Bring the fair home with this easy recipe for elephant ears with biscuits. Delicious pieces of dough stretched thin and covered in a cinnamon and sugar mixture or raspberry jam.
What are Elephant Ears?
In the summer months, there are many county fairs sprinkled throughout Wisconsin and one of the things people clamor for are the large fried platters of dough that are covered in sugar and cinnamon and sometimes jam. The large dough resembles an elephant’s ear when it is fried, hence the name of this sugary snack.
It is large enough to share with friends; however, it is so delicious right out of the fryer and doused with the sweetness that it is hard not to devour the entire thing by yourself.
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 canned biscuits from the refrigerator section at your local store.
- 1 Tube of 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
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.
Just a Quick Minute to Fry Dough
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.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Cover both sides with cinnamon sugar and serve warm.
Elephant Ears with Biscuits
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 1 can refrigerated dough such as Grands or Pizza dough
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2-3 cups oil for frying
Instructions
- 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.2-3 cups oil
- 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.1 can refrigerated 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.
- Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Cover both sides with cinnamon sugar and serve warm.½ cup granulated white sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon
- Optional is to add the pie filling or jam on top.
