Best Fair Foods You Can Recreate At Home

You thought you’d have to wait until the next fair came to your neck of the woods for you to enjoy those mouthwatering, traditional fair foods everyone loves? Not anymore. Those foods can actually be made in the comfort of your own house and are really easy. No more sitting there counting down the days for the annual fair to come around. Get in the kitchen, take out all the necessary ingredients for your favorite traditional fair food, and get to cooking. You are just minutes from saying “Mmmm.”

1. Funnel Cakes

A funnel cake is the best traditional fair food and is loved by so many people. Some people may prefer an elephant ear, which is the same as a funnel cake, only it is dough fried flat. But funnel cakes are just as enjoyable and easy to make at home.

All you need to do is whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, whisk milk, vanilla, and eggs together. Continue mixing your wet ingredients while, little by little, incorporating your dry ingredients in with the wet. Keep whisking until all of the dry ingredients are mixed with the wet ones and there are no lumps. Once the mixture is completely mixed, fill your pan with oil and wait until it is hot. When it is, pour your mixture into a funnel or a regular cup to pour it into the hot oil. When you pour, try to pour to make that funnel cake look. You can pour in a swirl motion or zig-zag motion, but your main objective is to create that funnel cake “twigs” look. Cook each side for about 90 seconds and then take it out. Once it’s out, you are welcome to crown it with powdered sugar. Bon appétit! 

2. Fried Oreos

You haven’t lived until you’ve tried fried Oreos. Alongside fried twinkies and funnel cakes, fried Oreos are highly requested at the fair. Although they are saturated in fat, they are super delicious. Everyone deserves a cheat day, right? I highly recommend these on your cheat day. To make these, blend pancake mix, eggs, and milk together to create your batter. Dip the Oreo in the batter and drop into the pan, which should be filled with one inch of hot oil. Fry until it is golden brown (about two minutes) and place on a paper towel-lined plate to cool. It’s your choice if you want to powder them with powdered sugar, but I recommend not powdering too much because the sugar is not the star in this traditional fair food. Instead, it’s the Oreo inside the batter. 

3. Fried Twinkies

This is a traditional fair food that everyone loves. Again, it is fattening but you are allowed to have a cheat day, and this is worth every bite. To make this at home, you will have to freeze your Twinkies for at least two hours because they are really soft, and popping them in the fryer will not result in the consistency you want. Make your batter by whisking your milk, vinegar, and oil together. In another bowl, whisk your flour, baking powder, and salt together. Slowly whisk your wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until it is smooth, meaning no lumps, and refrigerate until your oil reaches 375°. Place sticks inside the Twinkies, and make sure there is enough holding room for when you dip them in oil. Dust the Twinkies with flour and dip them in the oil until they brown evenly. 

4. Fried Pickles

Personally, I am not a fan of pickles because of the taste. But a lot of people like them, especially if they’re fried pickles, which are a staple at the fair. But there’s no need to wait for a fair to come around to try this traditional fair food; you can make it at home.

All you need to do is whisk flour, cajun seasoning, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt, and water into a large bowl until everything is well-blended. Lay the pickles on paper towels and pat dry. Next, add half of the pickles into the bowl with the batter inside, and toss until all of the pickles are coated. After that, it’s time to fry them! Scoop the pickles from the batter with a spoon and add them, one by one, into the oil, which should be at 375°. Let them fry until they are golden brown (one to two minutes), and then remove and drain them on a paper towel. Wait until the oil returns to 375° and then repeat on the remaining pickles. You can dip your fried pickles into ranch or make a sauce using mayonnaise, horseradish, ketchup, and cajun seasoning. 

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5. Candy Apples

We all love fruity candy, but we also love candied fruit. And one traditional fair food that makes kids and grown-ups shout for joy is a candy apple. Candy apples are divine and easy to make. Start off by washing your apples and setting them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper coated with cooking spray. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water, and bring it to a boil. Cook the mixture until it reaches 300°. Remove the candy mixture from the heat and carefully stir the red food coloring in it. Carefully dip the apples into the candy mixture and transfer them to the cookie sheet. Allow them to cool until the candy has fully hardened before enjoying!  

6. Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Not everyone is into the sweets at fairs. Some people really enjoy the hot meals, and the Philly cheesesteak sandwich is a traditional fair food you are sure to love making at home. There are so many colorful flavors blasting from the steak and onions inside the sandwich. The best part, for me, would have to be the juicy flavor that the bun soaks up.

You can make this delicious sandwich by dicing onions and thinly slicing the beef (ribeye steak is recommended). In a bowl, mix together butter and a pressed garlic clove. Spread the garlic butter on a hoagie roll and toast it on a large skillet until golden brown. In your pan, add oil and sauté the onions until they are caramelized, and then transfer them to a bowl. Increase the heat and add some more oil. Then, spread the sliced steak into the pan, making sure it is even. Let it brown for a couple of minutes, and then flip and season with salt and pepper. Once the steak is completely cooked you can stir in the caramelized onions. Start to separate the meat into sections and add two slices of cheese to each section. Once you have the cheese on every section, turn down the heat. You can apply mayonnaise on the buns if you’d like, or you can just place the meat into the bun and serve with delicious fries. 

We love the fair, but mostly for the food! The best part is, you don’t have to wait for it to come back around. Get in the kitchen and start cooking up traditional fair food. Share with friends and family, and comment on your favorite traditional fair food you want us to write about!

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