It is so simple to make this tasty Funnel Cake Recipe at home and enjoy a popular State Fair treat any time you want. This delicious treat is fried to perfection and dusted with powder sugar.

There are many treats that we look forward to at carnivals, State Fairs and other places. It is so fun making these at home and this cake recipe is deep fried and amazing.
We love learning to make some of our favorite things at home such as the 33 Best Funnel Cake Recipes. You might also like to make Deep fried oreos and Deep Fried Nutella at home for a fraction of the price.
The kids also love when I make Chocolate Covered Twinkies.
Table of contents
What is a Funnel Cake?
Funnel Cake is a delicious treat popular at fairs and carnivals. You make it by dropping the mixture in hot oil and frying to perfection. The batter is sweet like cake and always a popular choice.
The batter is traditionally squeezed through a funnel and dropped into oil to fry. Hence the name.
Homemade Funnel Cake Ingredients

- All Purpose Flour
- Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Milk
- Large Eggs
- Vegetable Oil
- Powder Sugar
How to Make Funnel Cake from Scratch

Step 1. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Step 2. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients: milk and 2 large eggs.

Step 3. Combine the dry and wet ingredients.

Step 4. Gradually combine these ingredients together until the mixture is smooth.

Step 5. Next, add oil to pan and heat. Heat on medium heat until the oil is hot. This takes about 2-4 minutes. Slowly drizzle approximately ½ cup of the batter into the oil. Create a swirl and crisscross the batter to form the classic look. You can also use a piping bag for this process.

Step 6. Fry each side until golden brown. It does not take long to cool funnel cake batter.

Step 7. Remove from skillet once fried until golden brown. Place on a paper towel lined plate.

Step 8. Dust with powder sugar immediately and serve warm. Repeat this process with the remaining batter until all have been created and topped with powdered sugar.
Topping Ideas
This favorite fair treat are so fun with various toppings and everyone can enjoy their favorites.
- Powdered sugar
- Cinnamon and sugar for a different flavor.
- Ice cream and hot fudge or chocolate
- Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe and Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe
- Any type of fruit. Strawberries and blueberries are good.
- Pie filling is amazing. Homemade Cherry Pie Filling, Apple, cherry, blueberry and top with whipped cream.
- My kids love to top this fair food treat with sprinkles.

Pro Tips
- You can use a squeeze bottle or piping bag for the batter if you don’t have a funnel. This will help you get the criss-cross pattern in the vegetable oil when pouring the batter.
- It is not necessary but you can use a deep fryer if you have one. Otherwise, a frying pan is fine to make funnel cakes at home.
- This homemade fair food treat is best served warm.
FAQs
Fried dough is made with a dough type texture that uses yeast for leavening. Funnel cake is made from a pancake type batter. It is a thinner dough than fried dough. Baking powder is the leavening ingredient.
Funnel cakes consist of a sweet batter that tastes like a cross between donuts and cake. They are fried in a zigzag overlapping pattern and served with various toppings.
This delicious treat can be ready in hardly anytime at all. Make these today for a delicious dessert or snack for your family. They will love having these at home.
More Funnel Cake Desserts
- Red Velvet Funnel Cake Recipe
- Funnel Cake Bites
- Funnel Cake with Pancake Mix
- Chocolate Funnel Cake
- Funnel Cake Fries Recipe
- See more Funnel Cake Recipes
Make this homemade funnel cake recipe and come back and leave a comment.

Funnel Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoon Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Milk
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup Powder Sugar
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients: milk and 2 large eggs.
- Slow stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Heat up vegetable oil in a sauce pan. You will want to line the bottom of the pan with approximately 2″ of oil. Heat on medium heat until the oil is hot (2-4 minutes).
- Slowly drizzel approximately ½ cup of the batter into the oil. You will want to swirl and criss-cross the batter across each other to form the funnel cake look. You can also use a piping bag for this process.
- Fry each side of the funnel cake until they are golden brown (60-90 seconds per side).
- Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel line plate.
- Dust with powder sugar immediately and serve warm.
- Repeat this process with the remaining batter until all the funnel cakes are created. The batter makes approximately 4-6 cakes depending on the size of your funnel cakes.
- Enjoy!