Turn Funnel Cake Into Dessert Fries For A Dip-Worthy Twist On The Classic

Summer months are a popular time for local carnivals and county fairs, and neither of these events would be complete without an assortment of fried foods. One such snack that you'll often find is funnel cake, a perfect excuse to eat a literal mound of tasty batter and pile it with decadent toppings.

There's just one thing better than a standard funnel cake recipe — turning the dish into dessert fries. They have the added benefit of being perfect for dipping, meaning that rather than piling all your add-ons on top of the treat, you can pair each individual length of cake with your choice of sauces. This lets you enjoy multiple flavors in one fun dish in a neat and tidy way.

A classic funnel cake is made by drizzling the batter through a (you guessed it) funnel in a long stream into your hot oil. It can be swirled into fun designs to give it a unique, squiggly shape. However, if you're not careful, the result will be a tangled web of cake rather than distinct fries. Instead, you'll need to alter your pouring technique to get small, dippable sticks of fried batter.

The key to frying up funnel cakes that are ideal for dunking is to pour the batter in a straight, thin line into your hot oil. You can use a piping bag, a squeeze bottle with a nozzle, or even just a plastic storage bag with one of the corners snipped off to help make it easier to control the flow of the batter and get more even-looking fries.

You want your lines to be about 4 inches long, although you can make them a bit shorter if you would prefer a more bite-sized snacking experience. One thing to note is that as they cook, the hot oil will cause the batter to warp. So, although you'll still get grabbable fingers of funnel cake, they likely won't look as straight as traditional french fries. Because of this, you'll want to make sure not to crowd the pan, which could cause the funnel cakes to attach and cook together. Plus, doing so can affect your oil temperature and lead to unevenly fried treats.

While traditional potato-based fries go well with ketchup and mayo, you probably want to avoid dunking your funnel cake fries in those sauces. So, what funnel cake recipe add-ons and dips can you use instead?

For one thing, chocolate syrup or hot fudge sauce make great, rich choices, as do butterscotch, fruit jams, or even simple whipped cream (or give things an adult spin with a booze-infused whipped cream). Another pick could be marshmallow fluff dip with a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs for a s'mores-like finish. These can work well if you've gone for a classic funnel cake batter.

Alternatively, if you've used a flavored batter, you could play up the ingredients in your funnel cake. For instance, with pumpkin spice funnel cake fries, warmed up caramel apple dip or maple syrup will accentuate the seasonal fall flavor. Or, if you've made red velvet funnel cake, you can stick to a traditional pairing by whipping up some cream cheese frosting.

And, of course, you can always just go with a simple powdered sugar dusting, a traditional funnel cake topping. Whichever you pick, you're bound to love this sweet alternative to a classic finger food.