Cookies from Totally Baked are so fresh out of the oven, they’re practically still baking when they hit your mouth.
Allison Young
Totally Baked Bucket ($25)
Totally Baked Cookie Joint Ask the vendors at Totally Baked Cookie Joint the secret to their chocolate chip cookies and they’ll coyly say, “they’re baked with love.” We have a better answer: They are simultaneously soft, gooey, chewy and fluffy with melty insides and a slightly crispy exterior. Oh, and the chocolate-to-dough ratio is neither overpowering nor underwhelming, it's just right. Actually, best of all, they come in a giant bucket for sharing. Sharing cookies really is caring. 
Hot Cheetos Chicken on a Stick ($15)
Biggy’s New to the fair this year, Hot Cheetos Chicken on a Stick is a total attention-seeker. Hello, coating anything in neon orange-colored Hot Cheetos is sure to catch eyes. But this stick is more than the sum of its trendy parts. Tender fried chicken breasts are smothered in melty nacho cheese and coated in fiery Cheetos for a salty and spicy crunch that plays perfectly off the juicy chicken. Plus, the pickles add a pop of acidity. No Photoshop required.
Barbilicious Float ($9)
Candy Factory Candy Factory pays homage to the "Barbie" movie with this Barbilicious Float, a playful pink drink that comes with pretty accessories. Sprite spiked with a hefty dose of snow cone syrup is topped with whipped cream, a mountain of pink cotton candy and not one, but three lollipops for a tall drink of pink that, like Barbie herself, defies physics (how is it even standing upright?). The swoon-worthy sip is as sweet as Barbie and a whole lotta fun to drink. 
Add the Deep Fried Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich to your list of the fried foods you need to try before you die.
Allison Young
Deep Fried Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich ($13)
Fried A Fair The made-to-order Deep Fried Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich is an exercise in timing. The sub-zero ice cream sandwich is dipped in batter and plunged in a bubbling vat of hot oil for about three minutes. It comes out golden-hued and puffed up before it’s doused in icing sugar and chocolate sauce. Bite in and the cold-on-the-inside-hot-on-the-outside treat will put you in a euphoric state of closed-eye sighing. Ahhhh! But you don’t have time for rapturous pause, you have a job to do: Eat this hot-cold anomaly before it melts and falls off the stick. Challenge accepted.
Queso Birria Tacos ($15)
Chubs Chubs defies fair food on many levels. The Smash Burger is made with fresh, never frozen beef, nothing is served on a stick and everything is $15 or less. This could be because Chubs' main gig is as a local Casa Grande food truck that moonlights at events and fairs. It could also be because co-owner Emily Machelor says she would never put anything on the menu she wouldn’t eat. That means you won’t find burritos (she’s not a fan), but you will find standout birria tacos. The tender beef is slow-cooked for nearly 12 hours before it’s generously tucked in a corn tortilla with melty queso and fried until golden and crispy. It comes with fresh cilantro, diced onions and velvety consommé for a fair food to remember. 
Giant Baby Bottles ($8)
Piggly's Seafood Within five minutes of walking around the fair, you’ll notice revelers sipping on a novel drink, an eye-catcher that grabs your attention not because it’s big (although it is) or colorful (although it is), but because of its unique and childlike vessel: a giant baby bottle. Available in lemon and strawberry, these sweet and silly smile-makers really are too cute to resist.
Fruit Roll-Up Dole Whip ($11)
Nitro Dole Whip Treats The Fruit Roll-Up Dole Whip at Nitro Dole Whip Treats is a sculptural work of art. In a cup goes a twirly mass of Dole Whip, a swirling skyscraper that floats upwards in perfectly tapered twists. Then on goes a strategically placed red Fruit Roll-Up, yes, that same nostalgic treat that’s making a strong comeback on TikTok. It’s all dipped in a vat of Fruity Pebbles and topped with a tropical umbrella for a tart-tasting treat that’s fruity, crunchy, creamy and almost too pretty to eat. Almost. 
BBQ Nachos ($26)
Piggly’s Barbecue Nothing is standard issue about Piggly’s BBQ Nachos. First off, this isn’t a plate of nachos; it’s a vat, a layered deep dive that has each bite uncovering buried treasure. Sure, you can clearly see the contents – piles of pulled pork, just-grilled onions and peppers, melty cheese and barbecue sauce – but each bite feels like an adventure that’s sometimes cheesier, sometimes saucier, but never short on melt-in-your-mouth meat. And shout-out to the chips, thick-cut champs that keep their crunch even under the hefty dose of tangy BBQ sauce and the weight of all that meat. Impressive!
Tosti Nachos ($8)
Big Dogs 2 Sometimes you need a salty snack between rides that doesn’t require sitting down or even stopping. Grab a bag of Tosti Nachos, zhuzhed up Tostitos that come in the most convenient container: a single serving bag of chips. Dive in with a fork and savor the kick of the jalapenos with the crunch of the chips and the melty viscosity of the cheese, a triple threat in a container that’s as convenient as it is practical. Or skip the fork and dig in with your hands. There's a Slingshot calling your name.Arizona State Fair
Sept. 22 to Oct. 29 (Thursdays through Sundays)Arizona State Fairgrounds
1826 W. McDowell Road
