Homemade Churros coated in cinnamon sugar are the ultimate treat, and after you watch the video tutorial, you’ll realize it’s easier than you think! They are crisp on the outside and spongy soft on the inside with a sweet cinnamon-sugar coating. Enjoy them on their own, or pair them with your favorite dipping sauce.
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How to Make Churros Video
My family loves churros, and my daughter has been a major fan for years (you’ll see her cute 5-year-old self in the video taste test above). Watch my step-by-step video tutorial on how to make churros, and you’ll be a pro in no time!
Churros are one of our favorite Spanish and Mexican-inspired desserts, along with Flan and my popular Tres Leches Cake (I even have a recipe for Tres Leches Cupcakes in my Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook)! When it comes to Mexican desserts, it’s hard to pick a favorite. They all make such delicious party desserts.
Churros Recipe
Most people think that Churros are a Mexican dessert, but they actually originated from Spanish and Portuguese cuisine and are one of Spain’s most popular street foods. They later became popular in many Spanish-speaking countries, including Mexico, where they are traditionally served with chocolate sauce.
Churros are made with choux pastry dough – the same dough used for Eclairs, Cream Puffs, and Zeppole Donuts. The churro dough is piped directly into hot oil, then rolled and generously coated in cinnamon sugar. Churros are a popular carnival or fair treat, and now that Costco no longer serves their famous Churros, we all need an excuse to make them fresh at home.
Ingredients for Homemade Churros
If you haven’t tried a fresh, homemade churro, you are in for a treat! Homemade churros taste best because you get to use fresh oil that hasn’t been frying churros all day long. This recipe requires simple refrigerator and pantry staples.
- For the shoux (pronounced “shoo”) pastry – a super versatile dough that combines: water, milk, butter, 1 tsp sugar, salt, flour, and eggs. It produces a smooth and non-sticky but pipeable dough.
- For the Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture – a simple combination of mostly sugar with some ground cinnamon adds a sweet and warm coating to the churros.
Tools Needed to Make Churros
To make the churros, you really only need some basic tools:
- For Making the Dough: A medium saucepan, a wooden spoon, and an electric hand mixer or stand mixer.
- To Pipe the Dough – use a large open star tip (I used a Wilton 1M piping tip) and a large piping bag. Avoid using a small tip, or the dough will get stuck.
- To Fry the Churros – use a large pot such as a 5 1/2 qt Dutch Oven and a clip-on thermometer to maintain the temperature of the oil. Alternatively, you can use a deep fryer.
Pro Tip:
If you don’t have the tip or piping bag, you can put the dough into a large Ziploc bag, cut off a 1/2″ diameter circle at the bottom, and pipe it into the oil. They won’t have the traditional churro star shape, but they will sure taste good!
Tips for Making the Best Churros
If you’re new to making choux pastry or homemade churros, read through this list of my best tips for success. I covered all of the common troubleshooting questions so you can feel confident in making them.
- The dough is done “cooking” when it is smooth, and a thin film forms on the bottom of the saucepan. This process allows it to release extra moisture and it will be easier to pipe the dough.
- Use large, cold eggs. The cold eggs help to cool down and thicken the batter.
- Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, allowing each to incorporate fully.
- Keep churros short– Pipe the batter into hot oil in 6-inch lengths. Longer churros tend to curl and are difficult to flip.
- Maintain the oil temperature between 350˚F and 370˚F while frying. A clip-on thermometer will help.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot – Adding too many churros to the pot can cool the oil too much.
- Roll in cinnamon sugar immediately while they are still warm/hot, and it will stick better.
Dipping Sauce for Churros
Churros are such a treat rolled in cinnamon sugar without anything else required, but if you’re craving a dip, our favorite homemade sauces are:
- Caramel Sauce – an easy, smooth salted caramel
- Warm Chocolate Ganache – thinned with a little extra cream
- Dulce De Leche – perfect for dipping and drizzling on churros
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Make-Ahead Dough – transfer the raw choux pastry dough to a piping bag and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Wrap tightly to keep a skin from forming.
- At Room Temperature – once the churros are cooled to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container lined with paper towels.
- To Freeze – flash-freeze the cooled churros on a baking sheet for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer-safe zip bag and freeze up to 3 months, then bake directly from frozen at 350˚F for 8-10 minutes.
- To Reheat – Re-crisp in the oven at 325˚f for 5-7 minutes or in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes.
Churros Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, cold
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- vegetable oil or canola oil , to fry churros
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, 8 Tbsp butter, 1 tsp sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat and immediately stir in 1 cup flour all at once with a wooden spoon. Once incorporated, put back on the heat and stir constantly another 2 minutes to release extra moisture and partially cook the flour. The dough should come together in a smooth ball and a thin film will form on the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer to a large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to beat on medium speed 2 minutes to cool the mixture slightly. Add 4 eggs, adding 1 at a time and allowing each egg to fully incorporate between additions. Beat until dough is smooth and forms a thick ribbon when pulled up.
- Heat 2” deep vegetable oil to 370˚F. Use a clip-on thermometer to monitor and keep the oil between 350-370˚F while frying.
- Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip (Wilton 1M). Pipe 6” lengths into hot oil and cut with scissors. Fry 1 1/2 minutes per side or until golden brown then flip with tongs and fry another 1 1/2 minutes. Fry in batches, about 5-6 churros at a time. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain then roll warm churros in cinnamon sugar.
Nutrition Per Serving
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More Mexican Recipes to Try
If you’re looking for more Cinco de Mayo recipe inspiration, you’ll love my collection of Mexican and Spanish recipes:
- Pico de Gallo
- Elote Corn (Mexican Street Corn)
- Guacamole
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp
- Chicken Fajitas or Sheet Pan Fajitas
- Carnitas
- Fish Tacos
I used this recipe but piped the choux around the bottoms of a greased muffin pan and stuck it in the freezer to set. Once they were frozen, I popped them off and fried them to make little churro bowls. Served with vanilla ice cream. Very good!
That’s a great idea, Denise! Thanks so much to sharing it with us.