Homemade Churros

Learn how to make the absolute best homemade churros! These golden, crispy-on-the-outside, soft-and-tender-on-the-inside treats are rolled in cinnamon sugar and paired with an irresistible chocolate dipping sauce.

Receta en Español

What are churros?

Churros are Spanish and Latin American pastries made from a simple choux-like dough that’s piped through a star-shaped nozzle and deep-fried until golden and crispy. The ridged exterior creates the perfect surface for dipping in cinnamon sugar, while the interior is tender and slightly chewy. Traditionally served with thick hot chocolate for dipping, churros have become a worldwide favorite for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Growing up, churros were a special treat during family grocery shopping trips—a half dozen always made their way into the car for the ride home, some coated in sugar and others drizzled with chocolate syrup. What once seemed like a complicated delicacy to make at home is actually incredibly simple! This churro recipe requires just a few basic ingredients and tools you likely already have in your kitchen.

Ingredient Notes

• Water: Adds moisture to the dough, creating steam that helps the churros puff up during frying.
• Butter: Adds richness and helps create a tender texture.
• Salt: To balance out the flavors.
• Sugar: Provides just enough sweetness to the dough itself! We will also dip them in a sugar and cinnamon mixture for added sweetness.
• All-purpose flour: This provides the structure of the churros.
• Egg: Egg also adds structure and gives the churro its chewy texture.
• Vanilla: For a depth of flavor.
• Oil: For the frying oil, choose a neutral oil with a high smoke point like vegetable oil or canola oil.
• Sugar & Ground Cinnamon: If you’d like, you can dip them in a cinnamon sugar mixture before serving!
• Chocolate Sauce: To make a homemade chocolate dipping sauce, you will need water, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt!

Tips for Success

• Make sure your water mixture is boiling before adding flour, and let the dough cool slightly, about 5 minutes, before adding the egg to prevent scrambling!
• Heat your oil to 350-375°F (175-190°C). Too cool and churros absorb oil, too hot and they’ll burn before cooking through. Just right, and you will get the perfect golden brown churros every time! If you don’t have a candy thermometer, test with a small piece of dough—it should sizzle immediately and float to the surface.
• Hold your piping bag a few inches above the oil and use scissors or a knife to cut the dough to your desired length. This prevents dangerous oil splatter.
• Don’t overcrowd the pot—fry 3-4 churros at a time to maintain oil temperature.
• Make sure to roll churros in cinnamon-sugar while still hot for the best adhesion! This will ensure the best cinnamon sugar churros possible.
• While a churrera (churro maker) is ideal, a sturdy pastry bag with a large star tip works perfectly.
• The dough should be thick but pipeable. If too thick, add a tiny bit more water; if too runny, cook it a bit longer.

Recipe Variations

1. Filled Churros: For an extra indulgent treat, fill your churros with dulce de leche (also known as manjar, arequipe, or cajeta), chocolate ganache, Nutella, pastry cream, or even jam. Simply use a larger piping tip and make thicker churros, then inject the filling using a small piping bag after frying.
2. Churro Bites: Pipe small, bite-sized pieces for a fun party snack or dessert topping.
3. Baked Churros: For a lighter version, pipe the dough onto a baking sheet, brush with melted butter, and bake at 425°F (220°C) until golden.
4. Alternative Dipping Sauces: While the chocolate sauce is traditional, try a caramel sauce or fruit coulis like strawberry sauce!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

The dough is best used immediately after making, as it can lose its texture when stored. However, you can refrigerate it for up to 2 hours, bringing it back to room temperature before piping.

How do I store leftover churros?

Churros are best eaten fresh, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes to crisp them up again.

What if I don’t have a star-shaped piping tip?

While the star tip creates the classic ridged texture that helps hold the sugar coating, you can use a round tip in a pinch. The churros just won’t have the signature ridges.

Homemade Churros

Simple and easy recipe for preparing homemade churros. They are rolled in a cinnamon sugar mix, and served with chocolate dipping sauce, or with dulce de leche.

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Course: Dessert, Snack, Sweets

Cuisine: Latin American, Spanish

Keyword: Chocolate sauce, Churros, Cinnamon sugar

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the churros:

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Oil for frying
• Sugar and ground cinnamon

For the chocolate dipping sauce:

• 1 cup water
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions

To prepare the churros:

• Place the water along with the butter, a pinch of salt and two tablespoons of sugar in a pot over medium heat. Stir and wait for it to boil.
• When the water is boiling, add the wheat flour little by little while mixing quickly with a spatula until you get a uniform batter. You will know that the mixture is ready when it completely comes away from the sides of the pot and a ball of dough begins to form. Remove from the heat.
• Put the dough in a bowl and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, mix well. You can use an electric mixer to obtain a more homogeneous batter.
• Place your churro dough mixture in a pastry bag. You can also use a churrera if you have one, but a pastry bag works very well along with a star nozzle.
• Place a medium saucepan with sufficient oil on the stove over medium/high heat.
• If you want your churros to be covered in sugar and cinnamon, have a plate ready with sugar or a mixture of sugar and cinnamon, as you will need to cover the churros while they are hot so that the sugar mix will stick to the churros.
• When the oil is very hot, begin placing strips of the churro mixture directly into the oil. Be very careful as it may splatter. It is recommended to cook 3-4 churros at a time to maintain the temperature of the oil. Allow the oil to heat up again before repeating.
• Once they are golden brown, place them on a plate with paper towels to drain off the excess grease and then dip them in the plate filled with sugar and cinnamon and turn them a few times to completely cover them. Repeat the same process until the churro batter is finished.
• Serve warm.

For the chocolate dipping sauce (can be made ahead of time):

• In a small pot, over medium heat, place the water, sugar, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves.
• Let it heat for a couple of minutes and when the syrup thickens, remove from the heat.
• Add the teaspoon of vanilla, mix again and let it cool before serving.

Step by step preparation photos for making homemade churros:

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