We Tried the Top 11 New Iowa State Fair Foods For 2026 [GALLERY]

On July 7th, the Iowa State Fair announced more than 80 new foods that would be debuting at the 2026 event this August. This week, that number was narrowed down to the top 11, and Brain and I had the opportunity to try ALL of them!

For the second year in a row, we were lucky enough to be invited to attend the Best New Fair Food Contest at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. Between doing the morning show and then driving two hours there and two hours back, it was a long day, but it was 100% worth it. It's the job I was born to do! Plus, we got to hang out with some of our other Eastern Iowa media friends. It was a blast!

Courtlin

Courtlin

Without further ado, here are details on the top 11 Iowa State Fair foods for 2026 (in alphabetical order):

The Top 11

1. 1776 Dubai Strawberries

   • The Strawberry Station - $19
   • A cup of fresh strawberries topped with milk chocolate, pistachio crème, and sprinkles of Kataifi (roasted Middle Eastern Philo dough)

2. All-American Scrambled Egg Roll

   • Winn & Sara's Kitchen - $15
   • An egg roll filled with bacon, sausage, hash browns, scrambled eggs, and cheddar cheese topped with cheesy ranch dressing

3. Cajun Cluck 'N' Chaos

   • Cluckin’ Coop - $14
   • A Cajun-style chicken sloppy joe on a brioche bun topped with sweet pepper coleslaw, spicy pickles, and a skewer stacked with a pickled egg, more pickles, and lime-infused pickle cotton candy

4. Garlic Dill Pickle Cheese Curds

   • Brad & Harry’s Cheese Curds - $9

5. HoQ Crunchy Lamb Wrap

   • HoQ - $19
   • Deep-fried, breaded homemade naan stuffed with risotto, braised Iowa lamb, local cheese, creme fraiche, and local greens - served with watermelon ranch sauce

6. Porky Parm Gnocchi

   • DG – Destination Grille - $14
   • Gluten-free potato gnocchi and Graziano sausage tossed in a house-made AE cream parmesan sauce with a pesto drizzle, shaved parmesan, and fresh parsley

7. Star Spangled Swine

   • Whatcha’ Smokin BBQ - $15
   • Pork belly with apple chipotle rub and a signature big red soda glaze - rolled in blue and white honey crystals

8. Strawberry Bliss

   • Iowa Specialty Crop Growers Association - $8
   • A shortbread cookie topped with a strawberry and enveloped in meringue and then covered in milk chocolate, white chocolate drizzle, and fresh-cut strawberries

9. Stuffed Tater Kegs (Cheese Bomb)

   • Tater Tod and Hot Doug’s - $10
   • Fried potatoes loaded with cheddar cheese & sour cream and served with a special dipping sauce

10. Sweet Americana

    • Over the Top - $13
    • Scoops of Strawberry Shortcake, Lemon Bar, and Blueberry Crisp Ice Cream, each topped with a signature garnish: a shortcake cookie, a lemon bar square, and chocolate-covered blueberries

11. Ultimate Minneapple Pie

    • Minneapple Pie - $14
    • Deep-fried apple pie served with vanilla and cinnamon ice cream and drizzled with homemade apple syrup

Now, it's one thing to read about the foods, but it's another to actually SEE them! Here are photos that I snapped during our delicious Iowa State Fair food adventure:

The Top 3

I'm happy to report that TWO out of the three foods that I voted for at the end of the event made it into the finals for the 2026 Best New Food Contest! Fairgoers will be able to try all of the 11 creations during the fair, but the top three that you'll be able to vote on are:

• Porky Parm Gnocchi
• All-American Scrambled Egg Roll
• Ultimate Minneapple Pie

Everything we tasted was really good, but my absolute favorite of the bunch was the Porky Parm Gnocchi, followed by the All-American Scrambled Egg Roll, and the Garlic Dill Pickle Cheese Curds. I'd also like to give a shout out to the Cheese Bomb Tater Kegs (the dipping sauce was SO GOOD) and the Cajun Cluck 'N' Chaos. But, those are just my favorites - remember that there are more than 80 new foods available this year!

The 2026 Iowa State Fair is set for August 13th through 23rd! Read more about everything the fair has to offer this year on the official website HERE.

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READ MORE: New Bars & Restaurants That Have Opened in Eastern Iowa in 2026 [GALLERY]