Easy Homemade Mini Corn Dogs

from 40 votes

Bypass the freezer aisle and whip up a DIY recipe for Easy Homemade Mini Corn Dogs perfect for dipping and dunking!

Red food basket filled with Easy Homemade Mini Corn Dogs next to small ramekins with ketchup and mustard

The humble hot dog can be many a wondrous snack, especially when it goes beyond the bun. While Everything Puff Pastry Pigs In a Blanket have been a mealtime game-changer around here, it was time to tackle a DIY spin on a deep-fried delicacy I grew up eating regularly while making the rounds at mall food courts: corn dogs!

Glass bowl containing corn dog batter

The setup couldn’t be more simple for this snack-sized spin on homemade corn dogs.

A quick-fix cornmeal batter, made with just a handful of fridge and pantry staples, comes together in minutes. Then it’s time to choose your hot dog (or cocktail weenie!) and grab the skewers, which can be lollipop sticks or Popsicle sticks.

Cutting board with row of hot dogs on sticks next to bowl with batter

Coat the halved hot dogs in the cornmeal batter then dunk them in boiling oil to see the cornmeal crust come to life. It puffs up perfectly around the hot dogs, creating the ultimate snack-on-a-stick.

Heavy-bottomed stock pot with hot oil deep-frying mini corn dogs

Looking to build your stash of freezer snacks? The fried corn dogs, once cooled completely, can be stored securely in sealable plastic bags then microwaved or baked to be reheated.

The best easy homemade mini corn dogs in a basket

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Appetizer

Easy Homemade Mini Corn Dogs

Calling all state fair food enthusiasts! A carnival classic is getting a DIY makeover with this recipe for Easy Homemade Mini Corn Dogs.
Author: Kelly Senyei
4.95 from 40 votes
Red food basket filled with Easy Homemade Mini Corn Dogs next to small ramekins with ketchup and mustard
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes
Servings 14 mini corn dogs

Ingredients 

  • 1 (12-oz.) package hot dogs
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

Equipment:

  • lollipop sticks; deep-fry thermometer

Instructions 

  • Cut each hot dog in half then insert a lollipop stick into the cutoff end of each hot dog. Thoroughly dry off the hot dogs with paper towels.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the egg and milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined using a spoon or spatula. (See Kelly’s Note.)
  • Add 4 inches of oil to a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot. Attach the deep-fry thermometer then heat the oil over medium-high heat until the thermometer reaches 360ºF. Line a plate with paper towels.
  • Dip each hot dog in the batter until it’s completely coated, lightly shake off the excess then lower it into the hot oil. Fry the corn dog until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes, then transfer it to the paper towel-lined plate. Repeat the breading and frying process with the remaining hot dogs. Serve immediately.

Kelly’s Notes:

  • When dipping the hot dogs in the batter, it’s easiest if you pour the batter into a tall glass.
  • The lollipop sticks can be fried, so you can carefully lower the corn dogs into the oil, stick and all.
  • ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!

Nutrition

Calories: 115kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 196mg, Potassium: 132mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 31IU, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 1mg

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Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com.


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Comments

  1. Recipe was great but the corn dogs would float in the oil and cook unevenly. Any tips to prevent that? Thanks!!

      1. 5 stars
        one of the best receipe for corndogs. All time favourite of my children, specially when they have sleepovers. Thanks for the yummy receipe.

  2. 5 stars
    Oh yummmm! I used some cocktail hotdogs that i had frozen and i made sure they were thawed, dried off and coated with some corn starch and the came out perfect!! Easy recipe too! I had everything on hand!!

    1. I had this happen…I’m convinced it’s because I purchased the “skinless” hot dogs. I’m trying again tonight with Ballparks. Fingers crossed!

  3. 5 stars
    Felt a little snack-ish last night and I tried this recipe. Quick and easy to make. Me and my daughter enjoyed them.

  4. 5 stars
    Omg!!!
    This has become a family favorite in our house! My children will now refuse to eat brought ploto pups/ dagwood dogs/ corn dogs. I often do bite size ones to for school lunches or just because snacks lol
    Yum yum yum!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    1. Love, love, LOVE reading this Chanel! I’m thrilled your family has been enjoying the mini corn dogs :)

  5. 5 stars
    Easy recipe. Just enough sweetness. Skipped the wooden skewers and just put the cut up hotdogs right in the batter and used a spoon to put into oil. Delicious.

      1. Hi Verian – I haven’t tried that so I can’t say with certainty what the results would be.

  6. 5 stars
    I use this recipe everytime though since filling a plant based diet I have substituted the egg for aquafaba and the milk with oat milk and the Fry’s frozen hot dogs and these turned out beautifully. Thanks

    1. 5 stars
      This recipe is perfect! Made these for a lazy Sunday afternoon snack! Thoroughly enjoyed and will definitely make them again!

  7. I haven’t had mini corn dogs since grade school. I used the hill shire lil smokies and omg I was back in elementary. My grandmother and I enjoyed them. Thank you for the recipe.

  8. 5 stars
    Super fast and easy! I will use again for sure, but next time perhaps some garlic and onion powder and a smidge more sugar….want more of that carnival corndog taste??? We shall see. Thanks for sharing!

  9. i make these corn dogs for my brother as he is a picky eater and he adores them and always looks forward to his corn dog fridays.

    thanks so much.

  10. I am only 12, but once I get back to school I am going to do this I always wanted to taste a corn dog and I have a good feeling about this recipe.

  11. I was looking forward to making this recipe however things must be a little different here in Australia! The lollypop sticks melted, I could only leave the dogs in for 20 seconds before they burned, and the batter was quite sloppy so didn’t really stick. Also here, we always cook the frankfurts before battering so that added an extra step. I was cooking for an ‘American food’ competition. Other entrants bought sticky ribs, pork sliders and things like that but when I walked in with my corn dogs everyone was “oooooh someone made corn dogs!”, so even though it was more difficult than planned, they were still a big hit. Thanks!

  12. Other recipes I’ve seen say they can be frozen and reheated at about 400 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes (but obviously, keep an eye on them while they’re in there!)

  13. Okay okay I will comment…!! I will have to say this is a first time and the kids… well let’s just say there was nothing left. But we did add lib… We put both halves in a hot dog bun then added chili and Cheese Whiz. I would have taken a photo but my hands were wiping faces off instead. Easy recipe and very tasty.

  14. 5 stars
    LOVE this recipe it was so delicious! Weird thing was I needed almost a cup of milk (maybe because I used skim milk and not whole milk) but otherwise it came out great. I pre boiled my hot dogs so they’re juicier and plump up. Hit last night for movie night!

  15. 5 stars
    Amazing! Kids loved them and added bonus as they were different to our ‘normal’ (UK) hot dog day. Despite us all loving them, I have some left over… can they be frozen? If so, how would you recommend reheating them? Thank you xx

    1. Hi Jade! I’ve never tried freezing them and reheating so I’m not sure if the breading would still be crispy. Sorry I can’t be of more help!

  16. 5 stars
    Easy, delicious, and I really appreciated the very reasonable amount of batter so I wasn’t stuck frying the whole day. They fried up nice and clean, too – I’ve been using the leftover oil bit by bit for sauteeing and whatnot. I had some little wooden appetizer fork-type things that worked perfectly as mini-skewers. Only problem: I could be happy eating them once or twice a week! ;-)

  17. 5 stars
    Easy, delicious, and I really appreciated that it makes a reasonable amount of batter so I wasn’t frying all day! ;-)

  18. 5 stars
    The corndogs tasted wonderful I did a batch and a half that’s probably where I messed up. I’ll only do one batch next time I just had alot of them to cook. I love your recipes. Thank you so much for posting.

    1. Hi Melissa – Did you follow the proportions are listed? And yes, you can thin with more milk :)

    1. Hi there! Did you thoroughly dry off the hot dogs with paper towels before dipping in the batter?

  19. These were a delight, and SO easy to make! I’m so happy I stumbled upon your recipe! I smiled with giddiness at each corndog that came out of the oil. haha These will definitely be a new staple. Cheers!

  20. 5 stars
    This corn dog recipe is so good. My grandson was visiting and insisted we have corn dog for lunch. I’ve never cooked it before and came across your recipe. It was easy and taste delicious. Thank you so much from a grandma who was really stressing.

  21. 5 stars
    So good! Thank you!! I hadn’t had a corn dog in over a decade and this is the first time I’ve ever made them myself. I swapped out wheat flour for gluten free and it works though needs a splash or two more milk then. Brought me back to county fairs as a teen! Yum!

    1. Just added you to our subscription list to receive new recipes in your inbox. Thanks for your readership, Gerald!

  22. 5 stars
    Just made these with little smokies. Messy since I didn’t use sticks. I had to thin the recipe down a bit. Super yummy! Thanks for the recipe

  23. 5 stars
    Made them with smoked cheese grillers on the inside. They were super tasty! Very simple recipe to follow and a everybody loved them.

    1. Hi Danielle – I haven’t tried baking the corn dogs before, so I can’t say with certainty if that would work out.

  24. 4 stars
    Tried these for my kids and they turned out great.

    One change I made was to use buttermilk rather than whole milk in the batter. Think it’s an improvement, just like pancakes or muffins benefit from using it.

  25. I just made these and they came out looking beautiful and were tasty. I will make them again but I will add a lil bit more sugar to the batter next time. Thank you for this simple recipe.

  26. Can I freeze the leftover batter for another time? I only have one child and he doesn’t eat a lot.

    1. Hi Norma – I wouldn’t recommend that, but you may be able to freeze the corn dogs after frying them. However, I’ve never tried freezing and reheating them so I’m not sure if the breading would still be crispy.

  27. Hi should I use fine corn meal, extra fine, coarse? There’s so many in the markets these days. Thank you

  28. 5 stars
    Thanks for the mini corn dogs recipe, Kelly! I didn’t have whole milk, so used half-half instead. My family loved them!

  29. 5 stars
    Thankyou for sharing the recipe, just made one and had Macro Australian Polenta in pantry (which I think is almost the equivalent to cornmeal in America)? and used DON skinless Footy Franks which is nearly on par with what we call here in Australia “Dippy/Dagwood Dogs at shows. The only thing I’ll probably change is using only one tablespoon sugar instead of two as I felt tasted a little sweet to my liking, but that is just a personal preference, otherwise they were the best and by far the closest to the real thing and easy to do, especially the tall glass trick which I would never have thought of.
    PS I used 6inch frank, but love the idea of halving for snacks. :-)

  30. COULD I MAKE THE CORN DOGS AND THEN FREEZE THEM AND RE-HEAT THEM LATER? OR EVEN MAKE THEM EARLIER IN THE DAY AND LEAVE IN FRIDGE TO REHEAT LATER THE SAME DAY?

    1. Hi there! I’ve never tried that so I can’t say with certainty what the results would be but my guess is that they may get soggy when you reheat them. Let me know if you give it a shot!

  31. Hi. Would it be okay to use own cornbread recipe? If yes, should mixture be thicker or thinner? Which would adhere best, ? Thanks kindly for sharing! They look so delicious!

  32. Hi Kelly,
    I’m looking forward to making these for my son’s carnival themed birthday! What size lollipop sticks did you use? Thank you!

  33. As a teacher of Home Economics I had my grade 7 students use this recipe to demonstrate their weighing and measuring sklls, they enjoyed the end results much more than the actual weighing and measuring of the ingredients. Great and easy recipe, thanks for sharing.

    1. Hi Lynda – I’ve never tried that so I can’t say with certainty what the results would be but my guess is that they may get soggy when you reheat them. Let me know if you give it a shot!

  34. 5 stars
    Made these for a party but used little smokes instead and everyone loved them, anyone that walked pass the table came back with a hand full and their great dipped in bulls eye bbq sauce and the kids went nuts over them, I will be making these for every party from now on, thanks so much for sharing .

  35. 5 stars
    Made this just now 12-20-17. I had everything I needed to make this Mini Corn Dogs. So easy to make and fun. My son loves it. His bringing some for snack to work. I’m adding this for our Christmas party at home. Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas.

  36. 5 stars
    Im an English woman. Bought the ingredients and can’t wait to get the corn dogs done. We are having an evening of American theme’s. This will add to the event perfectly.

  37. Hi Kelly,

    I would like to make these as “appetizers” for our family gathering at Christmas. Can I make them ahead of time and freeze them? Also, if yes, what would you recomend for reheating?

  38. 5 stars
    Hi Kelly, I want to make corn dog batter coated shrimp. Should I precook the shrimp? I know I will have to hold the shrimp tail a few seconds, in the oil, till the batter gets light crust before I drop them in the the oil. Corn dog were great.
    Thanks in advance.
    Kenny

    1. Hi Kenny! I think it depends on the size of the shrimp and if you’re halving them at all, but my gut tells me that you wouldn’t need to pre-cook them, as shrimp cook very quickly… especially when fried!

  39. Will the hotdog be thoroughly cook after you fry them or should I boil them first then dip in the batter?

    1. Hi there! A majority of hot dogs are already fully cooked and just have to be warmed, so if you use that type of hot dog, you’ll be all set. :)

    2. THere’s no such thing as a “raw” hot dog, ALL hot dogs are fully cooked when you buy them in the store but best to be heated to a steaming hot as they could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes after they have been processed and packaged at the plant.

  40. Made these the other day and they were so perfect. They were not as crisp on the outside as I would have liked but everything else including the shape was perfect!

  41. I was thinking of light coat of flour but I think corn starch is a better idea ,, thanks for the idea.

  42. Nowhere have I read “Do not use natural casing hot dogs”. My recommendation is don’t. The batter does not stay on the dog. Not sure why, but I have a theory.

  43. You can roll the hotdog in corn starch and Pat off excess that will hold the batter on and not leave a taste.

    1. Hi Melanie – Did you thoroughly dry off the hot dogs with paper towels before dipping them into the batter?

    1. Hi Joyce! They can be found at almost all major grocery stores (or craft stores) and will likely be located in the baking aisle.

    1. Hi Sid! The cornmeal is the key ingredient that gives the corn dogs their flavor and texture so unfortunately I cannot suggest a substitute.

    1. Hi Tammie – I’ve never tried freezing the corn dogs so I can’t say with certainty the results but my guess is that they may get soggy when you reheat them. Let me know if you give it a shot!

    1. Hi Terri! I’ve never tried this method with cornbread mix so I’m not sure if that would work. Let me know if you give it a shot!

    1. Hi Margaret – Cornmeal is the key ingredient that gives the corn dogs their flavor and texture so you’ll definitely want to use it.

  44. I used the full length hot dog. They turned out quite tasty. Next time I plan to cut them in halves. Also, I’m curious how you got the coating so even. Mine looked like little monsters.

    1. So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kerry! Did you use a tall glass filled with the batter to dip the hot dogs? That is the easiest way I’ve found to coat the hot dogs.

    1. Hi Dawn! I’ve never tried freezing the corn dogs so I can’t say with certainty how they’d be. Definitely let me know if you give it a shot!

  45. I just made these for dinner so yummmmmyyy. .but one iusse not enoug suger and milk it came out to thick..and when i deep fry it they stuck hard but they was all gone tho my family loved them…it was very good turned out thank you

  46. Hi, I doubled up on the ingredients but some of my large party didn’t want any (FOOLS!). How can I save the batter, will it freeze or is it to be disposed off?

    1. Hi Peter! I’ve never tried freezing or storing the batter so I’m not certain how the results would be if you used it later. Let me know if you give it a shot!

  47. So i just made them i followed the recipe and it just doesnt taste right and my batter was so thick and sticky was it supposed to be help!!

    1. Hi there, Frank! If you’re viewing the site on a mobile device, click TAP HERE TO READ THE FULL POST to view the recipe.

  48. When I make corndogs I cut my hotdogs in thirds…mix 2 cups of complete pancake mix with one can of rootbeer soda and then deep fry them. So yummy!

    1. Where did you come up with this recipe? How unique! I would’ve never thought to mix root beer with pancake batter for corn dogs…

  49. Oh my. I made these tonight for my family and nieces and nephews who were overnighting as a little bedtime snack. They were quick, easy and most of all yummy. They were a hit and disappeared so fast that I didn’t get to take a pic. I rolled the hot dogs in cornstarch after drying and before dipping. I also added 1 tbsp of sugar (I always liked mine a little sweeter). We served it with a little homemade thousand island dip…these were just great. We didn’t even need the dip. Soft and fluffy. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

  50. I tried making these tonight. Tasted good. But I couldn’t get the batter to stay on the whole hot dog no matter how dry it was.

    1. Maybe your batter was too runny, when that happens to me I grab it by the stick n I keep dipping n rolling until I have enough batter on it then as quick as possible add to oil n like in 2 seconds I start rolling it in the oil so the batter can even out as it starts frying.

  51. Hi . Im jewish and its forbidden for me to eat dairy & meat ,so i was wondering if i can substitute the milke for maby coconut milk ? Or somthing else ?

  52. Just made this. We have never eaten corndogs before (not beeing american) so have nothing to campare with. Also for dietary reasons (we eat kosher) had to substiture milk with water. The end result was delicious. There were some burnt tongues in the house, as no-one would wait for the corndogs to cool down! Fried left-over batter in big dollops, lovely!

  53. If I don’t have any type of sticks, I cut the hot dogs into smaller pieces, and they become bite size! No stick needed!

  54. Can you find polenta? Instant or quick-cooking polenta will be finer milled, which is what you’re after. Either way, it will be grainier than regular corn meal, so you’ll want to soak it in the milk for a few hours before making the batter so that it can soften first.

  55. I use Jiffy cornbread mix use cocktail winners. But I stick the dogs in corn starch before putting it in the cornbread mix. I just go the directions on the box

  56. I have to say thanks for the recipe. It was so easy and delicious. My 8yr old and I had fun making them together.

  57. Gluten free corn meal is super easy to find my mother in law as sister in law are gluten intolerant, so I’ve learned a few things. The brand we like best is Shawnee Best Yellow Corn Meal. All corn no wheat

  58. Kelly these are so good, the only change I made was that I used Little Smokes instead if hot dogs and added a bit more sugar and they were a total hit, my husband even likes them :-)
    Thank you for this

  59. Hey there, what kind of lollipop sticks did you use? The picture looks as if they are plastic ones, which I have, but I’m concerned about putting plastic in hot oil. Can you please specify?

    1. Hi Nikita! These are the cardboard lollipop sticks. I definitely wouldn’t use the plastic ones, as they may melt. Hope that helps!

  60. These will be great for my two’s and three’s I take care of, the big corny does are to big and they don’t always finish it.

  61. Hi can I use self raising flour instead f all purpose flour? And also can I use cornflour instead of cornmeal?

  62. You could try polenta flour Yudithya.We don’t get cornmeal in the UK either but it’s the samer stuff by another name.

    …and we just made these as a trial. They are going to make great party food for the kids (and adults) very soon!

    Thanks!

  63. If June comes back, please tell her that in Thailand, Villa, Makro, and Tesco all have both baking soda and baking powder in their baking sections–near the flour, Crisco, chocolate chips, etc, AND the packages are labeled in English. Other places like Foodland, Big C, Robinsons may have them but I’m sure of the 3 I mentioned.

  64. I am making these for the first time. I would like to use Jiffy corn muffin mix will that work? someone else asked that question and there was no answer.

    1. Hi Priscilla – I have never tried making this recipe with corn muffin mix so I’m not certain what the result would be.

  65. Is baking powder and baking soda the same? Can i use baking soda? I live in thailand im not sure we have baking powder or not

    1. Hi June! No, it’s not the same thing and I’ve never tried this recipe with baking soda so I’m not sure if that would work.

  66. So sad here in Chile we don’t have/know the cornmeal ingredient. I will try with ‘semolina’ and ‘polenta’ until I find cornmeal. And I’m so into these bad boys!! So wanna try them! Thanks for the best recipe i’ve found on the internet.
    Love from Chile, Santiago :*
    Montse

  67. Good corn dogs. I cut them in half and all I had was tooth picks. But it works. Will make these again. Thanks I did add water at the last part it got a little too thick.

    1. Hi Helena! I’ve never tried freezing the corn dogs so I can’t say with certainty how they’d be. Let me know if you give it a shot!

    1. Hi Michelle – It’s in the baking aisle of all major supermarkets. Look near the flour and baking mixes. Enjoy!

  68. Do I use selfrising or plain yellow cornmeal ? I would like to make these July 4th week ! will have my grand daughters & they love corn dogs ! I use the frozen ones have never tried to make my own but these look delicious & easy to make ! Thank’s

  69. Can I replace the cornmeal with something? I could not find it in my baking ingredient store. Thanks

    1. Hi there! The cornmeal is the key ingredient that gives the corn dogs their flavor and texture so unfortunately I cannot suggest a substitute.