These Churros are soft on the inside, crisp and golden brown on the outside, and tossed with cinnamon sugar. Made with very basic ingredients, they’re a quick and easy treat that doesn’t need to be saved for special occasions!
We fell in love with these crispy, sugary pieces of fried dough several years ago, when they were one of the most popular treats at Disney. We’re big fans of funnel cake and donuts, so it’s no surprise we fell in love with this version of fried dough, too. While they’re popping up more frequently at fairs and carnivals here in the United States these days, making churros at home is still my preference. They’re just so easy!
So, What is a Churro Anyway?
Churros are essentially fried dough, similar to a donut but in a long, ribbed shape. They originated in Spain and are still very popular in Spain and Portugal, where they are typically served with chocolate sauce for dipping. They’re also popular in Mexico, where it’s more common to have them served coated with cinnamon sugar and no dipping sauce.
They’re a street snack, often bought from vendors who fry them right in front of you, and meant to be enjoyed while you wander. Sometimes you’ll get one super long churro, and other times several smaller pieces. Either way, they’re delicious!
Why These Homemade Churros Are So Good
- Inspired by Disney. We first became obsessed with churros after trying them at Disney. They’re one of the few budget desserts at the parks, and they definitely had a moment a few years ago, kinda like the Disney Dole Whip more recently. One thing they do differently is add cinnamon right to the dough to give a warm flavor throughout.
- That cinnamon sugar coating. Whether you plan to dip them in chocolate sauce or not, that cinnamon sugar coating is essential! These are tossed in a generous amount of the mixture when still hot from frying, which allows the sugar to adhere a bit better.
- Crisp outside, soft inside. A good churro has a crisp, golden brown outside and a soft, tender inside. Keeping the oil at 350F and cutting smaller pieces of dough helps perfect that texture in this recipe.
What You’ll Need
One thing that’s so great about this recipe is that it’s made with very basic ingredients, like flour, eggs, and butter. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Water – Boiling water helps the dough come together.
- Unsalted butter – Adds richness to the dough. Be sure to use unsalted so that salt can be added separately.
- Salt – Adds flavor to the dough.
- Cinnamon – A bit of cinnamon is added to the dough to give it a warm flavor, plus more is mixed with sugar to get the cinnamon sugar topping.
- All-purpose flour – I recommend spooning the flour into the measuring cup and then leveling it off with a knife for more accurate measuring. Too much flour can change the final churro texture.
- Eggs – Help bind everything together and add a slightly chewy texture.
- Oil – Vegetable oil or canola oil for deep frying.
- Sugar – To make the cinnamon sugar topping.
How To Make Churros
The process for making these goes by surprisingly quickly! Since they’re bite-sized, they fry in just a couple of minutes. The printable instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Boil the water. Add the water, butter, salt, and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil.
- Add the flour. Reduce the heat to low. Add the flour. Stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball of dough. Let the mixture cool for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the eggs. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, until fully combined.
- Prep to fry. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350F.
- Pipe the dough. Transfer the dough into a piping bag with a large star tip. Pipe 1-inch strips of dough directly over the oil, cutting them with a knife or scissors. Be careful of any splash from the hot oil. Repeat until the saucepan is full of churro bites but not overfilled.
- Fry. Let the dough fry until golden brown. This takes just a couple of minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel.
- Toss in cinnamon sugar. Combine the sugar and remaining cinnamon in a bowl. Toss the hot churro bites until coated.
- Enjoy. Serve immediately with dipping sauce, if desired.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are a few tips to ensure your churros end up soft on the inside but crisp on the outside.
- Keep the oil temperature consistent. It’s important that the oil is preheated to 350F and stays at that temperature between batches. Otherwise, the dough won’t begin cooking immediately and the outside won’t be as crisp. A candy thermometer clipped on the pan is the easiest way to monitor the temperature.
- Cut over the oil. Cut the dough right over the frying pan to avoid flattening the edges. It’s also a pretty sticky dough, so it’s just best to not touch it. A knife or scissors can be used to cut it. Just take care to not create an oil splash when they drop in the oil.
- Fry in batches. Depending on the size of your pan, you will likely need to fry these in batches. Since they are bite-sized, you can fit quite a few in the pan, but be sure to leave space between the pieces so they fry evenly.
- What if I don’t have a star tip? The star tip gives the classic ridged edges. If you don’t have one, you can cut the corner off a ziploc bag and use it as a piping bag. You won’t get the textured outside, but they’ll still taste great.
- Size matters. Churros come in all sizes but for this recipe, cutting them around 1” to 3” is best. You can go bigger, depending on the size of your frying pan, but I like the fun bite-sized effect. Longer pieces will require slightly longer cooking time as well.
- Drain before coating in sugar. Use a slotted spoon to let any excess oil drip off, then place them on paper towels to absorb any additional grease for a minute or two, before tossing them in the cinnamon sugar.
What To Dip Them In
These churros can definitely be enjoyed with just the cinnamon sugar. But the real fun comes with the dipping sauce!
Dipping them in chocolate sauce is traditional. Caramel sauce, dulce de leche, and strawberry sauce are all great options.
How To Store Them
Churros are best enjoyed immediately, when they are still warm from frying. They will become softer as they cool. If you do plan on leftovers, skip the cinnamon sugar to add later.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container or ziploc bag at room temperature. They’re best enjoyed within 1-2 days.
- Reheat: The best way to reheat them is to pop them in the oven or the air fryer, which will help them crisp up again. The microwave will just make them soft.
Churros Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon divided
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil or canola oil
- ½ cup sugar
Instructions
- Combine water, butter, salt, and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon in medium size saucepan over medium heat. Bring to rolling boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low. Add flour and stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball of dough. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-7 min.
- Add eggs to the dough, one at a time, and stir until fully combined. Set aside.
- Heat oil in medium skillet or 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat or until temperature reaches 350˚.
- Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe 1-inch strip of dough over saucepan, cut with knife, and drop into hot oil. Repeat until churro bites fill saucepan with room to fry.
- Fry churros until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon or mesh strainer and place churro bites on paper towel.
- Mix sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in medium bowl. Toss in churro bites until coated. Place on serving plate and serve with favorite dipping sauce.
Last Step:
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6 comments on “Easy Churros Recipe”
Just what I was looking for easy thanks
Thanks Susan!
I made these but customized it a bit by adding sugar and vanilla to the mixture and uses only 7 tablespoons of butter. They came out so
How much sugar & how much vanilla? That sounds amazing!
These were SOOOO good!!
Thank you SweetBaker!