Easy Churro Recipe

I’m sharing How to Make Churros at Home that come out golden and crispy, rolled in cinnamon-sugar and perfect for dunking in melted chocolate or dulce de leche.

I love when something as simple as fried pastry becomes way more than the sum of its parts. My Easy Churros Recipe came from stubbornly tinkering until the outside was perfectly crisp and the inside still tender.

I use all purpose flour and a good hint of ground cinnamon so the flavor feels classic but kinda irresistible. If you’ve watched How To Make Churros At Home clips and thought they looked tricky, they arent.

I ruined a few batches before finding the rhythm, so yeah it’s forgiving. Come for the crunch, stay for the dusting and maybe a messy dip.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour: main structure, lots carbs and gluten makes churro dough chewy not healthy.
• Eggs: add protein and moisture, bind dough, yolks give richness and a bit of fat.
• Butter: gives richness and slight sweetness, adds fat for tender crumb and lots of flavor.
• Granulated sugar: makes them sweet and crispy outside, carbs heavy, little real nutrition.
• Ground cinnamon: warm aromatic spice, adds flavor and smell, tiny antioxidants, not many calories.
• Vegetable oil: supplies frying fat, high calories, creates golden crispy texture, reuse not recommended.
• Chocolate ganache: semi sweet chocolate and cream make a rich dip, extra sugar and fat.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for dough)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• Vegetable oil for frying, about 2 to 3 cups
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for coating)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Optional dipping: 4 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
• Optional dipping: 1/4 cup heavy cream (for chocolate ganache)
• Optional: 1/2 cup dulce de leche or caramel sauce

How to Make this

1. In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and set aside for coating. If you want chocolate ganache or dulce de leche, warm 4 ounces semisweet chips with 1/4 cup heavy cream in 20 second microwave bursts stirring until smooth, or gently heat cream and pour over chips, or warm 1/2 cup dulce de leche for dipping.

2. In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat.

3. Remove pan from heat, add 1 cup all purpose flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball, about 30 to 60 seconds. Return to low heat and stir for another 30 seconds to dry the dough a bit.

4. Transfer the dough to a bowl or mixer bowl and let cool 4 to 5 minutes so it wont cook the eggs. Beat in 2 large room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, until the dough is smooth, shiny and pipeable. If the dough looks too stiff add a teaspoon of water or another beaten egg, but usually 2 eggs is enough.

5. Pour 2 to 3 cups vegetable oil into a heavy pot to a depth of about 2 inches and heat to 350 to 375 degrees F. If you dont have a thermometer test with a small drop of dough it should sizzle and rise slowly.

6. Fit a piping bag with a large star tip or use a sturdy zip top bag with the corner snipped and fill with dough. Pipe 4 to 6 inch strips directly into the hot oil, cutting with scissors. Fry in batches without crowding, turning once, until deep golden and crisp, about 2 to 4 minutes per batch depending on size.

7. Remove churros with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain for a few seconds then immediately toss in the cinnamon sugar so the coating sticks while they are hot. Keep finished churros warm on a baking sheet in a low oven if making large batches.

8. Serve warm with the chocolate ganache, warmed dulce de leche, or your favorite dipping sauce. Tips: keep oil temperature steady, dont overcrowd the pot, and the churros are best eaten right away because they lose crispness as they cool.

Equipment Needed

1. Medium saucepan for cooking the dough
2. Wooden spoon for stirring and finishing the dough
3. Mixing bowl (or mixer bowl) and a hand mixer or whisk to beat in the eggs
4. Piping bag with a large star tip or a sturdy zip top bag with the corner snipped
5. Heavy pot or deep fryer for frying the churros
6. Candy or deep fry thermometer to keep oil at 350 to 375 F (dont let it get too hot)
7. Slotted spoon or spider strainer for lifting churros from the oil
8. Kitchen scissors to cut piped strips and trim bag corners
9. Baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain and keep finished churros warm
10. Microwave safe bowl or small heatproof bowl for melting chocolate or warming dulce de leche

FAQ

Easy Churro Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Unsalted butter: swap 1:1 with solid coconut oil or vegan butter for a dairy free version. Coconut gives a faint coconut taste, vegan butter mimics texture more closely.
• All purpose flour: use a 1-to-1 gluten free baking blend (with xanthan gum) cup for cup, or try pastry flour for a lighter, crispier churro.
• Large eggs: replace each egg with 3 tablespoons aquafaba (chickpea canning liquid) or use a commercial powdered egg replacer per package directions; it won’t be quite as rich but the dough will still bind.
• Vegetable oil for frying: any neutral high smoke point oil works, like peanut, canola, sunflower or avocado oil. Peanut oil gives extra crisp and handles high heat best.

Pro Tips

– Keep the dough texture right, not just the egg count. It should be glossy and pipeable so it flows but holds shape. If it looks too stiff, beat in a teaspoon of water or another beaten egg until it smooths out, dont add too much or youll end up with flat, greasy churros.

– Control oil temp and recover between batches. Aim for about 350 to 375 degrees F and let the oil come back up between batches, otherwise churros soak up oil and get soggy. Use a candy thermometer or watch for a steady gentle sizzle.

– Pipe carefully and avoid crowding. Pipe directly over the oil a few inches above the surface so the dough drops in without huge splashes, and fry in small batches so they crisp evenly. Turning once or twice is enough.

– Toss in the cinnamon sugar immediately and keep finished churros warm on a wire rack over a baking sheet in a low oven so they stay crisp. If you want smoother chocolate dip, warm the cream slowly and pour over chopped chocolate, then stir until fully melted and glossy.