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Churro being dipped into chocolate fudge.
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5 from 2 votes

Homemade Churros (Step by Step Instructions)

These simple, homemade churros are the best. Sweet, cinnamon fried dough with crispy edges and buttery soft insides all coated in a cinnamon sugar.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex Mex
Servings: 6
Author: Serene

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp butter unsalted
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 2 cups cooking oil for frying canola or vegetable oil

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Optional

  • ½ cup chocolate fudge sauce for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat 2 inches of cooking oil in a large pot or dutch oven to 375℉.
  • In a medium size saucepan add the water, butter, sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, stir to combine. Bring to a boil, water will start bubbling around the sides of the pan. Sugar will be completely dissolved in the water.
  • Remove from heat and add the flour. Stir to combine. 
  • Add this dough to the bowl of a stand mixer. 
  • Add in beaten egg. Mix completely using paddle attachment of mixer. It will take 2-3 minutes for the egg to combine with the dough, wait for dough to pull away from the edge of the bowl. Dough will be firm, and still slightly sticky, it will stick to the bottom of the mixing bowl.
  • Add dough to pastry bag (spray inside of pastry bag with cooking spray) fitted with star tip (Atecco 1M tip is my favorite!)
  • Squeeze out strips of dough 2 1/2 - 3 inches long into the hot oil, use scissors to cut the dough. Fry 3-4 strips of dough at a time to prevent crowding. 
  • Fry in oil for 2-2.5 minutes, turn then continue frying. Fry churros for approximately 4 minutes, until golden on all sides.
  • Remove from oil, place on large baking tray lined with a wire cooling rack, allow to cool briefly, (I add the next batch of batter to the oil) then dip into the cinnamon sugar topping while still warm. 
  • Serve warm with warm chocolate fudge sauce.

Video

Notes

  • Make Ahead Instructions: Churros are best made fresh and served warm. If needed prepare them for a dinner ahead of time and leave at room temperature. Simply cover loosely with foil for storage. 
  • To Reheat Churros: as the churros sit they will cool and soften. To help them warm and crisp back up, preheat oven to 350℉ and bake for about 7-9 minutes until warmed through and slightly crisp on the outside. 
  • Dough is runny? This can occur if the dough is allowed to cool in temperature too much before adding the egg. Working with the dough while it is still warm helps the dough come together and makes it easier to pipe. 
  • Dough Sticky: the churro dough will be sticky and thick, this helps it to keep it's shape when piped into the hot oil. 
  • Oil Temperature: Keep the oil temperature between 350-375℉ for optimal cooking. This helps the dough cook completely, getting a crispy outside and not overcooking. After removing a batch of cooked churros let the oil come back to temperature before adding the next batch. Check the temperature using an instant read thermometer. 
  • No Stand Mixer: If you don't have a stand mixer you can use a hand mixer or do this mixing by hand. Be sure to mix for at least 2-3 minutes because the egg will want to separate from the dough. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg