4 Ingredient Mini Elephant Ears are a favorite part of summer for us. It is summertime here in the Midwest and the outdoor fairs and carnivals are happening in every county. That means that we get to enjoy fair food.
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Enjoy this Fair Food Anytime of the Year
When you find out how easy it is to make this delectable dessert, you will no longer have to wait for the summer fair to come to town. You can make them right in your own kitchen.
Serve these piping hot with a thick dusting of sugar and cinnamon for a delicious, sweet treat.
What is the Difference Between Funnel Cake and Elephant Ears?
A funnel cake is more of a fritter, using a light fried batter dusted with powdered sugar. Whereas an elephant ear is a flat dough that is fried and dusted with sugar and cinnamon, or jam. They are both festival, fair, and carnival food favorites for many.
Just 4 Ingredients to This Dessert Recipe
While you can make your own dough from scratch, I often find myself going for this easy version. Here are the four ingredients that are used to make this scrumptious sweet treat.
Oil. This is only used to fry the dough. I make sure to use an oil that does not have any taste to it such as a vegetable oil.
Sugar. Once the dough is fried, this sugar will stick to the dough nicely.
Cinnamon. The sugar and cinnamon are mixed to make the coating for the elephant ear.
Dough. Here are two options to use.
- 1 Tube of refrigerated biscuits from the refrigerator section at your local store.
- 1 Tube of refrigerated pizza dough from the refrigerator section at your local store.
I have made this with the biscuits and pizza dough. They have both turned out great.
Eat These Sugary Dough Treats When Still Warm
It is recommended to eat these dessert treats while they are still warm. The outside will be a bit crunchy, and the inside will be soft and fluffy. Be prepared to get just a bit messy with the sugar and cinnamon coating tough.
Once these have cooled off, their texture will change, and they will be a bit stale tasting
Add Jam or Pie Filling to this Fried Dough Treat
While the cinnamon and sugar are delicious all by itself on this fried dough, you can amp up this fair food by topping it with jam and pie fillings.
Often, at our local fair, folks will top this with raspberry jam. Any flavor of jam or jelly would be wonderful on this mini elephant ear.
Another delectable option is to top this with some pie filling. Today, we had a can of cherry pie filling. Yes, we mounded on a bit too much and had to eat this with a fork rather than our fingers. No matter, we enjoy it.
Quick and Fun Sweet Snack
This really is a perfect dessert snack to make when you want something quick and easy. No need to wait until the fair is in town to eat this treat.
Just pop open a can of biscuits or pizza dough, fry, roll in sugar and cinnamon, and add a fruit topping if you wish.
How to Make the Mini Elephant Ears with Biscuits
Fry the Dough
I use a frying pan that has approximately 1 ½ inches of vegetable oil. The burner is set to medium-high. If you have a thermometer, heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not have one, put the tip of a wooden spoon in the oil, if it bubbles, the oil is ready. You can also see the oil shimmering in the pan a bit.
The dough should be thin. This allows it to fry quickly and thoroughly without leaving any raw dough in the middle. If you are using the biscuits, stretch each biscuit as thin as it will go without tearing and carefully place it into the hot oil. If you are using pizza dough like I am today, just use something to cut approximately 2-inch circles out of the dough.
Depending on how big your frying pan is you can put more than one biscuit in at a time. I generally put two or three in at once.
When the biscuits are golden brown on the bottom, flip them over and fry the other side. I use a tongs to do this; however, you could use two forks to flip them. Be careful not to splash the hot oil.
It takes approximately 30 seconds to fry on each side. This goes quickly once you start to fry.
When the biscuits are done on each side, carefully place them on to a paper towel to catch the excess oil.
Coat the Dough with Sugar and Cinnamon
Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Cover both sides with cinnamon sugar and serve warm.
Optional topping can be pie filling or jam on top.
4 Ingredient Mini Elephant Ears
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 1 Can refrigerated biscuit dough such as Grands or Pizza dough
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2-3 cups oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- I use a frying pan that has approximately 1 ½ inches of vegetable oil. The burner is set to medium-high. If you have a thermometer, heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not have one, put the tip of a wooden spoon in the oil, if it bubbles, the oil is ready. You can also see the oil shimmering in the pan a bit.
- The dough should be thin. This allows it to fry quickly and thoroughly without leaving any raw dough in the middle. If you are using the biscuits, stretch each biscuit as thin as it will go without tearing and carefully place it into the hot oil. If you are using pizza dough like I am today, just use something to cut approximately 2-inch circles out of the dough.
- Depending on how big your frying pan is you can put more than one biscuit in at a time. I generally put two or three in at once.
- When the biscuits are golden brown on the bottom, flip them over and fry the other side. I use a tongs to do this; however, you could use two forks to flip them. Be careful not to splash the hot oil.
- It takes approximately 30 seconds to fry on each side. This goes quickly once you start to fry.
- When the biscuits are done on each side, carefully place them on to a paper towel to catch the excess oil.
- Cover both sides with cinnamon sugar and serve warm.
- Optional is to add the pie filling or jam on top.
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Notes
Optional Baking Method
If you prefer not to fry the biscuits, this can be baked in the oven. Preheat the oven 350 Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Dip biscuits in the sugar mixture flipping several times to coat well. (Even more scrumptious in the oven if you dip the biscuits in melted butter before dipping them in the sugar and cinnamon mixture). Place on cookie sheet and bake 13-15 minutes, until golden brown in color.Nutrition
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I hope that you liked this recipe. If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.