Copycat Checkers Funnel Cake Fries

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Fairground magic at home: airy inside, crisp ridged exterior, and a blizzard of powdered sugar.
• Star-tip piping makes classic Checkers/Rally’s–style baton fries with signature grooves.
• Simple pantry batter, no yeast or proofing, ready in about 35 minutes.
• Perfect for sharing with chocolate, strawberry, or caramel dips.

Grocery List

• Produce: None
• Dairy: Whole milk, eggs
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, cornstarch, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract, white vinegar, neutral frying oil

Full Ingredients

For the funnel cake fry batter

• All-purpose flour: 2 cups (240 g)
• Cornstarch: 1/4 cup (30 g)
• Granulated sugar: 3 Tbsp (38 g)
• Baking powder: 2 tsp (8 g)
• Baking soda: 1/4 tsp (1 g)
• Fine salt: 1/2 tsp (3 g)
• Whole milk: 1 1/2 cups (360 ml)
• Large eggs: 2
• Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
• Neutral oil (for batter): 1 Tbsp
• White vinegar: 1 tsp

For frying and finishing

• Neutral frying oil (canola, peanut, or vegetable): 2–3 quarts (enough for 2–3 inches deep)
• Powdered sugar: 1–1 1/2 cups, for generous dusting
• Optional: 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon mixed into powdered sugar for a cinnamon-sugar finish

Optional dips (choose one or more)

• Warm chocolate sauce: 1/2 cup
• Warm strawberry sauce or preserves: 1/2 cup
• Warm caramel sauce: 1/2 cup

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Heat the oil and prep your station

Pour 2–3 inches of neutral oil into a deep, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Clip on a deep-fry thermometer and heat to 350°F (177°C) over medium heat. Place a wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan for draining. Fit a large piping bag with a 1/2-inch open-star tip (such as Ateco 827/8B) to create the signature ridges. If you don’t have a piping bag, use a zip-top bag and snip a 1/2-inch corner (the ridges will be less pronounced but the fries will still be delicious).

Step 2: Whisk the dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. The cornstarch helps yield a lighter, crisper bite and slows sogginess.

Step 3: Whisk the wet ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, 1 Tbsp neutral oil, and white vinegar until smooth. The vinegar lightly acidulates the batter to help the baking soda lift and puff the fries.

Step 4: Make the batter and rest

Pour the wet mixture into the dry. Whisk just until smooth with no visible flour pockets; do not overmix. The batter should be slightly thicker than pancake batter and pipeable. If it seems too thick, whisk in 1–3 Tbsp more milk; if too thin, sprinkle in 1–2 Tbsp flour. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes to hydrate the flour and stabilize the bubbles. Transfer to your prepared piping bag.

Step 5: Pipe and fry in batches

When the oil is at 350°F (177°C), carefully pipe 4–5 inch batons directly into the oil, cutting each strip with kitchen scissors or a butter knife as you go. Fry 75–90 seconds total, turning once with tongs or chopsticks, until deeply golden with crisp ridges. Maintain the oil between 340–355°F (171–179°C) and avoid crowding; work in batches of 6–8 fries at a time.

Step 6: Drain, dust, and serve hot

Transfer fries to the prepared rack to drain for 30–60 seconds. While still warm, shower generously with powdered sugar (and a pinch of cinnamon if using). Serve immediately with warm chocolate, strawberry, or caramel sauce for dipping. For larger batches, keep fries warm on the rack in a 200°F (93°C) oven for up to 30 minutes, dusting with powdered sugar just before serving.

Pro Tips

• Use a large open-star piping tip to form grooves that crisp beautifully and hold more powdered sugar.
• Keep the oil steady at 350°F; too cool = greasy fries, too hot = over-browned before the centers cook.
• Cut the piped batter with kitchen scissors for clean, uniform batons.
• Resting the batter for 10 minutes improves texture; avoid resting more than 30 minutes so the leavening stays active.
• Dust with powdered sugar right before serving so it doesn’t melt into the surface.

Variations

• Cinnamon-Sugar Toss: Instead of powdered sugar, toss hot fries in 1/2 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 tsp ground cinnamon.
• Strawberry Shortcake Style: Top a platter of fries with sliced macerated strawberries and dollops of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
• Chocolate-Drizzle Sundae: Drizzle melted chocolate and warm caramel over the fries and finish with a pinch of flaky salt.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Funnel cake fries are best fresh. To hold briefly, keep on a rack in a 200°F (93°C) oven for up to 30 minutes and dust with powdered sugar just before serving. Leftovers: cool completely, freeze in a single layer, then store in a freezer bag up to 1 month. Reheat from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for 8–10 minutes (or air fryer at 350°F/177°C for 5–7 minutes) until crisp; dust again. Make-ahead batter: whisk dry ingredients up to 24 hours ahead and store covered. Mix wet ingredients up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerate. Combine, adjust consistency, and rest 10 minutes just before frying.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approx. 480 calories; 18 g fat; 72 g carbohydrates; 8 g protein; 250 mg sodium; 24 g sugars. Values will vary based on oil absorption and amount of powdered sugar used.