This Gluten Free Funnel Cake Recipe is the real deal.
What if I told you that you can bring the carnival, gluten-free, to your home in less than an hour? This funnel cake is it. Minimal ingredients, no resting time, and bounties of golden, crispy sweet gluten-free funnel cakes. Plus, you don't even need a funnel.
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Tips for Making the Best Gluten Free Funnel Cake:
- You don't need any special equipment to make this funnel cake recipe. If you have a funnel or an icing bag, go ahead and use it. If not, you can pour/scrape the batter into a gallon bag and then cut a tip once the oil is ready.
- Use neutral frying oil, such as canola/vegetable oil.
- Heat the oil to 350-355F. I tested the oil with a high rated meat thermometer. Keep the oil between 350-365. It will fluctuate when the cold batter initially hits the oil.
- Set the funnel cakes on a wire cooling rack to drip dry. This ensures that they stay crispy.
Ingredients for Gluten Free Funnel Cake:
- High quality gluten free all purpose flour containing xanthan gum. I used Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 Baking Flour (the blue bag)
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Eggs
- Milk
- Pure vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar for dusting
You can go crazy with the toppings. Whipped cream. Macerated strawberries. Blueberries. Chocolate sauce. Caramel sauce. Nutella. Vanilla ice cream. Sprinkles. Whatever your favorite order for funnel cake is at the fair!
Gluten Free Funnel Cake Recipe:
- Prep: Set out a wire cooling rack with parchment paper or a tray underneath to catch spills. Set it close to your cooking station to avoid dripping oil across the kitchen.
- Add the cooking oil to a small/medium Dutch oven (or fryer) until it is about 2-3 inches deep, about 4 cups of oil. Heat over medium-high and maintain between 350-355 F. The circumference of the Dutch oven determines the width of the funnel cake. A wider pot will need more batter per funnel cake. I used a 8-inch wide Dutch oven.
- Meanwhile, add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl: flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and whisk until completely combined and smooth. The mixture should be a touch thicker than pancake batter.
- Add the funnel cake batter to the piping bag/gallon bag and twist closed. I held mine in place with a chip clip. Do not cut the tip until the oil is hot. Set aside on a plate until ready to use.
- Once the oil is heated to 350 F, cut a small tip into the corner of the bag, about ½-inch or less. Squeeze the bag, drizzling the batter into the hot oil, continuously swirling and criss-crossing over itself. Aim for about ½ cup of batter per funnel cake—but just eyeball it! Set the bag down on a plate when not in use, propped up so batter doesn't spill out. At first the batter may drop to the bottom of the pot before floating to the surface. Just trust the process and keep spiraling the batter.
- Fry the funnel cake on each side until golden brown, about 90-120 seconds per side.
- Remove the funnel cake with a large slotted spoon/spider and place on a wire cooling rack to cool and drip dry.
- Repeat with remaining funnel cake batter, checking that the oil stays within the 350-355 F range between batches.
- Serve the funnel cakes hot, dusted with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Equipment
You only need basic tools to make this Gluten Free Funnel Cake Recipe. I recommend:
- A whisk is helpful in this recipe.
- A large sheet pan to catch the drips
- Parchment paper makes cleanup a breeze.
- A funnel, pancake batter dispenser, or funnel cake pitcher are optional, or a piping bag
- A Dutch oven or fryer
How to Store Gluten Free Funnel Cake:
This easy Funnel Cake is best enjoyed fresh. If you have any leftovers, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. You will want to toast it back up in the oven at 350 F for 5-8 minutes, or until hot.
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Gluten Free Funnel Cake Recipe
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Yield: 6 funnel cakes
Bring the carnival to your home in less than an hour with this gluten free funnel cake recipe. It uses minimal ingredients and requires no rest time or special equipment. Top with your favorite funnel cake toppings you would order at the fair.
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Equipment
- funnel optional
- funnel cake pitcher optional
- piping bag kit optional
- gallon storage bags optional
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup high quality gluten free all purpose flour containing xanthan gum I used Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 Baking Flour (the blue bag)
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sifted powdered sugar for dusting or your favorite funnel cake toppings
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cup milk For DF, use a neutral milk like almond
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Fry Oil:
- 4 cups neutral oil I used canola oil
Instructions
- Prep: Set out a wire cooling rack with parchment paper or a tray underneath to catch spills. Set it close to your cooking station to avoid dripping oil across the kitchen.
- Add the cooking oil to a small/medium Dutch oven (or fryer) until it is about 2-3 inches deep, about 4 cups of oil. Heat over medium-high and maintain between 350-355 F. The circumference of the Dutch oven determines the width of the funnel cake. A wider pot will need more batter per funnel cake. I used a 8-inch wide Dutch oven.4 cups neutral oil
- Meanwhile, add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl: flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well combined.1 ½ cup high quality gluten free all purpose flour containing xanthan gum, 3 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined.1 ¼ cup milk, 2 large eggs, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and whisk until completely combined and smooth. The mixture should be a touch thicker than pancake batter.
- Add the funnel cake batter to the piping bag/gallon bag and twist closed. I held mine in place with a chip clip. Do not cut the tip until the oil is hot. Set aside on a plate until ready to use.
- Once the oil is heated to 350 F, cut a small tip into the corner of the bag, about ½-inch or less. Squeeze the bag, drizzling the batter into the hot oil, continuously swirling and criss-crossing over itself. Aim for about ½ cup of batter per funnel cake—but just eyeball it! Set the bag down on a plate when not in use, propped up so batter doesn't spill out.
- Fry the funnel cake on each side until golden brown, about 90-120 seconds per side.
- Remove the funnel cake with a large slotted spoon/spider and place on a wire cooling rack to cool and drip dry.
- Repeat with remaining funnel cake batter, checking that the oil stays within the 350-355 F range between batches.
- Serve the funnel cakes hot, dusted with powdered sugar. Enjoy!¼ cup sifted powdered sugar for dusting
Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 162IU | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 1mg
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madison
I love how these bring the fair to your kitchen! Tell me who you shared them with. 🙂
Connie
I haven't tried this yet but was wondering if I could make it using gf sourdough starter or discard? Thanks for all your recipes!
madison
Yes, you can totally add GF sourdough discard to this recipe! It's actually on my list to do. I prefer to use grams when baking with sourdough, which this recipe currently does not list. Generally, when adding discard, you would subtract half that amount of flour and water/liquid. For this recipe, I'd start with adding 1/2 cup GF sourdough discard. Reduce the flour to 1 1/4 cup, and reduce the milk to 1 cup. That should do the trick as long as your discard is a 1:1:1 ratio, but if the batter is too runny, add a touch more flour. 🙂