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Elephant Ears Recipe

You can't get enough of this light and airy Elephant Ears Recipe! Crispy fried dough with a tender inside and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. The perfect at home fair food.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time4 minutes
Total Time19 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 747kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
  • 5 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • Peanut oil for frying

Instructions

  • In a microwave-safe bowl, pour in the milk and microwave it in 15-30 second intervals until it's heated to 110°F. Set the bowl aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
  • Add in the butter and slowly stream in the hot milk while stirring, until a slightly sticky dough forms. Once the dough forms, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 10 minutes.
  • While the dough is sitting, in a large skillet with deep sides or a dutch oven, start heating 2-3 inches of oil.
  • Stir the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon together in a small bowl and set it aside.
  • Create a clean working surface and dust it with flour. Divide up the dough into 8 equal portions, and roll each dough portion in the flour so it is lightly coated with flour. Roll it out into a rough ¼-inch thick circle and repeat with the rest of the dough balls. Place the finished rolled-out circles between parchment paper layers until ready to fry them.
  • Once the oil in the skillet or dutch reaches 350°F, carefully place one Elephant Ear at a time into the hot oil and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until lightly golden brown in color.
  • Once it's done, carefully remove it from the oil and place the fried dough on a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
  • Place it on a wire rack over a sheet tray. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the ear immediately and repeat with the remaining dough ears. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

  1. You can use whatever milk you prefer, I just like to use whole milk in this recipe..
  2. It's important to keep the oil nice and hot, use a candy thermometer to help you keep an eye on the oil temperature. 
  3. You can reheat these to bring them back to crispy, hot snacks, check out my suggestions above.
  4. Plus, you can freeze these! I like to make a huge batch and freeze the extra ones to enjoy again later. Check out the freezing tips I have shared above. 
  5. Easily double this recipe.
  6. Top with other toppings if desired, see my suggestions above.

Nutrition

Calories: 747kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 3mg