Enjoy sweet pastry dough fried to perfection in this Elephant Ears Recipe. Each bite is topped with cinnamon and sugar for a delicious treat.
If you love fried treats, this recipe is a must try. You don’t have to wait until the next carnival or food truck is in the area to enjoy Elephant ears. This recipe is so quick and simple to make at home. I have been making it since the kids were little.
We love funnel cakes and have an easy recipe for that too. Can you tell we love all the carnival type treats in our house? Make sure to check out all of our Quick Bread Recipes. You may also like Cinnamon Chips Recipe or Cinnamon Swirl Bread Recipe.
What's in this post: Best Elephant Ears Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
- Simple Ingredients – If you like to keep your pantry stocked with baking supplies. Then you probably have everything to make this recipe.
- Family Favorite – My kids and love getting fry bread at our local fair. Making it at saves me time and money.
- Quick and Easy – This delicious dessert is easy to make, and I love making it for many occasions.
Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour. Don’t pack too much flour into the cup. Spoon the flour instead of scooping to prevent this.
- Whole Milk. I prefer whole milk and not reduced fat for the best flavor.
- Oil. This is for frying, and you need to use an oil with a high smoke point. Canola Oil is an example.
- Sugar. Plain, white granulated sugar.
- Cinnamon. Adjust to taste if you prefer more or less cinnamon.
Scroll to the bottom to see recipe card for the full recipe and ingredients.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1 – Get out a medium size mixing bowl. Add the flour, salt and baking powder. Stir together.
Step 2 – Slowly pour in the milk until a dough forms.
Step 3 – Let the dough sit for 5 minutes in a bowl with plastic wrap.
Step 4 – Roll the dough using a rolling pin on a wooden board. Cut into 6 pieces.
Step 5 – Roll each piece into a ball of dough and flatten each one out into a ½ inch thick circle. Use a flat surface for the best results to make even folds.
Step 6 – Add 3 inch of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot over medium heat.
Step 7 – Place the dough circles in the oil and fry until the puff pastry is golden brown. It will poof up slightly and then you flip the dough.
Step 8 – Fry the other side until the puffy pastry is puffed and golden. Line a plate with paper towels and put the fried dough on it to drain any excess grease. You can also cool on wire racks.
Step 9 – Mix together the tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl.
Step 10 – Sprinkle the elephant ears with cinnamon sugar while still warm. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Serving – Elephant Ears are best served warm.
- Oil for Frying – Peanut Oil, Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil would be great for frying.
- Heat Oil – We recommend cooking the elephant ears in hot oil. This gives them the best crispy texture.
- Cooking Elephant Ears – Cook them about 2 to 3 minutes on each side until they are golden brown. Make sure to not to cook them to long as cooking time will vary.
- After Cooking – After removing them from the hot oil, place on paper towel lined plate or cookie sheet to drain excess grease. Make sure to sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture while fried elephant ears are still warm.
- Don’t crowd the pan – You may need to fry one elephant ear at a time. If you place too many in the pan, the temperature will decrease and undercook them.
What is the Difference Between a Funnel Cake and an Elephant Ear?
They taste similar but look a little different. Funnel cakes are fried dough that is more like a fritter in a zig zag pattern. They can be quite messy but oh so yummy.
Elephant Ears are flat and much easier to eat. They are often topped with cinnamon and sugar.
As you can see, both sound equally delicious but they are shaped very differently.
Topping Ideas
Elephant Ears can be topped with many different toppings. The classic toppings is cinnamon and sugar, but these are some of our other favorites.
- Powdered Sugar
- Homemade Frosting
- Caramel or Chocolate Sauce
- Butter
Frequently Asked Questions
These elephant ears are best served fresh.
Store your leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. They are best served fresh but can be stored for up to 2 days.
You can also freeze the Elephant Ears in a freezer-safe bag up to 3 months.
You can reheat them in the microwave or in the oven. If you stored them without the cinnamon sugar you can brush them with melted butter and then sprinkle with cinnamon.
More Fried Dessert Recipes
We love hearing from you. If you make this easy elephant ears recipe, then leave a star review and comment please.
Elephant Ears
Ingredients
- 2 cups Flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 cup milk
- Oil for Frying
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly stir in the milk until a dough forms. Gradually add in the milk until the dough is form (you may not need all the milk).
- Let the dough sit for 5 minutes.
- Then roll the dough out slightly and cut it into 6 pieces.
- Then roll out each piece into a ½ inch thick circles.
- Heat 3 inches of the oil in a deep pot. Fry the dough circles in the oil until the dough is golden brown and poofs up slight. Then flip the dough to fry the other side.
- Set the fried dough on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Stir together the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture onto the dough while still warm.
- Serve immediately while warm and enjoy!
