This Bisquick Funnel Cake recipe makes the most delicious, old-fashioned homemade funnel cakes! Perfect served hot with powdered sugar, with whipped cream, fresh fruit, or your favorite toppings.
Bring a taste of the county fair to your kitchen with this carnival funnel cake recipe using Bisquick! This easy 4-ingredient recipe is perfect to fry up the most tender, soft, and chewy funnel cake right at home.
Bisquick baking mix makes a fun and delicious dessert that will rival even the best carnival treat, and also makes prep a breeze. In just minutes, your family will be enjoying warm funnel cakes loaded with your favorite sweet toppings!
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Why We Love Bisquick Funnel Cake
At every fair, our last stop is always the funnel cake booth. Having a lightly crisp and chewy fried treat dusted with powdered sugar is just the perfect way to end an evening of rides, junk food, and all-around family fun!
But why should we only enjoy these sweet snacks at fairs and carnivals? That’s why I decided to start making homemade funnel cake for special occasions like birthday parties and summer cookouts.
However, they’ve become so popular that I get requests from family and friends to have them at every gathering! And really, for how easy they are made, I am certainly happy to oblige.
This nearly foolproof twist on a classic fair funnel cake recipe pancake mix – plus milk, eggs, and vanilla. That’s it! The boxed pancake mix ensures that the batter is spot on every time and creates just the right dense yet fluffy texture when fried.
And from start to finish, this carnival funnel cake recipe using Bisquick is ready to top with your favorite fair-style goodies in under 15 minutes. That’s nearly the same or even less time than you’d spend waiting in line at the carnival or fair!
Love sweet treat and dessert recipes? Check out our tasty apple strawberry crisp, sourdough apple cake, chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin spice twist, and Bisquick blueberry cobbler recipes.
INGREDIENT Notes and Substitutions
- Bisquick Original Baking Mix – This is the base of this recipe. But if you don’t have one on hand, check our guide below for a DIY baking mix.
- Milk – This adds richness to our homemade funnel cake. You can also use almond milk or soy milk if you prefer.
- Eggs – Used as the binding agent. If you don’t have one in stock, you can use mashed banana as a substitute.
- Vanilla extract – This is used for enhancing the flavors of this recipe. You can also use almond extract as a substitute.
- Oil – We used vegetable oil or frying, or use any neutral flavored oil such as canola or corn oil.
- Optional toppings: powdered sugar, whipped cream, and cinnamon sugar.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN BISQUICK BAKING MIX
No Bisquick boxed pancake baking mix on hand? No problem!
You can make Bisquick from scratch by combining all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and vegetable shortening. Check out our homemade baking mix recipe. You can also check the recipe variations for the funnel cake recipe with pancake mix.
Then keep it on hand to use with our many Bisquick recipes like our easy Bisquick cherry cobbler, Bisquick banana muffins, or Bisquick oven fried chicken.
How to Make The Bisquick Funnel Cake
Prepare the oil. Pour vegetable oil into the skillet or pot until it reached 2 to 3 inches deep. Heat the oil to 350ºF.
Mix the ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix Bisquick, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. The mixture should be like cake batter.
Put it in a piping bag. Pour the batter into a pastry bag or a Ziplock bag, and then seal the top. If using a Ziplock bag, then cut the tip from one edge of the bag.
Frying the funnel cakes. Starting in the middle of the pan or pot, squeeze the batter in a circular swirling motion into the hot oil and create ribbons of batter to create a 5-inch wide funnel cake.
Let the funnel cake fry until golden brown in the bottom, fry each cake for about 1 minute, then turn it over with tongs or a spatula.
Cook the other side for 45 seconds to 1 minute until it is equally golden. Repeat this process to cook all of the funnel cakes.
Ready to serve. Carefully remove the cooked funnel cake from the pan with tongs or a spatula then let it rest on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
How to Serve Funnel Cake Recipe with Bisquick
Once all of the Bisquick funnel cakes are fried and resting on paper towels, it’s time to add your favorite toppings! I prefer to sprinkle it with powdered sugar, whipped cream, or cinnamon sugar, and then serve it warm.
Serve this with a fresh fruit charcuterie board for a healthy side of fresh fruits.
Best Toppings
If you want to take your funnel cakes over the top, try one (or all) of these tasty toppings:
- Powdered sugar
- Whipped cream
- Cinnamon sugar
- Cocoa powder
- Chocolate chips
- Chocolate syrup
- Fruit syrups like strawberry or raspberry
- Maraschino cherries
- Fresh fruits like sliced strawberries or raspberries
- Canned pie filling like cherry, strawberry, blueberry, or apple
How to Store Bisquick Funnel Cake
You can keep leftover funnel cakes in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then reheat in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds before serving.
However, take note that they are best enjoyed the same day they are made.
Can I freeze this Funnel cake with Bisquick?
Yes, you can freeze funnel cakes! Let them cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, put them in the oven at 350ºF until warmed through.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
- Funnel cake recipe with pancake mix: Swap the Bisquick mix with pancake mix or any baking mix for the Bisquick in this recipe.
- For gluten-free funnel cakes use Bisquick Gluten-Free Baking Mix or another GF-friendly baking mix.
- Use your choice of frying oil. Vegetable oil, peanut oil, and canola oil are all good options.
Bisquick Funnel Cake
Equipment
- deep heavy skillet
- pastry bag or gallon-sized Ziplock bag - (you could also use a large squeeze bottle)
- tong or metal spatula
- paper towels
Ingredients
- 2-4 cups vegetable oil for frying
Funnel Cake ingredients
- 2 cups Bisquick™ baking mix (see notes for DIY baking mix or use pancake mix)
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping options
- powdered sugar
- whipped cream
- cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- Pour enough vegetable oil in the skillet or pot until it reaches 2 to 3 inches deep. Heat the oil to 350º F, checking it with a candy thermometer or a instant digital thermometer.
- In a medium bowl, mix Bisquick, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract together until the mixture is smooth. The mixture should have the consistency of cake batter and free of lumps.
Fry the funnel cakes
- Pour funnel cake mixture into a pastry bag or Ziplock bag and seal the top. If using a Ziplock bag, cut the tip from one edge of the bag (about 1/2"). Starting in the middle of the pan or pot, squeeze the batter in a circular swirling motion, creating ribbons of batter to create a 5-inch wide funnel cake.
- Let the funnel cake fry until the bottom of it is golden in color, about 1 minute, then use tongs or a spatula to carefully turn it over. Cook the other side until it is equally golden, about 45 seconds to 60 seconds.
- Use this same process to make the rest of the funnel cakes.
- Carefully remove cooked the funnel cakes with tongs and let rest on a paper-towel lined plate to wick away excess oil.
To serve
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar, whipped cream, or cinnamon sugar, or your favorite toppings, and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
If your funnel cakes are soggy, it’s likely because the oil wasn’t hot enough. Make sure your oil is 375ºF in temp before frying the funnel cakes.
The best oil to fry funnel cakes in is one that doesn’t smoke or burn easily. Vegetable oil, avocado oil, peanut oil, and canola oil are all good options.
The difference between fried dough and funnel cake is that the funnel cake batter is thinner and can be piped into hot oil to create a lace-like cake. Fried dough, on the other hand, has a thicker batter that is dropped or spooned into the hot oil.
PREVIOUS
Emil says
It says 350° up there somewhere and 375° as well. So I was just trying to keep it in between there. 4 stars because they got entirely too brown too quickly, and would fall apart flipping if I tried to flip any earlier. These also take the form of whatever size container you’re using as soon as they hit the oil, they go to the edges; QUICKLY.
Bec @ The Feathered Nester says
Thanks for your comment, Emil! Yes, the temperature of the oil can vary a bit. We suggest starting at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For some people, that wasn’t hot enough to brown the funnel cakes, which is why we later mention 375.
Robin guertin says
So delicious!
I was trying to send Pic. But couldn’t…