The key to getting perfectly coated vegan corn dogs without making a huge mess? A tall, wide-rimmed glass.
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After a lot of testing (and a few corn dogs that definitely didn’t look photo-ready), I’ve figured out exactly how to make this nostalgic favorite at home—and make it work every time.
That glass trick might sound simple, but it’s one of those things that makes all the difference when you’re dipping and frying.
As a long-time vegan and a mom of two kids that had never had a corn dog, I’ve spent years learning how to recreate the comfort foods I grew up with, and corn dogs were one of the trickier ones to get just right. The batter needs to be thick enough to cling, but not so thick that it weighs everything down. The hot dogs need to be skewered just right. And the oil has to be hot enough for that golden, crisp coating without overcooking the inside.
This recipe has become a fun favorite in our house—crunchy, fluffy, totally nostalgic, and 100% plant-based. Great for parties, lunchboxes, or just when you want something a little extra fun.
Now we’ve got the science of it so down packed, even my kids can make them on their own.
Ingredients for veggie corn dogs
Vegan Hot Dogs
The star of the show—choose ones with good flavor and texture that hold up to frying. The winner from our vegan hot dog taste test and still favorite is the original Field Roast frankfurters.
Substitute: For a switch up, try replacing with vegan sausages!
Vegan Buttermilk
We’re adding non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar together for a vegan buttermilk. When put together and sat for 10 minutes, the two ingredients combine for a taste and texture that resembles traditional buttermilk.
Substitute: You can swap the apple cider vinegar for white vinegar or lemon juice. If you don’t want to have a buttermilk taste, then you can omit and just use the non-dairy milk.
Flax Egg
We’re combining ground flax seed and water together to make a flax egg. This helps bind the batter together and gives it structure during frying.
Substitute: You can swap the ground flax for an equal amount of chia seeds.
Cornmeal and Flour
This is our breading base. The cornmeal adds the signature gritty texture and sweet flavor of a classic corn dog coating. The flour helps balance the cornmeal for a better structure and helps it stick to the hot dog.
Spices and other needed ingredients
You’ll also need baking powder, baking soda, salt, and agave. This is helping for flavor enhancement, leavening the batter, giving us fluff, and the perfect taste and texture.
Oil
Since we’re deep frying these, you’ll want to go with a high smoke point oil. These include:
- Vegetable
- Avocado
- Peanut
- Corn
- Canola
How to make vegan corn dogs
Step 1: In a small jar, mix together the dairy free milk and vinegar. Set aside. (This makes vegan buttermilk) In another small bowl, mix together the flax seeds and water. Set aside. (This makes vegan flax egg). Let the vegan buttermilk and flax egg set aside for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Put skewers into each vegan hot dog. Set aside.
Step 3: Add the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cayenne to a bowl and whisk together.
After 10 minutes, add in the vegan buttermilk, flax egg and agave. Whisk just until combined.
Step 4: Pour enough batter to almost fill a large wide rimmed drinking glass. If you don’t have a tall glass, you can use a large rimmed dish.
Note: Refill the glass as needed to continue making corn dogs.
Step 5: Pour oil into a deep fryer or large heavy pot and heat to 375˚F.
Once your oil has come to temperature, hold the skewer and dip the vegan hot dog down into the glass and twirl around to coat the entire thing.
Tip: Should be a big enough pan and enough oil to cover corn dogs completely – see post for tips.
Step 6: Very carefully, immediately place hot dog into the oil. Repeat with remaining hot dogs. Do not overcrowd your pan. Cook until coating has turned golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Very carefully, using tongs, remove to cooling rack or paper towel lined plate.
Step 7: Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Serve with ketchup and mustard or your favorite sauce. Extras can be stored in the fridge and reheated for up to 5 days.
How to serve plant based corn dogs
Corn dogs are primarily served with a condiment like ketchup, mustard, or your other preferred sauce. For a simple meal, they can be eaten alone or paired with a side like french fries or onion rings.
Other fun pairings include:
- Coleslaw
- Baked beans
- Corn on the cob
- or a kale salad
Vegetarian Corn Dogs FAQs
Can I make these vegan corn dogs Top 8 Allergen Free?
The batter can be made with gluten free flour (we’ve had the best luck with King Arthur Measure for Measure).
As far as the hot dogs, if depends on your allergens – the Field Roast vegan hot dogs that we are using in the photos contain gluten.
Lightlife vegan hot dogs and Aldi Earth Grown brand vegan hot dogs both contain soy.
Not the same, but you could make the recipe with Beyond Meat’s sausage that is both gluten and soy free.
Can I prep these ahead?
Yes! Make the entire recipe as directed. Then, let the cool completely before storing them in an air tight container in the fridge. They will last for 5 days.
To heat up, we’ve found it best to do 5 minutes in an air fryer at 400 degrees F to stay crispy; however, you can also just do 1-2 minutes in the microwave, flipping halfway through.
Are these vegan corn dogs freezable?
Yes! Once made and cooled completely, you can store in an air tighter freezer safe bag or container, then place in freezer. They will last 3 months.
To reheat, we’ve found it best to do 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees F in an air fryer or until the corn dog has heated throughout.
Can I make these in the vegan corn dogs in the air fryer?
We have not tried this, but after some research it appears that if you added more flour in the batter stage and made almost a dough and wrapped the dough around the vegan hot dogs, that you could then air fryer them.
If any of you try this or if we do, we will update the post then.
What are the best vegan hot dogs to use to make vegan corn dogs?
We prefer using the Field Roast Frankfurters. We believe the texture is just better.
However, our kids actually prefer the Lightlife brand vegan hot dogs or very similarly and at a better price at Aldi’s Earth Grown vegan hot dogs.
Tips for making the best vegan corn dogs
There are a few tips that we have learned while testing this recipe that we want to share to ensure that you have the best vegan corn dogs.
- Pans – Use a pan that is big enough that the entire corn dog to lay down. If you have to push in the skewer more to lay the entire thing flat, then do that, you can pull the skewer out more later.
- We prefer using a 6qt saute pan. It has deep sides to help with the oil.
- Deep Fryer – The same thing applies here as it does with the pans. You need to have a deep fryer large enough that the corn corn can lay flat. If it can’t lay flat then the batter will likely come off.
- Oil – It is really important to have enough oil in your pan that the entire corn dog is covered to help make sure that none of the batter comes off
- Hot Dogs – If you use a brand of vegan hot dogs that are wet when removing them from the packaging, it’s best to just carefully wipe them off of any excess moisture before dipping them in the batter
- Dipping Glass – We have found that pouring the batter in a tall highball style glass with a wide rim is the best for dipping and moving around to ensure the vegan hot dogs is all coated. Something similar to these highball glasses.
- Skewers – We use these wooden skewers for our vegan corn dogs. We find that the sharp point goes in easier and we like that. However, you can also use popsicle sticks or wooden coffee stirrers. You just need to make sure whatever you use if safe for frying.
What other fun vegan recipes should I make?
If you love these vegan corn dogs, then you will love some of our other vegan carnival fair food ideas!
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Vegan Corn Dogs
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups dairy free milk (we prefer oat)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (can swap with white vinegar or lemon juice)
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour (use gluten free if needed)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne (flavor enhancer, doesn't make spicy)
- 1 tbsp agave
- 8 vegan hot dogs
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Pour oil into a deep fryer or large heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F. Should be a big enough pan and enough oil to cover corn dogs completely – see post for tips.
- In a jar or bowl, mix together the dairy free milk and vinegar. Set aside. (This makes vegan buttermilk)
- In another small bowl, mix together the flax seeds and water. Set aside. (This makes vegan flax egg). Let the vegan buttermilk and flax egg set aside for 10 minutes.
- Add the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cayenne to a bowl and whisk together.
- After 10 minutes, add in the vegan buttermilk, flax egg and agave. Whisk just until combined.
- Pour enough batter to almost fill a large wide rimmed drinking glass. Refill the glass as needed to continue making corn dogs.
- Put skewers into each vegan hot dog .
- Once your oil has come to temperature, hold the skewer and dip the vegan hot dog down into the glass and twirl around to coat the entire thing.
- Very carefully, immediately place hot dog into the oil. Repeat with remaining hot dogs. Do not overcrowd your pan.
- Cook until coating has turned golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Very carefully, using tongs, remove to cooling rack or paper towel lined plate.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Serve with ketchup and mustard or your favorite sauce.
- Extras can be stored in the fridge and reheated for up to 5 days.
addition to my previous comment…These turned out fantastic. I used a candy thermometer for the temperature gage and i used refined coconut oil. it has a burn point of 400 and they turned out wonderfully. wish I could post a picture. I had no issues. Will definitely make this again. and will make a bunch and freeze them.
This is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the recipe. We’re happy to hear that you enjoyed it.
these turned out so so so much better than the store bought ones. ( morning star brand is all i know of that are vegan). my kids actually like these. thank u so much.
Thank you! Anytime our recipes win the approval of the kids we know it was a success. Thank you for giving the recipe a try!
I was excited to give this recipe a try. Probably more excited than I should have been! But I haven’t had corn dogs in yearssss… The recipe itself came together easy enough. However, when it came time for the dog dipping, that was a major fail. Dogs were room temp and dry. The batter didn’t remotely stick to them though. I had perused some other recipes that suggested dipping them in GF flour, then dipping them in the batter. So, I tried that as well. Still not a drop of batter clung to them. I ended up basically forming the batter around the dogs. It was messy. It was time consuming. It was a PITA, if we’re being honest. I had mini-dogs, and did about 25 – and it took me an hour and a half. I was a bit cranky when done (it was also 87 degrees in my house and I was then running 45 minutes late)… However, they did taste awesome and got rave reviews at the party that I (belatedly) brought them to. So then there’s that.
Totally understandable, especially in that heat. It sounds like the batter may have been too loose or possibly affected by the temp/humidity. The batters consistency is very important in this recipe. Next time if you find the batter to loose you can chill the batter slightly and/or slight add a bit more flour and stir it together making sure it’s thick (like pancake batter). The other possible issue I can think of is that maybe the dogs were too cold so they could have been sweating which is why the batter wouldn’t hold on. So maybe even bringing them to room temperature could be helpful but patting them completely dry usually helps a lot too. Regardless I happy to hear that you you powered through, and I love that they were a hit!
YOU TWO ARE UNSTOPPABLE!! Another meal the Fam loves!!! It was so quick and easy….THANK YALL!!!! The first corndog I made was a wreck because I did not read carefully about how to make sure to immerse your corndog in the oil. Once I did that it, it looked like I made a state fair corndog!!! AND IT TASTED GREAT!!!! THANK YALL SO MUCH!!!! * I only substituted flour for garbanzo bean flour and it tasted perfect!!!!
So happy that you loved them!
So delicious! Everyone loved these, even my kid that won’t eat hot dogs in a bun. I had leftover batter so I plopped it in by the spoonful and made some dough balls for dipping.
So glad it was a hit! And great idea with the leftover batter!
Hi! These look exciting to try. What kind of oil did you use or would recommend? My son is allergic to nuts and tree nuts as well as wheat, egg, and dairy. I was thinking olive oil.
Olive oil isn’t good for frying. We’d recommend vegetable or canola