I perfected this homemade corn dogs recipe creating a flavorful cornmeal batter dip that’s fried golden brown. The state fair can’t even make it this good.
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Homemade Corn Dogs Ingredient Notes
- Buttermilk: None around? Mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it thickens slightly before using.
- Yellow Cornmeal: Finely ground yellow cornmeal works best here. Medium or coarse cornmeal is too gritty and won’t stick well.
- All-Purpose Flour: Whole wheat works as well. You can also grab a 1:1 ratio gluten-free option to swap in too.
- Granulated Sugar: You can also use light brown sugar.
- Baking Powder: This puffs up the coating. Make sure you check your expiration date to make sure it gets lift.
- Salt: I use kosher here but seasoned salt is also nice.
- Sausages or Hot Dogs: Switch out the hot dog for turkey, chicken, or spicy chorizo. Even beer sausages work!
How to make Homemade Corn Dogs
Step 1: Mix buttermilk, egg, and honey together in a small bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry, then dip the sausages in the batter to coat them thoroughly.
Step 2: Fry the dipped sausages until light and golden, flipping halfway through, and repeat for all pieces. Drain on a cooling rack or paper towels before serving.
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Corn Dogs
Hot dogs on a stick dipped in homemade cornmeal batter and fried until crispy on the outside and airy on the inside.
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Servings: 5 Corn Dogs
Equipment
- Skewers
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Buttermilk
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 2/3 cup Yellow cornmeal
- 1/3 cup All-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 5 sausages or hot dogs cut into thirds
Instructions
- Add 2 inches of oil to a deep frying skillet over medium heat and heat until it reaches 265.
- Hold the hot dog by one end and carefully insert a wooden skewer into the other end until it is 3/4 the way in the hot dog. Set aside.
- Add buttermilk, egg, and honey to a small bowl and combine.
- Add cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a separate large bowl and whisk.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until combined then dip the hot dog in the batter.
- Drip off excess then fry for 3-4 minutes or until light and golden and flip halfway through.
- Repeat until everything is fried then drain on a cooling rack or paper towels then serve.
Notes
- Drip Off That Excess: Once you dip the sausages, let any extra batter drip back into the bowl. Too much batter makes them heavy and clumpy.
- Check for Full Coverage: Make sure every inch of those sausages is covered in batter before they hit the oil. If you see any gaps, patch ’em up or you’ll end up with cracks in your homemade corn dogs.
- Test the Oil First: Before diving in, drop a little bit of batter into the oil. If it sizzles and floats up, you’re good to go. If it sinks or doesn’t bubble, wait a bit longer.
- Handle the Batter Like Pancakes: Don’t overmix, boos! Just stir until the dry ingredients disappear.
How to store & reheat Homemade Corn Dogs
Let your corn dogs cool completely, then pop them into an airtight container or wrap them in foil. Keep them cozy in the fridge, and they’ll stay in good shape without getting soggy. If you made extra batter, store that in the fridge too! Just give it a quick stir before using. To bring back that golden, crispy bite, reheat these in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes or thrown them in an air fryer for a few minutes until warm and crisped up.How long will Homemade Corn Dogs last in the fridge?
In the fridge, these corn dogs will keep for about 3-4 days. After that, they’ll lose their crispy magic.Can I freeze corn dog batter ?
These corn dogs are freezer-friendly! Lay them on a baking sheet until frozen, then transfer to a zip-top bag or container. They’ll stay fresh for up to 2 months in the freezer. Reheat in the oven or air fryer straight from frozen for 15-20 minutes.Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 550mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 202IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 2mg
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Recipe Tips
- Drip Off That Excess: Once you dip the sausages, let any extra batter drip back into the bowl. Too much batter makes them heavy and clumpy.
- Check Coverage: Make sure every inch of those sausages is covered in batter before they hit the oil. If you see any gaps, re-dip or you’ll end up with cracks in your homemade corn dogs.
- Test the Oil First: Drop a little bit of batter into the oil before frying. If it sizzles and floats up, you’re good to go. If it sinks or doesn’t bubble, wait a bit longer.
- Handle the Batter Like Pancakes: Don’t overmix, boos! Just stir until the dry ingredients disappear.
Ketchup?! Nooooo!!! Everyone knows only yellow mustard belongs on a corn dog!
(Seriously, though, these were delicious!)
These corn dogs look super tasty and fun to make. I’m going to have my kids and their friends all come over to make them. Thanks for the recipe!
these are fun, and I like elote version too, great idea for a homemade snack, thank you!
I love corndogs and these are so much better than store bought. My daughter also takes these to work and reheats for lunch. She also gives you 2 thumbs up for this recipe.
These homemade corn dogs were easy to make and were so much better than the store bought version!! Our whole family loved this recipe!
These corn dogs are hands-down delicious. I love street-food recipes that you can make at home, totally in control of what goes in. Thank you so much for sharing, it is a keeper.
This is the way to my wife’s heart! She loves corndogs at the fair, so making these for her was perfect. SO DELICIOUS! Thank you!
Easy and fun to make, these corndogs are fantastic! My grandkids are going to love helping me make these.