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
I don’t understand. I did this, and it’s dry and clumpy. Not at all dip-able. What gives?
Hi Stephanie! It sounds like you could have used too much flour, no enough liquid, or the wrong type of cornmeal. 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. Also- be sure to measure your flour correctly.
I put only 1 cup of buttermilk substitute (milk and lemon juice) and the consistency of the batter was spot on for corn dogs. They are delicious
Thank you for sharing that with us, Sarah!
Dear Natasha please it would make our weeks if you could give us a bit of your time for an interview for our podcast. It can be done over email and it will not be shown to the public (just our ela teacher)
Can you email the details here in our Contact Form.
Can you make the corn dogs in the Airfryer? We love corn dogs and I can’t wait to try these!
Hi Patti! I have not tested that. I don’t know how this batter would hold up if not fried.
Thank you Natasha!! This helped my partner and I with a research podcast we are doing for school. We aim to inform the public of the best corn dog recipes. You have provided a fantastic source. Thank you from the bottom of our 8th grade hearts. You have inspired our ELA class to have a corndog party. We love you Natasha!!
Fun Fact: National corn dog day is the third Saturday in March!!
You’re welcome!
These are so good! My husband & I made them together & had so much fun. They actually kinda looked like yours! 👍 💗
How fun! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Thanks for the recipe. You may want to fox yeh spelling or coarse. It should be coarse not course. Coarse refers to texture and course refers to a direction.
Hi Shelley, Thank you so much for that note! I totally meant to use “coarse”, but that’s my mistake; we’ll get it fixed!
Can I use skewers to make the corn dogs? Pls let me know!! Ty!!
Hi Viki, I haven’t tried it with skewered to say that will work. I imagine it may slide off a skewer. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I’m having some issues with the recipe. I haven’t substituted but for some reason the batter keeps falling off. The ones I did succeed with were a bit bland. I’m wondering if I’m using the wrong ingredients. I have yellow corn meal mix that I’m not sure if it’s the same thing as what I’m needing.
Hi Jennifer, make sure it’s a finely ground corn meal mix. If it is a course ground meal then it won’t work properly and the texture won’t be right.
Hi, thanks for the recipe. Can’t wait to try it! Just a little tip: coarse is the word for opposite of fine, not course. Sorry to be the grammar police, just trying to be helpful.
Thank you for the tip!
I actually made 2 batters, 1 for kids and 1 for adults. The one for adults I added 1 1/2 fresh roasted jalepeno peppers that i diced up super small and folded in. Let me just say this….OMG!!! Killer addition. Thank you!!! Your recipe is the bomb!!
Thanks, Dave! So glad to hear that you enjoy this recipe. The jalapeno addition sounds amazing!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! Made them today for the kiddos. My 5 y.o. gave me a big hug after eating one and said “thanks for making these!”. So I’ll say they liked them… haha.
That is the best when kids love what we parents make. That’s so great!
You need to go to the Midwest and try one, these are no where close to a fair. Disappointing.
These corn dogs are absolutely phenomenal! They’re even better than the fresh cooked ones from the state fair! I only give them five stars because six isn’t an option!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Dennis!
Great recipe!! My husband said they taste “cornier” than the store-bought. My layer of cornmeal coating was not that thick however. I followed directions exactly but my my coating was really thin. Any suggestions?
Hi Susan, did you use a fine-grain corn meal? Using cornmeal that is course ground doesn’t work well for corndog batter. Also, I suggest watching the video tutorial to see where the difference might be.
We actually made 48 corn dogs with one batter recipe. I thought the batter was a little too thin. Next time I’ll reduce the milk quantity. But other than that it was perfect!!
Sounds good, I hope it becomes perfect on your next try!
Like someone else said I had to thin out a bit. Tip dredge in flour before dipping helps it stick and not slide off.
Thanks for sharing, Liz.
How much oil do you need for frying? Also, should you be heating the oil up on medium or low?
Hi Kelly, we poured 2-3” of oil into a large pot or dutch oven.
Hi Natasha
These where delicious 😋. My daughter had a fun time making them…only issue I find my batter kinda slide of the hotdogs even to fry. Any suggestions
Hi Cindy! Did you make any substitutions or leave out any ingredients? Also, make sure your oil is hot enough. and the pan you are using is not shallow. Handling the corn dogs too much can also cause the batter to flake off. You could try drying the hot dogs with a paper towel if there is excess liquid. I hope this helps.
Have you ever tried using this batter for shrimp. I have heard of corn dog shrimp.
Hi Gail! I have not but if you experiment, let us know how it turns out.
Hi!
I was wondering if you could replace the honey with anything.
Hi! I have not tested an alternative but I suppose you could leave it out or use sugar to sweeten it. You’d have to experiment with it. 🙂