25 Carnival Treats You Can Make at Home

Crispy, golden and slightly sweet, corndogs are an iconic carnival dish. Trisha serves hers with both ketchup and mustard sauces for dipping.

Bring the carnival home with this classic fair dessert. Fried dough is crisp and golden brown on the outside and soft and cakey on the inside. Covered in a shower of confectioners' sugar and sprinkle of cinnamon, it's the perfect fun dessert for a casual get-together.

These massive barbecued bird legs are a street fair staple. Now you can make them at home with an easy dry brine that eliminates the need for submerging them in a big pot of salted water.

Consider these slushies the ultimate two-in-one treat: frozen lemonade concentrate gets blended with cotton candy to make a bright pink beverage that screams of carnival fun.

For a Southern-style snack, wrap pickle spears in cheese and egg roll wrappers and fry until golden.

Treat yourself to something sweet with this state fair favorite. You’ll need to plan ahead to allow for freezing time, but the process of dipping and decorating the bananas is a breeze.

Tyler adds tons of flavor to in-season grilled corn on the cob by making it Mexican-style with cheese and chili powder.

True to the spirit of carnival treats, these tortilla chips are piled high with anything-but-average fixings for a savory, over-the-top bite you’ll be glad you tried!

Hand-held apple pies in a flaky, deep-fried crust? Yes, please! You can even make these pies ahead (and stock them in your freezer for up to 6 months) so that the only thing you have to do when you're craving a carnival-inpsired sweet, is fry them.

These golden and crispy deep-fried steak strips are what happens when chicken-fried steak meets chicken fingers. We like them dipped in a homemade "fry sauce" or bottled cocktail sauce, but ranch dressing would be great too.

Giada says these street-style sandwiches are a staple in Italy, but we've been known to see them around the fair. She starts by browning sweet Italian turkey sausage, then simmers the meat and veggies in tomato paste and marsala wine for added depth of flavor.

It just wouldn’t be a carnival without warm, powdery funnel cake. Kardea takes hers to the next level by frying the dough in bite-size pieces — and pairing these tiny treats with a simple homemade strawberry dipping sauce.

If you’re looking for a classic French fry, Guy’s recipe can’t be beat. He fries potato slices twice to ensure a crispy finish and perfect consistency.

As Ree says, this recipe “is absolutely ridiculous in a really delicious way.” And really, isn’t that what carnival food is all about?

Kardea’s quick and easy take on corn dogs tastes just like the classic — but skips all the work of battering and deep frying!

These gooey deep-fried treats are the perfect excuse to buy another box of Tagalongs® at the next Girl Scout cookie sale. The chocolate-covered peanut butter cookies are dipped in a sweet batter that gets an extra peanutty boost from powdered PB. They're fried until golden and served with a dusting of powdered sugar and chocolate sauce for dipping.

Giada coats mozzarella in Italian-style dried breadcrumbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese before frying. These cheesy sticks can be made and frozen before cooking up to two days in advance.

Hot and crunchy on the outside, cold and creamy on the inside — these cereal-crusted ice cream balls are the perfect project for someone with a sweet tooth. Choose one of our fun combinations — or create your own!

Melissa's sweet-salty kettle corn is a crowd-pleasing 10-minute treat.

Giada coats the tops of her cookies with chocolate-toffee candy bars before assembling these decadent ice cream sandwiches.

Chicken and waffles are a match made in heaven — so why not chicken and waffle fries? To make this easy app, bake chicken nuggets and waffle fries as the labels direct. Top each waffle fry with a nugget, skewer with a toothpick and drizzle with spicy honey.

Vanilla cake mix makes up the batter for Trisha’s funnel cakes, which sandwich a big scoop of sweet vanilla ice cream.

A deep, rich caramel makes for a classic shiny caramel apple.

Who doesn’t love a pillowy pretzel? For a fun spin on the classic recipe, season the pretzels with Parmesan, garlic and Italian herbs and serve with marinara for dunking.