Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free flour blend
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups milk (2% or higher milk fat recommended)
- 2 large eggs
For Frying
- Vegetable oil, canola oil, or any neutral-tasting high-heat cooking oil (enough for deep frying, about 1 inch deep in a 9-10” pot)
For Serving
- Powdered sugar or cinnamon-sugar (for dusting or dipping)
Instructions
- Prepare your frying setup: Line a half sheet pan with paper towels and set aside to drain the fried funnel cakes. Attach a deep fry or candy thermometer to a 9-10 inch heavy-bottomed pot (like cast iron), making sure the thermometer tip doesn’t touch the pot’s bottom for accurate temperature measurement.
- Heat the oil: Add about 1 inch of high-heat cooking oil to the pot, roughly to your first knuckle when touching the bottom of the pot, and heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 370°F (10-12 minutes).
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl or large glass measuring cup, whisk together the milk and eggs until smooth.
- Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth and slightly thick but still pourable. If too thick, add milk one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Let the batter sit until ready to fry, checking the consistency again before frying and adding milk if necessary.
- Transfer batter to squeeze bottle: Pour the batter into a 12-ounce squeeze bottle in two batches. If you don’t have a squeeze bottle, an alternative like a piping bag or a sturdy plastic bag with a cut corner can be used.
- Fry the funnel cakes: Once the oil is hot at 370°F, squeeze the batter into the hot oil in a spiral motion from the outside in, criss-cross the batter over the spiral, and add a final spiral on top to form the funnel cake shape. Fry for about 1 minute or until the bottom side is light golden brown.
- Flip and fry the other side: Using tongs, carefully flip the funnel cake and fry the second side for another 1 minute until golden brown and cooked through. If the batter lines are too thin, trim the tip of your squeeze bottle to widen the opening.
- Drain and serve: Transfer the cooked funnel cake to the prepared paper towel-lined pan to drain excess oil. Let it cool slightly, then dust with powdered sugar or dunk into cinnamon-sugar for a churro-style finish. Serve immediately while warm and crispy.
- Repeat frying: Allow the oil to return to 370°F between batches before frying more funnel cakes. Refill the squeeze bottle with remaining batter as needed to continue frying.
Notes
- Use a gluten-free flour blend that is suitable for baking to achieve the best texture.
- If batter is too thick, add milk gradually to make it pourable but not too runny.
- If you don’t have a squeeze bottle, a piping bag or a sturdy plastic bag with a cut tip can be used to pipe the batter into the hot oil.
- Maintain oil temperature at 370°F for best frying results; use a thermometer to monitor.
- Use neutral oils with high smoke points like vegetable or canola oil for frying.
- Funnel cakes are best enjoyed immediately while warm and crispy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes per funnel cake (approximately 10-14 minutes total for 7 servings including reheating oil)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
