Your hometown State Fair may have come and gone but you don’t have to say goodbye to the iconic fair foods that you love. We’ve got the history and recipes of some of your favorites, from fried pickles to corn dogs, so you can enjoy them at home anytime of year.

Funnel Cakes

Funnel cakes were brought to the United States in the late 1800s by the Pennsylvania Dutch. Since that time, these crispy, crunchy, sweet treats have been adopted as one of the country’s most iconic fair foods. Luckily for us, they are simple to make at home!

Caramel Apples

The caramel apple was the brain-child of Dan Walker, an employee of Kraft Foods that made the first ones in the 1950s. Not only are they a traditional fair food but they’re also quite popular during the fall apple harvest season, too!

Funnel Cakes

Deep Fried Oreos®

These sinful confections are a relatively new addition to the fair food scene. Deep fried Oreos were first dreamed up by Charlie Boghosian, otherwise known as Chicken Charlie. Chicken Charlie takes his fried foods to a variety of California fairs each year, even attempting to fry things like Hostess Snowballs. However, his deep-fried Oreo, which made its debut in 2002 at the Los Angeles County Fair, is by far his most popular creation. Here’s the must-have recipe:

Caramel Apples

Corn Dogs

The exact origins of the corn dog are a bit murky but we do know that they were invented sometime between 1920 and 1940, a portable food-on-a-stick designed to appear to fairgoers at the time. Over the years, several people have claimed to be the inventors of the corn dog, including Carl and Neil Fletcher, who said they invented this food for the Texas State Fair in 1942, and the Pronto Pup food vendors, who claim that they were the first to sell corn dogs, marketed as Pronto Pups, for the 1941 Minnesota State Fair. Regardless of the origins, corn dogs are fun and delicious — and one of many great ways to use up those disposable chopsticks taking up space in your kitchen drawer!

Deep Fried Oreos

Beer Battered Deep Fried Pickles

The first confirmed fried pickles recipe was printed on November 19, 1962 in the Oakland Tribune. Bernell “Fatman” Austin, who was just one of the (many) people that claimed to be the fried pickle inventor, was responsible for popularizing them at his Duchess Drive-In restaurant in Atkins, Arkansas. From there, fried pickles — usually dill pickle chips, but sometimes also spears — became a staple at drive ins, sports bars and eventually, fairs.

Corn Dogs

Serve with chipotle mayo or sriracha mayo for dipping. Or try this yummy dipping sauce:

Beer Battered Deep Fried Pickles

Tangy Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup mayo 1 tablespoon ketchup 2 teaspoons pickle juice 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt 2 teaspoons hot sauce

Combine ingredients and serve with fried pickles.

These recipes are just a sampling of the iconic foods that you will find during fair season. Do you have a favorite state fair or carnival food that causes you to through withdrawals on the off-season? If so, let us know in the comments section below.

Amber Kanuckel is a freelance writer from rural Ohio who loves all things outdoors. She specializes in home, garden, environmental, and green living topics.

  • Amber Kanuckel
  • #molongui-disabled-link
  • May 17, 2022
  • Where To Hang A Bee House
  • Amber Kanuckel
  • #molongui-disabled-link
  • March 7, 2022
  • March’s Birthstone - Aquamarine
  • Amber Kanuckel
  • #molongui-disabled-link
  • February 3, 2022
  • Gardening Trends for 2022
  • Amber Kanuckel
  • #molongui-disabled-link
  • January 26, 2022
  • February Birthstone - Amethyst