Iowa State Fair Announces 80 New Foods At 2026 Fair

Salads? Chickpeas? Never heard of them.

One of the best things about fair season is the food. The funnel cakes, the corndogs, the nachos so loaded with stuff you can barely hold the chip. It's not a nutrition fanatic's favorite place but hey, here for a good time, not a long time.

The Iowa State Fair has announced the list of new menu items you'll be able to find at this year's fair, which is August 13-23.

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Here's the list of the 80 new foods you'll find this year.

• 1776 Dubai Strawberries -(you know the chocolate/pistachio combo that is the Dubai chocolate trend? It's that on strawberries)
• 1776 Parmesan Ice Cream -okay before you judge it, here's what the Fair said about it: "18th-century sensation, blending the rich, nutty flavor of aged Parmesan with smooth, creamy ice cream. Layered with tart cherry and buttery pound cake, this unexpected Revolutionary-era treat offers a delicious taste of America's founding year."
• Affogato -I can't believe it's just now at the fair, but affogato is a shot of espresso on top of ice cream
• All-American Scrambled Egg Roll
• Amaretto Ice Cream, Cake Batter with Chocolate Cake Balls, Birthday Cake Batter Ice Cream (it's all served in a waffle cone topped with sprinkles and an American flag)
• America’s "Berry” Good Grilled Cheese
• Banana Cream Fries
• BBQ Pulled Pork Cheddar Corn Bread Waffle
• Bedrock Twist -deep-fried pretzel covered in sweet glaze and topped with Fruity Pebbles
• Belgian Chocolate Covered Strawberries
• Biscoff Cookie Butter Cheesecake Funnel Cake
• Bison Burger
• Bison Cheesesteak Slider
• Bison Nachos
• Burrata Bomb -a literal ball of Burrata cheese with tomatoes and drizzle
• Butter Dipped Ice Cream Cone
• Butterfinger Ice Cream Bar
• Cajun Cluck 'N' Chaos -the Fair says it's "Cajun-style chicken sloppy joe piled high on a buttery brioche bun, loaded with crunchy sweet pepper coleslaw and fiery spicy pickles"
• Candied Pork Belly Mac & Cheese Pizza Slice
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake Roasted Pecans -topped with cheesecake bites and drizzled with a bourbon caramel sauce
• Caramel Apple Crumble Cinnamon Roll
• Caviar and Chicken Nuggets Package -it's $99
• Cinnamon Cloud Rolls
• Cinnamozza Kdog -mozzerella cheese Korean corndog dunked in butter, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and topped with Cinnamon Toast Crunch
• Cluck Yeah Hush Puppies -hushpuppies with " sweet corn, smoky bacon, spicy jalapeños, melty cheese and chopped hard-boiled eggs"
• Cowboy Candy -sweet & spicy breaded jalapenos
• Deep Fried Cookie Dough Pie
• Dough-Noli -cannoli filled with chocolate chip cookie dough
• Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie
• Firecracker Churros -cinnamon sweet with spicy elements like a jalapeno and habanero pepper spice blend
• Flamin' Hot Cheetos® Breakfast Burrito
• French Silk Cannoli -cannoli filled with French silk pie filling
• Fried Green Tomatoes
• Fried Saimin Noodles -vegetarian noodles
• Fried Saimin with Huli Chicken
• Fuego Bowl -"Mango sorbet topped with fresh pineapple, chamoy sauce and served with a tahin-coated spoon and a lime slice on the rim"
• Garlic Dill Pickle Cheese Curds
• Garlic Parmesan Pretzel
• Hand Rolled Pretzel
• Hawaiian Ricotta Ravioli
• Smokin' Cowboy Dog -"¼ lb hardwood smoked-burnt ends beef sausage infused with jalapeno, topped with cowboy candy breaded jalapeno slices and drizzled with our special sauce"
• Homestead Bites -"Hot, fresh frybread is cut into golden strips and smothered in rich country sausage gravy, then topped with smoky bacon crumbles, lightly drizzled with maple syrup, and finished with a sprinkle of green chives"
• HoQ Crunchy Lamb Wrap
• Hot Honey Chicken Wrap
• Huli Chicken
• Iowa Sweet Corn & Popcorn Sundae -"Creamy sweet corn soft serve layered with crunchy toffee corn, rich caramel, flaky sea salt and buttery toffee popcorn, then finished with a swirl of whipped cream"
• Italian Hand Pies
• Jalapeño White Cheddar Pretzel Dog
• Kalua Pork
• Kama'aina Bento -Teri Beef, Fried Saimin Noodles, Spam, & Garlic Chicken
• Kama'aina Mix -Huli Chicken, Teri Beef, Fried Saimin Noodles, & Kalua Pork
• Kapu Poke Bowl -Kalua Pork, Shrimp Tempura, & Shoyu Poke
• Liberty Shrimp Melt
• Loaded Sausage Waffle Stick
• Massive Mix -Huli Chicken, Teri Beef, Bbq Pork, & Kalua Pork
• Mozza-Tini -"Four hand-breaded gluten-free mozzarella sticks served with warm vodka sauce, jalapeno ranch drizzle and fresh parsley"
• Northshore Poke Bowl -Kalua Pork, Huli Chicken, & Shoyu Poke
• Oreo® Overload Nachos -"Crispy waffle chips piled high around vanilla ice cream, warm hot fudge topped with crushed Oreo cookies for dipping and fluffy whipped cream"
• Pastrami Burger
• Patriotic Molten Lava Celebration
• Patriotic Nachos -"Crispy waffle chips surround a generous serving of creamy vanilla ice cream, drizzled with vibrant cherry and blue raspberry dips, topped with fluffy whipped cream and festive red, white, and blue star sprinkles"
• PB & J Corndog
• Pecan Caramel Apple Crumble Cinnamon Roll
• Pete's Southwest Salad
• Porky Parm Gnocchi
• Porky Pileup -"Fries layered with pulled BBQ Pork, mac n' cheese, cowboy beans and topped with bacon bits"
• Saigon Birria Pupusa
• Scotch Egg -"Hard-boiled egg wrapped in seasoned sausage, deep fried and served on a stick"
• Shoyu Poke Bowl
• Spam Musubi
• Spicy Italian Sausage Dog
• Star Spangled Swine -"Prime grade pork belly with apple chipotle rub, signature big red soda glaze; rolled in blue and white honey crystals"
• Star-Spangled -"Freshly made frybread drizzled with a sweet glaze, topped with festive red, white, and blue sprinkles and finished with a light dusting of powdered sugar"
• Strawberry Bliss -"buttery shortbread cookie topped with a plump, juicy strawberry, then gets enveloped in a cloud of fluffy meringue. The entire creation is covered in creamy milk chocolate, drizzled with white chocolate and finished with a sprinkle of fresh-cut strawberries"
• Stuffed Tater Kegs -basically a handheld baked potato
• Sweet Americana -" Strawberry Shortcake, Lemon Bar and Blueberry Crisp ice creams, each topped with a signature garnish: a shortcake cookie, a lemon bar square and chocolate-covered blueberries"
• The 1776 Liberty Bowl -"freshly baked sourdough bread bowl loaded with crispy cheese curds and French fries, then piled high with tender slow-roasted shredded beef, smothered in a rich, savory spiced gravy and topped with hand-breaded onion rings. Served with a side of sour cream for the perfect finishing touch"
• This Little Piggy Tornado -"vanilla ice cream, loaded with rich fudge brownie chunks, crunchy cocoa rice cereal and ribbons of hot fudge. It's topped with chocolate whipped cream and finished with a peppermint candy pig for a playful nod to Iowa's farming roots"
• Ultimate Bacon-Brisket Mac & Cheese Donut
• Ultimate Minneapple Pie -"Deep fried apple pie served with vanilla and cinnamon ice cream drizzled with homemade apple syrup"
• Waimea Poke Bowl -Spicy Poke, Shrimp Tempura, & Shoyu Poke
• Walkin’ Oreo® Sundae -"Bag of Oreo cookies loaded with soft serve vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup"
• Zower Sour Tanghulu

There's also the Best New Food contest at the Iowa State Fair.