Crispy, cinnamon-sugar-dusted fried bread treats are called elephant ears!
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 10 mins |
| Additional Time: | 40 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 5 mins |
| Servings: | 15 |
| Yield: | 15 ears |
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ⅜ cup shortening
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 quart oil for frying
- 6 tablespoons white sugar
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare dough: Combine milk, shortening, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until shortening melts and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm, 110 degrees F (43 degrees C).
- Sprinkle yeast into the cooled dough mixture and let sit until foamy.
- Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in flour to form a dough. Knead until smooth; cover and let rise 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Roll out 2-inch balls of dough into thin sheets; fry in hot oil until puffed and golden, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
- Prepare topping: Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Sprinkle topping over warm elephant ears and serve.
- We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount may vary depending on cook time and temperature, ingredient density, and the specific type of oil used.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 265 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 35 g |
| Cholesterol | 2 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Sodium | 167 mg |
| Sugars | 8 g |
| Fat | 12 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Not impressed. There are a lot of fry bread recipes out there and this one is just passable; very greasy. That is saying something when it comes to fry bread. What counts is the different toppings…and 3/8 cup!?! lol.
My family loved these elephant ears!!! Now they always ask me to make them! We like to add fruit toppings. Omg so good
the recipe was really good, and it was pretty easy to make, and fun to do it. I would recommend doing it with somebody else. the one thing i made a change to was that i heated the oil just to 325 which made the ears exceptionally better. this would be a good beginner recipe since the steps are clear and easy to follow.
elephant ears are better than funnel cakes
Took a few tries to get the thickness at the right amount. I had to add more sugar to the cinnamon sugar mix. Was a hit with my son and fiancé.
Made like the recipe calls for- kids and husband loved them, though they aren’t quite as chewy as the ones we remember from carnivals past. They’re doughy which turned out well, but there’s no familiar pull as you bite into it. All in all, a great recipe- we did use twice as much of the cinnamon sugar recipe to coat both sides but kept all the ratios the same. My husband loves a cinnamon-heavy dessert, so this hit the spot.
Double the amount of sugar cause this is so bland. Might need to add a bit more flour to balance it out though. I like making them a bit thicker so they get doughy. This is a great base to work off of though.
Very yummy. Makes a huge batch. Nice fluffy elephant ears. I did brush melted butter on them before coating in cinnamon sugar.
The sugar to cinnamon ratio is waaaay off. Should be maybe half the amount of cinnamon stated in the recipe. Recipe also states to roll out to sheet. Maybe a measurement would be better. I rolled to a sheet (thin) and basically fried up ballooned chips. I found rolling to 1/8-1/4 inch makes a better treat. Recipe also states to work the dough until smooth. Maybe adding more description to the dough ball texture could be helpful. I worked until smooth and found the ap flour still didn’t make enough gluten. These tore apart more like a tough muffin than an elephant ear. Additionally, a fry time of 1-2 minutes each side may be too long-it produced very brown elephant ears. If you’re looking to recreate a festival experience, that fry time should be closer to 30-40 seconds each side with a 1/8 thick sheet. Prob a bit more for thicker. Last suggestion to make: punch the dough! I made a 2 inch ball and rolled to thin sheet without any air bubble removal. Looked like I had a puffer fish in my fryer.
This recipe is great! My husband and son both loved them. I made them three days in a row!
I made these last night and they were amazing! Tasted just like you get at the fair. Definitely going to save and make these again!
Came out excellent!! I had to use active yeast due to the national dry yeast shortage (which made them a bit more fluffy than usual) but most excellent. Combined with sugar, cinnamon, and even berry syrup and vanilla icing that I made it was a smash hit with friends and family.
My children loved the receipt. The steps and ingredients were simple. I passed this recipe on to family members.
I followed the recipe exactly, except I cut the dough into 5 pieces instead of 4 (the video cut the dough into 4). They turned out great – just like the elephant ears we enjoy at festivals. I thought the ratio of cinnamon to sugar was a bit too much on the cinnamon side, so will cut the cinnamon down next time. But my dad, husband, son, and grandson all gave them a big thumbs-up.
Not having personally eaten elephant ears, I can only go on the spouse’s opinions, which were that this wasn’t quite right. My oldest son really felt these would be better as risen pseudo zeppolis, and I think I would try that next time. I added a wee bit more sugar and accidentally added only 3 Tbsp of shortening, and as always, added flour until the dough was supple.
I really wanted to love this recipe and was prepared to stand in front of hot grease frying these for my kids… but the dough almost disintegrate in the oil. I tried hotter oil. I tried adding egg and flour hoping it would bind together, just to make this recipe edible… and it was a n@
They were not bad and not good. Not the texture i was after. There’s are flakey.
We use powdered sugar for our topping and have made many times.
Very easy and delisious! My family loved them
Turned out great. Brings back great memories of the Michigan State Fair. Only made 2 of 4 wondering if u can refrigerate the dough for tomorrow. Has anyone done t
I have been making this for my kids for about 5 years now and they LOVE it. They taste just like the carnivals. If your willing to to put the time and patience into the dough they will turn out perfect. make sure they are not to thick or to thin and the edges are a little thicker when rolling out your elephant ear and always be careful when placing in the oil they expand and puff up rather quickly.