Homemade Gluten-Free Corn Dogs (Dairy-Free)

These homemade gluten-free corn dogs are the perfect savory snack, with juicy hot dogs cooked in a golden brown and crispy cornmeal batter. Totally dairy-free too. Make a batch today to enjoy with your family!

Jump to:

• What are Corn Dogs?
• Are Corn Dogs Gluten-Free?
• Why This Recipe Works:
• Ingredients You’ll Need:
• Recipe Notes + Substitutions:
• How to Make Gluten-Free Corn Dogs (Step by Step):
• Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:
• Recipe FAQs:
• Dips/Sauces to Serve with Corn Dogs:
• Other Recipes Using Cornmeal:
• Gluten-Free Fried Snacks You’ll Enjoy:
• Other Savory Snacks/Appetizers:
• Homemade Gluten-Free Corn Dogs (Dairy-Free)

What are Corn Dogs?

If you’ve never tried a corn dog before, it’s basically a sausage (hot dog) on a stick that has been coated in a thick cornmeal batter and then deep-fried until golden brown on the outside.

Corn dogs are a big part of American cuisine, and are sold as street food or fast food, and can be found at almost all county fairs.

Are Corn Dogs Gluten-Free?

Traditionally, corn dog batter is made with a combination of cornmeal and wheat flour (which contains gluten), and the sausage used may or may not be gluten-free.

Given that, most corn dogs sold at state fairs or at food trucks are typically not gluten-free and not safe for Celiacs or those with gluten intolerances.

However, today we’ll be making a gluten-free and dairy-free version of corn dogs, so get ready for it!

Why This Recipe Works:

• Simple Ingredients: The ingredients required for making these homemade gluten-free corn dog recipe are easily accessible at the local grocery store (nothing fancy required)!
• Easy to Make: Preparing the corn meal batter is simply a matter of mixing the dry and wet batter ingredients together, and then all you need to do is dip the sausage in the batter and deep fry it!
• Perfect Texture: With a juicy hot dog inside and a crisp golden-brown shell, these gluten-free corn dogs are the perfect fair food or simply an after-school snack to enjoy anytime!
• Totally Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free: The best part is that these homemade corn dogs are 100% gluten-free and dairy-free, which means that even those with Celiac disease or gluten or lactose intolerances can enjoy them without issues!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required for this gluten-free corn dog recipe.

(For exact measurements, please scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.)

Recipe Notes + Substitutions:

• Hot Dogs: I’ve used gluten-free and dairy-free hot dogs to keep this recipe both gluten-free and dairy-free. If you are not Celiac or lactose intolerant, feel free to use normal hot dogs instead.
• Gluten-Free Cornmeal: You can use either medium-grind cornmeal or coarse yellow corn meal (also known as polenta) for this corn dog recipe as the coarser texture dives the batter a little more bite.
• Gluten-Free Flour: I recommend using a good-quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch and potato starch). I do NOT recommend a gluten-free flour blend that uses heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour). If you are not Celiac or gluten-intolerant, feel free to use normal flour instead.
• Sugar: I used white granulated sugar, but you can also use cane sugar or light brown sugar if you prefer. If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using granulated monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 sugar substitute that is zero-glycemic index and will not raise your blood sugar).
• Baking Powder: Baking powder is the leavening agent to help the batter rise, so make sure you add it in. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to use certified gluten-free baking powder.
• Almond Milk: I like using an unsweetened version of my homemade almond milk. Feel free to use another non-dairy milk (such as cashew milk, rice milk, tigernut milk, soy milk, light coconut milk). Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, go ahead and use normal whole milk or gluten-free buttermilk instead.
• Egg: The egg helps to bind the ingredients together. I have not made this recipe without eggs, but if you are allergic to eggs, you can try substitute the egg with acquafaba or an egg-replacer.
• Vegetable Oil: This is oil for frying, so feel free to use the oil you like (I use sunflower oil).
• Skewers: I used bamboo skewers that are 4 to 5 inches long. You can also use candy apple sticks.

How to Make Gluten-Free Corn Dogs (Step by Step):

1. Poke Skewers into Hot Dogs

Stick a skewer into each hot dog half for a comfortable grip. Pour frying oil into a deep pot or deep fryer, and heat the oil until the oil temperature reaches 350-360F.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients

Mix the cornmeal, gluten-free all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add Wet Ingredients

Add the egg and almond milk, and mix to get a homogeneous batter that is rather thick (this is important to make the batter stick to the sausage!). If the batter is too liquid, add a little more cornmeal, gluten-free all-purpose flour or white rice flour.

4. Coat Hot Dogs with Batter

Pour batter into a tall drinking glass and dip the hot dog into the gluten-free batter, holding it by the skewer.

Make sure that the sausage is completely covered with the gluten-free corn dog batter.

5. Deep-Fry Until Golden

Once the temperature of the oil is ideal, transfer the batter-coated sausage to the hot oil and deep-fry for 4-5 minutes until the coating on top is light brown.

6. Soak Up Excess Oil

Remove the corn hot dogs with kitchen tongs and place the fried corn dogs on paper towels to soak up excess oil.

7. Serve and Enjoy

Serve these delicious gluten free corn hot dogs with mustard, ketchup or your favorite sauce.

Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:

• Cornmeal Texture: For this gluten-free corn dog recipe, I prefer using medium-grind or coarse cornmeal (which is also known as polenta) for the batter to have extra bite. However, if you prefer a more finely ground yellow corn flour too, that’s fine too.
• Make it Vegetarian: If you rather keep this recipe vegetarian, feel free to use gluten-free veggie dogs instead.
• Make Mini Corn Dogs: If you would like to make mini corn dogs, simply cut each hot dog into 4 pieces instead of 2. You’ll get 20 mini corn dogs instead of 10 regular corn dogs.
• Make Corn Dog Muffins: If you prefer not to avoid deep frying, you can also make corn dog muffins. Simply divide the batter evenly between the cups of a greased regular muffin pan and then cut each sausage into 4 pieces, and place each cut piece of sausage in the middle of a the cornmeal batter. Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the batter comes out clean).

Recipe FAQs:

Dips/Sauces to Serve with Corn Dogs:

• Easy Homemade Garlic Aioli (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Copycat Raising Cane’s Sauce (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Sausage Rotel Dip (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Italian Salsa Verde (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Other Recipes Using Cornmeal:

• Jalapeño Cornbread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Skillet Cornbread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Easy Cornbread Muffins (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Gluten-Free Fried Snacks You’ll Enjoy:

• Gluten-Free Funnel Cake (Dairy-Free)
• Gluten-Free Fried Pickles (Dairy-Free)
• Gluten-Free Churros (Dairy-Free, Vegan)

Other Savory Snacks/Appetizers:

P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!

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