Easy Elephant Ears Recipe (2024)

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Easy Elephant Ears Recipe makes a great treat to enjoy at home. The pastry dough is fried to perfection and topped with cinnamon sugar.

Easy Elephant Ears Recipe (1)

Easy Elephant Ears Recipe

No need to wait to enjoy this fabulous treat. We are going to show you how to make elephant ears at home. Don’t let the idea of making these fried pastries intimidate you.

It is very simple and we give you step by step instructions. The results are the best elephant ears.

Each bite is soft and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. The topping takes it to the next level for a delicious treat.

Are elephant ears and fried dough the same thing?

They are made with very similar ingredients and both are fried. However, the dough is prepared differently.

You roll out Elephant ears such as a thin pizza before frying. Fried dough is not normally rolled out.

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Ingredients:

  • Flour
  • Salt
  • Baking Powder
  • warm water
  • Oil- Peanut, vegetable or canola oil work best for frying.
  • Sugar
  • Cinnamon

How to make elephant ears:

  • First, get out a medium size mixing bowl. Add the flour, salt and baking soda.
  • Second, slowly stir in the milk until a dough forms.
  • Next, gradually add in the water until the dough is formed. It is important to do this gradually because you may not need all of the water.
  • Once everything is combined, let the dough sit for 5 minutes.
  • After the 5 minutes, roll the dough out slightly into thin sheets and cut it into 6 pieces. Next, take each of those pieces and roll into balls of dough.
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  • Then flatten into ½ inch thick circles.
  • Now, add 3 inch of oil to 375 degrees in a large pot over medium heat. Place the dough circles in the hot oil and fry until the puff pastry is golden brown. It will poof up slightly and then you flip the dough after just a minute per side or more depending on your stove.
  • Fry the other side until the puffy pastry is puffed and golden. They should be golden brown. Remove from heat.
  • Line a plate with paper towels and put the fried dough on it to drain on paper towels. This will help to absorb any excess grease.
  • Finally, mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
  • Lay the elephant ears out on a baking sheet. Then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar while still warm.
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How to store elephant ears:

I store the leftovers in the refrigerator in an air tight container. They will stay fresh for up to 2-3 days.

You can reheat them in the microwave or in the oven. If you stored them without the cinnamon sugar you can brush them with melted butter and then sprinkle with cinnamon.

I normally just use a small saucepan to melt the butter.

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What to top on Elephant ears:

Traditionally, cinnamon and sugar goes on top. However, the possibilities are endless for this treat.

Other ideas include:

  • Caramel sauce. You can use store bought or make this easy recipe.
  • Nutella. My kids love this.
  • Powdered Sugar. Simple but delicious.

Whatever you decide to use, it will be delicious. I think your friends and family will love elephant ears.

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Print this elephant ears recipe:

Easy Elephant Ears

5 from 95 votes

Easy Elephant Ears Recipe makes a great treat to enjoy at home. The pastry dough is fried to perfection and topped with cinnamon sugar.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 6

Cuisine American

Course Dessert

Calories 251

Author Carrie Barnard

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Slowly stir in the warm water until a dough forms. Gradually add in the water until the dough is form (you may not need all the water).

  • Let the dough sit for 5 minutes.

  • Then roll the dough out slightly and cut it into 6 pieces.

  • Then roll out each piece into a ½ inch thick circles.

  • Heat 3 inches of the oil in a deep pot. Fry the dough circles in the oil until the dough is golden brown and poofs up slight. Then flip the dough to fry the other side.

  • Set the fried dough on a plate lined with paper towels.

  • Stir together the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture onto the dough while still warm.

  • Serve immediately while warm and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories 251kcal, Carbohydrates 36g, Protein 4g, Fat 10g, Saturated Fat 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat 3g, Monounsaturated Fat 6g, Trans Fat 1g, Sodium 230mg, Potassium 48mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 4g, Vitamin A 2IU, Vitamin C 1mg, Calcium 33mg, Iron 2mg

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About the Author

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Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families!

About Carrie Page
Easy Elephant Ears Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is an elephant ear dessert made of? ›

Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and the cinnamon and spread it evenly on the puff pastry. This is not about sprinkling, it's about an even covering of sugar. With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it's a 13-inch square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom.

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.

What kind of fertilizer for elephant ears? ›

Fertilizer. Fertilize elephant's ear plants in the garden in spring, summer, and fall to support the large leaves using a water-soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer, following manufacturer's instructions. Do not fertilize the plant when it is not growing, as in the winter.

What is another name for elephant ears pastry? ›

A palmier (/ˈpælmieɪ/, from French, short for feuille de palmier 'palm tree leaf'), pig's ear, palm heart, or elephant ear is a French pastry in a palm leaf shape or a butterfly shape, sometimes called palm leaves, cœur de France, French hearts, shoe-soles, or glasses that were invented in the beginning of the 20th ...

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 another name for elephant ears? ›

Elephant ears is the common name for a group of tropical perennial plants grown for their large, heart-shaped leaves. “Elephant ears” is the common name for a group of tropical perennial plants grown for their large, heart-shaped leaves.

What is elephant ears food Midwest? ›

Most commonly, elephant ears are a fried and flattened flank of dough sloughed with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.

What is a turtle funnel cake? ›

$9.99. Delicious funnel cake with pecan pieces, brownies, caramel syrup, and whipped cream topping.

Why do Native Americans eat fry bread? ›

To prevent the indigenous populations from starving, the government gave them canned goods as well as white flour, processed sugar and lard—the makings of frybread.

Are all elephant ears edible? ›

The elephant ear plant (also known as 'ape)looks beautiful but is not really edible, although certain locals claim the very young tubers are edible. No matter how long the elephant ear leaves are cooked, the leaves are like needles on the tongue.

What is the elephant ear Italian food? ›

One popular variation of the Cotoletta alla Milanese is called the oreggia d'elefant, orecchio d'elefante, "the elephant ear," and uses a thinner but larger cut of boneless meat. Not strictly traditional, but a thinner cut will mean faster and more even cooking.

What does Epsom salt do for elephant ears? ›

When ferns are yellow and dull-looking, they don't look great. Epsom salt helps ferns and plants similar to ferns, such as elephant ear, have rich, dark foliage. Add 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt to a gallon of water and spray ferns and elephant ears to achieve the look.

Can you put coffee grounds on elephant ear plants? ›

Moisture-loving plants to experiment with coffee grounds:

Calla. Crinum. Elephant Ear. Forget-Me-Not.

Do elephant ears like Miracle grow? ›

They like moist soil, bright shade and an occasional feeding. Use a diluted 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 fertilizer to feed them. Half strength water soluable fertilizer such as Miracle Gro or Peter's houseplant fertilizer will give them the nutrients they need without the fear of overfeeding and burning the roots.

Is a churro like an elephant's ear? ›

A churro is much like an elephant ear, just smaller.

What is in elephant ear ice cream? ›

Mulberry Ice Cream Company - Elephant Ears is out. Vanilla Ice Cream with peanut butter swirl and chocolate chips… very good! | Facebook.

Is an elephant ear a donut? ›

Yes, they are both fried dough covered in sugar but they are two completely different items. An Elephant Ear is a huge piece of dough stretched out to be as big as an elephant's ear then it's deep fried and topped with cinnamon sugar.

What are elephant ears at the fair made of? ›

Elephant ears Elephant ears is popular in America at fairs and flea markets. This recipe involves milk, sugar, shortening and all purpose flour. Flour and yeast is added to make a soft dough. The dough is deep dried and seasoned with ground...

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