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
Ik leer het al en ik wil het Amerikaanse recept op computer zien ,hoe maakt u het Amerikaanse recept.
Hi Liza, you can see all of my recipes on this blog. Click the Recipes tab at the very top of the page. I hope this helps!
Hi Natasha
Could I use milk with some lemon or vinegar to make buttermilk
Cant seem to find it
Thanks
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by mixing milk and lemon. Here’s an example for reference, 1 cup buttermilk = 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + enough milk to measure 1 cup
I love visiting your site. All of your recipes I’ve tried have been delicious. You inspire me. I’m really proud of you. Keep up the wonderful work
Thank you! That is very kind.
Hi Natasha,
This recipe looks amazing and I am going to give it a whirl this week. I read that you can reheat in the microwave, air fryer or hot skillet. Any advice for reheating in an oven? If they turn out well for me this week I’d like to make 2 dozen ahead of time for my daughters birthday party – it would definitely be faster to reheat that many in the oven. (P.S. I have made many of your recipes – all delicious but my absolute fav is your fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls with the two dipping sauces. Amazing)
Hi Anna, I haven’t tried it in the oven, but that may work well to reheat it. Ifhaven’tperiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I just tried reheating them in the oven and it worked great! I just defrosted them in the fridge and put them in the oven at 400 for 15 mins.
Glad to hear that, Maddie! Thank you for sharing that with us.
Did they re-crisp nicely? I’m also looking to make a large batch about a week or two before a party we are hosting.
They also reheat nicely in an air fryer or they can be sautéed on a skillet until crisp on the outside.
My grandchild love you home made corn dog
I make it with McLean Bavarian smokies( organic )
Delicious
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
This is an excellent recipe. I have used it a few times and the honey is a really nice touch. I used those 70s cocktail sized hotdogs and they went down a treat. I was careful with the shape at the beginning but after the 20th, the shape didn’t really matter. Still delicious.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hey, I had a question about one of the ingredients. What if we don’t have “corn meal” because the country I live in doesn’t have “corn meal” available. Could we substitute it with corn starch or anything?
Hi Rumaisa, for this recipe to work correctly, it needs to be a finely ground cornmeal like I have shown in the recipe ingredients photo.
In some countries, cornmeal is called polenta. I have only used instant polenta not the traditional ones.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
I tried this recipe tonight and they turned out delicious! The were sort of flat instead of round, though. How do I avoid that next time? Thanks!
Hi Courtney, 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.
I don’t have buttermilk. Would it still turn out okay if I use lemon/milk substitute?
Hi Shani, I haven’t tried anything else but keep in mind that the buttermilk is thicker than regular milk, which helps the batter form properly. If it’s too thin, it won’t stay on the sausage.
Hi Natasha, for some recipes that call for buttermilk I’ve substituted with milk and Greek yogurt, half of the volume of each. I know it’s worked amazing for waffles.
Thanks for sharing, June. That’s useful info.
My family loves these homemade corn dogs. The drinking glass technique is a big help. I will be making these more often.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Shelly!
Every recipe we have made from you turns out perfect and absolutely delicious! This recipe is so good! My husband and I just love it so much! Are you able to refrigerate the left over batter and if so, how long do you think it would be good for?
Happy Holidays! =)
Hi and thank you for sharing your great review. Pasting this here from the post above: 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.
Deep fry Shrimp 21/25 P/D tail on, 6 at a time works perfectly. Same temp, flip over to golden brown on both sides 1 1/2min per side, 3 min tops, dip shrimp the same way you do corndog slow and easy while holding to tail. One more Smoked Polish sausage Kalbob 1″ in cut, stab with large toothpick, bake beans on the side
That sounds really good!
I’m doing corndogs as part of a thanksgiving meal (in the UK) for an American friend of mine who is homesick for American food. This recipe is excellent (just prepared a test batch)
This will be perfect for them! That’s so thoughtful! I hope you all love this recipe!
Hello! Do you think these would freeze well? How would you recommend reheating if so? Thanks!
Hi Jennie, Yes, these do freeze well.
Can I use corn flour instead of cornmeal?
Hi Clarissa, for this recipe to work correctly, it needs to be a finely ground corn meal like I have shown in the recipe ingredients photo.
These were the best corn dogs my family has ever eaten! Everyone loved them. The batter is simply perfect!
Thanks for your fantastic feedback, Erika!
Thank you so much for this superb corndog recipe. I used: all fresh ingredients, Oscar Meyer all-beef hotdogs; 10 per package, and safflower oil for deep frying. My husband loved them and said “don’t change anything” in the recipe. I had enough batter left over to make a least 4-6 more. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks again,
Rhonda
I’m so glad this was a hit, Rhonda! Thank you for sharing that awesome review!
Loved this recipe! Thank you so much! I’m a new baker/cook and I rely 100% on recipes from online to learn. This recipe is simple but a good way to practice. It also taste very good and l will be saving it as my favorite corn dog recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! I always love it when my readers find to favorites! That’s so great!
Just made this recipe. It turned out fantastic!! I used powdered buttermilk then added the water to equal 1 3/4 c. Just a little watery but with a slight tweak it will be perfect. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re so welcome, Cathy! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Just like the fair. The honey was a great twist. I used some of the batter to dip pre-cooked bratwursts.
Hi Mark, that’s a good twist! Thanks for trying that out and glad you loved the result.