Homemade Funnel Cakes
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Starting the week off right with these Disney inspired Homemade Funnel Cakes! It’s so simple and taste just like the treat we all know and love. The batter is a made of pantry staple ingredients, fried to golden perfection, while achieving those gorgeous swirls we all know and love. Whether you’ve had this treat at your local state fair or the happiest place on earth, you’ll love this sweet treat. Perfect all year long, served with a dollop of Chantilly Cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, plus a heavy dusting of powdered sugar. It’s SO good.
About The Recipe
I know Monday’s can sometimes feel like the worst day of the week, but when you have a plate full of freshly made funnel cakes, it’s hard to have a bad day! Especially when they’re this easy to make. We decided to keep things simple and make a plain funnel cake. Lightly sweetened and hinted with vanilla, these delicious treats are perfect on their or own or compliment any addition you’d like to add on top!
It’s honestly delicious either way, but I really love it plain with a large dollop of Chantilly Cream on top. Oh, and lots of powdered sugar, too.
Though, I do have something to admit. While funnel cakes tends to be a must-have for many people at the Disney parks, it’s something I have never tried!
If you’ve read our blog before, you’ll know that we just got back from a Disney trip a little over a month ago and we have been posting a few recipes inspired by the things we tried at the parks.
So, after we got home from our trip, I asked my mom about making our version, as she’s eaten plenty in the past. She LOVED the idea!
Especially as we get closer and closer into summer. It just seemed like the perfect treat to share.
We talked about all the different ones we could do for the blog, but it only seemed right to post a basic funnel cake that you all could enjoy either plain or with lots of toppings! Honestly, the options are limitless and this funnel cake will ALWAYS be delicious.
Whether you’re wanting to recreate a little Disney magic in your kitchen or simply want to relive summer memories of state fairs, this is the perfect recipe! Simple, easy, and delicious.
What is a Funnel Cake?
A funnel cake is, essential, fried pancake batter! The batter is typically a little thicker than your average pancake, but it’s all the same ingredients. Though, instead of frying it in a skillet, you fry it in oil and serve it with lots of powdered sugar on top. YUM!
Reasons You Will Love This Funnel Cake Recipe
- It’s made from pantry staple ingredients.
- Ready in 45 minutes or less!
- Tastes JUST like the funnel cakes you know and love.
- Can be enjoyed with different flavors or jam and ice cream to really make this treat something special!
Equipment Needed
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Piping Bag
- Small Stock Pot
- Spider Strainer
Ingredients
(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Large Eggs
- Whole Milk
- Vanilla Extract
How To Make Funnel Cakes
Step 1: Make the batter
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
Ladle batter into a pastry bag or plastic zip top bag.
Step 2: Fry
Beginning in the middle of the stockpot, pipe batter into hot oil in a swirling pattern. Think, small loops. Cook until light golden brown, about 1 minute. Turn over and cook for another minute. Take out of the oil and drain. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Step 3: Serve!
Top immediately with powdered sugar and chantilly cream. Enjoy!
Topping Ideas
If you’re in the mood for some more flavor than a standard funnel cake, no worries! Here is a quick list of our favorite things to serve on top of these basic funnel cakes to really give it a lot of flavor.
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Irish Cream Ice Cream
- Lavender Ice Cream
- Peaches and Cream Ice Cream
- Strawberry Ice Cream
- Caramel Apple Ice Cream
- Caramel Sauce
- Chocolate Sauce
- Raspberry Jam
- Strawberry Jam
Can I Store Funnel Cakes?
These funnel cakes are best eaten fresh, the day you made them. They don’t really keep very well/nor do they reheat well.
Expert Tips
- When mixing the batter, make sure the batter is smooth!
- You don’t need more than 1 inch of oil in your pot. Too much oil will cause the funnel cakes to separate and not cook properly.
- Using a piping bag is definitely the easiest way to achieve the classic funnel cake look.
- When piping the batter into the oil, make a small mound in the middle, then from there, make small loops in a circle as close to your middle mound as you can. When making these, we figured out building a base (the beginning mound), then building/swirling closely from there really make it easier to achieve the classic shape. Though, it’s definitely something that takes practice and you may find your own technique!
- Remember, when the funnel cake floats up as your piping, do not panic! Keep piping until your desired size is reached.
- The size of the funnel cake is up to you, we did about 4 rounds. It made for a smaller, more personal serving size.
- These funnel cakes do not store/reheat well. They are best eaten soon after frying!
When you make these Homemade Funnel Cakes, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.
Homemade Funnel Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs,, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- vegetable oil,, for frying
- powdered sugar,, for serving
Instructions
- In a small stockpot, heat 1-inch of vegetable oil to 375° F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add eggs, milk, and vanilla.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Ladle batter into a pastry bag or plastic zip top bag.
- Snip the tip off the bag so that you have about a 1/4" opening.
- Beginning in the middle of the stockpot, pipe batter into hot oil in a swirling pattern.
- Cook until light golden brown, about 1 minute.
- Flip over.
- Cook for 1 minute.
- Remove from oil using a spider or slotted spoon.
- Drain.
- Repeat with remaining batter.
- Sift powdered sugar over top and serve.
Notes
- When mixing the batter, make sure the batter is smooth!
- You don’t need more than 1 inch of oil in your pot. Too much oil will cause the funnel cakes to separate and not cook properly.
- Using a piping bag is definitely the easiest way to achieve the classic funnel cake look.
- When piping the batter into the oil, make a small mound in the middle, then from there, make small loops in a circle as close to your middle mound as you can. When making these, we figured out building a base (the beginning mound), then building/swirling closely from there really make it easier to achieve the classic shape. Though, it’s definitely something that takes practice and you may find your own technique!
- Remember, when the funnel cake floats up as your piping, do not panic! Keep piping until your desired size is reached.
- The size of the funnel cake is up to you, we did about 4 rounds. It made for a smaller, more personal serving size.
- These funnel cakes do not store/reheat well. They are best eaten soon after frying!
EQUIPMENT
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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