Fried Pig Ears AKA Elephant Ears with Cinnamon Honey Butter
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Have you ever heard of Pig Ears? No, they’re not actual pig’s ears, they’re a dessert! I grew up eating them at our local county fair & thought they were pretty standard, but after asking around, I don’t think they make them anywhere else! At least not that I’ve heard of. So let me tell you what they are! They are a perfect twist on a childhood favorite treat, elephant ears! But these are better, trust me! They are cut into wedges before they are fried so you don’t have to fight over tearing off a bigger piece than someone else, and they’re served with cinnamon honey butter for dipping!
They are an easy treat to make at home that will surely please your whole family(with minimal effort on your part). And no homemade dough here! We’re using frozen rolls as a delicious shortcut! Fun fact, carnival elephant ears are almost always made from frozen bread dough, specifically the Western Family brand! I grew up serving BBQ at festivals and fairs with my family, and you learn a few tricks from others along the way! So don’t scoff on the frozen dough here, it’s what the pros use!
You start by getting out your frozen roll dough to thaw. I prefer to use the Texas Rhodes Rolls in the red bag because they are a bit bigger than the regular ones and are the perfect size for a personal sized elephant ear, or one serving of pig ears! Set out your rolls on a greased cookie sheet & cover loosely with plastic wrap. I like to let mine rise in the oven with the light on. You can also let them rise on the counter, but they will probably take a little longer
After 2-3 hours, the dough should have doubled in size & look nice and puffy! That' means it’s ready to turn into pig ears!
Then the dough needs to be rolled out with a rolling pin, or just spread out with your hands! This is the route I usually take, but either way works! You can fry them like this to make personal sized elephant ears, orrrr you could slice it into quarters with a sharp knife & make pig ears!
Now I know a deep fryer isn’t a typical household appliance, but I highly recommend them! I use mine every week & it makes some things just so much better. It’s also nice to not have to regulate the temperature of frying oil yourself because it does it for you! Either way, heat your oil to 375 degrees F!
Then we’re going to drop them in a preheated deep fryer or heated oil in a pot. They cook pretty fast & take out 45 seconds on the first side, then flip them over and about 30-45 seconds on the other side!
Once they’re golden on each side, take them out and let them drain on a paper towel lined plate. Then generously sprinkle with cinnamon sugar! Don’t skimp here, you want plenty of it!
Serve warm with cinnamon honey butter & watch your family ooh and ahh.
Pig Ears or Personal Sized Elephant Ears
Ingredients
- 4 Frozen Rhodes Texas Rolls
- Cinnamon Sugar
- 1/2 cup Softened Butter
- 2 Tbls Honey
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 2 tsp Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients together.
- Adjust to taste.
- Store in refrigerator.
- Place frozen rolls on greased cookie sheet & cover loosely with plastic wrap.
- Place in the oven with the light on to rise for 2-3 hours or until puffy and doubled in size.
- Preheat fryer or oil in pot to 375 degrees F.
- With hands, spread dough out by pulling apart, or roll out with a rolling pin.
- If making pig ears, quarter the dough with a sharp knife.
- Drop dough in hot oil & cook for 45 seconds, or until golden, then flip and cook for 30-45 more seconds.
- Remove with metal tongs & place on a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar & serve warm with honey butter!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
394.85Fat
25.52Sat. Fat
14.51Carbs
39.49Fiber
2.05Net carbs
10.43Sugar
12.90Protein
4.36Sodium
372.89Cholesterol
61.00Nutrition facts are just an estimate & will vary depending on ingredients used.
