Croffle Cloud, Fawaffle, Smashadilla: Meet this year’s new State Fair foods

Hike up those stretchy pants: It’s time to start obsessing over what to eat first.

The Minnesota State Fair has released the official list of new foods and vendors making their debuts in 2025. Though the Great Minnesota Get-Together is still weeks away, now is the time to start plotting which deep-fried, skewered, viral trend-inspired bite to dive into first.

Just as in years past, there is a bevy of why-didn’t-we-think-of-that-sooner new dishes — shrimp toast on a stick! Falafel waffles! — to what-the-heck-were-they-thinking creative visions (we’ll leave those unnamed for now).

Plus, we have a handful of Twin Cities-rooted purveyors sliding into vendor booths or collaborating with fair mainstays — favorites like Saturday Dumpling Co. and Hoyo’s sambusas, who aren’t holding anything back for their first outings.

As always, the vast array of flavors on this list reflects the bigger story of what it means to be a Minnesotan, from kalua pork and Jamaican oxtail to Dubai chocolate and Top the Tater.

Grab the nearest napkin and spork as we dig into this year’s crop of official new State Fair foods. We’ll see you on opening day, Aug. 21.

Afro Deli • Food building, East Wall

Black-eyed peas, onions, jalapeños, cilantro and secret seasonings are blended together before taking a fair-requisite deep-fryer bath. These crispy bites are served up with red chili sauce on a bed of mixed greenery. (Vegan, gluten-free)

Dino’s Gyro’s • North side of Carnes Av. between Nelson and Underwood Sts.

Feta cheese is whipped up with schug, a green sauce made from jalapeños, garlic, cilantro, parsley and fresh herbs. It’s served with a little Greek-meets-Minnesota garnish of olive oil and toasted wild rice. Scoop and eat on Dino’s signature seasoned pita bread. (Vegetarian)

Kora and Mila’s Cookie Dough • South side of Dan Patch Av. between Cooper and Cosgrove Sts.

So many sprinkles! Birthday cake dough gets a crunchy confetti candy shell and it’s topped with a rainbow of sprinkles. Served atop our favorite fair food implement: a stick. (Vegetarian)

Farmers Union Coffee Shop • North side of Dan Patch Av. between Cooper and Cosgrove Sts.

The farmers are making another full-meal-worthy sandwich packed with Minnesota-grown ingredients. Eichten’s Bison and Hidden Stream Farm supplied the goods with bison meatballs topped with gravy, quick-pickled cucumbers, crispy fried onions and sour cream. Served on a toasted wild rice hoagie bun.

Mancini’s al Fresco • Carnes Av. between Nelson and Underwood Sts.

St. Paul’s beloved steakhouse goes sweet on us this year with crispy fried cannoli dough chips topped with a scoop of gelato that’s infused with cannoli flavor. The whole dish is drizzled with liquid chocolate, showered with rainbow sprinkles and topped with a cherry. (Vegetarian)

LuLu’s Public House • West End Market

It’s like a restaurant app from the 1990s in State Fair form. Bruschetta assembled as mozzarella cheese curds, breaded in Italian seasoned crumbs and served over a blend of diced tomatoes and basil before getting a fancy little drizzle of balsamic glaze. It’s served with crunchy toasts. (Vegetarian)

Tasti Whip • Dan Patch Av. and Underwood St.

Cherry-flavored Dole soft serve floats in a cup of limeade, destined to melt into a late-August float of cool during the dog days of summer. (Vegan, gluten-free)

Soul Bowl • Food Building

Two kinds of fried! Beef bacon strips are double breaded in tempura flour and fried. Served with a few fresh parsley leaves — which count as vegetables in State Fair math. Served in a cup with Cashville hot sauce (Nashville-style seasonings with brown sugar sweetness) or 24k Gold BBQ, a Carolina-style barbecue sauce with a mustard base.

Sara’s Tipsy Pies • Food Building

Sara’s pie crust is served in crispy strips tossed in cinnamon sugar. And just because it’s tipsy, dipping sauce is whiskey-flavored caramel. (Vegetarian, vegan upon request)

Spinning Wylde • Family Fair at Baldwin Park

This local cotton candy vendor is steeped in whimsy and these sweet treats are no exception. Croissants are pressed in a waffle iron and served with whipped cream, a drizzle of fruit purée and a cloud of cotton candy. The waffles each get a unique drizzle and cotton candy flavor on top. There are three to choose from: banana caramel, yuzu meringue or coconut cream. (Vegetarian)

Rooted & Wild (Snack House) • Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum

Tofu is breaded and fried before taking a tumble in a tangy, spicy sauce and served with a pineapple and napa cabbage slaw. It’s garnished with sesame seeds and scallions. (Vegan)

Loon Lake Iced Tea • Underwood St. between Wright and Dan Patch Avs.

The pickles are back! The flavor trend that dominated the past few years arrives for 2025 in iced tea format, garnished with a dill pickle spear and a rimmed cup of chamoy, Tajin, salt and more dill. We’re pre-emptively puckering. (Vegan, gluten-free)

Baba’s • Underwood St. between Lee and Randall Avs.

Falafel balls are pressed in a waffle iron, so all those ridges can soak up the tahini butter. Served with cherry tomatoes, Baba’s traditional hummus, green shatta, mint and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. (Vegetarian)

El Burrito Mercado • International Bazaar

Fried and easy to eat while wandering the fair, these corn tortillas are stuffed with seasoned shredded chicken and served with mild tomatillo salsa, sour cream and crumbled cotija cheese.

Herbivorous Butcher • Food Building

Vegan bacon is battered and fried and served alongside Herbie’s vegan chicken strips that get a plant-based bacon flavor infusion. Top to your heart’s content with options like mini doughnut cinnamon sugar with maple syrup, pickle seasoning with ranch dressing, spicy Buffalo sauce with something called dragon dust — or leap into the flavor abyss by combining all three. (Vegan)

West End Creamery • West End Market

Minnesota Dairy Lab’s vanilla ice cream is served between two slices of coffee cake made by Wrecktangle Pizza, working off a recipe from an actual grandma named Doreen who hails from Elgin, Minn. The bites are served on a stick and drizzled with housemade strawberry rhubarb jam and garnished with cinnamon toast flavored crispy treats, whipped cream and, yes, more sprinkles.

Granny’s Apples + Lemonade • Food Building

The ice cream embodiment of those beloved green apple suckers, a cup of tart green apple ice cream harbors swirls of caramel. (Vegetarian, gluten-free)

Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts • Carnes Av. and Chambers St.

Fluffy’s is again bringing savory flavor to their signature fried dough with this one, frosted with jalapeño cream cheese and topped with crumbled bacon, pickled jalapeños and hot honey drizzle.

Green Mill • Family Fair at Baldwin Park

Certain to make the immature among us (actually, us) giggle when ordering, these balls are garlic butter-brushed pizza dough stuffed with cheese curds, pepperoni, herbs and Parmesan cheese. Garnished with more of the same, it’s finished with hot honey drizzle.

RC’s BBQ • West Dan Patch Av. between Liggett and Chambers Sts.

RC’s takes this year’s inspiration from Hawaii’s famous Kalua pork. Slow-roasted pork collar that’s sauced with just a little sweetness, it’s served on a charred banana leaf with banana chips and Japanese quick pickles and finished with a sprinkle of coarse red sea salt.

Bridgeman’s Ice Cream • Judson Av. and Liggett St.

This year’s sundae entry stacks up butter brickle ice cream with a trio of Nadia Cake’s famous cupcakes in crème brûlée, loaded pistachio and Chocolate Bliss flavors. It’s all topped with whipped cream and the requisite cherry. (Vegetarian)

Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop • Dan Patch Av. between Cooper and Cosgrove Sts.

Patisserie 46 once again brings its confections to the Farmers Union Coffee Shop with two offerings. Apple Glaze is a pull-apart doughnut base baked with Minnesota-grown Honeycrisps and topped with brown sugar-pecan streusel and orange blossom glaze. The other is a Banana S’more that’s a brown butter crumb cake made with bananas, marshmallows and chocolate chunks and topped with graham cracker streusel. (Vegetarian)

Shanghai Henri’s • International Bazaar

Southern-inspired pimento cheese is wrapped in puff pastry and deep fried. Served with pepper jelly for dunking. (Vegetarian)

Richie’s Cheese Curd Tacos • Chambers St. between W. Dan Patch and Carnes Avs.

If there’s ever a new way to consume cheese curds, Richie’s will think of it. Inside a fried flour tortilla shell are pepperoni, sausage and pizza-flavored cheese curds all topped with marinara and Parmesan cheese.

O’Gara’s • Dan Patch Av. and Cosgrove St.

A glorious blend of Minnesota by way of Ireland: cheesy garlic mashed potato dumplings made by Minneapolis’ fast-casual phenom Saturday Dumpling Co. These deep-fried beauties are served with a side of Top the Tater chive onion dip. (Vegetarian)

Union Hmong Kitchen • International Bazaar

A standout dish at one of the Twin Cities’ hottest restaurants, Vinai, arrives at the fair on a stick and we are here for it. Lemongrass, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, shallots and Thai chiles are blended into pork and shrimp, spread on thick Texas toast and deep fried. The toast is skewered, and served with a side of apricot jelly hot sauce.

Gass Station Grill • Food Building

The TikTok-famous smashed burger taco trend lands at the fair. Seasoned ground beef and Gouda cheese are grilled on a flour tortilla and served with caramelized onions, lettuce, pickles and Gass Station Grill’s homemade burger sauce.

Midtown Global Market • International Bazaar

Midtown Global Market’s Oasis Grill has teamed with local freezer section favorites Hoyo sambusas for leveled-up loaded fries. Crispy French fries are topped with spiced Somali beef suqaar, vegetables, cheese and herbs, and drizzled with white garlic sauce and green jalapeño sauce.

The Blue Barn • West End Market

More reinventions of the cheese curd, please. This time, the Blue Barn innovators give us squeaky fresh white cheddar cheese curds battered in funnel cake mix, deep fried and served with fresh lemon whipped cream and a berry sauce drizzle. (Vegetarian)

Holy Land • International Bazaar

Flaky paratha bread stands in for tortillas in this quesadilla-styled dish that’s stuffed with chicken, Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheeses and a veggie mix of onions, bell peppers, jalapeños, corn and cilantro. Served with avocado cilantro lime sauce.

Giggles’ Campfire Grill • Lee Av. and Cooper St. at the North Woods

It’s Italian barbecue. Manicotti shells are stuffed with Italian sausage, mozzarella, cream cheese and a barbecue rub before getting wrapped in bacon and cooked inside a wood-fired smoker for extra toasty flavor. Served with Giggles’ barbecue sauce.

Solem’s Cheese Curds & Mini Donuts • Underwood St. between Murphy and Lee Avs.

Chocolate mini doughnuts topped with powdered sugar, chocolate icing, chocolate sprinkles and mini milk chocolate chips. It’s all served in a sure-to-be-gooey chocolate and sprinkle rimmed bucket. Pass the napkins. (Vegetarian)

Coasters • Southeast corner of Carnes Av. & Liggett St.

A handy little 4-ounce hamburger patty with cheese, pickles and special sauce is served not on a bun, but between two deep-fried peanut butter and grape jelly Uncrustables.

NEW FOOD VENDORS

Judson Av. & Clough St.

A little taste of New Orleans comes to Minnesota in the form of deep-fried pastry dough. Beignets served hot and dusted with powdered sugar. To wash them down: breakfast drinks like coffee, tea, chai lattes and espresso.

Dan Patch Av. & Cooper St.

The viral Dubai chocolate craze has made it to the State Fair. For the Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Cup, the trendy Middle Eastern candy bar is turned into a parfait of strawberries and chocolate with pistachio butter and crunchy kataifi. There’s also a matcha white chocolate version with marshmallow sauce, simple melted chocolate over strawberries, or a chocolate and strawberry cup with a “tower” of whipped cream. (Gluten-free except the Dubai chocolate cup)

Liggett St. between Carnes & Judson Avs., outside the Horse Barn

Tater Kegs are giant tots, with the potato encasing a savory filling. This new vendor’s varieties include Reuben, Cheese Bomb, Breakfast Skillet, Bacon Cheddar and Bacon Jalapeño. On the side? Your choice of Thousand Island, blue cheese, maple syrup, ketchup and, of course, Top the Tater. (Gluten free)

Judson Av., between Liggett & Clough Sts.

The Filipino fried spring roll gets two new flavor treatments. Pizza lumpia are filled with mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, pizza sauce and herbs, while the Ube Butter Banana French Toast lumpia contain strips of French toast that have been soaked in ube butter syrup with caramelized bananas; they’re inspired by the banana-filled lumpia called turon.

Judson Av., between Clough & Nelson Sts.

Hungarian pastries are on the menu at this new fair offering. The cone-shaped Chimney Cakes are baked in a rotisserie and stuffed with vanilla ice cream and a variety of toppings and sauces.

Taste of the Midtown Global Market booth at the International Bazaar, east wall

Midtown Global Market’s residents take turns staffing the Lake Street market’s International Bazaar booth for a week. First up (Aug. 21-26) is a collaboration from Oasis Mediterranean Grill and Hoyo Sambusa with Somali Street Fries (an official new food), paper cones brimming with mini or full-size sambusas (beef or lentil), and slushies flavored like watermelon or Vimto (a British mixed fruit soft drink).

Taste of the Midtown Global Market booth at the International Bazaar, east wall

For the fair’s second week, Irie Jamaican moves into the Midtown Global Market booth, serving up Jamaican jerk or barbecue oxtail with a side of festival, a sweet fried bread. Also on the menu are sweet plantains, coconut shrimp skewers, and a cooling drink of ginger and hibiscus. Aug. 27-Sept. 1.

North End

Not the first place we’d think of grabbing a Kramarczuk’s hot dog, but why not? This craft mocktail stand from Urban Growler has a menu of bar-inspired drinks, including spins on martinis, cosmos and mules. The mocktail theme even extends to the condiments on their small bites: Cheweenies are Kramarczuk’s beef dogs on sweet Hawaiian rolls served with drink-inspired mustards.

Photos provided by the Minnesota State Fair.

©2025 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC