Gluten Free Funnel Cake
Community festivals are BIG in Appalachia. In eastern Kentucky, we enjoy festivals honoring the arrival of poke sallet, woolly worms, and wild mushrooms. My hometown celebrates the lovable Hillbilly, attracting over 100,000 people to our small city in the mountains. Folks come in droves to listen to live bluegrass and country music, view old junk cars, and socialize.
Jed Clampett would be green with envy.
Hillbilly ingenuity. a biofuel prototype.
Of course, many people show up just to EAT! Food vendors line the streets, offering gyros, kettle popcorn, strawberry shortcakes, flavored rootbeers, and barbecue.
It’s shoulder-to-shoulder on every street.
Most numerous among the offerings is food deep-fried in oil, and I’m not just talking about potatoes and onions!
If you can dream it, you can fry it.
The fried delicacy most sought-after by fair participants, however, has to be funnel cake. In the midst of shoulder-to-shoulder country folk, you’ll find friends gathered round an oil-soaked paper plate, tearing off pieces of slender fried dough, dusted with powdered sugar, or topped with fresh strawberries. Our home sits on a small hill just above Main Street, where for three solid days in April we hear the sounds of the festival and smell (you guessed it) funnel cake.
Which wouldn’t be all that bad, really…
except that my family can’t eat any of it.
Perhaps no other event can isolate gluten-intolerant folks more than fair and festival season. You can plan for safe holiday gatherings, you can bring your own gluten free buns to a summer cookout with friends, but I’ve yet to find a fair vendor that has a gluten free menu (not that I would trust it, anyway).
Fair food is social food, after all. Those large portions are meant to be shared. And really, what brings friends closer than a dinner-plate of fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar?
Which is why I really wanted to get this recipe right. There is so much nostalgia tied up with the smell, taste, and texture of funnel cakes. I don’t want to eat something that is “kind-of” like funnel cake; it has to be something that transports me back to the fair and fun times. My daydreams can’t be interrupted by a gritty texture, or off-flavors from gluten free flour substitutes.
And here it is… my gluten free funnel cake dream come true!
This gluten free funnel cake deserves fine china (not that I own any).
Gluten free funnel cake drizzled with mulberry preserves.
Before you run off to make this funnel cake on your own, I want to strongly encourage you to not substitute the gluten free flour blend called for in this recipe. Every gluten free flour contains differing ratios of flour and starch, which can influence how fluffy or tender a bread becomes. King Arthur Flour’s Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour gets it just right (attempts with other flours were subpar to this version, though the taste-testing was still fun). And no, KAF doesn’t sponsor me in any way to promote their flour (though I wish they would, darn it, because like all GF flours, it’s pricey). If you wish to use your own flour blend, you may have to play with substituting corn or potato starch for some of the flour called for in the recipe (start with about ¼ cup).
Now put on some carnival music and get frying!
- 1 and ¼ cup King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Multi-purpose Flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp almond milk, at room temperature
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract (not imitation, which can contain gluten)
- Any vegetable-based oil for frying
- Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
- Fresh berries or preserves, and/or honey, for topping (optional)
- Begin preheating oil for frying in a heavy-bottomed and deep skillet (to prevent oil from boiling over when batter is added). Heat over medium-high heat, or set deep fryer to about 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil should be to a depth between 1-2 inches.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Whisk together the egg, almond milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the dry ingredient mixture and whisk until smooth. (see note)
- Test oil for proper cooking temperature by dropping in a small spoonful of batter; the batter should begin to cook immediately, floating to the surface of the oil and browning (you’ll get oily funnel cakes if your cooking temperature is too low).
- Transfer ~1/3 cup of batter to a spouted measuring cup and slowly pour the batter into the hot oil, casting a series of overlapping circles and squiggles. Fry until golden brown, turning once with tongs (they fry very quickly, so be prepared). Remove funnel cake to a paper plate, or a dinner plate lined with paper towels.
- Dust funnel cakes with powdered sugar, and serve topped with your favorite berries, fruit preserves, or honey.
Kelly Spitzer Johnson
July 3, 2013 at 7:56 pm
I just started having to go gluten free 2 weeks ago and it was hard but do able at first. I live right across the street form Lake Michigan and right out side the house is the big 4th of July festivities. Well carnival is set up and we were walking around it and it dawned on me I couldn’t eat anything there! I was so depressed when I realized I could no longer have my favorite fair food and that is FUNNEL CAKE! I am grieving so hard. I also feel you on there can’t be a “sort of like” when it comes to funnel cake. Everything about the funnel cake makes it what it is. I can do just about anything else with a gluten free option but this is just one thing I can’t see a variance of. I don’t think I will be able to do this right away but I know by summers end I will crave it hardcore and hopefully this recipe will be it.
Do you think using regular milk instead of almond milk would ruin the recipe at all? I don’t have to avoid dairy (just gluten) and I hate almond milk.
Ma Hubbard
July 3, 2013 at 10:42 pm
I think regular milk would be fine. Best of luck in this new adventure in gluten-free living and finding health again! It’s a big learning curve at the start, but gets much easier!
spitzerkelly
July 3, 2013 at 11:09 pm
It is hard right now I mean seriously I CAN’T HAVE OREOS! Dude oreos? My favorite ice cream toppings not to mention I recently tried them deep fried (OMG to die for). I am grieving seriously grieving. Thanks for your help I am going to follow you!
Ma Hubbard
July 3, 2013 at 11:46 pm
You’re welcome! Every once in a while I get Glutino’s gluten-free version of oreos for my girls… Just once in a while, though, because they are seriously addicting. Two of our local stores carry them: http://www.glutino.com/products/cookies-and-wafers/cookies/chocolate-vanilla-creme-cookies/
Elaine
August 12, 2013 at 11:21 pm
I am allergy to nut, dairy and gluten. So can I add rice milk instead of adding almond milk? Will it affect the result?
Ma Hubbard
August 15, 2013 at 10:07 am
I have never tried this recipe using rice milk, but I wouldn’t anticipate that the substitution would make a big difference in the final product. If you decide to give it a chance, let me know how it turns out. Thank you!
Jeanne Marie Robertson
August 24, 2013 at 9:29 pm
I bought king arthur gf flour especially for this funnel cake. I made this today…very yummy. Thanks! I used 1% milk and worked great. I bet I could use this recipe as a batter to deep fry other ‘carnival’ type foods.
Ma Hubbard
August 27, 2013 at 8:54 am
What a great idea! And thanks for sharing that the substitution worked well for you. Best wishes!
Jarrette
September 1, 2013 at 3:42 pm
I made this funnel cake yesterday. I have to say it was amazing, sooooo yummy. It was by far the best gluten free treat I’ve had.
Ma Hubbard
September 3, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Wonderful! I’m glad that you enjoyed them!
Nick
October 14, 2013 at 3:00 pm
I would like to make this for my wife for her birthday and was wondering if xanthan gum is hard find. Would they sell that in any grocery store?
Ma Hubbard
October 22, 2013 at 4:47 pm
What a sweet alternative to a birthday cake! It has been easier to find over the past year. All of our local chain groceries/supercenters carry it now. Best wishes!
Nichole
January 18, 2014 at 3:33 pm
My son turns 16 next weekend and has been begging for gfree/dfree birthday funnel cake. Can’t wait to try this. Thanks so much!
Lacie
September 4, 2014 at 3:41 pm
I was just thinking about the County Fair the other day and I was so sad I wouldn’t be able to have a funnel cake because of my gluten intolerance. Thank you!!!! I look forward to some fried bread in my near future!!