Learn how to make your own carnival-worthy Funnel Cakes at home with just a handful of basic ingredients! This is a super simple recipe that can be made in under 20 minutes without a deep fryer. Recipe includes a quick how-to video!
Carnival-Worthy Funnel Cakes (No Carnival & No Funnel Required)
Is it really summertime if you haven’t had a funnel cake yet?
Each year when the carnival rolls into town, Zach and I live for funnel cake. When we lived in our old house, we would walk to the carnival every evening at twilight just to hit up the funnel cake stand and walk back home with a giant, greasy plate of fried dough (buried beneath a literal mountain of slowly-melting powdered sugar, of course).
This year, we’re in a new town with a new carnival (that’s not within walking distance) and nightly funnel cake walks are a little less doable. We’ll still venture out (and probably more than once), but until then we’re making funnel cakes at home. And, guess what, it’s actually very easy!
Funnel cakes are made of a simple pancake-esque batter that’s drizzled into a pot of hot oil. The batter takes literally less than 5 minutes to stir together, and the frying process is also only a few-minute affair. Oh, and if you don’t have an actual funnel, that’s not even a problem, I’ll tell you how to make funnel cake without one.
What is Funnel Cake Made Of?
Funnel cake batter is similar to a pancake batter, and in fact this recipe is a variation of my buttermilk pancakes. The only ingredients you need are:
- Flour
- Sugar — just a pinch, funnel cakes end up being quite rich thanks to the oil they’re cooked in and the powdered sugar on top, so you don’t need much in the actual batter.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Milk
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract — optional, this will also make the funnel cakes sweeter and richer, so it’s a matter of personal preference.
In addition, you’ll also need oil for frying and powdered sugar for sprinkling on top.
How to Make Funnel Cake Without a Funnel
Sorry funnel cake purists, but you can actually make funnel cake without a funnel. If you happen to have one, that’s great (you’ll want a funnel with a 1/2″ opening), but if not you can still make these at home.
My favorite way is the easiest: portion some of the batter into a measuring cup and then pour that in a thin stream in a circular/criss-cross/zig-zag into the hot oil. Easiest to clean up, smallest chance of spills. The only thing you have to watch for here is that it’s very important that you tip the measuring cup slowly and pour a thin stream while constantly moving your measuring cup, otherwise you could end up with big clumps of batter that are golden brown on the outside and raw at the center.
If you don’t have a funnel but are having trouble getting a thin enough stream, you can pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (1/2″ diameter). Plug the tip with your finger, portion the batter, and then pipe it into the oil.
Here are a few other techniques for making funnel cake without a funnel.
What Kind of Oil Do You Need for Funnel Cake?
I recommend using a neutral oil for frying your funnel cakes. Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil will all work great for frying this recipe.
Can You Refrigerate Funnel Cake Batter?
Yes. Cover any leftover batter with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container and store for up to two days.
Enjoy!
Other Recipes You Might Like:
Let’s bake together! Be sure to check out my video at the bottom of the recipe where I’ll show you exactly how I make this Funnel Cake recipe in my own kitchen! If you enjoy watching, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 150 recipe videos that you can watch for free!
Funnel Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 250g
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk 236ml
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Powdered sugar for dusting funnel cakes
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well-combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla extract (if using) until well-combined.
- While whisking, gradually add dry ingredients to wet, stirring until mixture is smooth and combined. Set aside.
- Fill a medium-sized saucepan 2-3” deep with vegetable oil. Set on stovetop over medium-low heat and place a candy thermometer in the oil (make sure the tip of the thermometer is in the middle of the oil and not touching the bottom or it will read hotter than the actual temperature of the oil). Heat oil to 370-375F (187-190C).
- Once oil is heated, portion about 1/3 - ½ cup of batter into a liquid measuring cup¹. Slowly drizzle batter into oil in a thin stream, swirling and criss-crossing the batter over itself. Fry on each side until golden brown (about 90 seconds per side) then remove to a paper-towel lined plate.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.
- Repeat with remaining batter but make sure that oil returns to temperature in between batches.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Ryan Thibodeaux says
I just made these for a benefit for a Mc brother. They had a gumbo cook off and everyone loved them so much I won second place with the cakes! This is unheard of around here! Thanks for the recipe!
Sugar Spun Run says
That is wonderful, Ryan! I am so glad that you won with this recipe and that everyone enjoyed the funnel cake. I hope that the benefit was a great success. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Paula says
The way you tell if your oil is hot enough is take a pinch of flour just plain old flour and drop it into the oil if it sizzles without smoking it’s ready!
Sugar Spun Run says
That is such a great tip, Paula! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Candace G says
I make this recipe just add a lil more milk kids and I love it so does the hubby it’s a family fav thank u
Sam says
So glad to hear everyone enjoyed the funnel cake, Candace! 🙂
Allura says
Amazingly helpful I’m so excited to make this thank you so much 5 stars 🤩
Sugar Spun Run says
I can’t wait for you to try the funnel cake recipe, Allura! I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Mitzie Griffin says
Why is it that my batter for the funnel cake is thicker and not thin ? What am I doing wrong please help thank you
Mitzie Griffin
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Mitzie! The flour may have been miss measured or packed into the measuring cup. You can add a little more milk to make the batter thinner and it should work just fine. Thank you for trying the recipe, let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Mike Vargas says
I had the same issue and I think I figured out why. The recipe calls for 2 cups of flour, but then calls it 250g of flour, which is only a little over 1 cup. Try only using 1 cup instead for better results.
When I first tried this with the full 2 cups of flour I couldn’t pour the batter from a funnel. Instead, I squirted it from a plastic bag with the corner/tip cut off and it still tasted great! Maybe just a little more dense. It may just be a matter of adding a little more water to it, but I still need to re-attempt it.
Sam says
Glad it worked, but the 250g is correct for 2 cups of flour (1 cup is 125g, at least that is the standard on my site).
Colleen says
You didn’t do anything wrong. Of course 2 cups flour and one cup liquid is going to make a thick batter. That’s just plain logic. I had to increase to 2 cups milk to change it from cookie dough consistency into batter.
Porschia Kaiser says
Where’s the measurements?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Porschia! You can find the print-ready recipe at the bottom of the page. It lists step by step instructions, a step by step video and an ingredient list. Let me know how your funnel cakes turn out! 🙂
Stephanie says
Great idea never thought of that one
Selah Howard says
Hi there!
Do you have any recommendations for getting the right oil temperature without a thermometer? Or is it just to tricky? My mom has always just tried her best to get her frying oil to the right temp without a thermometer, but I don’t know if this is a more delicate recipe from hers.
Sweetly,
Selah
Sam says
Honestly I think it’s just too tricky, you might get lucky and have success but for best results I really recommend a thermometer.
Selah Howard says
Thought so. Yeah, okay. Thank you!
jerri ororke says
Love funnel cakes. I use a squirt bottle to drizzle my batter in the oil. If I don’t use it all, I just put the bottle in the fridge and shake before making more. The bottle works great and you can cut the tip to the size you want to make the cakes. I like mine kinda thin.
Sam says
That’s a great idea, Jerri! It’s one of my favorite summer time desserts. 🙂