Every first-act corn dog needs a third-act mini donut—just like every Pickle Pie from Lulu’s Public House needs a French Chouxnut Sundae follow-up (both new to this year’s State Fair food lineup).
Over-the-top treats make headlines each year alongside everything fried, cheesy, and ranch-covered, so we wanted to give Minnesota State Fair desserts the treatment they deserve.
There’s a reason Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar literally bakes three million cookies on the busiest Fair days. Attention sweet tooths: This one’s for you!
Remember: The 2026 Minnesota State Fair opens Thursday, August 27 and goes through Labor Day, September 7.
New Treats
French Chouxnut Sundae | Bridgeman’s Ice Cream
At the corner of Judson Avenue & Liggett Street
It’s a choux pastry dough donut filled with chocolate mousse, dipped in dark chocolate icing, and topped with salted caramel espresso ice cream. A chocoholic’s delight!
Banana Butterscotch Barnraiser | Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop
On Dan Patch Avenue between Cooper Street & Cosgrove Street
Could you possibly say “no” to layers of vanilla pound cake, roasted bananas, butterscotch sauce, and caramelized croissant croutons? How about one covered in whipped cream and topping made from Chex, cookie butter, chocolate chips, and powdered sugar? Us either.
Pumpkin Bar Funnel Cake | Taulelle’s Jurassic Corn Dogs
On Underwood Street between Murphy Avenue & Lee Avenue
A spooky season twist on a fair classic. The funnel cake dough is made with real pumpkin and cinnamon, then topped with homemade cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Dubai Whoopie Pie | Dino’s Gyros
On Carnes Avenue between Nelson Street & Underwood Street
What would a new State Fair food be without solid trend representation? This one is two dark chocolate cakes stuffed with pistachio cream and rolled in a honey-pistachio-brown sugar crunch.
Apple Fries | Minnesota’s Original Apple Fries
On Dan Patch Avenue between Underwood Street & Cooper Street
A dish that feels like a perfectly Minnesotan addition to the Fair’s food lineup—a future classic, no? Batonnet-cut apples are fried and coated in cinnamon sugar. Dip these crisp puppies in caramel (with the standard order) or whipped cream (with the “deluxe,” plus caramel).
Ube Cheesecake Wontons | Saturday Dumpling Co.
Food Building
This Minneapolis success story heads to the Fair with ube cheesecake wontons in tow. Pair them with Chinese sausage and cheese poppers and a salted mango yuzuade for the full spread.
Blue Moon Crunch | Minnesnowii Shave Ice
On Nelson Street between Dan Patch Avenue & Carnes Avenue
This year’s featured flavor is an if-you-know-you-know debut: blue moon. Sprinkled with Fruity Pebbles and drizzled with sweetened condensed milk.
Strawberry Ube Sundae Tart | Sara’s Tipsy Pies
Food Building
A heaping dollop of ube and strawberry marshmallow cream with chocolate chips in shortbread crust, followed by whipped cream, strawberry sauce, and edible glitter. XOXO.
Strawberry and Blueberry Creme Parfait | Strawberries N’ Creme
On Underwood Street at Wright Avenue
This stand’s classic cup, mixed berry style. Fresh strawberries, blueberry non-dairy whip, and waffle chips.
Brandy Old Fashioned Cookie Dough | Kora & Mila’s Cookie Dough
On Dan Patch Avenue between Cooper Street & Cosgrove Street
Boozehounds will love this bar of brandy-flavored cookie dough with orange zest, cinnamon, dark chocolate chips, and dried cherries. Featuring a brandy chocolate dip and Biscoff crumbs.
Strawberry Crunch Mini Donuts | Solem’s Mini Donuts
On Underwood Street between Murphy Avenue & Lee Avenue
Make it extra with strawberry mini donuts covered in vanilla icing (and vanilla sugar) and strawberry streusel crunch.
Tanghulu | Iemochi Japanese Confections
International Bazaar
Candies with a textural twist are all the rage—so these brand-new Asian confections are on trend. Tanghulu is fresh fruit on a stick coated with hard candy. Choose from strawberry, grape, Mandarin orange, or a strawberry-grape combo.
Classic sweets
Malts (and More) | Dairy Goodness
The Dairy Building
If you haven’t gotten a malt or shake from Dairy Goodness in the Dairy Building, have you even been to the Minnesota State Fair? The three staple flavors are here, plus crème de menthe sundaes, strawberry-rhubarb malts, and its 2026 flavor of the year: Moo-sota Apple Pie.
Sweet Corn Ice Cream | Blue Moon Dine-In Theater
At the corner of Carnes Avenue & Chambers Street
Sweet corn ice cream was an instant hit when it debuted in 2011 and has been a fixture ever since. Get yours topped with honey butter bacon, blueberries, or cayenne peanuts.
Blue Moon does dessert right with plenty of other decadent treats Fairgoers love, including caramelized banana pudding and Irish butter ice cream over brown sugar cinnamon toast.
Deep-Fried Minneapple Pie | Minneapple Pie
On Judson Avenue between Nelson Street & Underwood Street
Everyone loves these deep-fried apple pies—with or without ice cream. In addition to apples, they’ve got Minneblueberry and MinneCookieDough pies (with your choice of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream).
Honey Ice Cream | Minnesota Honey Producers Association
Agriculture Horticulture Building
Another iconic State Fair ice cream option, the Minnesota Honey Producers Association serves up honey ice creams as well as fun sundaes and floats, like the salted hot honey sundae and a honey cream soda float.
Grilled Peaches | The Produce Exchange
At the corner of Carnes Avenue & Underwood Street
Grilled peach dishes are the sleeper hit of State Fair sweets. Get a grilled peach bowl—peach pie parfait or peaches-and-cream style. You can even get them savory, with goat cheese and honey.
Key Lime Pie On a Stick | Key Lime Pie Bar
On Cooper Street at the Agriculture Horticulture Building
These chilly, chocolate-dipped slices of key lime pie on a stick are a Minnesota State Fair dessert staple.
Nitro Ice Cream | Nitro Ice Cream
Food Building
This high-tech ice cream draws crowds in the Food Building for its uniquely smooth and creamy texture. It’s all about this vanilla ice cream’s mouthfeel. Classic toppings like caramel, chocolate, or hot fudge are optional.
Frozen Cider Pop | Minnesota Apples
Agriculture Horticulture Building
A demure favorite, our very own Andrew Zimmern recommends this, as do many other fairgoers. Refreshing, simple, cheap, and made from real Minnesota apples. Slurp!
Amish Doughnut | Peachey’s Baking Company
Randall Avenue at the Progress Center
Get this made-from-scratch sourdough donut if you dare. This donut, crafted from a family recipe and drenched with vanilla glaze, has created legendary lines since their newcomer debut in 2023.
Deep-Fried Nut Goodies | Deep Fried Candy Bars
On Carnes Avenue between Nelson Street & Underwood Street
Of course it’s no secret you can get deep-fried candy bars and Twinkies at the State Fair—but a battered and deep-fried Nut Goodie bar is about as Minnesotan as it gets. If Nut Goodies aren’t your thing, this stand sells many other batter-dipped and fried treats, like Oreos in red velvet batter with cream cheese icing.
Cream Puffs | Cream Puffs
At the corner of West Dan Patch Avenue & Liggett Street
Airy choux pastry filled with vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, or Neapolitan cream. Enough said.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries | Granny’s Cheesecake & More
On Dan Patch Avenue between Nelson Street & Underwood Street
While this dessert is healthy-coded, it’s equal parts refreshing and decadent to bite into a skewer of chocolate-dipped strawberries (or bananas, or both) on a hot State Fair day. Whether you’re seeking a healthy choice or needing a palate cleanse between deep-fried goodies, these strawberries on a stick never miss.
Wildcard desserts
Birch Beer | Walleye On a Stick
Food Building
A cousin of root beer, this lesser-known pop has a toffee-like flavor and is sold only at this single stand at the Fair. Maybe soda isn’t technically a dessert, but clever fairgoers are rumored to procure a scoop of ice cream from another stand and plop it into their birch beers for a one-of-a-kind float.
Sweet Squeakers | The Blue Barn
West End Market
The beloved Blue Barn whips up Fair-worthy dishes each year that surprise and delight. Last year’s menu addition was a sweet twist on a savory State Fair staple: sweet squeakers (cheese curds, that is).
These dessert curds come dipped and fried in funnel cake batter and topped with lemon whipped cream and berry sauce. Food reviewers rejoiced, and they were a hit. Good news: You can get them again this year!
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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