Homemade Churros Recipe
Fall in love with these churros—crispy, cinnamon-sugar coated, fluffy inside, and perfect for sharing with chocolate sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- chocolate sauce
Instructions
- Preheat cooking oil in a deep fryer or in a large pot over low to medium heat until it reaches 350° to 360°.
- In a large pot add in the water, butter, vanilla, and salt and bring it to a boil.
- Pour in the flour and vigorously whisk until it’s completely combined. It will be hard to whisk.
- Remove from the cooktop and whisk in the eggs until combined. It will go from loose to a firmer dough.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a star tip and then pipe in 6” long pieces of dough right into the oil and clip off using scissors.
- Cook for 2 ½ to 3 minutes per side until browned and cooked throughout. Set on a rack on a sheet tray when done cooking to drain off any excess oil.
- In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon and mix.
- Coat the churros in the cinnamon and sugar mixture and serve with optional chocolate sauce.
Notes
Don’t wait too long to fry the churros after mixing the dough. It will stiffen as it cools, making it much harder to pipe. Instead, pack the dough into your piping bag as soon as possible and get to work while the dough is still warm enough to pipe into perfectly shaped churros with those signature ridges.
Don’t overcrowd the pot: I recommend frying the churros in batches to maintain the oil's temperature. Overcrowding the fryer oil can cause a sudden drop in temperature, leading to greasy churros that have absorbed the oil instead of becoming crispy.
Avoid raw centers: If your churros are golden on the outside but raw or doughy inside, the oil was likely too hot. Heat the oil between 350°F and 360°F, using a candy thermometer or instant thermometer to measure the temperature. If you don’t have a thermometer, fry a test churro before the rest to fine-tune the temperature and timing.
Drain the churros before coating: Coating the churros right after frying helps the cinnamon-sugar stick, but too much surface oil can make them soggy. I always let mine drain briefly on a wire rack before rolling them in the cinnamon-sugar while they’re still warm.
Make-Ahead: The churro dough can be made a few hours in advance. Keep it covered at room temperature to prevent it from drying out, then take a few minutes to rewarm it on the stove over low heat before piping. To keep the fried churros warm before serving, place them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and pop them into a 200°F oven. This keeps them warm and helps maintain the crunch for up to 1 hour.
How to Store: If you have leftover churros, keep them loosely covered at room temperature for up to 1 day.
How to Reheat: Reheat the churros in a 350°F oven until they are warmed through and crisp back up. A quick toast in the air fryer also works.
Nutrition
Calories: 154kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 57mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 158IUCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg