How To Make Elephant Ears | Recipes (2024)

By: T Worthey»Updated: » View our disclosure policy

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Here’s an easy recipe on how to make Elephant Ears! Get the love and smell of the ears from the county fair right in your own kitchen!

How To Make Elephant Ears | Recipes (1)

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How To Make Elephant Ears

Remember going to the county fair and the FIRST thing you wanted to put in your mouth was Elephant Ears? Ah, yes! I absolutely love Elephant Ears and Churros. It’s no secret that we are foodies around here, and we totally dig food from the fair. However, the fair only comes around a few times per year. So, it was time to take matters into my own hands. Here’s my version of Elephant Ears. This is an easy recipe to show you how to make Elephant Ears!

Related fair recipes to check out

  • Churros Grazing Board
  • Apple Crisp Funnel Cake With Homemade Caramel
  • Cupcake Brownie Funnel Cake with Caramel Sauce

How To Make Elephant Ears | Recipes (2)

Elephant Ears Recipe

Ingredients for Elephant Ears:

  • 1 1⁄2 tbs. of yeast
  • 1 3⁄4 Cup of water + 1/8 cup water
  • 5 tsp. sugar
  • 3 tbs. vegetable oil
  • 2 Cup flour + 2 1⁄2 cup flour
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • melted butter for brushing over the hot elephant ears
  • cinnamon & sugar mixture (1 cup of sugar & 2 tsp of cinnamon)
  • oil for frying
  • non­stick spray (optional)

How To Make Elephant Ears | Recipes (3)

Directions ­for Elephant Ears:

Dissolve the yeast in the 1 3⁄4 cupof water + 1/8 cup of water for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, stir in the sugar, 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 2 cups of flour, salt, and cinnamon.

Mix well but don’t over mix.

Next, add in the other 2 1⁄2 cups of flour.

The dough will be sticky and that is OK!

How To Make Elephant Ears | Recipes (4)

Knead the dough for 2 ­ – 3 minutes and put back into the bowl. Cover with a towel for 40 minutes to allow the dough to rise.

How To Make Elephant Ears | Recipes (5)
After 40 minutes heat about 2” of oil in a large frying pan. Split the dough into 10-­12 pieces and flatten.

I rolled my pieces into balls and then flattened and stretched it out as much as I could without ripping them.

You want to make them as thin as possible because they will puff up as soon as they hit the hot oil.

**I used the non­stick spray on my hands because the dough was sticky. 1­2 squirts of the non-stick spray and I could handle the dough a lot easier.

Fry the pieces one at a time in the hot oil for about 2 ­- 3 minutes – flipping once.

Remove with tongs and lay on a paper towel. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar mixture.

Best served warm.

*Makes approximately 10 -­ 12 servings

Don’t forget to grab your tongs, here!

How To Make Elephant Ears | Recipes (6)

Be sure to check out some of our other summer treats:

Patriotic Snow Cones

Red-White-and-Blue-Ice-Cream-Cake-Parfaits

Popcorn S’mores Brownie Dessert

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

Red Velvet Cake Shots

How To Make Elephant Ears | Recipes (7)

Elephant Ears

4.20 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10 -12 servings

Author: T Worthey

Ingredients

  • Ingredients:
  • 1 1 ⁄2 tbs. of yeast
  • 1 3 ⁄4 Cup of water + 1/8 Cup of water
  • 5 tsp. sugar
  • 3 tbs. vegetable oil
  • 2 cup of flour + 2 1⁄2 cups of flour
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • melted butter for brushing over the hot elephant ears
  • cinnamon & sugar mixture 1 cup of sugar & 2 tsp of cinnamon
  • oil for frying
  • non­stick spray optional

Instructions

  • Directions ­

  • Dissolve the yeast in the 1 3⁄4 C. of water + 1/8 C. water for 5 minutes.

  • After 5 minutes, stir in the sugar, 3 vegetable oil, 2 cups of flour, salt and cinnamon. Mix well

  • but don't over mix.

  • Add in the other 2 1⁄2 C. of flour. The dough will be sticky and that is OK!

  • Knead the dough for 2­-3 minutes and put back into the bowl. Cover with a towel for 40 minutes to

  • allow the dough to rise.

  • After 40 minutes heat about 2” of oil in large frying pan. Split the dough into 10-­12 pieces and

  • flatten.

  • I rolled my pieces into balls and then flattened and stretched it out as much as I could

  • without ripping. You want to make them as thin as possible because they will puff up as soon as they hit the hot oil.

  • **I used the non­stick spray on my hands because the dough was sticky. 1­2 squirts of the non-stick spray and I could handle the dough a lot easier.

  • Fry the pieces one at a time in the hot oil for about 2­-3 minutes – flipping once. Remove with

  • tongs and lay on paper towel. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar mixture.

Tried this recipe?Mention @thiswortheylife or tag #thiswortheylife!


How To Make Elephant Ears | Recipes (8)

Original recipe posted 2015 | recipe updated 9/1/2020

How To Make Elephant Ears | Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are elephant ears made of? ›

For elephant ears, you literally just take cinnamon roll dough, smash it and roll it out. Then you load more cinnamon and sugar on top. They are very American. Although this is a yeast dough, you don't really let it rise in the typical sort of sense.

What is the difference between elephant ears and fry bread? ›

Description. In my experience (eating at fairs and rodeos), fry breads are thick and 6 to 8 inches, topped with just about anything and are even turned into tacos, whereas elephant ears are thin and bubbly and about 10 to 16 inches and always served with cinnamon and sugar.

Why is elephant ear poisonous? ›

Elephant ear is a common name for several genera of plants. These plants contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals similar to other plants in the Araceae family. Chewing or biting into this plant will release these crystals causing tissue penetration and irritation the mouth and GI tract.

Is fried dough and funnel cake the same thing? ›

Fry bread is bubbly and chewy—sort of like pizza dough or puffy pita bread—while funnel cake is bumpy and takes on a layered shape, like a bundle of yarn. Both funnel cake and Indian fry bread make appearances at state fairs and carnivals.

Why is fried dough called elephant ears? ›

Inspired by the fry bread of Native Americans, elephant ears get their name from their big, “ear”-like shape.

What flavor is elephant ear? ›

Sweet, crispy, crunchy elephant ears rank high on the list of indulgent treats people make a beeline for when they hit the carnival or county fair. And who can blame them? These oversize disks of fried dough dusted with cinnamon sugar are a taste of sweet nostalgia we never outgrow.

What is similar to elephant ears? ›

There are actually three types of plants called elephant ears: Colocasia, Alocasia, and Xanthosoma. OK, some folks say there's also another variety called Caladiums, but honestly, I've personally never heard Caladiums referred to as elephant ears.

How to make elephant ears cardboard? ›

I would start with cardboard cut outs and cover them with grey naugahide or something like that so they looked like skin. You can use as many layers of cardboard needed to keep and hold the form. Since the bottom of the ear of an elephant is kind of floppy I would leave out the cardboard there.

How to make costume elephant ears? ›

Make the Ears

Cut two outer ears from light gray felt and two inner ears from white felt. Topstitch an inner ear to each outer ear, with the straight edges aligned and reversing one set. Fold the top of each ear down 2 inches. Align the folded straight edges and pin them in place.

What can you do with elephant ears? ›

Elephant ears can be grown as annuals, starting with new plants each year, or may be kept over the winter (most are hardy only to zone 8). Plants that have formed bulbs can be dug, dried and stored like cannas or dahlias after frost has killed the foliage. Illustris with other tender annuals.

Are elephant ears toxic to skin? ›

Toxicity: (1-2)

Exposure to juice or sap from these plants or a puncture wound from the thorns may produce a skin rash or irritation. Ingestion may cause minor symptoms such as rash, vomiting or diarrhea.

What is special about an elephant ear? ›

Their ears are responsible for regulating their temperature, which is called thermoregulation. Elephant ears are full of large blood vessels, which you can actually see on the back of their ears.

Are elephant ears cartilage? ›

collapses, or is broken, and results in a 'floppy' ear. This is not a serious condition and does not affect the. well-being of the animal.

Where do elephant ear pastries come from? ›

Not to be confused with funnel cakes, elephant ears also originated in America. Inspired by the fry bread of Native Americans, elephant ears get their name from their big, “ear”-like shape.

References

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