Let me start off by saying, I didn’t really like Apple Pie until March of this year. Why I didn’t like it before the lockdown? Well, I simply hated the big chucks of apple slices inside the pie. Now if they were chopped up a little bit more or cooked a bit longer, then I’m all game.

This famous American dessert is so good when done right. The apple slices need to be tender bursting with flavor are the perfect contrast to that crisp flakey soft crust. Now I never made apple pie from scratch and I don’t plan to anytime soon, but for this recipe, I used the filling from a store bought pie.

Yes, thats right, a hack recipe at its finest. Since my mother tends to buy a lot of unnecessary pies during Thanksgiving, I wanted to use the untouched pie to make a copy cat Disneyland dessert. As you may know, part of Disneyland California Adventures is open. Awards Weiners in Hollywood-Land, sells Apple Pie Funnel Fries for $8.99. I heard nothing but good reviews on social media on how tasty and mouth drooling it is. However, that price alone motivated me to make a copy cat version. The portion size was way to small for me.

Their version has funnel fries that are coated with cinnamon sugar, topped with apple pie filling, whipped cream, caramel sauce and streusel. The portion they have is really small for the price you are paying. My version has two funnel cakes on top of one another, coated with cinnamon sugar, topped with apple pie filling, whipped cream, and pieces of apple pie crust in the filling. Sounds scrumptious right?

The cost of $8.99, you can make over 12 funnel cakes. All ingredients from my recipe can be found at your local Dollar Store.

With funnel cake recipe, there are ways to make it. Cheap and easy way is to make it from pancake mix, cake mix or even waffle mix. Just follow the step-by-step directions on the box, add a little more water/milk to thin out the batter and there you go. Usually when I make funnel cakes, I like to make it as quick as possible, so I would use one the techniques above. However, I wanted to try from scratch, to see if there was a taste or texture difference. After making it, it really doesn’t taste any different from the hack recipes mentioned.

The whipped cream in the recipe is store bought because making a whole batch of whipped cream for one dessert is wasteful. Now with the apple pie filling to make it extraordinary, I added pieces of crust from the store bought pie inside. This is totally optional, but it is a game changer. Like how the Disneyland version has streusel on top of theirs, it is the same as having the pie crust. With my recipe, go crazy and add the pie crust crumble on top of your funnel cakes. Who is counting calories?

One thing to note with this recipe, the batter will be a little thin, but this is exactly what you want! If you end up with a thick batter, add more milk, small at a time.

Prep Time 15 minutes 

Cook Time 5 minutes 

Total Time 20 minutes 

Servings 6 funnel cakes

INGREDIENTS

• Canola or vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cups (125 grams) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4  (180 ml) milk
• 1/8 cup (25 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon; for coating
• 1/2 tbsp ground granulated sugar; for coating
• Apple Pie Filling ( canned or store bought pie)
• Whipped Cream (canned or homemade)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Place a large skillet or large pot over medium heat and fill halfway with oil. Allow oil to heat to 350°F (177°C) while you prepare the funnel cake batter.
• In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar. Set aside
• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
• Once the oil has reached 350°F pour the funnel cake batter into a funnel, using your finger to close off the end of the funnel, (or pour the batter into a plastic squeeze bottle or liquid measuring cup or a pipping bag). 
• Carefully pour about 1/4 – 1/3 cup of the batter into the oil in a circular motion overlapping itself. Allow to cook until lightly golden brown on the bottom (about 1-2 minutes), then carefully flip with tongs or a flat spatula and allow to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until cooked through.
• Carefully remove the cooked funnel cakes with tongs or a flat spatula and transfer to a baking sheet or plate lined with paper towels.
• Sprinkle the coating mix on top of the cakes while its still warm.
• Allow to cool slightly, then top with apple pie filling, pie crust crumble, whipped cream and dust it with the coating mixture on top.

Enjoy! If you make it, tag me on Instagram @eatwhateveryouwant