The Best Funnel Cakes at Home
Bring the carnival to your home with this easy homemade funnel cake recipe! An easy batter will have your favorite fair treat done in minutes, so you can skip the crowds and enjoy fresh funnel cakes right at home.
There’s a reason why funnel cakes are the classic fair favorite – freshly made ones are deep-fried to create a crunchy outside and light and fluffy inside. No summer is complete without a fresh funnel cake dusted with powdered sugar.

What do I need to make my own funnel cakes at home?

- Oils for frying. I recommend canola or vegetable oil. I’d stay away from olive oil or avocado oil. Something flavorless is always the best.
- Milk.
- Eggs.
- All purpose flour.
- Baking Powder.
- Sugar.
- Cinnamon.
- Salt.
- Any toppings – powdered sugar is a classic, and I love to put fresh fruit and whipped cream on mine!
How do I make funnel cakes at home?
- This is so easy to do, there is no reason at all to be intimidated by making this deep-fried treat at home!
- You want to start by heating your oil. Put the oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan, or a Dutch oven. Heat it up slowly, at low-medium low heat. You do not want to heat up the oil too fast or too hot.
- Now you start on your batter. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients (just milk and eggs.) Fold the wet and dry together until just combined – you don’t want to see any more flour, but be careful not to over mix.
- Next, you want to transfer your batter to either a squeeze bottle or a funnel. Take a cup of batter fill the bottle (if using a funnel, be sure to cover the opening with your finger) and then squeeze out into the middle of the hot oil.
- Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip with tongs and cook for another 2 minutes. The funnel cakes should be a lovely golden brown. Transfer to a plate with a paper towel to cool slightly.
What toppings are good for homemade funnel cake?
Fresh fruit and whipped cream with vanilla extract is my personal favorite! You can try chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, or the classic powdered sugar.

What if I don’t have a funnel or a squeeze bottle?
You can fill up a sandwich bag with the batter and then cut off the tip, or use a piping bag.
How do I know my oil is ready for deep frying?
If you heat it for 15 minutes on medium, it should be perfect. To test, squeeze in a tiny amount of batter. If it turns dark brown too quickly, turn down the heat.

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Storage and Make Ahead
These are best eaten straight after making. You can make the batter up to 4 days early. Keep it in the fridge, and it might need a splash of milk if it’s thickened up.


The Best Funnel Cakes at Home
Bring the carnival to your home with this easy homemade funnel cake recipe! An easy batter will have your favorite fair treat done in minutes, so you can skip the crowds and enjoy fresh funnel cakes right at home.
Ingredients
- 4 cups canola oil (for deep frying)
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- powdered sugar to sprinkle on time
Instructions
- Heat oil in a wide pan or Dutch oven to 375 degrees, medium/low heat. Make sure not to use too high a heat! If the heat is too high when you pour in your batter, it will cook too quickly and become very crunchy all the way through. Medium heat allows you to get a crunchy, golden brown outside with a soft, fluffy center!
- Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the milk and eggs. Pour this mixture into your flour mixture and combine thoroughly. The batter should be thick but still pourable.
- Use a clean squeezable condiment bottle with the spout cut down to create a larger opening or a funnel with a ½ inch opening. Fill your bottle with batter or pour about a cup of batter into your funnel (while holding the funnel closed with a finger).
- Hold the bottle or funnel directly over the middle of hot oil. Squeeze the bottle or remove your finger from the hole, and move it in a circular motion, to spiral the dough as it goes into the pan. You want to make a (messy) spiral that is about the size of a small-sized plate or a large dinner plate, depending on how big you would like to make them. As you are making your funnel cakes, your batter may thicken as it sits, just add a splash of milk and stir in before refilling your bottle/funnel for the next batch.
- Fry until golden brown, flip with tongs, and allow the other side to cook. It should take about 2 minutes per side.
- Remove the funnel cake to paper towels.
- Continue until you have used all of the batters.
- Serve with powdered sugar sifted over the top if you like. Best served warm.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 2474Total Fat: 222gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 201gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 456mgCarbohydrates: 114gFiber: 2gSugar: 55gProtein: 13g
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