The Iowa State Fair returns Aug. 7-17 filled with 11 days of big concerts on the Grandstand, huge animals, blue ribbons, sculpted butter cows, and new foods. This year brings 67 new dishes that will make their debut at the 2025 Iowa State Fair.
Savory dishes range from bacon ranch eggrolls from the winners of last year’s best new food at the fair to voodoo fries, while sweets include oatmeal pies, beignets, and scotcheroo ice cream shakes. The butter cow gets its own dessert in 2025 as well.
Four dishes include Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, including one version with a garlic pickle pizza. Korean corn dogs even make an appearance. Lobster even returns, this time with caviar or as biscuits and gravy.
Here’s a look at the new foods coming this summer, along with a description of each.
What new foods are at the Iowa State Fair in 2025?
Next week, the Iowa State Fair invited media personalities, Blue Ribbon Foundation members, State Fair queens, and more to determine the three dishes that will vie for the best new food at the State Fair. The fair selected 10 dishes that will be sampled and voted on.
Follow the livestream on July 15 at 1 p.m. at facebook.com/iowastatefair.
Previous Best New Foods at the Iowa State Fair
2013: Shrimp Corn Dog — Zag’s Po Boys
2014: Funnel Cake on a Stick — multiple vendors
2015: The Rib Shack — Ultimate Bacon Brisket Bomb
2016: Iowa Turkey Federation — Not Your Mamma’s Taco
2017: Steer ‘N’ Stein — Pork Almighty
2018: Applishus — Apple Eggroll
2019: G Mig’s Wrap Stand — Georgie’s Roast with the Most Wrap
2021: Cluckin’ Coop by the Iowa Egg Council/Iowa Poultry Association — Chicken Egg Salad with Fry Bread
2022: The Rib Shack — The Finisher
2023: What’s Your Cheez — Deep-Fried Bacon Brisket Mac-n-Cheese Grilled Cheese
2024: Winn & Sara’s Kitchen — Bacon Cheeseburger Eggroll
(This story has been updated to fix a typo.)
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Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet the 67 new foods at the Iowa State Fair in 2025
Reporting by Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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