There’s something about corn dogs that just hits different. They’re fun to eat, easy to make, and perfect for kids and adults alike.
The problem is, most corn dog recipes (and definitely the frozen ones) are loaded with gluten. So if you’re avoiding gluten, you’re kind of out of luck at the grocery store.
Not anymore though. These homemade gluten free corn dogs are the real deal. Crispy golden coating on the outside, juicy hot dog on the inside, just like you remember them.
The batter comes together in minutes with cornmeal, a gluten free flour blend, and a few pantry staples. Nothing complicated at all.
They fry up beautifully and taste just as good as the original version. Honestly, nobody will even notice these are gluten free.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Finally, Corn Dogs You Can Actually Eat – If you’ve been missing corn dogs since going gluten free, this recipe brings back that classic fair food experience without any wheat flour in sight.
Perfectly Crispy Coating – The combo of yellow cornmeal and gluten free flour creates a golden, crunchy shell that rivals any traditional corn dog you’ve ever had.
A Little Sweet, A Little Spicy – The honey and sugar add a subtle sweetness while the cayenne pepper gives just enough kick to make this batter way more interesting than the boring store-bought kind.
Ingredients
- 8 Hot Dogs (gluten free)
- 1 cup Yellow Cornmeal
- 1 cup Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend
- 3 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Egg
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 2 tbsp Honey
- Vegetable Oil (for frying)
- 8 Wooden Skewers or Popsicle Sticks
How to Make
Step 1
Pat the hot dogs dry with paper towels. Insert a wooden skewer or popsicle stick into the end of each one, leaving about 3 inches of the stick exposed as a handle. Set aside on a plate.
Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, gluten free flour blend, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and honey. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until a thick, smooth batter forms. Transfer the batter into a tall drinking glass for easy dipping.
Step 3
Fill a large heavy pot with about 3 inches of vegetable oil and heat to 350 degrees F.
Step 4
Lightly dust each hot dog with a thin coating of gluten free flour blend so the batter adheres. Dip each hot dog into the glass of batter, turning to coat evenly and letting excess drip off for a few seconds.
Step 5
Carefully lower the battered hot dogs into the hot oil, 2 to 3 at a time. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until the coating is deep golden brown and crispy all around.
Step 6
Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate. Let cool for 2 minutes before serving with mustard and ketchup.
Helpful Tips
Dry the Hot Dogs Really Well
This is the most important step people skip. If the hot dogs are even a little wet on the surface, the batter will slide right off when you try to dip them. Use paper towels and press firmly all around each one until they feel completely dry.
After you dry them and put them on the skewers, dust each one with a thin layer of gluten free flour blend before dipping into the batter. That light flour coating acts like glue and gives the batter something to grip onto. Without it, you’ll end up with bare spots after frying.
Use a Tall Glass for Dipping
Pouring the batter into a tall, narrow drinking glass makes coating the hot dogs so much easier. You want a glass that’s tall enough to submerge most of the hot dog in one dip. A regular pint glass or a large plastic cup works great for this.
If your glass is too wide, the batter spreads out thin and you won’t get a good thick coating. If it’s too short, you’ll have to awkwardly tilt and rotate the hot dog, which makes the coating uneven.
As you use up the batter, the level in the glass drops. Just tilt the glass at an angle and roll the hot dog through what’s left. You can also pour in more batter from the mixing bowl if needed.
Keep the Oil at 350 Degrees
The oil temperature matters a lot here. If it’s too hot, the outside burns before the batter cooks through and you end up with a raw, doughy layer inside. If it’s too cool, the corn dogs absorb a ton of oil and come out greasy and heavy instead of crispy.
Use a deep fry thermometer or a candy thermometer clipped to the side of the pot so you can watch the temperature the whole time. Every time you add corn dogs to the oil, the temperature drops a bit, so give it a minute to come back up between batches.
Only fry 2 to 3 corn dogs at a time. Crowding the pot drops the temperature too fast and makes it hard for the oil to recover.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t have buttermilk on hand?
You can easily make a substitute by adding one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, then filling it up to the one-cup line with regular milk. Give it a stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it slightly thickens and curdles.
This works just as well as real buttermilk for the batter. It gives the same tangy flavor and reacts with the baking powder the same way, so your corn dogs will still turn out fluffy and crispy.