Breakfast or Dessert? Fried Candy Corn Recipe

One thing I’ve realized over the years is that I’ve come by my sweet tooth honestly. Like my fair skin and red hair, I inherited this trait from my dad. Growing up, I remember mom making banana cream and lemon meringue pies all the time and Snickers as common as ice cubes in the freezer. It wouldn’t be uncommon to see him snacking on a Salted Nut Roll. Then a few years back, mom had candy corn and peanuts mixed in a bowl and I thought it was the oddest combination. She said it tasted like a Salted Nut Roll. I wasn’t sure whether to believe her, but I did. She was right! So this candy treat that I could take or leave suddenly became a candy I craved, because like my dad, I love Salted Nut Rolls also.

So imagine my excitement when a friend told me about fried candy corn. Yes, you read that right. Fried… candy… corn. I know it can be a polarizing candy with people loving it or hating it, but this sweet treat will have you wondering if you’re at the state fair or getting ready to celebrate the holidays.

Did I mention it’s easy to make? It’s kind of a cross between making pancakes and donuts. Now that I think about it, once my girls figure that out that it has pancake mix and cereal, they’ll probably argue that it’s a breakfast food. Oh, who am I kidding? I’m the one with a sweet tooth arguing that I should be able to enjoy it in the morning.

Fried Candy Corn

Yields: 5-6 servings

INGREDIENTS
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
2 cups Funfetti pancake mix
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal, crushed
3/4 cup candy corn, chopped
Canola or vegetable oil for frying
Powdered sugar, to garnish

Not a whole lot to creating this recipe. Let’s start with the basics. Stir the pancake mix, egg, buttermilk and crushed cereal together in a large bowl.

Once you have the basic dough, it’s time for the star of the show! Mix the chopped candy corn and stir well to incorporate evenly. That’s it for the preparation part!

Add 1 1/2 inches of oil to a frying pan, Dutch oven or whatever you normally fry things in. Heat over MEDIUM heat for 5 minutes (or use a candy thermometer to reach 350°).

Once oil has reached temperature, carefully drop the candy corn dough by Tablespoons into the hot oil. Just like making donuts, fry for 1 minute, gently turn them in the oil then fry for another minute.

Using a slotted spoon, tongs or fry skimmer, remove from oil and place on a paper towel for 1-2 minutes to soak up any excess oil. Sprinkle with powdered sugar then transfer to a wire cooling rack to completely cool. Important note: The paper towels are simply to soak up the oil, while the wire rack is for cooling. If you leave them on the towel for more than a couple minutes, the fried candy corn dough will begin to stick to the paper towel.

Last but not least, enjoy!

I’m anxious to try this with peanut butter in the batter or mixing some dry roasted peanuts when adding the candy corn to the batter to see if I can simulate the Salted Nut Roll flavor. That’s on the to-do list. I also haven’t tried it in the AirFryer yet, but that’s next. We’ll be sure to update the post with details when we do!

What are your thoughts on candy corn?