5 Ingredient Funnel Cake Recipe

Love all things fried dough? Check out my sopapillas, beignets, and vegan churros next. Aside from carnival season, funnel cakes rarely cross my mind. But when a family friend asked me to make them on a whim, I couldn’t say no! Now that I’ve discovered how easy they are to make, we’ll be having them all the time. If you have everything to make a stack of pancakes, you have GOT to try this recipe!

Why I love this recipe

They taste exactly like the ones from the fair. All that’s missing is the carnival games, but my kitchen is a constant circus so that ticks the box! Simple ingredients. And you probably have all of them in your kitchen. They’re fast. I’m talking under 10 minutes fast. Customizable. Add your favorite toppings, or just keep them simple with a little powdered sugar. Funnel-free. There are zero fancy kitchen gadgets needed.

Ingredients needed

Flour. I used self-rising flour, which contains all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and baking powder mixed in. Skip the store-bought stuff and make my homemade self rising flour. Sugar. Adds essential sweetness. White sugar is best, but brown sugar works. Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but use any milk of your preference. Eggs. Lightly whisked. Powdered sugar. The finishing touch; also known as confectioner’s sugar. Oil. For frying. Any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point works, like canola oil or vegetable oil.

How to make funnel cake

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Cinnamon sugar. Mix 1 tablespoon of cinnamon with ½ cup white sugar. Fresh fruit. Sliced strawberries, blueberries, or peaches. Ice cream. A heaping scoop of almond milk ice cream or brownie ice cream. Sauce. Drizzle some caramel sauce, chocolate syrup, or strawberry sauce, or add a dollop of whipped cream.

Arman’s recipe tips

Adjust the flavor. Add a splash of vanilla extract to the batter. Keep an eye on the oil. If it gets too hot, the cakes will fall apart when you shape them. Ideally, the oil should stay around 190°C. Adjust the batter consistency. It should pour easily, about the consistency of pancake batter. If it appears too thick, add a bit more milk. Pour in an even, thin stream. The trick to getting the proper shape is to drizzle the batter while constantly moving. You want a thin stream of equal-sized dough so it all fries evenly. If it’s really tricky, try using a squeeze bottle instead of a plastic bag. Let them cool before adding powdered sugar. Otherwise, the sugar will get soaked in the cakes.

Storage instructions

To store: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. To freeze: Store them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Reheating: Reheat the cakes in a preheated oven or air fryer until warm, flipping every few minutes until they’re crispy.