You Don't Need A Funnel To Create Carnival-Worthy Funnel Cakes At Home

Next to thrilling rides and prize-worthy games, going to state fairs and amusement parks is made even more enjoyable due to the impressive array of fried food options. On the list of 10 classic carnival foods, ranked, which features snow cones and hot dogs, funnel cakes claim the number one spot for good reason.

While you might feel confident making popcorn and soft pretzels in your home kitchen, most home chefs may feel intimidated to attempt funnel cakes. Even though the batter contains simple ingredients like flour, sugar, milk, and eggs, you still might worry about dropping this loose, vanilla-kissed batter through a funnel over hot oil. But what if there was a way to make classic funnel cakes without the daunting use of a funnel?

Instead of testing your kitchen savviness with a funnel, try using a squeeze bottle or piping bag for extra precision. With a semi-closed container, you no longer have to worry about thin funnel cake batter coming out too fast or all at once. Squeeze bottles, piping bags, and even disposable plastic bags with a corner cut-off give you extra security when squeezing multi-sized lines of batter in hot oil.

You can create tart cherry funnel cake sundaes at home. But you first have to make sufficiently cooked funnel cakes.

Since funnel cakes cook relatively fast, taking just one to two minutes per side to fry, you want to remain diligent and efficient when pouring or squeezing the intended batter into your hot pan of oil. If using a squeeze bottle or piping bag, aim for a larger size that doesn't need to be refilled midway through the pouring process. Refilling halfway through frying or choosing a vessel that has a very thin tip can lead to unevenly cooked funnel cakes. You should also aim for a squeeze bottle or pastry bag with a tip that measures ½ inch across for easy and swift pouring. Or, if you don't own a pastry bag or squeeze bottle, use a large measuring cup to evenly stream batter into the hot oil.

If you're worried about pouring batter into that signature funnel cake shape, you can also try making funnel cake fries with the help of your handy squeeze bottle or piping bag. Instead of piping the batter out in one steady stream, pour the batter in small uniform spurts to create fries. You can make them large or small depending on the size of your pot and make them in batches to see which size and shape you prefer most.

Whether you're making funnel cake fries or a full-sized funnel cake, crafting these carnival treats from scratch gives you the freedom to customize with ease. Top your fried cake or fries with classic powdered sugar or drizzle with easy chocolate sauce and fresh berries for a fun and fruity twist. You can also make noteworthy funnel cake sundaes by topping your freshly made delights with a scoop of your favorite ice cream, chopped nuts, and whipped cream.

Several unique funnel cake recipe add-ons are worth the extra effort. Since you can tailor-make the size and shape of these fried confections, you can get more adventurous and make mini funnel cakes as a fun cupcake topping. You can even change the ingredients of your batter to make different funnel cake flavors. With the help of an adequately sized squeeze bottle, measuring cup, or piping bag, you can make a variety of delicious funnel cakes right in your home kitchen.