84 New Foods You Have to Try at the 2026 N.C. State Fair

The list is out. The N.C. State Fair just released its 2026 new foods, and there are 84 of them this year. Every October the same question lands in our inbox. What’s new on the midway for NC State Fair food?

This year the answer is Biscoff. It turns up on a Korean corn dog, a donut, a coffee float and two different banana puddings. Hawaiian rolls get deep fried and stuffed with s’mores. Pickles land in a cheesecake. And banana pudding now comes as a four-cup flight.

There’s a big international streak too. Birria egg rolls, Haitian plantain boats, Hungarian fry bread, Colombian empanadas, a poke bowl made with NC seafood, and a Dubai burger stacked with kataifi and lamb shawarma. We had a sneak peek look at that from the creators, Urban Olive and it looked amazing!

Our recommendations for food at the NC State Fair

We just attended the 2026 media preview to taste our way through as many new NC State Fair foods as we can. Our favorites were the Gluten-Free options for Caroline (e.g. California Style Birria Hot Cheetos Balls and the pork belly burnt ends sans fries), and for Craig the Hungarian Fry Bread. The winner at the media event was Fat Boys BBQ pork belly burnt ends (savory) and Tropical Delights Biscoff Nana Pudding.

This year, if I was eating at the fair, my first (and probably only) stop would be Urban Olive Mediterranean. Their unique dish for the fair is their Dubai burger. I did not eat it as I’m gluten free, but I am certain it would be a star dish. I just had the most delicious lunch at their Transfer Food Hall location, and I just want more! Their food has such a depth of flavor that I said to Craig, “American food doesn’t usually have flavors like this. I feel like I’m on vacation” Their falafels were hands down the best I’ve had.

My next stop would be Howling Cow ice cream. And then I would walk laps of the fairgrounds to balance it out. Below is the full list of new foods at the 2026 N.C. State Fair, in alphabetical order. Fair warning. You will be hungry by the end.

Full list: 84 new foods at the 2026 N.C. State Fair

• The Apple Cider Dream: Fresh-pressed apple cider slushie topped with whipped cream, caramel drizzle, cinnamon sugar, an apple slice and a whole apple cider donut. (Bright Branch Farms)
• Banana Pudding Flights: Four mini cups of layered banana pudding, each with its own drizzle and toppings, plus a fresh-baked cookie for dipping. (Angel Sweets)

• Birria Egg Rolls with Consomé Soup: Slow-cooked beef birria and cheese rolled into egg rolls, served with the birria broth on the side. (Tacos Neza)
• Biscoff Cookie Crunch with Fresh Strawberries: Strawberries layered with homemade cream and cookie butter, topped with Biscoff crunch and a whole Biscoff cookie. (Cravv Enterprises Inc.)
• Biscoff ‘Nana Puddin’: Banana pudding soft serve layered with Biscoff cookie butter and cookie crumble, topped with fresh banana. Add a slice of cheesecake if you’re going all in. (Tropical Delights)

• Blooming Deep Fried Caramel Apples: A caramel apple layered with chocolate, fried, bloomed into slices and finished with powdered sugar, chocolate and caramel. (The Candi Queen)
• Blue Heat Taki K-Dog: An all-cheese or half-cheese, half-beef Korean corn dog dipped in queso and rolled in Blue Heat Takis. (Red Carpet Amusements)
• Brandy Old Fashioned Cookie Dough: Brandy-flavored edible cookie dough with orange zest, cinnamon, dark chocolate chips, tart cherries and oats, dipped in bittersweet chocolate, rolled in Biscoff and served on a stick. (Kora & Mila’s Cookie Dough)

• Brazilian Steak on a Stick with Sweet & Spicy Fire Sauce: Fire-grilled sirloin coated in a sweet and savory Brazilian glaze. (Cravv Enterprises Inc.)
• Brisket Cheese Curd Tacos: Sliced brisket and white cheddar curds fried in a crispy flour shell, topped with cabbage slaw and BBQ aioli. (Richies Cheese Curd Tacos)
• Cajun Fried Okra: Fried okra with pieces of N.C. country ham, served with Ragin Cajun’s cajun ranch. Not hot, just lots of flavor. (Ragin Cajun)
• California Style Birria Hot Cheetos Balls: Slow-cooked birria steak mixed with Mexican rice, onions, cilantro and mozzarella, deep fried and coated in Hot Cheetos. (Tacos Neza)

• Campfire S’mores Dirty Soda: Root beer with toasted marshmallow syrup, cold foam, chocolate drizzle and a torched marshmallow. (Quench)

• Caramel Biscoff Mozzarella KDog: Mozzarella Korean corn dog drizzled with caramel, topped with Biscoff crumbs and flaky sea salt. (GoldenKdog)
• Carolina Yam N Ham Biscuit: Homemade sweet potato biscuits with NC country ham and sweet potato butter. (Granny’s Country Kitchen)
• Cheerwine Fried Corn Ribs: Crispy fried corn ribs tossed in a sweet, smoky Cheerwine-infused BBQ sauce. (Davis Concessions/Mr. Pickle)

• Chicken & Churros with Caliente Caramel Sauce: Crispy chicken bites and churro bites tossed in tajín and cinnamon sugar, with a sweet-and-spicy caramel dipping sauce. (Granny’s Country Kitchen)
• The Chicken Coop Bowl: A waffle bowl filled with 7-cheese mac and cheese, chick-n-que, coleslaw and two chicken tenders, drizzled with wicked sauce and ranch and topped with dill pickles. (Chick-N-Que)
• Chicken Teriyaki Mac & Cheese: White cheddar mac and cheese topped with breaded chicken, Brady’s teriyaki sauce and fresh scallion. (Brody’s Mac & Cheese)

• Chimney Cake Feast: A giant, shareable cinnamon-sugar chimney cake served charcuterie style with dips, drizzles and toppings. (Magdalena’s Chimney Cakes)

• The Cider Donut Delight: A boat of apple cider donuts and fresh apple slices with whipped cream, caramel drizzle, cinnamon sugar and Bright Branch Farms apple butter. (Bright Branch Farms)
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cheese Curds: Fried Wisconsin cheese curds topped with Cinnamon Toast Crunch, cream cheese frosting and more cereal. (Davis Concessions/Mr. Pickle)
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch Giant Mozza Stick: A giant fried mozzarella stick coated in Cinnamon Toast Crunch, drizzled with cream cheese frosting. (Davis Concessions/Mr. Pickle)
• Colombian Empanadas: Crispy cornmeal empanadas filled with seasoned beef or chicken, rice and boiled egg, served with hot sauce. (Arepa Loca)
• Cookie Butter Cheesecake Donut: Hand-cut donut with cream cheese icing, Biscoff crumbles, cookie butter drizzle and a whole Biscoff cookie. (Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts)

• Cookie Butter Coffee Float: Cookie butter iced coffee in a Biscoff-rimmed cup, topped with vanilla soft serve and a Biscoff cookie. (Fluffy’s Hand Cut Donuts)
• Cookies N Cream K-Dog: An all-cheese Korean corn dog dipped in icing, rolled in crushed Oreos and finished with a marshmallow glaze. (Red Carpet Amusements)
• Crab Cake Empanada: Fried dough stuffed with Maryland-style crab, served with sweet and spicy remoulade. (Mike Nice Empanadas)
• Crispy Shawarma Crunch: Chicken shawarma with melted cheese and garlic herb drizzle, breaded and deep fried. (Urban Olive Mediterranean)
• Deep Fried Hawaiian Bacon S’mores Bites: Three Hawaiian rolls filled with graham cracker, chocolate and marshmallow cream, deep fried, dusted with powdered sugar, drizzled with chocolate and covered in bacon. (Chef D’Lites)

• Deep Fried Hawaiian Sweet Rolls: Three Hawaiian sweet rolls on a stick, fried golden, rolled in cinnamon sugar and topped with icing. (D&J Concessions)
• Deep Fried Hot Dog Taco: A deep-fried all-beef hot dog with your choice of toppings. (Party in a Pita)

• Deep Fried Kunafa Crunch: A Dubai chocolate kunafa-style dessert filled with sweet cheese, deep fried and finished with a pistachio or Biscoff chocolate drizzle. (Urban Olive Mediterranean)
• Deep Fried Pineapples: Sweet pineapple spears fried golden and dusted with powdered sugar. (The Candi Queen)
• Dewey’s Dirty Sodas: Three flavors. Hometown Hero (Cheerwine, pineapple juice, vanilla cream), The Dew Drop (Mountain Dew, raspberry, peach, vanilla cream) and Berries & Creamsicle (orange soda, strawberry puree, vanilla cream). (Old Style Foods Inc.)
• Dill Devil Pickle Bun: (Gluten-Free). Hollowed-out pickle halves stuffed with a dill deviled cream cheese filling.

• Dirty Monkey Slush: Banana slush with chocolate sauce in a Mason jar cup, topped with chocolate drizzle and whipped cream. (Moose Juice Slush)

• Dubai Burger: A brioche bun stacked with coleslaw, crispy kataifi, a 10-oz beef and lamb shawarma patty, melted cheese, honey BBQ, sweet dill pickles and onion rings, finished with pistachio sauce and crushed pistachios. (Urban Olive Mediterranean)

• Foot Long Glizzy: A foot-long hot dog done Chicago style, Hot Cheeto, loaded bacon or traditional. (Fontana Foods)
• Fresas con Crema: The classic Mexican dessert of fresh strawberries in a sweet, creamy sauce. (Fontana Foods)
• Fried Oxtail: Seasoned oxtail fried until crispy. (Lee’s Kitchen)

• Frozen Dr. Pepper Slush: Frozen Dr Pepper with vanilla sweet cream, butterscotch syrup, vanilla cold foam and caramel drizzle. (Moose Juice Slush)
• Frozen Horchata Slush: Cinnamon-vanilla horchata blended into an icy slush. (Moose Juice Slush)
• Gourmet Frozen Cheesecake: Frozen cheesecake in cookie butter, Fruity Pebbles, s’mores, cookies and crème, and PB&J flavors. (Fontana Foods)
• Granny’s Golden Langos (Hungarian Fry Bread): Fried dough, crispy outside and soft inside, topped with garlic butter, cheese and sour cream. (Magdalena’s Chimney Cakes)

• Halo Cups: A layered banana pudding cup with your choice of drizzle and a cookie for dipping. (Angel Sweets)
• Hot Cheetos Crispy Shawarma: Chicken shawarma and melted cheese in a Hot Cheetos crust, deep fried. (Urban Olive Mediterranean)
• Hot Honey & Pimento Cheese French Fries: Ribbon fries or French fries smothered in warm, locally made pimento cheese and a sweet-spicy hot honey drizzle. (Chester’s Gators & Taters)
• Hot Honey & Pimento Cheese Fried Pickle Chips: Fried pickle chips smothered in the same warm pimento cheese and hot honey. (Chester’s Gators & Taters)

• Jalapeño Popper Pizza: Fresh dough with red sauce, mozzarella, jalapeños, cream cheese and bacon, finished with green onions. (Rudy’s)
• Jerk Lobster Roll: Lobster in a creamy homemade jerk sauce on a toasted butter roll, with plantain chips. (Cool Runnings Jamaican)

• Jumbo Bacon, Cheddar, Sour Cream & Chives Potato “Megatots”: (Gluten-Free). 1.5-ounce potato tots made with sharp cheddar, smoked bacon and chives, drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey and topped with shredded N.C. country ham. (Ragin Cajun/Cajun Grill)

• Kool-Aid Pineapple Spears: Pineapple spears soaked in Kool-Aid, in cherry, tropical punch, grape or watermelon. (Fontana Foods)
• Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich: Chicken tenders tossed in Korean fried chicken sauce with creamy slaw on a buttery brioche bun. (Bulkogi)

• Kreyol Oxtail Empanada: Slow-cooked pulled oxtail and cheese in empanada dough, deep fried. (Kreyol Flavors)
• Liquid Cotton Candy: A cotton candy dirty soda topped with cotton candy. (Granny’s Country Kitchen)
• Little Haiti Plantain Boats: (Gluten Free). Sweet or salted fried plantains loaded with Haitian fried pork bites or Haitian-style fried chicken. (Kreyol Flavors)

• Mac’d & Loaded: An everything-seasoned cone made from half a loaf of Union Special Bakery bread, packed with mac and cheese and fried chicken. The Signature gets honey mustard BBQ, pickles and crispy onions. The Hot Mess gets hot honey, Hot Cheetos and jalapeños. (Hot Chix Hotcakes & Chicken)

• Mango Piña Colada Lemonade: Lemonade with mango, coconut and pineapple syrups, topped with coconut milk and mango popping boba. (Quench)
• Maruchan Loca: The viral Mexican street snack. Ramen noodles with street corn, tajín, hot Takis and spices, with optional melted cheese. (Merrill Holdings, LLC)
• Mediterranean Bowls: Turmeric rice with hummus, fresh vegetables, pickles, tabbouleh and your choice of protein, finished with a house drizzle. (Urban Olive Mediterranean)
• Mexican Boba: Two flavors. Gansito (Abuelita chocolate, strawberry popping boba, whipped cream and a Gansito on top) and Strawberry Horchata (strawberry popping boba and fresh strawberries). (Oh My Churro!)
• Mini Cupcake Flights: Six bite-size cupcakes with creamy frosting and assorted toppings. (Angel Sweets)
• Nashville Hot Mozzarella Sticks: Five big battered mozzarella sticks seasoned with Nashville spices, served with ranch or Nashville hot sauce. (Dr. Vegetable Inc.)
• Nashville Hot Peach Sundae: Crispy Nashville hot chicken, warm spiced peaches, cornbread crumble and a hot honey drizzle, served sundae style. (Another Food Truck, LLC)

• NC Poke Bowl: (Gluten-Free without the soy sauce). A build-your-own seafood bowl made with North Carolina seafood. (Waypoint Oyster Bar)

• NY Style Pizza Hot Honey Fried Chicken: New York-style pizza layered with fried chicken and drizzled with hot honey. (Barb Wilson Enterprises)
• Pickle Cheesecake: New York cheesecake on a stick, dipped in pickled white chocolate and rolled in crushed dill pickle chips. (Davis Concessions/Mr. Pickle)

• Pimento Cheese Bombs: Bite-size balls of pimento cheese, breaded and deep fried. (The Cheese Curd Shack)
• Pork Belly Burnt Ends: (Gluten-Free without the fries). Pork belly burnt ends in sweet and tangy BBQ sauce over seasoned fries, topped with JoCo white sauce. (Fat Boys BBQ)

• Princess Peach Shimmer Lemonade: Lemonade with peach syrup and edible pink glitter. (Quench)
• Purple Rain Frozen Lemonade: Big E’s frozen lemonade with lavender syrup and a dried lemon wedge. (Chick-N-Que)
• Queen of Hearts Chocolate Cherry Gourmet Funnel Cake: Dark chocolate funnel cake with powdered sugar, cherry compote, fudge, chocolate drizzle and whipped cream. (Gobblin Gourmet)
• Red, White and Birthday Brew: Birthday cake flavored tea in a limited-edition patriotic jar or birthday-cake cup, topped with a cupcake, stars and stripes candy and a small American flag. (Tiki Tea)
• Scotch Egg: A hard-boiled egg wrapped in seasoned sausage and cooked. (Pioneer Wagon)

• Spicy Deep Fried Pimento Cheese Balls with Jalapeños & Pickles: Fried pimento cheese balls topped with jalapeños and bread and butter pickles, with spicy Thai chili ranch. (Gobblin Gourmet)
• Strawberry Cheesecake Churro Nachos: Cinnamon sugar tortilla chips with cheesecake mousse, strawberry compote, graham crumbles, whipped cream and white chocolate drizzle. (Mike Nice Empanadas)

• Swamp Fries: Fries smothered in Cajun queso with blackened shrimp, crawfish and Old Bay aioli. (Another Food Truck, LLC)
• The Sweet Potato S’mores Slop Bucket: Sweet potato fries in cinnamon sugar with warm caramel, chocolate and marshmallow cream. Sweet potato casserole meets s’mores. (Lawrence & Perry Barbeque)
• Thanks A’Latte Mini Pancakes: Mini pancakes with espresso chips, sweet milk cream, whipped cream and a salted caramel, mocha or vanilla drizzle. (Hot Chix Hotcakes & Chicken)
• Thick Applewood Bacon with Brown Sugar Cotton Candy: Thick, hand-sliced, double-smoked bacon wrapped in brown sugar cotton candy. (Cravv Enterprises Inc.)
• Tiramisu Pizza Cone: A crispy pizza cone filled with tiramisu, whipped cream, cocoa and a wafer roll. (Kono Pizza)
• Tiramisu Waffle Cone: The same tiramisu filling in a crispy waffle cone. (Kono Pizza)
• Tosti-Elote: Tortilla chips loaded with creamy street corn, on your choice of Hot Cheetos, Takis, Blue Takis or Doritos. (Red Carpet Amusements)

Closing

The 2026 N.C. State Fair runs Oct 15 to 25. Read our full guide to the NC State Fair for tickets, parking, the new America 250 Wheel, the best days to go and what a day costs for a family.

So which one are you getting first? And which one is too weird even for you? Tell us in the comments. Or tell us your old fair favorite you never skip. Some of last year’s new food entries: