Healthy Mini Corn Dogs

Healthy Mini Corn Dogs are wrapped with a cornmeal crust then baked in the oven for a simple and delicious healthy homemade corn dog recipe your family will love.

Childhood and corn dogs go hand in hand in my book. Not only are mini corn dogs my 10-year-old daughter’s favorite food, but back in my school foodservice director days, they were also the favorite meal for 150+ kids!

This recipe post was developed in partnership with the North American Meat Institute, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. As always, all opinions are my own.

I decided to create Homemade Corn Dogs because of the love that my family has for this bite-sized food. This recipe is perfect for a small family dinner or a large gathering. Plus, mini corn dogs pair well with any veggie or fruit for a well-rounded meal.

Our favorite pairings include cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, and bell pepper strips as veggies and watermelon chunks, pineapple slices and grapes as fruits when serving my corn dogs recipe.

As a mom, it is important to serve kids high quality, nutrient-dense foods on a daily basis. These baked mini corn dogs served with fruit and veggies is a meal that meets my expectations – and kids love.

Recently, processed meats like hot dogs have had a lot of questions arise about the safety and quality of the products. Knowing the facts about processed meat products allows you to make the best choice for your family.

PROCESSED MEAT FACTS

• “Processed” simply means “prepared” 
• All meat must be prepared (or processed) before it is eaten.
• Whether preparation occurs at home or at a plant, similar processes are involved like cutting, chopping, grinding, seasoning, and cooking.
• Like meats prepared at home, processed meats are prepared at a plant – simply on a large scale.

PROCESSED MEAT NUTRITION BENEFITS

• Prepared beef products provide a convenient source of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
• Because most prepared meats are pre-cooked, they offer consumers easy, on-the-go access to the nutrient density in meat.
• While the processed meat category is sometimes the favorite target of critics who avoid meat, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans affirm that they can be part of a healthy, balanced diet.¹
  
• USDA NHANES data show that, as a whole, Americans are consuming fresh and prepared meat products at levels recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.^{2 3}
  

As parents, easy, on the go meals are necessary. Don’t be afraid to incorporate processed meat products into your family’s diet balanced with servings of fruits and veggies helping get quick and easy meals on the table here and there.

To get started on the corn dogs recipe, gather the ingredients. This recipe is kid-friendly and a great recipe to make with your kids. It’s a fun way to get your family involved in the cooking process.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 bun length hot dogs
• 1/2 cup fine-ground cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup milk

Add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper to a medium-sized bowl and whisk together.

Add butter to the flour mix and use a pastry blender or clean hands to incorporate the butter into the mixture.

PRO TIP: Using a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture will create a delicious and flaky dough.

The mixture will resemble sand when it is completely mixed.

Next, add the milk and mix together. Place the bowl in the refrigerator until you need it. 

Prepare a clean surface to roll the corn dog batter onto and sprinkle the surface with flour.

Take the corn dog mix out of the fridge and add a little more flour into the mixture if it looks sticky. Then, place the dough onto the floured surface and sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough.

Using a paper towel, pat the hot dogs dry and then slice each hot dog into 4ths.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out flat and thin but thick enough to cover the hot dogs when rolled. 

Place one piece of a hot dog onto the edge of the dough and cut a strip out of the dough. This should cover 2-3 hot dog pieces. 

Roll the dough covered hot dog in your hands to form the mini corn dog. Repeat until all of the mini corn dogs are covered. 

Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

When the corn dogs are done baking, remove from oven and let cool. While cooling, you can grab a variety of dipping sauces for your kiddos. My daughter switches back and forth with dipping her mini corn dogs in ketchup, BBQ, and ranch.

Her new favorite dipping sauce is a 5 Minute Honey Mustard Sauce, which is quick, easy & flavorful. Plus, the honey mustard sauce makes a delicious vegetable dip!

I hope your family has a blast creating these mini corn dogs.

For other fun recipe ideas, check out Easy Pretzel Bites for the Whole Family, Yogurt Fruit and Vegetable Dip, Watermelon Sticks & Fruit Dip, and/or Fruit Waffle Cones.

If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure to leave a comment and a star rating below! Then follow me on social media and tag #createkidsclub if you make the recipe. I love seeing what you come up with!

¹ Ollberding, N.J. et al. Meat Consumption, Heterocyclic Amines, and Colorectal Cancer Risk: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. Int. J. Cancer, 2012, 131, E1125–E1133.

² USDA and DHHS. Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee https://health. gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/ Accessed March 29, 2018.

³ USDA and DHHS. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015-2020. 8th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/resources/2015-2020_Dietary_ Guidelines.pdf Accessed March 8, 2018.