnel cakes, and since having to go gluten free I really really miss them & it breaks my heart I can't eat them. Totally going to try converting this to gluten free! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!