Fried Twinkies
intro
Crispy golden deep-fried Twinkies with a warm, oozing vanilla cream center are a beloved, indulgent American state fair treat perfect for casual summer gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Pre-chill the Twinkies
Unwrap all 8 Twinkies, arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined small plate, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes until firm to the touch (or chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator for make-ahead prep). This prevents the soft cream filling from leaking out and melting during frying.
Mix the fry batter
In a medium 2-quart mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp (4g) baking powder, and 1/4 tsp (1.5g) fine salt. Add 1 large (50g) egg and 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, whisking continuously until the batter is completely smooth with no dry lumps, reaching a thick, pancake-batter consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
Heat frying oil
Pour 6 cups (1.4L) of neutral vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed 5-quart Dutch oven or deep pot. Clip a candy/deep fry thermometer to the pot edge, then heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches a steady 375°F (190°C). Adjust stovetop heat as needed to hold this temperature for the duration of frying.
Coat Twinkies in batter
Remove only 2 Twinkies from the freezer at a time to keep them firm. Submerge each Twinkie fully in the prepared batter, turning to coat every surface evenly. Hold the coated Twinkie over the bowl for 2 seconds to let excess batter drip off, to avoid thick, uneven batter clumps in the fryer.
Fry until crispy golden
Carefully lower the 2 battered Twinkies into the hot oil, working slowly to avoid hot oil splatters. Fry for 45 to 60 seconds total, turning once halfway through cooking with long metal tongs, until the entire exterior is a deep, even golden brown and crispy. Never fry more than 2 Twinkies at a time, as overcrowding drops oil temperature and leads to greasy, soggy coating.
Drain and serve
Lift fried Twinkies from the oil with tongs, placing them on a wire rack set over a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain excess oil for 1 minute. While the Twinkies are still warm, dust all surfaces evenly with 1/4 cup (30g) powdered sugar, and serve immediately.
Tips
2.Monitor oil temperature closely: if oil drops below 350°F (175°C), wait for it to reheat before adding more Twinkies, as cooler oil will make the batter absorb excess grease and turn soggy.
3.Serve fried Twinkies within 5 minutes of cooking: the crispy exterior will soften quickly as the warm, melted cream filling seeps into the fried coating.
OMG y’all, I made these for our neighborhood block party last weekend and people went ABSOLUTELY crazy for them! I thought they’d be a silly nostalgic throwback but everyone was coming back for seconds, even the grumpy old guy down the street who swears he ‘doesn’t eat junk food’. So crispy on the outside, the Twinkie gets all warm and gooey inside? Total game changer. I dusted mine with a little extra powdered sugar and served them with a side of chocolate syrup for dipping, 10/10.
Made these for my dorm movie night with my roommates and we all agreed they taste exactly like the ones we get at the state fair every summer! The batter is so simple to mix up, I didn’t even have to run to the store for fancy ingredients. Only note is that my oil ran a little hot at first so my first two came out a touch darker than I wanted, but once I turned the temp down they were perfect. My roommate already asked for the recipe to make for her little brother’s birthday next month!
These are SO good. I was skeptical because I thought deep frying a Twinkie would be overly complicated for someone who barely cooks, but the difficulty rating was totally accurate—super easy! Cook time was right on 50 minutes too, most recipes lie about how long prep takes but this one was spot on. I made mine with a side of vanilla ice cream and it was chef’s kiss.
My kids went absolutely nuts for these! I’ve been trying to find fun weekend treats that don’t require a ton of skill and these checked every box. The oldest helped me dip the Twinkies in the batter and thought it was the coolest thing ever. We did half with powdered sugar and half with cinnamon sugar, and the cinnamon sugar ones were the family favorite by a mile. Will absolutely be adding these to our summer treat rotation!
Taste is 10/10, no notes there, but I wish the recipe noted how messy these can be to eat! I wore a white shirt while making them and got powdered sugar all down the front, plus oozing Twinkie cream on my jeans lmao. Worth every stain though, they taste exactly like what I get at the county fair every year without the $8 price tag per Twinkie.
I pulled out my deep fryer for the guys’ game night and made these as a wildcard dessert after burgers and wings. Everyone thought I was crazy for serving fried Twinkies but they were gone in 10 minutes flat. The batter is light and crispy, not heavy and greasy like some fried fair food recipes I’ve tried before. Only knock is I wish I made double the batch, because half the guys were asking for more when they ran out.
First time ever using a deep fryer and these came out perfect! I was so nervous I’d burn myself or mess up the batter, but the steps were super straightforward and easy to follow. I didn’t have any Twinkies on hand so I used the generic store brand sponge cakes with cream filling and they still worked great. Saved me a trip to the grocery store, win win.
Total nostalgia trip! I had fried Twinkies for the first time at a fair when I was 12 and I’ve been chasing that taste ever since. This recipe nailed it—crunchy golden batter, warm creamy center, not too greasy. I served them at my 90s themed birthday party and all my friends were raving about how authentic they tasted. So happy I found this recipe, no more waiting for fair season to get my fix!
I swapped the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free baking flour to accommodate my celiac and these still came out so crispy and delicious! I was worried the batter texture would be off but it worked perfectly. My non-gluten free boyfriend didn’t even notice a difference, he ate two right off the cooling rack. Such a fun treat I can actually enjoy without getting sick!
These were way easier than I expected! I saw deep fried and thought I’d be in the kitchen for hours, but total time was right around 50 minutes like the recipe said, most of that was just waiting for the Twinkies to freeze. Perfect quick treat for a random Tuesday night when you’re craving something sweet and indulgent. Only knock is I didn’t have any strawberry sauce to dip them in, which would’ve made them even better. Will definitely make again.
Made these for my family’s Sunday cookout after we finished ribs and coleslaw. Everyone thought I was crazy for pulling out the deep fryer for dessert but even my 82 year old grandma who ‘doesn’t eat that newfangled food’ tried a bite and asked for the recipe. 10/10, will be making these for every family get together from now on.
Okay so these taste amazing, but I had a little mishap! I didn’t pat the Twinkies dry before dipping them in the batter, so when I lowered them into the oil the batter slid right off half of them. I was so frustrated, but the ones that stayed coated were SO good I’m definitely trying again tomorrow, this time patting them dry like I should have. Don’t be like me, y’all, read the directions fully before you start cooking lmao