Homemade Funnel Cake is perfect for when you crave fair food at home. With a 5 minute prep, you’ll never spend money on them again!
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Why this Homemade Funnel Cake Recipe is a Keeper
These homemade funnel cakes are perfect to have fun fair food at home. They’re delicious, take 5 minutes to prepare and only require 10 ingredients. Plus they are so delicious your family will be amazed.
- 30 Minute Treat: Including waiting for the vegetable oil to heat, these sweet treats take about 30 minutes to fry at home.
- Easy Ingredients: You’ll need 10 basic ingredients to make the best funnel cakes I’ve ever had.
- Family Friendly: This warm funnel cake recipe is the perfect special birthday treat for the kiddos!
- Adaptable: Feel free to add whatever you like on top of these delicious sweets. That take only minutes to make.
If you’re looking for more instant pot recipes, try these Instant Pot Cheesecake, Instant Pot Strawberry Applesauce and Instant Pot Churro Bites.
Why Won’t my Funnel Cakes Stick Together?
Your funnel cakes may not stick together if your batter is too thin. To thicken up thin batter, add a little more flour until it’s similar to pancake batter consistency.
Ingredient Notes to Make Funnel Cake
You will need only a few simple ingredients to make these funnel cakes. You may even have them around your kitchen already from previous recipes.
- Flour: All-purpose flour as well as gluten free flour can be used to make this delicious at home fair food.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder helps your funnel cakes stick together and rise while cooking.
- Squeeze Bottle: Use a squeeze bottle or even a funnel to make these treats.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions for this Classic Fair Dessert
There are so many variations you can make to this treat. From changing the flavor of the batter to toppings, the options are endless!
- Chocolate Batter: Add a little bit of cocoa powder to make homemade funnel cakes taste like chocolate!
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon would be a fantastic topping as well as in the batter. I like to add just a dash of cinnamon in the batter.
Special Equipment Needed
- Instant Pot: An instant pot works best for this easy recipe. However, if you don’t have an instant pot, you can make fried funnel cakes in a pot of hot oil on the stove.
Pro Tip
Practice your spiral design in the air before going near the hot oil to get a feel for the bottle and batter flow.
How to Make the Best Funnel Cake
This recipe is surprisingly easy to make once you get the hang of it. These delicious cakes come together in a quick 3 steps.
These are the basic steps for making Homemade Funnel Cake in the Instant Pot. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions. Let us know if you have tried this recipe. This blog may contain affiliate links.
1. Preheat Oil
Fill instant pot with oil until 2 inches deep. Set to sauté and using a candy thermometer, bring temperature to 350°F. This can take up to 30 minutes.
2. Mix Together Simple Batter Ingredients
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: eggs, milk, vanilla and water. Whisk together dry ingredients such as, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder and all-purpose flour. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until batter forms.
Once hot oil comes to temperature, pour funnel cake batter into a gallon size zip lock bag and cut a small corner off. You can also pour the batter into a piping bag or just with a liquid measuring cup.
3. Place Batter in Bag and Make Pattern into the Hot Oil
Drizzle batter into oil in random directions, layering over itself. Leave room for batter to expand. Fry for 5 minutes on each side until golden brown on the outside, carefully flip in between.
Remove and place on paper towel to cool and dry.
Recipe FAQs
Funnel cakes at home are best eaten immediately, but you can store leftover funnel cakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Place parchment paper in between layers so they don’t stick.
This easy homemade funnel cake recipe is pretty good at room temperature but best way to reheat these is in the air fryer or oven.
Sure! Make the batter ahead of time or store leftover batter. Store remaining batter in squeeze bottles in the fridge for just a couple days until you’re ready to make this great recipe.
Absolutely! To make this easy funnel cake recipe savory, it’s all in the toppings. Add toppings such as bacon, avocado, pulled or shredded meats, cheese and chives.
Add the batter into the funnel. Place your finger on the bottom of the funnel. Place your funnel over the pot of oil and remove your finger to release the batter. Make sure you’re moving the funnel constantly so there are no big clumps of raw batter.
Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
- Double This Recipe: Increase the ingredients proportionately and split into two batches for cooking.
- Bottle: For best control use a squeeze bottle to easily make your pattern.
- Cooling Tip: Use a wire rack or baking sheet to help them cool faster. Do not apply powdered sugar until the cake has cooled or it will melt.
- Dairy Free: Feel free to add your favorite milk alternative, such as a nut based milk or rice milk.
- Food Coloring: Brighten you cakes up with a little food coloring for fun.
- Favorite Toppings: Funnel cakes are best enjoyed with ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, fruit, powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.
What Toppings to Serve with Funnel Cake
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Homemade Funnel Cake in the Instant Pot
Equipment
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Ingredients
- Vegetable oil, enough to fill 2 inches of instant pot
- 1 cup Milk
- 4 Eggs
- 4 tablespoons Water
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons Sugar
- 3 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 cup Powder sugar
Instructions
- Fill instant pot with oil until 2 inches deep. Set to sauté and using a candy thermometer, bring temperature to 350. May take 20-30 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and water.
- Whisk in sugar, salt and baking powder
- Mix in flour until batter forms
- Once oil comes to temperature, pour batter into a gallon size zip lock bag and cut a small corner off. A piping bag can be used.
- Squeeze batter into the oil piping in random directions and layered over itself. Leave room for batter to expand. Cook for 5 minutes on one side, flip and cook for another 5 minutes
- Remove and place on paper towel to cool and dry.
Christina’s Notes
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- Double This Recipe: Increase the ingredients proportionately and split into two batches for cooking.
- Bottle: For best control use a squeeze bottle to easily make your pattern.
- Cooling Tip: Use a wire rack or baking sheet to help them cool faster. Do not apply powdered sugar until the cake has cooled or it will melt.
- Dairy Free: Feel free to add your favorite milk alternative, such as a nut based milk or rice milk.
- Food Coloring: Brighten you cakes up with a little food coloring for fun.
- Favorite Toppings: Funnel cakes are best enjoyed with ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, fruit, powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
My mind is officially blown! I can’t believe I just made these in my Instant Pot. They are SOOOOO good! Now, my family has expectations. lol
Funnel cake brings back all those good memories of childhood fairs. I’m so glad I found such an easy and delicious recipe!
Delicious and easy! I never thought about making a funnel cake before but this was simple.