Gluten-Free Funnel Cakes are crispy on the outside, doughy on the inside, and taste just like the real thing. Make this state fair-favorite at home in minutes using a handful of everyday ingredients!
State fair season is upon us, and if you’ve got a taste for classic fair food made gluten-free, you’ve just got to try my Gluten-Free Funnel Cakes.
Lightly crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and perfectly sweet too, these homemade funnel cakes are not only shockingly easy to make with just a few ingredients, but they taste exactly like the ones you get hot and fresh at the fair!
Classic Fair Food Made Gluten-Free
The Iowa State Fair is legendary, and one of the largest state fairs in the country. It’s even included in bucket list books!
I’ve been going every summer since I was a little girl and honestly was devastated to miss out on most of my favorite fair foods after going gluten-free over a decade ago.
(I wasn’t as sad to have to skip the deep-fried butter-on-a-stick that was sold for exactly one summer back in 2011. #hardpass)
Happily, these days the state fair has tons of gluten-free options, ranging from gluten-free lobster corndogs to smoked bacon balls. Anything sweet and fried like funnel cakes, though, is still off the menu.
Problem solved with my Gluten-Free Funnel Cakes that genuinely taste like fair and festival funnel cakes, but can be made at home in minutes.
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Pin ItMain Ingredients Needed
Imma let you in on a little secret – funnel cake batter is basically pancake batter! I use my Easy Gluten-Free Pancakes recipe as the base for these funnel cakes, but adjust the milk quantity to get the right consistency.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Gluten-free flour blend: I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour. Both worked very well, but I found Bob’s to yield a more moist funnel cake. Whatever blend you use, ensure it has a binder such as xanthan gum.
- Granulated sugar: lightly sweetens the funnel cake batter, and helps promote browning.
- Baking powder: for light and puffy funnel cakes.
- Milk: use whatever you have in the fridge, though I recommend 2% milkfat or higher for the best texture.
- Eggs: for structure.
- Vegetable or canola oil: for frying. Feel free to use another light/neutral-tasting high-heat cooking oil such as avocado oil.
Helpful Equipment to Have on Hand
As a concept, fried dough has been around for centuries, so don’t overthink the process of making funnel cakes. That said, here are a few tools that make it a touch easier:
- 9-10″ cast iron pot/dutch oven: cast iron holds onto heat much better than a stainless steel cooking pot.
- Deep fry/candy thermometer with a clip: secures to the side of the pot.
- 12oz squeeze bottle: to easily drizzle the batter into the hot oil. Traditionally batter is added via a funnel – hence the name – and you’d use your finger at the bottom as a stopper. A squeeze bottle is a much safer option, imo! Be sure to buy a squeeze bottle with a capped lid, rather than a twist top. More on that below.
- Tongs: to flip the funnel cakes over in the hot oil, then transfer them to paper towels to drain.
- Mini fine mesh strainer: to dust the tops of the hot funnel cakes with powdered sugar.
Top Tips for Making Funnel Cakes
Every time I make funnel cakes the process gets easier. Honestly I’m not kidding when I tell you it’s a cinch, and and since the batter is essentially pancake batter (OK, fried in oil), these would make a fun breakfast or brunch surprise for your family.
At any rate, keep these tips in mind when making funnel cakes at home:
- Batter consistency: we’re looking for batter that’s thin enough to drizzle and squeeze through the opening of a squeeze bottle, but not as thin as crepe batter.
- Milk amount: different gluten-free flour blends have different “thirst levels” depending on what starches and flours are in the blend. If your batter is too thick, stir in 1 Tablespoon milk at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it’s too thin, let the batter sit for 5 minutes then check again. If it’s still too thin, whisk in additional flour until you get to the right consistency.
- Squeeze bottle top: Remember when I said to buy a squeeze bottle with a capped lid, vs a twist-to-open lid? If your batter squiggles are too thin you can cut the tip to be wider and let out more batter.
- Oil temperature: the oil temperature will drop slightly after adding the funnel cake batter but resist the urge to crank the heat up, otherwise you’ll chase it the entire time. Keep the heat at a constant medium and let the oil come back up to temperature before frying the next funnel cake.
- Serve immediately: funnel cakes are best eaten hot, fresh, and dusted with powdered sugar, or dipped in cinnamon-sugar! That said, I don’t recommend refrigerating or freezing them.
Try Gluten-Free Dirt Cake
How to Make Gluten-Free Funnel Cake
Step 1: Heat the oil.
Start by adding 1-inch of high-heat cooking oil to a 9-10-inch cast iron pot. Attach a deep fry/candy thermometer with a clip to the side, then turn the heat to medium and heat the oil to 370 degrees, 10-12 minutes.
Thermometer Tip
Be sure the tip of the thermometer isn’t touching the bottom of the pot to ensure you’re getting an accurate temperature reading.
Step 2: Prepare the batter.
While the oil is preheating, whisk together gluten-free flour blend, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and eggs until smooth, then add to the dry ingredients and whisk until well combined.
Batter Consistency Tip
The batter should be thin enough to squeeze through a squeeze bottle, but not thin and runny like crepe batter.
- Too thick? Whisk in small splashes of milk until you get to the right consistency.
- Too thin? Let the batter sit and thicken for 5 minutes. If it’s still too thin, whisk in small amounts of flour until you get to the right consistency.
When the oil is hot, transfer the batter into a squeeze bottle. You’ll fit a little more than half the batter inside a 12oz squeeze bottle, so plan on re-filling when it’s empty.
Squeeze Bottle Tip
Use the type of squeeze bottle that can be trimmed so that if your funnel cake batter squiggles are too thin, you can cut the top to be wider.
Step 3: Fry the funnel cakes.
Oil heated to 370 degrees: check.
Batter loaded into the squeeze bottle: check.
Squeeze the batter into the hot oil in a spiral starting at the outside and spiraling in toward the center of the circle. Continue squeezing the batter in a criss-cross pattern over the spiral, then make another spiral over the funnel cake.
The goal is to get the batter to stick to itself so it stays together in one funnel cake when you flip it over.
Your first one might be hideous. That’s ok! It takes one or two to get the hang of it, and luckily they’re delicious no matter what they look like.
Fry until the bottom is light golden brown, 1 minute, then use tongs to flip the funnel cake over and fry until the second side is golden brown, another minute.
Step 4: Cool then top the funnel cakes.
Use tongs to transfer the funnel cakes to a paper towel-lined sheet pan or plate to drain and cool slightly, then dust with powdered sugar.
Or coat in cinnamon sugar. This is my FAVORITE way to eat a funnel cake!
Step 5: Eat immediately.
Funnel cakes – gluten-free or otherwise – are best eaten hot and fresh, so dig in!
Whether you make gluten-free funnel cakes to satisfy a state fair craving, or as a special way to celebrate being gluten-free, I hope you love every soft, sweet, and doughy bite. Enjoy!
More Easy Gluten Free Desserts
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Fruit Dip
- Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake
- Triple Berry Crumb Bars
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Crisp
- Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free flour blend, see notes
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups milk, 2% or higher milk fat recommended, see notes
- 2 large eggs
- vegetable or canola oil, or other neutral-tasting high heat cooking oil
- For serving: powdered sugar or cinnamon-sugar
Directions
- Line a half sheet pan with paper towels then set it aside.
- Attach a deep fry/candy thermometer with a clip to a 9-10” heavy-bottomed pot like cast iron. Be sure the tip of the thermometer is not touching the bottom of the pot to ensure an accurate temperature reading.
- Add 1” of high-heat cooking oil to the pot (I place my fingertip on the bottom of the pot then add oil until it reaches my first knuckle joint) then heat over medium until the oil reaches 370 degrees, 10-12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, to a large mixing bowl add the gluten-free flour blend, sugar, baking powder, and salt then whisk to combine.
- To a medium-size mixing bowl, or a large glass measuring cup, add the milk, and eggs then whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients then whisk until smooth. The batter should be slightly thick but still pourable. If it’s too thick, whisk in 1 Tablespoon milk at a time until the batter reaches a pourable consistency. Let the batter sit in the mixing bowl until it’s time to fry the funnel cakes then check the consistency again and add more milk if needed. Transfer the batter into a 12oz squeeze bottle – you will need to do this in 2 batches. See notes if you don't have a squeeze bottle.
- Once the oil is hot, squeeze the batter into the oil in a spiral, swirling from the outside in, then criss-cross the batter over the circle, and then spiral again over the funnel cake. Fry until the funnel cake is light golden brown on the bottom,1 minute, then flip using tongs and fry until the second side is golden brown, 1 minute. Tip: if the funnel cake threads are too skinny, trim the squeeze bottle tip to make it wider.
- Transfer the funnel cake to the prepared sheet pan then let it drain and cool slightly before dusting with powdered sugar, or dunking into a wide, shallow dish of cinnamon-sugar for a more churro-like dessert. Serve immediately.
- Let the oil come back up to 370 degrees before frying a new funnel cake. Fill the squeeze bottle with the remaining batter when needed.
Notes
- I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour. I found Bob’s to yield a more moist funnel cake. Your results may vary depending on what GF flour blend you use. Whatever blend you use, ensure it has a binder such as xanthan gum.
- The total amount of milk needed for this recipe will depend on how “thirsty” your gluten-free flour blend is. If the batter is too dry after adding 1-1/2 cups milk stir in 1 additional Tablespoon milk at a time until the consistency is right. Alternatively, if your batter is too runny, let it sit for 5 minutes then, if it’s still too runny, whisk in a little bit of additional flour.
- If you don’t have a squeeze bottle, pour 1/3 cup of the batter into a funnel with your finger over the opening. Remove your finger then swirl the batter into the hot oil as described above.
- Estimated nutritional information does not include any oil absorbed during the frying process.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
