Fair Food Recipes You Can Make at Home

August 27, 2019
Bring the magic of the fair to your table with these healthier recipes for state fair-inspired food, including corn dogs, funnel cakes, mini doughnuts, lemonade and kettle corn. Now that's spectacular!
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Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches with Broccoli Slaw

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Classic pork tenderloin is repurposed into a juicy sandwich in this quick & easy recipe. The meal is rounded out with a side of fresh broccoli slaw salad.

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Homemade Walking Tacos

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These kid-friendly tacos take the mess out of taco time with a convenient holding pouch.

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Kettle-Style Caramel Corn

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Who knew you could make your own healthier homemade version of this craveable treat? And it tastes just as good.

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Oven-Fried Pickles

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These oven-fried pickles get their crispy exterior from a dredge in flour, egg and whole-wheat breadcrumbs. Serve with a creamy herbed sour cream to take this easy app to the next level.

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Baked Corn Dogs

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The summertime fair-food favorite is lightened up with a baked cornbread coating and is served on a stick.

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Baked Churros

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Skip the greasy mess and bake these healthier churros rather than frying them in oil. The cinnamon-sugar-dusted classic Mexican dessert comes out of the oven crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.

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Lemonade Shake-Ups

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A refreshing, tangy-sweet lemon drink is friendly to your special diet, and it's ready in only 10 minutes.

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Apple-Cinnamon Mini Doughnuts

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These bite-size baked apple doughnuts have all the flavor of their fried counterparts with fewer calories. Serve plain for breakfast, with an afternoon cup of coffee or alongside whipped cream for an after-dinner treat.

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Sweet Corn Ice Cream

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Everyone loves sweet corn and ice cream in the summer. Here's a recipe for sweet corn ice cream that combines the two! This rich corn ice cream recipe is amazing on its own or with fresh blueberries or warm blueberry pie.

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Oven-Fried Chicken on a Stick

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Here's a fun way to serve oven-fried chicken for a picnic: put it on a stick. It's fabulous served with this homemade Vidalia onion and honey-mustard sauce, but it's also great with barbecue sauce or Frank's hot sauce. This is an easy recipe to double if you're serving a crowd.

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Baked Funnel Cakes

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Baked instead of deep-fried, these funnel cakes are a healthier option than the ones typically sold at carnivals and fairs. You can skip the powdered sugar and substitute fresh fruit if you'd like.

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Blueberry Lemonade Slushies

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This super-refreshing fruit slushie is so easy to make and uses just three ingredients. Try it with strawberries and raspberries, too--these are great for a kids' party, but the adults will love them just as much (especially spiked with a little vodka or gin).

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Mushroom & Pepperoni Pizza Pops

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What is a pizza pop? Think of it as a mini calzone on a stick. Pepperoni, mushrooms and peppers fill this one but feel free to experiment with your favorite pizza toppings. Serve with a mixed green salad with red-wine vinaigrette.

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Caramel Apples

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This healthy caramel apple recipe has just enough caramel to give a nice hit of salty-sweet flavor in each bite for a tasty dessert.

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Onion Rings

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We couldn't get enough of these crunchy onion rings in the EatingWell Test Kitchen. Try any seasoning blend that you have on hand to add flavor to the breading or substitute 1 teaspoon salt instead. Seasoned whole-wheat breadcrumbs are available in some supermarkets and natural-foods stores. If you can find them, try them in place of the plain breadcrumbs and seasoning blend.

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Peach Melba Pie Pops

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Make mini pies-on-a-stick for a fun taste-of-summer treat.

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Whoopie Pies

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Classic whoopie pies combine a creamy filling sandwiched between cakey chocolate cookies. Some are filled with a marshmallow cream frosting while others are filled with whipped cream. Even those of us who grew up with the former fell in love with our lighter version of the whipped cream-filled treats.

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