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
very tasty and fun to make. baba is very happy. getting the batter to stick is pretty hard but it was worth it 10/10 !!
I’m happy that you and your family enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for the perfect rating, we appreciate that.
These turned out perfect! I’m so glad you specified fine cornmeal. Otherwise I would have used course and I think I tried that a while back and it didn’t turn out so well. I didn’t have any buttermilk so I used milk mixed with a little vinegar. Also I used sunflower oil to fry them in. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I enjoy your recipes and recently subscribed to your YouTube channel.
Thank you for subscribing and I’m happy to know that you loved this recipe. I hope you’ll enjoy every recipe that you will try from my channel and website!
Yummy. Not complicated though I did have trouble getting the batter to stay on the hotdog. That said, kid (4,3,and 1) and approved. I will make it again.
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
Hi from Ireland I just made the corn dogs and they turned out really good. My son has been asking to make him but I was a bit skeptical as I never even had one. They were so nice. I made corn bread with the left over bater and it turn out nice. Will definitely make them again.
I’m so glad you gave these a try! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review Daniela!
The recipe came out perfect and I was so happy to attempt this at home rather than buying it from the store. My little daughter asked for it and she was impressed. I didn’t have corn meal and instead used fine semolina and still came out great. I used a dutch oven to deep fry and saved the batter for more corn dogs tomorrow. Thank you Natasha, I really trust your blog as a source for successful recipes. I attempt things I never thought I would!
Great to hear that the recipe was a hit! Thank you for sharing your experience with us, so good to know that you and your family always enjoy my recipes!
I tried these, as I have others. Unfortunately they blew apart as soon as they hit the oil. Oil was 350, dogs were completely dry when I dipped them in the mix. I even went so far as trying Baking powder and corn starch. They all blew apart.
Hi Tim, I ran into this same thing in my testing so I try to anticipate issues like that in my post. Check out the section above titled: How to Keep Corn Dogs from Cracking
Would love to make these for my kids but one has an egg allergy. Is there a substitute for egg that I could use or just leave the egg out?
Hi Meaghan, the egg helps the batter hold together, I’m not sure if it would work too without it.
Easy and extra batter makes tasty onion rings 🙂
Thank you, Christa!
This is the second time I try your recipe, and both times the batter burst out and ended up coating only the top of the weaner… I just am not able to make it work… it tastes really good though… I believe it is the buttermilk… I am making the buttermilk myself with heavy milk+lemon, but then once I add the wer ingredients, the batter turns out soooooo thick! I add a bit more buttermilk substitute, and this is probably where I am going wrong…
They say the third time is when the miracle happens… let’s see, let’s see… I won’t give up yet!
Hi Bete, it does sound like it’s the buttermilk substitution or how the ingredients were measured – something is off in the liquid to dry ingredients proportions possibly. Also, try letting the batter rest for a bit or refrierate it which can help it thicken.
Hi Bete, it does sound like it’s the buttermilk substitution or how the ingredients were measured – something is off in the liquid to dry ingredients proportions possibly. Also, try letting the batter rest for a bit or refrigerate it which can help it thicken.
Try using heavy milk + sour cream to make your buttermilk. 1:1 ration, Room temp for both before you mix them well and let set on countertop for at least 10 minutes. I think the lemon is your issue.
Thank you! We just tried it! They turned out great
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
You mentioned using apple slices for left over batter?? is there a recipe? or how do you prepare apples? any other uses for corn batter?
Hi J, we kept it simple, sliced the apples into wedges and dunked them into the leftover batter, followed the same steps as we did for the hot dog.
I’m from Belgium and we don’t really know corndogs… Had them the first time with my family in Canada last year but only the ones you buy frozen in the supermarket (pogos). Made them now myself with this recipe and they turned out to be delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Wim! Thanks for giving it a try and for sharing this great review!
So I did everything the way the recipe was written but when I fried them they became flat and caused the hot dog to to be seen. someone told me to try and freeze them. any thoughts?
Hi Mahira, it sounds like the batter may have been too thin (not enough dry ingredients or too much wet ingredients). Also, be sure the oil isn’t overly hot or too cool. Using a thermometer is highly recommended with frying because the wrong temperature can really adversely affect results.
Just did these last night they turned out great! So easy and fun to make!
Aren’t they great! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Made these with vegetarian hot dogs, first time I’ve had a corn dog since I stopped eating meat 5 years ago. They were amazing! I used the leftover batter to make cauliflower fritters, which were also great.
Wow! That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Sadly, I did not get good results. They cooked fine, but were just totally saturated in oil. I wish I had put them on paper towels instead of a cooling rack but even if I had, I don’t think it would have soaked up enough oil from them. Anyone else have this issue?
Hi Ronda, if the oil isn’t hot enough it can absorb too much oil. I highly recommend checking the temperature with a thermometer to make sure it isn’t running too hot or cold.
Need help to break down the recipe to 4 corn dogs please assist
Hi Paula, if you click on the serving size in the recipe card, you can slide it up or down to scale the recipe ingredient lists. I hope that helps!“
How do break down the corn dog recipe to only make 4/5 corn dogs?
Hi Paula, I recommend clicking “Jump to recipe” at the top of the post. It will take you to our printable recipe, where you’ll have the option to change the number of servings. Hover over the number of servings highlighted in red and slide it to how many servings you would like to make. I hope that helps!
Ketchup? Are you mad?? 😜
Hi Natasha! These look so good I’m hoping to make them this week. One question, do you know how much oil I would need? I have the same Dutch oven as you, just wanted to know how much I needed to buy to make sure I had enough, thanks!
Hi Jane, Step one will be your best friend for that, “Pour 2-3” of oil in a large pot or dutch oven and heat to 350˚F over medium heat.” I hope that helps. Depending on your pot size, the amount may vary, but it should be 2-3″ of oil.
Yes I saw that it said 2-3″ I was just wondering if you could tell me what that was in cups. Also my phone was acting up I didn’t think this submitted so you might have another one from me in here sorry! Also thanks in advance I’m so excited to make these haven’t had a corn dog since I was a kid
Hi Jane, I didn’t measure it in cups and it can vary depending on how large your pot is. My guess is maybe 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of oil.
My kids loved these!! They are soo good and easy to make. Thank you for sharing this recipe will be making them again!
You’re welcome! That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!