This is the best churro recipe you have ever tasted! The outside is crispy with a warm tender inside, covered in sweet sugar and cinnamon, and ready in 30 minutes from start to finish. You’ll never think of store-bought churros the same way again.
If you’ve ever been to a theme park or carnival, you’ve probably had your fair share of seeing the churro booth. Your first taste may have also taken place at Walt Disney World. Along with the infamous Dole Whip and Tonga Toast. Either way, it’s nice to be able to make homemade churros, and this recipe is so easy to follow with simple ingredients. Don’t forget to try my churro toffee, another park fave copycat.
I’ve learned that you can deep fry just about anything and it tastes delicious! When I want that signature fair food we make funnel cakes and fried cheesecake. Sometimes the kids have special requests such as Oreos and Snickers, but no surprise there, right?
What do I Need for this Recipe?
🍜 Ingredients:
- water – this dough rises as the water boils into it.
- unsalted butter – since we are adding salt, this gives us more control so they aren’t overly salty.
- salt – adds depth of flavor.
- sugar and cinnamon – for that signature flavor that fried churros always have.
- all-purpose flour – the base for our dough.
- Eggs – bind the ingredients and make the dough fluffy.
- Vegetable Oil – to fry with.
- Cinnamon sugar for tossing
Optional Garnish:
Serve this easy churro recipe with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, or chocolate ganache as dipping sauces.
Equipment Needed:
A piping bag or pastry bag with a large star tip – makes it easy to get the iconic shape
Candy thermometer – when frying we want the temperature to stay between 350-375 degrees, this is the secret to perfect churros.
Variations and Substitutions:
- Easy churro recipe in the Air fryer: Once you have made the dough. Pipe churros on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and refrigerator for 1 hour or place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Light spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Preheat the fryer to 375 degrees. Place the churros in and cook for 8-10 minutes. Once finished, immediately toss in the cinnamon sugar. You will need to work in batches.
- Frying oil – other oils can be used, such as canola oil. It just needs to have a high smoke point with a neutral flavor.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: In a Dutch oven or large pot, add 3 inches of oil and heat to 375 degrees.
Step 1: Heat the water, butter, salt, sugar, and cinnamon over medium heat in a large saucepan until the butter melts completely. Stir then remove from the heat.
Step 2: Stir in the flour to the butter mixture using a wooden spoon.
Step 3: Return the mixture to the burner over medium-high heat and cook for a couple more minutes until the dough forms into a ball and a thin layer of flour coats the saucepan. Remove from heat and allow the dough to cool for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Mix in each egg one at a time so that it’s fully incorporated.
Pro Tip: Some prefer to use a stand mixer or electric mixer, but I find that stirring by hand works just as well.
Step 5: Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a star tip. Once the oil is hot, pipe a steady stream into the oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove the cooked churros and place them on several layers of paper towels.
Step 6: Toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated.
SERVE: Serve plain or with your favorite dessert sauce.
- Using an actual fryer works best for deep frying because it automatically keeps the temperature and is always consistent. However, the Dutch oven does a great job of holding the heat and a steady temperature.
- To make the cinnamon mixture for tossing at the end, combine 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of cinnamon.
- Even those you can pipe the dough strips to be any size, I find that long ropes of dough are harder to keep straight.
- Be sure to have enough oil so the churros can float with enough room around each one to cook.
Fun Fact
Did you know that the happiest place on Earth (Disney parks) sell almost 3 million churros a year?
Mexican churros tend to be thicker and shorter than Spanish churros, and are often served with a dipping sauce made from chocolate, caramel, or other sweet flavors. Mexican churros are also sometimes filled with sweet fillings, such as dulce de leche or chocolate.
Spanish churros are usually longer and thinner than Mexican churros and are typically served plain or with a light dusting of sugar or cinnamon. They are often paired with a thick hot chocolate dipping sauce, which is much thicker than the dipping sauces typically used with Mexican churros.
Another difference is in the shape of the churros themselves. Mexican churros are often twisted into a spiral or loop shape, while Spanish churros are usually straight or slightly curved.
Churros can be either soft or crunchy, depending on how they are prepared.
Traditionally, the outside of the churro is crispy and the inside is soft because they are fried. Those that have been left out for a while or reheated can sometimes become less soft and crunchy. The best churros are those that are fresh out of the oil.
Churros are best when they are fresh. Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Do not store it in the refrigerator, as the fried dough will end up soggy.
Reheat in the air fryer or oven for a few minutes. We don’t recommend microwaving.
The dough will last up to 24 hours in advance when refrigerated in an airtight container.
Churro Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- Vegetable Oil for frying
- Cinnamon sugar for tossing
Instructions
- Heat at least 3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven until it reaches 375°F. You want the oil deep enough for the churro to float in the oil and have room around it to cook.
- Heat water, butter, salt, sugar, and cinnamon over medium heat in a medium saucepan until the butter is completely melted.
- Remove from heat and add in the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until fully combined.
- Return to the burner over medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes longer until dough forms a ball and a thin layer of flour begins to coat the saucepan. Remove from heat and allow dough to cool for 5 minutes.
- One at a time, mix in each egg, beating the dough well until each egg is fully incorporated.
- Transfer dough to a large piping bag fitted with a large star piping tip (I prefer tip #1M.)
- When the oil is hot, pipe a steady stream of dough into the oil. You can make the churros any size that you want. The longer they get, the harder I find it to keep them straight.
- Fry until golden brown (1-2 minutes), then remove with a slotted spoon and place on several layers of paper towel or paper bags to drain excess oil.
- Transfer warm churros into a large bowl of cinnamon sugar and toss until coated. Serve!
Notes
Nutrition
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