Selfmade Elephant Ears Recipe l Lauren’s Newest

May 17, 2025

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You may cease your search—this Selfmade Elephant Ears recipe truly works and tastes similar to those from the honest, no ticket required! The dough is tender and puffy on the within, crisp on the skin, and made with easy elements you have already got. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, drizzle with lemon juice, or slather on some Nutella.

A stack of fried dough topped with cinnamon sugar

What Are Elephant Ears?

Elephant ears are simply fried dough—skinny, flat items of yeast dough fried till golden, then topped with cinnamon sugar or one thing candy. They go by a number of names like beaver tails, otter tails, fry bread, or scones, relying on the place you’re from. The title comes from their form, which loosely resembles an elephant’s ear—however don’t fear about making them good. They’ll nonetheless be delish!

Elements Wanted For Selfmade Elephant Ears

You’ll want a couple of fundamentals to tug collectively your personal dough from scratch.

Heat water – helps activate the yeast – goal for 107-110° F
Heat milk – simply above room temperature, not sizzling sufficient to kill the yeast
Granulated sugar – sweetens the dough and feeds the yeast
Melted butter – for moisture and taste
Fast rise yeast – helps the dough puff up shortly (you need to use energetic dry yeast if that’s what you could have)
Egg – provides richness to the dough
Salt – balances the sweetness
All-purpose flour – the construction of your dough
Vegetable oil – or any impartial, light-colored oil like vegetable oil, canola, or peanut oil will work right here. You need one with a excessive smoke level.

Candy Topping Choices

Cinnamon sugar. My private favourite and the basic technique to serve this fried dough.
Lemon and sugar. This may increasingly sound a bit unusual however coating the dough in sugar and topping with a squeeze of lemon juice is definitely the proper mixture. A little bit candy, slightly bitter.
Nutella. You may’t go mistaken with some Nutella unfold excessive!
Powdered sugar. It will give them a funnel cake-like vibe!
Syrup or sauce of any variety. Chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, and even strawberry sauce could be drizzled excessive.

Variations

Strive utilizing puff pastry should you’re searching for a shortcut (store-bought works!)
Use an air fryer for a lighter version- See additional down the publish for methods to make these in an air fryer.
Unfold with cinnamon roll icing or jam
Lower into smaller 6-inch circles for mini variations

What’s The Distinction Between Funnel Cake and Elephant Ears? Whereas they each style related and are sometimes sprinkled with the identical toppings, funnel cake and elephant ears usually are not the identical. Funnel cake is made by pouring a batter, just like a pancake batter, into sizzling oil. Elephant ears, alternatively, are made with an precise dough that should rise earlier than being fried.

Several elephant ears stacked on each other, with one leaning on the others

Methods to Make Selfmade Elephant Ears

Making fried dough at residence requires about 10 to fifteen minutes of hands-on time plus an hour of rising time for the dough. For full recipe particulars, together with ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card on the backside of this publish. Listed here are my step-by-step directions for making Selfmade Elephant Ears:

1. Proof the Yeast

Pour the heat water and a teaspoon of sugar into a big bowl. Sprinkle within the yeast and stir, then put aside to proof. This could take about 5 minutes.

2. Make the Dough

Warmth the milk, butter, and remaining sugar in a microwave protected bowl or on the range high to soften and dissolve the sugar. Stir to chill. It ought to be a bit hotter than room temperature however not scalding to kill the yeast. Pour the butter combination into the yeast combination and stir. Whisk within the egg and salt, adopted by the flour in 1/2 cup increments. As soon as if varieties a dough, knead 2-3 minutes till a barely sticky dough has fashioned. Add extra flour when essential. The dough is prepared if you press it gently together with your finger and it springs again.

A wooden spoon mixing elephant ear dough

3. Enable the Dough to Rise

Switch the dough a bowl and canopy with plastic wrap. Place in a heat spot in your kitchen for an hour to let the dough rise. Punch the dough down and reduce into 8 equal items.

Elephant ear dough with one small piece separate

4. Fry the Dough

Roll the dough into ovals at that 1/4-1/8 inch thick. No worries in the event that they’re not good trying – mine weren’t both. Place within the sizzling oil and fry 20 to 30 seconds per facet. You need a medium to barely darkish colour on the dough.

Overhead view of a stack of elephant ears and a glass of milk

5. Serve + Get pleasure from

Take away the fried dough from the oil and maintain it over the pan to let the surplus oil drip off. Then instantly add your favourite toppings, like cinnamon sugar or nutella. Serve heat and contemporary!

Ideas for Success

If you’d like your elephant ears to style similar to the county honest, preserve this stuff in thoughts.

Add kind of flour as wanted. The quantity of flour wanted in any dough can range based mostly on the flour, the local weather, and different elements. That is a part of the explanation why I like to recommend including it in 1/2 cup increments. Bear in mind you can too add extra as wanted when kneading the dough.
How sizzling ought to the oil be? Since these beaver tails are fried for simply 20-30 seconds per facet, it’s essential that the oil is sizzling…however not so sizzling that it burns your dough! Intention for 350° F. Strive frying one piece of dough and modify the oil as essential.
Don’t overcrowd the pan. Work in small batches so the temperature of the oil doesn’t plummet.
Assist the dough prepare dinner evenly. The center of the dough tends to puff up when it hits the oil. I’ve discovered reducing a slit within the center helps to prepare dinner the dough evenly. An alternative choice is to make use of tongs to press the center into the oil.

Storage + Make Forward Instructions

Elephant ears are finest served instantly, when heat and tender from the oil. In the event you do have leftovers, they are often saved at room temperature for as much as 2 days. I like to recommend reheating them within the oven or air fryer. The feel gained’t be the identical however they’ll nonetheless style good! If you wish to add the cinnamon sugar topping, simply brush the highest with melted butter and add the topping.

Are you able to freeze this recipe?
Sure! Freeze dough balls earlier than frying. Thaw, roll, and fry when prepared. Cooked elephant ears don’t freeze effectively—they lose their crispness.

Are you able to make them forward?
You may prep the dough and retailer it within the fridge in a single day, coated in plastic wrap. Deliver to room temperature earlier than rolling and frying.

A stack of beaver tails fried dough next to a glass of milk

Can I Make Fried Dough within the Air Fryer?

Frying the dough in a pan is at all times going to provide essentially the most genuine honest meals taste. Nonetheless, if you wish to reduce on the oil a bit, you may make elephant ears in your air fryer.

Spray the dough with cooking spray (like avocado oil spray). Cook dinner the dough in batches – it will possible imply one by one except you could have an enormous air fryer – at 350° F for five minutes. Flip them over and prepare dinner for one more 5 minutes. You will have to regulate the time barely based mostly in your air fryer so I like to recommend attempting one and adjusting the time as essential for the remainder.

They gained’t have precisely the identical texture or taste as frying them however they’ll nonetheless be good!

A stack of elephant ears fried dough next to a glass of milk

Selfmade Elephant Ears Recipe l Lauren’s Newest

Extra Fried Dough Recipes to Strive!

No want to attend for the state honest or observe down a meals truck. This elephant ears recipe brings fair-style fried dough straight to your individual kitchen. In the event you love funnel cake, beaver tails, or something crispy and candy, that is the best technique to recreate these summer time reminiscences at residence.

In the event you make this recipe, I’d actually admire it should you would give it a star score and go away your evaluate within the feedback! When you have an image of your completed dish, publish it on Instagram utilizing the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.