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
Filed Under
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
These churros were everything that I wanted them to be and more! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe
Churros are a special treat at our favorite Mexican restaurant, so my family was thrilled when I decided to surprise them by making them at home! They turned out great and I couldn’t believe how easy they were to make.
That’s wonderful, Shannon!
Since we can’t be at Disneyland every day eating churros, these are the next best thing!! They taste just like theirs!! Crisp & cinnamon-y, we love these!!
natasha my dear..i have been watching a series that is spanish/mexican and they eat a lot of churros in the show lol..they dip in thier coffee..so had to google and of course up pops your recipe..not surprised..lol now about the calories per serving..surely not just 1 churro!!!..or is it for the 20-25?..nevertheless..i will try..you actually have your own recipe binder..lol you are amazing..even at 79 i am still learning so much from you..loves ya
Hi Gail! Thank you for sharing, I’m so glad these recipes have been helpful.
At the top of the recipe card, it shows how many servings this recipe makes. The nutrition facts listed are per serving. I have it set to serve about 8 people, and since this recipe makes anywhere between 20-25 churros (depending on how large they are piped) it would be about 3 churros per person. I hope that helps.
Hi! Do you know if these would work with gluten free or einkorn flour?
Hello Stefanie, I haven’t tested a gluten substitution to advise. I also looked through our reader comments and don’t see anyone has tried that. If you happen to experiment I would love to know how you like this recipe!
Why not put a printed ingredient list on the post? You know….ie 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup water etc.
You can click on Jump to recipe to go to the recipe card which can also be printed.
hi, Natasha, this recipe was a DISASTER nothing was okay the dough was tooooooooooo sticky, I then managed to fix it, but the taste was disgusting, I had to throw them in the dustbin,suggetions needed!
Hi Eshal, it sounds like the proportions of liquid to dry ingredients was off or it wasn’t cooked long enough on the stove – both could result in a runny/sticky dough.
I tried again it was better and amazing thanks Natasha,love you
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
My husband made hot chocolate that was a little too thick. So I decided to make churros to dip it in. I am so happy to have run across your recipe. It was just what I was looking for! It was easy to make and video helped a lot! It was lighter than what we are used to but we enjoyed it so much!
Hi Cristina! That’s wonderful. I’m glad you found this recipe. It sounds amazing.
Thank you for putting the amounts of the ingredients in the directions. It saves scrolling back up to see how much flour I should add!!
You’re welcome! Glad that was helpful.
I am very disappointed in you Natalia! These churros were time consuming and made a big mess and I was late to my grandson’s nail appointment! The batter also dripped down quickly. The taste was okay, atleast my granbabies liked it. Tasted like french toast and cinnamon too, off putting if you ask me.
Hi Barbara, I’m sorry to hear it didn’t go as planned for you. I’m always happy to help troubleshoot. As you can see in the video, the batter isn’t supposed to be drippy – maybe the proportions of liquid to dry ingredients was off? This is the same batter we use to make eclairs, cream puffs and zeppole and we have used it for years. It’s worth another try! Watch the video to see where the consistency changed and also check out our post on how to measure ingredients.
So harsh Barbra. Wow. I guess there is no chance you made a mistake? Even if you didn’t being rude just makes me very disappointed in you. This is a free recipe. I also missed in the instructions where she said this is so easy and quick you should make it right before an important appointment. Your review is off putting if you ask me(which no one did just like no one asked you yours). I hope you have better and kinder days.
You took the words right out of my mouth Shelly. I agree. But Natasha is still so gracious in her response. You’re a class act Natasha. (P.S. I’ve made this recipe countless times and it’s perfect every time! Making it again in the morning for 6 of our grandkids who will be here.) they’re all so excited to get these for breakfast with a little mountain of whipped cream to dip them in!
Hi Paulette! Thank you so much. My kids love these, what a treat for the grandkids! Enjoy!
Wow , you really get some rude people that blame you for everything that goes wrong ! Iam so sorry you have to be treated like that .
This is harsh. I do weddings and proms and I made these for a prom of about 150 people for our chocolate fountain and they turned out perfect. Everyone commented on how good they were and we just didn’t have enough. It really is the person behind it that makes it what it is. I love Natasha’s recipes and they always turn out great!
Did you make ahead and freeze then and reheat before the event? I’m trying to read if anyone has tried that yet. Need to cook them for 50 people tomorrow for a party.
These were so easy to make and taste so light. It was hard not to eat to many. Love this recipe and will continue to make it.
That’s great to hear, Yasmine! Thank you for sharing.
I made this today! Easy to follow directions, they turned out delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
You’re welcome, Tom! I’m so glad it was enjoyed.
these were amazing!!, big fan of all natasha’s recipes!!, thanks for another great one i will be sure to make there again
Hi Sophia! I’m so glad to hear that.
My mom has decided that rather than our traditional Christmas brunch, she’s fixing enchiladas. So, I found your post with so many great ideas to go with her enchiladas. I’ve only ever tried churros once before and they turned out more like hush puppies, gross. LOL So I’m excited to find this lovely recipe with so many encouraging comments. I’ll give it a try! We first had churros when we were staying with my friend in Seville and have loved them ever since!
It sounds like it will be delicious! I hope you love this recipe, Jane!
This is an update to my first review made 2 weeks ago. I had previously written that I’d made a couple tweaks and they turned out great. Well over the weekend I made these again for grandchildren and made no adjustments at all, following the recipe exactly…. And they were even better!!! Lesson learned; Natashas recipes need no tweaking! I serve these with a little mountain of whipped cream for the grandkids to dip them in. We’ve got 17 young grandkids (so far) and I’m making these for a fun breakfast whenever any of them spend the night. The older ones like using scissors to cut the dough off as I pipe it into the hot oil. And they can roll them in the cinnamon sugar after I briefly drain them on a paper towel. They love to cook with Mimi and I treasure making these memories with them!
Hello Paulette, that’s awesome! Thank you for trying the recipe as it is and I’m so happy that you loved it so much!
17 grandkids…you are so lucky! I have only one. I have made churros but anxious to try out this recipe.
Thank you. We have a large family and each of these grandchildren have been such a blessing. My favorite thing to do with them is cooking up memories in the kitchen! Enjoy your grand! 🙂
Well you’ve done it again Natasha! We had a bunch of our young grandchildren over for a pizza/movie/sleepover at Mimi and Papa’s house and I wanted to make something fun for breakfast for them. The churros turned out GREAT! I added 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg to the dough as well as 1/2 tsp vanilla to the water and milk mixture before adding flour. They were perfect! We felt they were sweet enough without adding any sauces although we did serve with some whipped cream and warm apple cider. The kids loved them! Thanks again. I KNEW I could count on your recipe to be foolproof!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your excellent review, Paulette!
I made these last night. They are so easy (minus my lack of coordination to pipe and cut at the same time so my husband cut). They are absolutely delicious and my family loves them. Can you please tell me the best way to store them? I waited until they cooled and put them in an airtight container, but they are really soft this morning.
Hi Stephanie! We have kept them for a couple of days in an air-tight container, but we love them best fresh! They keep really well at room temperature overnight and they can be enjoyed at room temperature the next day. You can reheat the churros in the oven at 400˚F for about 5-6 minutes then re-roll in cinnamon sugar. I would not microwave them to reheat or they can seem greasy after that.
Hello, can this recipe be used in Churro machine. Thank you
Hi Lindsay, I imagine that would be fine!
Hi! Can you make it the day before? I would like to take some to my daughters school but I can’t make it the same day
Hi Matilde, I haven’t tried doing that yet to advise but I imagine that the dough can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day before frying. Bring the dough back to room temperature before frying. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try.
Hi
If I cook it and leave it in the counter for the next day, will the churros get hard or better to keep it in a container?
Thank you
Hi Matilde. I think they will become hard if not covered. We have kept them for a couple of days in an air-tight container, but we love them best fresh! They keep really well at room temperature overnight and they can be enjoyed at room temperature the next day. You can reheat the churros in the oven at 400˚F for about 5-6 minutes then re-roll in cinnamon sugar.
I love it i still didn’t make it but i know it will turn out good because your recipes are easy not because they are but you make them easy. I love how you explain to people how to do it
By the way i’m a big fan! I love your videos. sooo much😄
Thank you for the love and support, Fatima! 🙂
So glad you find them helpful, Fatima. I appreciate the feedback. 🙂