Let me tell you something—these funnel cake bites are the closest thing to pure joy you can make at home. If you’ve ever had a funnel cake at a fair, you know what I mean. It’s crispy, sweet, and totally irresistible. But the mess? The hot oil splatters and trying to swirl the batter just right? It’s a lot. So I started making these little bite-sized versions, and they’re a game-changer. Easier, faster, and honestly, they disappear even quicker!
I made a batch of these for a movie night once, and they were gone before we even hit play. The best part? They come together in no time, so you don’t have to wait for your funnel cake fix. And if you’re anything like me, once you taste that first bite, you’ll be thinking about them all week. Let’s jump in.
Funnel Cake Bites Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk (whole, 2%, whatever you’ve got)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Oil for frying (I use vegetable oil)
- Powdered sugar for dusting (the more, the better!)
Directions:
- Make the batter: In a big bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t worry about a few lumps—it’s funnel cake, not a science experiment.
- Heat the oil: Pour about 2 inches of oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet and heat it to around 350°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, just drop a little batter in the oil. If it sizzles and floats to the top quickly, you’re good to go. (source:ineskohl.info)
- Fry the bites: Grab a spoon (or better yet, a small cookie scoop if you have one) and drop small amounts of batter into the hot oil. Fry them in batches—don’t crowd the pan!—and cook for about 1-2 minutes per side until they’re golden and puffy. Flip them halfway through with a slotted spoon. I usually hover over the oil like a hawk because they cook fast.
- Drain and sugar: Once they’re perfectly golden, transfer the bites to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off the excess oil. While they’re still warm, dust them with a generous amount of powdered sugar. I mean it, be generous—like a snowstorm on each one.
- Enjoy: These are best fresh and warm, but if you have leftovers (which I seriously doubt), you can reheat them in the oven for a few minutes to crisp them back up. But honestly, they usually don’t last that long.
That’s it. In less time than it takes to drive to the fair, you’ve got a pile of funnel cake bites ready to go. I’ve played around with the toppings too—sometimes a little drizzle of chocolate or caramel is fun, or even cinnamon sugar instead of powdered sugar. But the classic version is my favorite, and it takes me straight back to those summer nights at the fair when all I cared about was getting my hands on a funnel cake bigger than my head.
Oh, and if you have kids (or, you know, adults who act like kids when it comes to sweets), they’ll go crazy for these. I usually double the recipe when I know we’ve got people coming over. They disappear fast!
Happy frying!
