Elephant Ears with Biscuits

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 the Midwest 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.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy recipe, Gameday food, summer dessert

Servings: Servings

Calories: 40kcal

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Kitchen Essentials

Non-stick Pan

Step Stool

Floursack Towels

Terracotta Pitcher

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

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.

Notes

There is a Short Video for This Recipe

Baked Method in the Oven Option

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