It's Easier Than You Think To Transform Pancake Mix Into Funnel Cake

Funnel cake feels synonymous with childhood. Anyone who has enjoyed this sweet snack can likely recall visiting the local fair or the boardwalk near the beach and indulging in the tasty fried dessert. If you really want to take a trip down memory lane, you might want to make a funnel cake at home. Luckily, doing so is much easier than it seems — you can use typical pancake batter as the base for this recipe. Simply prep your pancake mix as if you're about to cook them on the griddle, and then just add three additional ingredients: water, sugar, and vanilla extract.

Frying a funnel cake in oil is the best method to prepare it. The runny batter is not conducive to baking the cake in the oven or using the air fryer. For the best funnel cake, you can use a high smoke point oil that works well for fried foods, such as canola or vegetable oil. In the end, you'll have a funnel cake that is ready to eat in less than 10 minutes.

In terms of flavor and texture, funnel cake batter can be easily compared to pancake batter. All it takes is a bit of remixing to create the sweeter, dessert-like batter to create one of these cakes right from your boxed pancake mix. Pancakes already have some sweetness to them, so adding just a bit of sugar or vanilla extract can help kick that flavor up a notch. The powdered sugar you top it with will also boost the sweet factor.

An important part of creating a traditional funnel cake is nailing its classic shape. The cakes are often round, but they're made out of thin lines of batter. The easiest way to do this is to use a piping bag, but if you don't have one, you can cut the corner off of any resealable bag. Just add the batter to the bag, and then drizzle lines into the heated oil to create the shape of the cake. You can also pour the batter into a funnel, using the funnel to drop lines onto the pan.

Once you have the base down, you can get creative with your funnel cake's add-ons by incorporating different elements into the batter to make different flavors. Of course, powdered sugar on top is a must, but there are other ways to enhance the overall cake.

You can try adding miniature chocolate chips to the batter to create a chocolate chip funnel cake (the miniature chips are your best option, as they will flow more easily through a piping bag or funnel than standard-sized chocolate chips). Alternatively, you can add some finely crushed Oreos for a cookies-and-cream variety.

For a more unique, spicy twist, add some chili chocolate. The sweet and spicy blend keeps the treat from being too hot and creates an interesting flavor contrast. You can also keep the batter basic and add different toppings to the cake, such as whipped cream, ice cream, or fresh fruit. Chop berries and heat them with sugar and water to create a berry compote for the perfect funnel cake topping.