Sweet Southern Hush Puppies
These Southern hush puppies have a crisp, golden exterior and a soft, fluffy center with just enough sweetness to balance the savory onion and seasonings.
Servings: 18 hush puppies
Calories: 74kcal
Equipment
- Deep fryer or heavy-bottomed Dutch oven
- Deep-fry or instant-read thermometer, if not using a deep fryer
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Small Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop
- Spider or slotted spoon
- Wire cooling rack
- Rimmed baking sheet or paper towels
Ingredients
- ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 7 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons finely minced onion
- peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- Add peanut oil to a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot and heat to 365°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Stir in the minced onion.
- Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not overmix. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
- Using a 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop, carefully drop portions of batter into the hot oil. Fry in batches, without overcrowding, for 3–4 minutes, turning as needed, until the hush puppies are deep golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove the hush puppies with a spider or slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate. Allow the oil to return to 365°F before frying the next batch. Serve warm.
Notes
Maintain the oil temperature. Keep the oil as close to 365°F as possible for a crisp exterior and evenly cooked center.
Rest the batter. The 10-minute rest allows the cornmeal to hydrate and the batter to thicken before frying.
Keep the portions consistent. A 1½-tablespoon scoop helps the hush puppies cook at the same rate and gives them a classic, plump shape.
Work in batches. Adding too many at once can quickly lower the oil temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
