Deep fried everything. Marshmallows, Oreos, ravioli, jalapeños, cheese curds and cookie dough. If it can be battered, breaded or wrapped in dough, someone at the state fair has dropped it in a fryer, and honestly, they were right to.

The good news is you do not need a midway ticket or a vat of oil to get that crunchy, golden, powdered-sugar-dusted magic at home. Every recipe here comes from Fork To Spoon, and nearly all of them use the air fryer, which gives you the crispy shell and gooey center of a fried treat with a spritz of oil instead of a quart. A few also include deep-fryer directions if you want to go full carnival.

Pick your favorite, or make a few and set up a fair-food night at home. Powdered sugar and marinara on the side.

Sweet Fried Treats: Oreos, Marshmallows, Cookie Dough and Candy Bars

1. Air Fried Oreos with Crescent Rolls

Air Fryer Pancake Batter Oreos
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The carnival classic. Each Oreo gets wrapped in crescent (or biscuit) dough, brushed with butter and cinnamon, and air fried until golden. Dust with powdered sugar while they are still warm.

Get the recipe: Air Fried Oreos with Crescent Rolls

2. Easy Air Fried Oreos with Pancake Batter

Closer to the fair version: Oreos dipped in pancake batter and air fried at 370°F, 4 minutes per side. Finish with powdered sugar and a drizzle of chocolate or caramel. Golden Oreos work too.

Get the recipe: Easy Air Fried Oreos with Pancake Batter

3. Air Fryer Oreo Egg Rolls

Peanut Butter Oreo Egg Rolls: Add a spoonful of creamy peanut butter to the Oreo and cream cheese mixture for a deliciously nutty twist. Mint Oreo Egg Rolls: Use mint-flavored Oreo cookies and add a few drops of mint extract to the cream cheese mixture for a refreshing minty flavor. Strawberry Oreo Egg Rolls: Incorporate chopped fresh strawberries into the Oreo and cream cheese filling for a fruity contrast. Nutella Oreo Egg Rolls: Spread a thin layer of Nutella on the egg roll wrapper before adding the Oreo and cream cheese filling for a rich chocolate-hazelnut flavor. Pumpkin Spice Oreo Egg Rolls: Mix some pumpkin puree and a dash of pumpkin spice into the cream cheese mixture for a seasonal fall treat. Caramel Oreo Egg Rolls: Drizzle a bit of caramel sauce over the Oreo and cream cheese filling before rolling up the egg rolls for a sweet, gooey center. White Chocolate Oreo Egg Rolls: Use crushed Golden Oreos and white chocolate chips in the cream cheese mixture for a lighter, yet equally delicious variation. Cookies and Cream Egg Rolls: Add crushed chocolate chip cookies along with the Oreo crumbs in the cream cheese mixture for an extra cookie-loaded filling. Gluten-Free Oreo Egg Rolls: Use gluten-free Oreo cookies and gluten-free egg roll wrappers to make a gluten-free version of this delightful treat. Vegan Oreo Egg Rolls: Use vegan cream cheese and egg roll wrappers, and replace the egg wash with a mixture of water and flour or a plant-based milk.

Crushed Oreos and cream cheese rolled into egg roll wrappers and air fried until crisp. Serve with chocolate sauce or a vanilla glaze.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Oreo Egg Rolls

4. Air Fried Marshmallow Peeps

Air Fried Marshmallow Peeps

Peeps go golden and gooey in about two minutes. Crispy edges, melted middle, and a great topper for brownies or an indoor s’more.

Get the recipe: Air Fried Marshmallow Peeps

5. Air Fryer Roasted Marshmallows

No campfire needed. Large marshmallows on foil in the basket come out toasted outside and molten inside. Dip them in chocolate, peanut butter or caramel.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Roasted Marshmallows

6. Air Fryer S’mores

air fryer s'mores dip

Marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers wrapped in foil and air fried at 390°F for 5 to 7 minutes. Three ingredients, five minutes, zero smoke.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer S’mores

7. Air Fryer Cookie Dough Egg Rolls

Warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie dough inside a shatter-crisp egg roll wrapper, ready in 7 minutes. The post includes deep-fried and oven directions too.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Cookie Dough Egg Rolls

8. Air Fryer Cookie Dough Crescent Bites

Air Fryer Crack Chicken Crescent Bites

Two ingredients: crescent dough and premade cookie dough. Roll, seal, and air fry at 320°F for 8 to 10 minutes for a warm cookie wrapped in buttery pastry.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Cookie Dough Crescent Bites

9. Air Fryer Cookie Fries

Cookie dough cut into fry shapes, frozen briefly, then air fried for a crispy exterior and soft center. Serve with a frosting “ketchup” for dipping.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Cookie Fries

10. Air Fryer Funnel Cakes

All the crispy, golden, powdered-sugar magic of the fair in 20 minutes with a fraction of the oil.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Funnel Cakes

11. Air Fryer Funnel Cake Fries

Air Fryer Funnel Cake Fries are a fun, crispy twist on the classic fair treat, made quickly and easily in your air fryer. These golden, crunchy fries are dusted with powdered sugar for the perfect sweet snack or dessert. With minimal oil and fast cooking, they’re a lighter and healthier way to enjoy funnel cake at home!

Funnel cake batter in dippable fry form, dusted with powdered sugar. A lighter twist that is easier to share.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Funnel Cake Fries

12. Air Fryer Cinnamon Churro Bites

Puff pastry squares air fried at 400°F for 4 minutes and tossed in cinnamon sugar. Ten minutes from start to finish.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Cinnamon Churro Bites

Savory Fried Bites: Ravioli, Cheese Curds, Jalapeños and Pickles

13. Air Fryer Olive Garden Toasted Ravioli

AIR-FRYER-OLIVE-GARDEN-TOASTED-RAVIOLI

Frozen or refrigerated ravioli breaded in seasoned crumbs and Parmesan, air fried at 375°F until golden. Serve with warm marinara. Do not crowd the basket or they will not crisp.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Olive Garden Toasted Ravioli

14. Easy Old Spaghetti Factory Toasted Ravioli

Easy Old Spaghetti Factory Toasted Ravioli

Another restaurant-style toasted ravioli, with cheese or meat filling and a crunchy coating. Freezes well for up to a month and reheats in the air fryer.

Get the recipe: Easy Old Spaghetti Factory Toasted Ravioli

15. Low Carb Air Fryer Ravioli (No Breading)

Low Carb Air Fryer Ravioli No Breading

Ravioli tossed in oil and seasoning and air fried until crisp and golden with no breading at all. A lighter take that still scratches the fried itch.

Get the recipe: Low Carb Air Fryer Ravioli

16. Air Fryer Cheese Curds (Copycat Culver’s)

Crispy air fryer cheese curds on a paper-towel-lined plate, one broken open to show melted cheese

Squeaky Wisconsin cheese curds frozen solid, double-dredged in panko and air fried for 8 minutes. The freeze-and-double-dredge step is what keeps the cheese inside the crust.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Cheese Curds

17. Air Fryer Jalapeño Coins (Red Robin Copycat)

Air Fryer Jalapeno Coins Red Robin Recipe (9)

Breaded jalapeño slices fried until crunchy with a mild kick. Pair with ranch or chipotle dip.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Jalapeño Coins

18. Air Fryer Jalapeño Popper Bites

Air Fryer Jalapeño Popper Bites

Bite-sized poppers stuffed with cream cheese and jalapeño, crunchy outside and creamy inside. Easy to make in batches for a crowd.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Jalapeño Popper Bites

19. Air Fryer Deep Fried Pickles (Hooters Copycat)

Air Fryer Deep Fried Pickles (Hooter’s Copycat)

Dill pickle chips in a buttermilk batter and seasoned breadcrumb coating, air fried until golden. Serve with ranch, blue cheese or sweet chili sauce.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Deep Fried Pickles

20. Logan’s Roadhouse Fried Pickles (Copycat)

Pickle chips coated in panko, Parmesan and dill, air fried at 390°F for about 4 minutes. Pat the pickles dry first so the coating sticks.

Get the recipe: Logan’s Roadhouse Fried Pickles

21. Easy Air Fryer Pickle Egg Rolls

A pickle spear and a slice of Colby-Jack rolled in an egg roll wrapper and air fried crisp, with a ranch-sriracha dip. No breading, no mess.

Get the recipe: Easy Air Fryer Pickle Egg Rolls

22. Air Fryer Pickle Balls

Pickles wrapped in cheese and breadcrumbs, then crisped. Tangy, gooey and crunchy in one bite.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Pickle Balls

23. Air Fryer Cheddar Ranch Pickle Chips

Pickle slices in a cheesy ranch breading. Salty, briny and addictive, and they stay crisp after cooling.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Cheddar Ranch Pickle Chips

More Fried Favorites Worth Trying

24. Air Fryer Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

A fool-proof breaded mozzarella stick. Freeze before air frying so the coating browns before the cheese escapes.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

25. Air Fryer Cheetos Mozzarella Sticks

String cheese in a crushed Cheetos crust, regular or Flamin’ Hot. Crunchy, orange and gone in minutes.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Cheetos Mozzarella Sticks

26. Red Robin Towering Onion Rings (Copycat)

These Long John Silver’s Onion Rings are perfectly crispy on the outside with tender, sweet onions inside. This easy copycat recipe gives you that light, golden restaurant-style crunch right at home.

Thick-cut rings in seasoned batter, air fried golden and stacked high. Serve with Campfire sauce.

Get the recipe: Red Robin Towering Onion Rings

27. Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Onion Rings

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Onion Rings

Sweet onion rings wrapped in smoky bacon and air fried until crisp. A fair-food mashup made for sharing.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Onion Rings

28. Air Fryer Reuben Fritters

Corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss in a crispy fritter, served with Thousand Island. Rich, tangy and very fair-worthy.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Reuben Fritters

29. Air Fryer Cacio e Pepe Fritters

Air Fryer Cacio E Pepe Fritters

Parmesan, black pepper and pasta fried into crunchy, cheesy bites. The fanciest thing you can eat with your fingers.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Cacio e Pepe Fritters

30. Air Fryer Copycat KFC Popcorn Chicken

Bite-sized breaded chicken, crispy in 10 to 12 minutes at 400°F. Set out with honey mustard and BBQ.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Copycat KFC Popcorn Chicken

Tips for Frying Fair Food at Home

Freeze first. Cheese curds, mozzarella sticks, candy bars and cookie dough should go into the fryer frozen or well chilled. The coating sets before the filling melts, so nothing leaks.

Double-dredge anything cheesy. Flour, egg, crumbs, then egg and crumbs again. The second layer is the difference between a sealed shell and a puddle.

Preheat the air fryer. Dropping food into a cold basket lets the coating sit and soften. Three to five minutes of preheating gets you a crisp exterior from the first second.

Single layer, with space. Crowding traps steam and turns “fried” into “soggy.” Cook in batches and shake or flip halfway.

Spray the food, not just the basket. A light coat of cooking spray or olive oil on the breading is what browns it. Skip it and you get pale, dry crumbs.

Sugar last. Powdered sugar and cinnamon sugar go on the moment the food comes out, while the surface is still hot enough to grab it.

Serve immediately. Fried food waits for no one. Have the dips, sauces and sugar ready before the timer goes off.

Deep Fried Everything FAQs

Can I really make fried fair food in an air fryer? Yes. An air fryer gives you a crisp, golden shell with a spritz of oil instead of a pot of it. The texture is slightly lighter than deep-fried, but the gooey centers and crunchy coatings are all there.

Which of these can I deep fry instead? The cookie dough egg rolls and pancake-batter Oreos include deep-fryer directions. For most breaded items (ravioli, cheese curds, pickles, mozzarella sticks), fry in 350°F to 375°F oil for 2 to 3 minutes until golden.

Why did my cheese curds or mozzarella sticks leak? They were not frozen long enough, or they were only dredged once. Freeze for at least an hour and double-dredge.

Can I make these ahead? Bread and freeze cheese curds, mozzarella sticks, ravioli and egg rolls uncooked, then air fry from frozen, adding 2 to 4 minutes. Fried Oreos, funnel cakes and marshmallows are best made and eaten right away.

What dips go with fried everything? Marinara for ravioli, mozzarella sticks and pizza bites; ranch or blue cheese for pickles, jalapeños and popcorn chicken; chocolate or caramel sauce for Oreos, churros, funnel cake and cookie dough.

All recipes featured in this post are from Fork To Spoon.