Honey-battered, hand-dipped Corn Dogs are a real treat. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is to make homemade corn dogs from scratch.
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We love hand-dipped corn dogs at fairs, carnivals, and of course Disney, but some of our favorite carnival foods like Churros, sweet Corn on the Cob and of course these corn dogs, are so easy to re-create at home. If you’re looking for fun, family-friendly recipes, these Corn Dogs are a must-try!
Corn Dog Video Tutorial:
Corn dogs are essentially cornbread batter + hot dogs. This homemade Corn Dog Recipe has the best honey batter. They are fried to perfection with a crisp exterior and a soft cornbread inside that keeps the sausage juicy.
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Why You will Love These Corn Dogs:
- Simple batter – no waiting for the batter to chill. You can use it right away.
- Make-ahead option – you can make the batter 1 to 2 days ahead if you want to. You can also store extra batter to fry something fresh the next day.
- Skip the corn starch – dipping the hot dogs in corn starch is an unnecessary step. Drying the corn dogs with paper towels is enough to make the batter stick.
- Freezer friendly – you can make these, cool to room temperature then freeze in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag.
- Reheats well – You can defrost in the refrigerator or for 30 seconds in the microwave then pop them in the air fryer or sautee on a skillet until crisp on the outside.
Ingredients for Homemade Corndogs:
Since this recipe doesn’t have many ingredients, so buy the best quality hot dogs (get your favorites).
- Hot Dogs – We highly recommend using simple hot dogs – either beef, chicken or turkey hot dogs will do. If using longer-sized hot dogs, keep in mind they will need to fit the diameter of your pot to fry once your stick is on. Also, very thick hot dogs won’t heat through as well.
- Corn Meal – get “finely ground”
- Flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt – pantry basics that help form the batter and make it fluffy.
- Buttermilk and oil – adds flavor and moisture to the batter
- Egg – helps batter hold together.
- Honey – adds sweetness to create a honey batter
How to Make Corn Dogs:
Making corn dogs is easier and takes less time than you think! Here is a visual reference for the process. Watch the video recipe above and you’ll have this recipe memorized in no time.
- Pat Dry Hot Dogs with paper towels to help the batter to stick better.
- Insert Sticks – skewer hot dogs make sure the length fits your pot)
- Dry Ingredients – whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Wet Ingredients – whisk together buttermilk, egg, olive oil, and honey.
- Combine Batter – pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until blended.
- Dip Hot Dogs and Fry – Batter the corn dogs to completely cover the hot dog, let excess drip off at the edge then Fry 2-3 at a time at 350˚F for 3 minutes until golden brown.
Pro Tip: Use a tall drinking glass and a funnel to keep things tidy while filling with batter. Fill it almost full, leaving enough room to dip the corn dog without overflowing the cup.
The Best Sticks for Corn Dogs:
You can use a variety of sticks (even popsicle sticks). The most important thing is to make sure the skewered corn dog will fit easily into your frying pot. Avoid sticks that have sharp points or are too long. You can use:
- Multi-Use Skewers 6.5″ (the ones we used, pictured in the center)
- Corn Dog Sticks 8″-8.75″ (pictured on the right)
- Candy Apple Sticks 5″ to 5.5″ (pictured on the left)
How to Keep Corn Dogs from Cracking:
Air bubbles cause corn dogs to crack and burst. The right technique is important. Dip straight down until hot dog is fully coated. Twirl in the glass and swirl as you pull up. If you see gaps in the dough or big bubbles then re-dip. Also, make sure to maintain the right oil temperature at 350˚F.
Common Questions:
Look for fine yellow corn meal. Avoid “coarse” or “medium” ground cornmeal as that will be too large of granules and won’t work. I have found that if the cornmeal packaging doesn’t say what texture it is, most often it is finely ground.
A deep fryer can be tricky because the corn dogs are more likely to stick to the fryer basket. Make sure you carefully hold the corn dog in the oil at an angle for 5-7 seconds to seal the exterior before dropping them into the basket. Watch the video to see this in action.
Nope. Coating in starch is an unnecessary and messy step. Patting the hot dogs thoroughly is enough to help the batter stick to the hot dogs.
We heat the oil to 350˚F and use a clip-on thermometer to maintain a steady temperature. You want to keep the oil between 340˚-360˚ while frying.
Our favorite oil for frying is peanut oil. Canola oil is also a great option.
Serve as a main course or snack with the classic dipping sauces of ketchup and mustard.
Have Extra Batter Left Over?
Use the extra batter to dip mini sausages, little smokies or cocktail sausages to make mini corndogs. Use a toothpick to dip and fry then remove the toothpicks before serving.
Hand dipped corn dogs satisfy the craving for carnival food when you aren’t able to get to the carnival or state fair to enjoy it. They are also really fun to make!
More Kid-Friendly Recipes to try:
If you love this Corn Dog Recipe, then you won’t want to miss these family-friendly recipes.
- Pizza – try our pizza dough for any pizza
- Cheeseburger Sliders – easy and great for parties
- Chicken Sandwiches – crispy with the best sauce
- Chicken Nuggets – a copycat recipe
- Brownies – fudgy and decadent
Homemade Corn Dogs Recipe
Ingredients
For the Corn Dogs:
- 12 hot dogs, we used turkey hot dogs
- 12 sticks
- Peanut oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil for frying
- Ketchup and mustard to serve
Batter Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups fine yellow corn meal
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp honey
Instructions
- Pour 2-3” of oil in a large pot or dutch oven and heat to 350˚F over medium heat.
- Pat dry with paper towels. Insert sticks into hot dogs.
- Whisk together dry ingredients (corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt). Whisk together wet ingredients (buttermilk, egg, 1 Tbsp oil and honey). Combine wet and dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
- Pour batter into a drinking glass almost to the top and dip hot dogs. Put corndog straight down into batter and give it a little twirl to fully coat the hot dogs then swirl as you lift up. Let excess drip off.
- Hold corn dog at an angle in the hot oil for 5-7 seconds to let it seal then drop into oil (this keeps them from sticking to the bottom of the pot).
- Fry 3 minutes or until golden brown. Fry up to 2-3 at a time (so you don’t drop the temperature), turning them as needed to brown evenly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
We made miniature corndogs, and they were absolutely delicious!!! Love this recipe… Thank you. Will make them again….
Love this recipe but always have a ton of leftover batter. Could this be stored some way to save for another time?
Hi Mariah! You can keep the batter for 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Perfect recipe! So easy & very delicious! Son wanted them a bit crispy on the outside so left them in longer. Made a good bit so had leftovers which I think will do well in an air fryer.
Hi Natasha
Thank you for this recipe! Is it best to use 1% or 3.25 % buttermilk? Those are the choices we have here
Hi Maddy, either of those should work here.
Any chance these would work with baking or air frying instead of oil submerging?
Hi Julie, I don’t think that would work since the batter is very wet. Air frying to reheat would work well but the initial cooking really needs to be deep fried for this batter to set up properly.
I followed recipe exactly, and the corn dogs turned out perfect! I used Kroger’s Private Selection all beef franks, and they were delicious! Thank you for sharing an incredibly, tasty treat!
Hi – can this be made with Almond milk versus buttermilk? I am lactose intolerant and hoping to find an alternative. Want to make for the 4th of July weekend as an appetizer:)
Hi there! I have not tested using almond milk instead of buttermilk. One of my viewers reported making this with Greek yogurt. You may need to thin it out with some liquid to get the right consistency.
Yes, you can. Just Google “how to make dairy free buttermilk with almond milk”
Hi,
Can I use yogurt instead of buttermilk?
Hi there! One of my viewers reported making this with Greek yogurt. You may need to thin it out with some liquid to get the right consistency.
I like to make these with the cheesy hotdog or the cheeses in the hotdog. Such a great recipe thank you Natasha and David.
The taste is fanfriggintastic, but I couldn’t get the batter to stick to the dogs very well.
Hi Tracey! Did your batter look similar to mine in the video? Also- be sure to wipe down the hot dogs with paper towel if they are wet, that way the batter can attach.
Hi Natasha. I too had a similar problem with better not sticking. Great recipe overall. When frying should the oil completely immerse the hot dog cause I found the batter spilling over and exposing the hot dog. And how long can the batter stay in the fridge to make more corn dogs
Hi Gladys, yes, its best that they are fully submerged – I recommend watching the video to be sure you have the same consistency batter, and be sure your hot dog it dry before dipping.
Are you kidding me! I love corn dogs, like everyone else. I have never made corn dogs before. I followed your recipe to the T. They came out wonderful! They were better than any corn dog I have ever had, including the state fair!
I wish I could have taken a picture to send to you. However, I had to make two corn dogs at a time and before the second batch was ready to come out the first two were already eaten. The entire family wants me to do it again today. Thank you for a fantastic recipe.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Tracy! It sounds like you have a new favorite recipe to make!
I made 16 corn dogs on my second attempt. We each had three some had four corn dogs. After waking up from my nap. I put the remaining in the refrigerator. The next day I placed them in the oven at 300° and they were even better! How!? So crispy!
I made this recipe but I grilled the hot dogs 1st. OMG, what a game changer.
This is absolutely fantastic love love it. Do you have a recipe to make 100 corn dogs?
Hello! You can slide the serving size to adjust the ingredients too but take note that the instructions will remain the same, it’s only going to adjust the amount of ingredients.
Can this batter be used to fry eggplants?
Hi Joanne, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
This worked out great. I made a half batch which was enough to do eight hot dogs. Made my own buttermilk with lemon juice and milk. Great recipe! I actually cut my hot dogs in half and stuck a cube of cheese in the middle on a few to see how they’d turn out and they were delicious.
WOW! I was really intimidated to try making these, because I was worried they wouldn’t turn out well, and I’m not a very good cook, but they were so easy!! And they turned out exactly like the picture! My husband and I were both shocked at how good they are.
I’m so happy to hear your made these, Melanie!! I hope the photos and video were helpful to you! Thank you for the great review.