Would You Try Pickle Pie? Minnesota State Fair Unveils Strange New Food Creations

The Minnesota State Fair is once again proving that fair food has no limits. Organizers have revealed the lineup of new dishes coming to the 2026 Great Minnesota Get-Together, and this year's menu includes everything from pickle-inspired creations to international flavors and over-the-top desserts.

Among the most talked-about additions are Pickle Pie and “Dill with it, Cookie!” 99n two unusual vegetarian treats that put Minnesota’s love for creative fair food on full display.

The new Pickle Pie will be available at LuLu’s Public House and combines a traditional pie crust with chopped pickles, pickle juice, and cream cheese. The savory dessert is finished with a homemade whipped topping flavored with ranch seasoning and Cholula hot sauce, then topped with a gherkin and a sprinkle of dill.

Meanwhile, Urban Glow Mocktails will serve “Dill with it, Cookie!”, a creation from Holman’s Table that mixes white chocolate chips, chopped dill pickles, and fresh dill into a cookie finished with sugar and Maldon sea salt.

These two unusual creations are part of 36 new official foods being introduced at this year’s fair, along with nine first-time vendors joining the event.

New Fair Foods Bring Flavors From Around the World

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The 2026 food lineup includes a mix of comfort food classics, international dishes, and creative combinations designed specifically for adventurous fairgoers.

Some of the standout new options include:

• Cracklin’ Corn Ribs at The Blue Barn
  Tempura-battered corn cob quarters fried and topped with bacon ranch, green onion, candied jalapeños, and served with pork rinds.
• Longanisa Cheese Curd Lumpia at Lumpia City
  Filipino-style longanisa sausage combined with Wisconsin cheese curds, wrapped in lumpia dough, fried, and served with sweet chili sauce.
• French Chouxnut Sundae at Bridgeman’s Ice Cream
  Salted caramel espresso ice cream served over a choux pastry donut filled with chocolate mousse and topped with caramel drizzle.
• Korean BBQ Bao Buns at Rooted & Wild by Snack House
  Vegan shredded “meat” tossed in Korean barbecue sauce and served with pineapple slaw inside steamed bao buns.
• Surf ’N’ Turf Burger at Cafe Caribe
  A grilled beef burger topped with lobster in garlic-herb butter, pepper jack cheese, chipotle mayo, and served on a brioche bun.
• Walking Chopped Italian Grinder at Mancini’s al Fresco
  A deconstructed Italian sandwich served over Parmesan and garlic kettle chips with Calabrian chili aioli.
• Dubai Whoopie Pie at Dino’s Gyros
  A chocolate dessert featuring pistachio cream, shredded filo, crushed pistachios, honey, and brown sugar.

Other new creations include Shakshuka Lamb Meatballs, Chorizo Manchego Croquettes, Honey Brisket Battered Potatoes, Hmong Corndogs, Jamaican Jerk Chicken Loaded Fries, Strawberry Ube Sundae Tart, Peri-Peri Bowls, and more.

Sweet Treats and Drinks Join the 2026 Lineup

The fair is also adding several new desserts and beverages for visitors with a sweet tooth.

New sweet offerings include:

• Strawberry Crunch Mini Donuts from Solem’s Mini Donuts
• Pumpkin Bar Funnel Cake from Taulelle’s Jurassic Corn Dogs
• Banana Butterscotch Barnraiser from Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop
• Strawberry & Blueberry Creme Parfait
• Blue Moon Crunch Shave Ice
• Caramel Apple Iced Tea
• Sweet Peach Lemonade Sparkler
• Mango Sticky Rice Refresher

Visitors looking for unique drinks can also try the Two-Tone Bloody Mary Mocktail from Urban Glow Mocktails, featuring a tomatillo salsa base, zero-alcohol tomato blend, and a skewer topped with pickle, cheese, tomato, olive, and sausage.

Nine New Vendors Will Make Their Fair Debut

Along with the new food choices, nine vendors will join the Minnesota State Fair for the first time in 2026.

New additions include:

• dodopop
  Offering creative dirty soda combinations.
• Iemochi Japanese Confections
  Serving Japanese tanghulu fruit treats covered in a hard candy shell.
• Jive Turkey BBQ
  Bringing barbecue favorites including stuffed turkey legs, turkey barbecue sandwiches, and soul rolls.
• Midtown Global Market’s El Taco Torro
  Featuring birria crunch bombs, fairground tacos, horchata, and mangonada drinks.
• Minnesota’s Original Apple Fries
  Serving cinnamon-sugar fried apples with caramel.
• Roon’s Savories
  Offering savory waffle cones filled with dishes like pulled pork mac and cheese and chicken salad.
• Saturday Dumpling Co.
  Bringing fried dumplings, ube cheesecake wontons, and mango yuzu drinks.
• Solem’s French Fries
  Serving fresh-cut fries with a variety of sauces and seasonings.
• Summer Lakes Boat House
  Adding seafood, sliders, cocktails, mocktails, and live entertainment.

The Minnesota State Fair continues its tradition of turning food into one of the biggest attractions of the annual event. With unusual creations like pickle pie and globally inspired dishes joining the lineup, the 2026 fair is expected to give visitors plenty of new flavors to explore.

The post Would You Try Pickle Pie? Minnesota State Fair Unveils Strange New Food Creations first appeared on Beyond the Bayou Blog.