Wrapped in a blanket of cinnamon and sugar, then dipped in chocolate or caramel sauce, it is the best easy homemade churros recipe around.
This easy homemade churros recipe has it all. This donut is the epitome of sugar and spice thanks to the crunch of sugar and the unmistakable warmth of cinnamon spice. The finale is the dip. Smooth chocolate or caramel sauce is the literal icing on the cake and adds decadence.
Whether for Cinco de Mayo or a party of two, these Mexican treasures make a lasting impression.
My son, who was 11 at the time, and we were just on our way out grocery shopping. I asked him what he felt like eating.
To my surprise, he said tacos and churros! He'd remembered the taco party we'd had the month before and how good the food was.
The Mexican churros I'd made stood out in his mind. He said it was one of the best desserts he'd ever had! And considering he liked a lot of things, and still does, that was saying something!
Well, I couldn't disappoint him, so with his help, we got to work making tacos and this wonderfully sweet, easy homemade churros recipe.
What is a Churro?
Basically, it's a fried doughnut that's typically rolled in sugar and cinnamon. Although churros' origin is not exactly known, it's definitely a Spanish and Portuguese cuisine.
In Latin America, churros are served for breakfast in cafes, but people eat them any time of day. In Mexico, street vendors, bakeries, shopping centers, and markets sell them and are available all day long.
Making this Easy Homemade Churros Recipe
How do you make churros? I always have my homemade churros recipe handy. Learning how to make homemade churros is easier than you might think.
Here are the kitchen essentials you need to get started on creating fabulous churros:
- 2 rimmed baking sheets
- stand mixer with paddle
- piping bag and piping tip(s)
- Dutch oven, heavy bottomed pot or deep fryer for deep frying
- Saucepan
- Rubber spatula
- large plate
- paper towels
This easy homemade churros recipe will have you wondering why you didn't make them sooner. I consider it to be one of the best churros recipes around.
When it comes to churros ingredients, it's mainly about the dough. It's really unlike any other texture out there. Delicious, fluffy, and sweet.
The mere thought of making churro dough might seem a bit too much. But it's surprisingly simple and is actually a whole lot of fun once you get started.
Churros Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- water
- butter (unsalted)
- sugar
- vanilla extract
- salt
- all-purpose flour
- eggs
- vegetable oil
- Cooking oil spray
Instructions
- Line one rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, vanilla and salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove pan from heat and immediately add the flour.
- Stir with rubber spatula until well-mixed with no streaks of flour remaining.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl with stand mixer fitted with a paddle and mix on low until cooled slightly; about 1 minute.
- Add eggs and increase speed to medium. Beat until fully incorporated; about 1 minute.
- Place dough in a piping bag fitted with ⅝ inch closed-star pastry tip (recommended). See other options below.
- Pipe 18 (6 inch) lengths of dough onto baking sheet and use scissors to sip dough at tip.
- Refrigerate uncovered for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees.
- Set a wire rack over second baking sheet and place in oven.
- Line a large plate with triple layers of paper towel.
- Pour oil in Dutch oven until it measures about 1-½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees.
- Gently drop churros into hot oil and fry until they're a dark golden brown on all sides; about 6 minutes, turn frequently while cooking.
- To maintain oil temperature of 350-375 degrees, adjust burner if necessary.
- Transfer churros to paper towel-lined plate for 30 seconds to drain off excess oil. Then over to the wire rack in oven.
- Repeat the process by cooking the dough in batches ensuring oil temperature remains at 350-375 degrees.
At the tender young age of 8 or 9, my son badly wanted to drop the dough in the oil. But it was a risk I wasn't willing to take.
Since the rest of the ingredients were about the coating and the sauces, that's where my son got to join in the fun.
What is a Churro Piping Tip?
Basically, it's a pastry tip that sits at the end of the piping bag. Generally, pastry tips are used to ice cakes and make doughnuts like churros.
Depending on how fat or thin you like your churros, there are 3 pastry tips to choose from:
- 1M - a small star tip that's ideal for a crunchy, thin churro.
- #847 - has a wide opening that produces a thick, churro with deeper edges.
- #849 - perfect for crispy, bite-sized churros.
Churro Bites
If I'm facing a 6-inch churro, I'm going to eat all of it. So making bite-size churros may be just the ticket if you don't want to overindulge. Although, it doesn't guarantee you'll limit yourself to just one or two of these mini churros! They're just so darn good.
Chocolate Sauce for Churros
Chocolate churros are a chocolate doughnut lover's dream come true. Churros and chocolate meant to be together. With just 4 ingredients, you can make the best chocolate churro dipping sauce around!
It's the perfect way to enjoy these easy homemade churros.
- cream
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- pinch of salt
- vanilla extract
Caramel Sauce for Easy Homemade Churros Recipe
Not everyone likes chocolate. That's just a fact. A lot of people prefer caramel sauce with churros. Chocolate and caramel sauce are on equal playing fields as far as I'm concerned.
So, I quite often make both and I'm never sorry for doing it. Caramel sauce for churros is hugely popular. It's amazing what these simple ingredients can do!
- sugar
- water
- corn syrup
- heavy cream
- vanilla extract
- salt
The beauty of both sauces is that they go with lots of other things, not just these easy homemade churros. If there's any leftover, serve them with fresh fruit, cakes, cookies, pancakes, sundaes, puddings; and the list goes on.
Fun Toppings Other than Sauces for This Easy Homemade Churros Recipe
If you're not a fan of the sauce, no worries. You don't even have to add a sauce if you don't want to! Some people just like the cinnamon and sugar taste while others may want to add a light dusting of powered sugar on top.
Cinnamon Churros
Would churros be churros without cinnamon? I think not. Cinnamon is one of those spices you can't mistake for anything else. Partner it up with sugar and these fried doughnuts turn into something magical! They meant for each other. Full stop.
Coating
- sugar
- cinnamon
What is a Churro Bar?
Only the best thing ever! The concept of a churro bar began in 2017 as a dessert bar on wheels that included churros and ice cream.
If planning a Cinco de Mayo or Taco party, including a churro bar completes it beautifully! No wheels required.
Pick a corner of the table for desserts and simply layout separate bowls for the chocolate, caramel sauces, cinnamon, sugar mixture, and ice cream. Labeling each bowl with instructions on whether to roll or dip, would be helpful to the guests.
Other toppings can include:
- whipped cream
- toasted coconut
- chopped nuts
- crushed Oreos
- different flavors of ice cream
Churro Makers
If you're a passionate and dedicated churro maker, you might want to consider getting a churro maker machine of your own. There are inexpensive home gadgets to a little more expensive to a lot more expensive.
Professional brands to commercial brands available ranging in price from a few hundred to a few thousand.
Personally, I don't make that many churros, that often. So, using my handy-dandy dutch oven or fryer works perfectly for me.
But if you consume sweet churros all the time, you might want to invest in your very own Churro maker.
How to Reheat These Easy Homemade Churros
I will say that this is one recipe that really does taste better freshly cooked. However, in saying that, you can totally reheat them and enjoy them again.
I like to use my air fryer to reheat them because it does a great job of crisping them on the outside and making them warm and delicious on the inside.
You can also pop them in the microwave for a few quick seconds, too. This won't make them crispy but it will make them hot!
Can you freeze Churros for later?
You can make up the dough and freeze it but I wouldn't freeze any leftover already cooked churros. They're best served hot and fresh.
How to Store These Easy Homemade Churros
If you're lucky enough to have Churros left over, just add them to a sealable container and keep them stored in the fridge. This is the easiest way to keep them fresh for a few days.
Try This Easy Homemade Churros Recipe
Have fun making this delicious churros dessert. It's certain to be an instant favorite in your house! This recipe is easier than it might look, and the end product is just so delicious.
This rich, tasty fried treat is filled with cinnamon and dipped in chocolate or caramel. It's just the perfect dessert, and everyone in the family will agree!
Video
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
Easy Homemade Churros Recipe
Equipment
- 2 rimmed baking sheets
- Stand Mixer hand mixer
- paddle attachment
- piping bag and piping tip(s)
- Dutch Oven or heavy bottomed pot or deep fryer for deep frying
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 quarts vegetable oil
- cooking spray
Chocolate Sauce
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Coating
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Caramel Sauce - 2 cups
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup heavy or whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pull out and measure all of the ingredients.
- Prepare the first rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add butter to a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Next, add water, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stir until blended.
- Bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and add the flour.
- Stir with a spatula until blended.
- Make sure there are no flour streaks left in the dough.
- Transfer dough to a bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment. Blend on low speed until dough cools; about a minute or two only.
- Increase speed to medium and add eggs. Beat until incorporated; another minute or two.
- Transfer warm dough to a piping bag fitted with ⅝-inch closed star pastry tip. Pipe 18 (6-inch) lengths of dough onto prepared sheet, using scissors to snip dough at tip. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
READY TO MAKE CHURROS
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack and place second rimmed baking sheet in oven. Line a large plate with triple layers of paper towel.
- Add oil to Dutch oven, heavy-bottomed saucepan or deep fryer until it measures about 1-½ inches deep. Set heat to medium-high or 375 degrees.
- Carefully drop 6 churros into hot oil at a time. Fry until dark golden-brown on all sides, turning or rolling regularly; approximately 6 minutes. Adjust temperature to maintain oil heat; between 350 and 375 degrees. Transfer churros to the paper towel–lined plate for 30 seconds to drain off excess oil. Then transfer to wire rack in oven. Return oil to 375 degrees and cook remaining dough in batches until done.
Chocolate Sauce
- Microwave cream, chocolate chips, and salt in a bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted; about 2 minutes.
- Add vanilla and stir until smooth.
Caramel Sauce
- Pull out measure ingredients.
- In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring sugar, water, and corn syrup to a boil. Cook, without stirring until mixture is straw-colored; 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, swirling saucepan occasionally, until mixture is amber-colored and registers between 360 and 370 degrees; 2 to 5 minutes longer.
- Take saucepan off the heat and quickly, but carefully stir in cream, vanilla, and salt (mixture will bubble and steam).
- Continue to stir until sauce is smooth. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Reheat in microwave, stirring frequently, until warm and smooth.)
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish.
- Roll warm churros in cinnamon sugar, tapping gently to remove excess.
- Transfer churros to a platter and serve warm with chocolate and/or caramel sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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