Mr. Food's Blog

The Originators of Quick & Easy Cooking!

  • About
    • Meet Our Team
  • Food & Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Casseroles
    • Diabetic
    • Dinner
    • Slow Cooker
    • Snacks
    • Dessert
  • Free eCookbooks
  • News
  • Tips
  • Giveaways
    • Blog Giveaways
  • MrFood.com

How to Make Elephant Ears

August 13, 2015 by Merly 3 Comments

Fried Dough, Fry Bread, Fried Doughboys, Frying Saucers, Beaver Tails, Elephant Ears…these are just some of the many names given to one of our favorite state fair foods. Depending on where you’re from and what story you were told, you may call it something different. For me, they’ve always been Elephant Ears, ‘cause these pieces of fried, sugary dough are so big they’re just about the size of an elephant’s ear (or so I was told!).

Fried Elephant Ears

When I found out that Howard was going to share a recipe on how to make elephant ears with all of you, I jumped onto the set to capture some helpful step-by-step photos for anyone who loves this state fair treat!

Step 1: Gather all of your ingredients. This recipe uses a great shortcut: frozen bread dough, which means no kneading involved!

Step 2: Mix your cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

Step 3: While your oil is heating up, cut each of your bread dough loaves into thirds.

Step 4: Using your hands, carefully stretch the dough into a 6-inch diameter. The reason you want to do this carefully is so that you’re not left with any tears or holes in your Elephant Ears! (We recommend dusting your hands with flour.)

Step 5: Place the dough into the oil and fry for a couple of minutes, or until your Elephant Ears are a beautiful golden brown. You’ll want to flip it over and do this to the other side too! When they’re done, just remove the puffed up dough from the oil and place it onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Step 6: While your Elephant Ears are still hot, sprinkle them with the sugar-cinnamon mixture (or any other toppings you like!). Finish frying the rest of your dough, and enjoy while warm!

Click here to get the full recipe with exact ingredient amounts and instructions!

Now that you know how to make Elephant Ears, the real fun is finding tasty ways to top it! Aside from the classic, cinnamon-sugar, I also like topping mine with chocolate sauce, fresh fruit, powdered sugar, crunchy nuts, and whipped cream. 

Elephant Ears are just one of the many fried treats you can find at a state fair. Here are some other fried favorites you might want to check out:

Clockwise from left: Funnel Cakes | Deep Fried Twinkie Bites | Deep Fried Corn on the Cob | Deep Fried Oreos | Spaghetti & Meatball on a Stick

Plus, don’t forget to check out even more fair food favorites here!

Okay, so now that we’ve had our fill of all this fried goodness, I want to know:

What fried fair food is your favorite?

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Merly
Latest posts by Merly (see all)
  • Vegetarian Party Appetizers for the Holidays - December 1, 2017
  • How to Make: Ham and Cheese Lasagna - September 5, 2017
  • How to Make: Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes - July 5, 2017

Filed Under: Dessert Tagged With: easy dessert recipes, elephant ears, fried dessert recipes, full tutorial, how to, state fair food, step-by-step

Comments

  1. Julie says

    August 13, 2015 at 11:55 am

    Elephant Ears–the only must have!!!

    Reply
  2. JANICE E SMITH says

    August 15, 2015 at 11:27 pm

    ONION BLOSSOMS

    Reply
  3. Judy ryen says

    August 17, 2015 at 7:19 pm

    I made the elephant ears yesterday. They were to Doughie . I couldn’t leave them in any longer or they would of burnt. Any suggestion. I let the oil get hot enough

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Email Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Google Plus RSS

Categories

Sweet Treats

Our Guide to Bundt Cakes

Cow Cookies

Cute Cookies: Cows!

Easy Dinner Idea

Holiday Entertaining: Side Dish Shortcuts They'll Love!

Holiday Entertaining: Side Dish Shortcuts They’ll Love!

Thanksgiving is almost here and Christmas is just around the corner! That means you early planners are already putting together this year's menu. If … [Read More...]

Archives

Slow-Cookin’

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Slow Cooker: Your Own Personal Chef

So why am I crazy about the slow cooker? Let me tell you. There is a stereotype that college students live off of microwave pizza, cereal, and instant … [Read More...]

Tips & Tricks

You Can Do It

Comfy Cozy

Company

Lighten Up

Sweet Tooth

About Mr. Food Advertise on MrFood.com Contact Us FAQ Press Room Keyword Index Special Thanks Today's Recipe Find Us on TV Subscribe Unsubscribe Site Map RSS Bookmark

MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN, the "Mr. Food Test Kitchen" oval, and OOH IT'S SO GOOD!! are trademarks or registered trademarks of Ginsburg Enterprises Incorporated.
Prime Publishing Food Group
Copyright © 2023 · by Ginsburg Enterprises Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Policy Terms of Service

Copyright © 2023 · Tidy Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in