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Churros

Churros are delicious cinnamon-sugar-coated fried pastry dough desserts that are surprisingly simple to make at home and are the perfect party treat. This Churros recipe is our favorite!
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword churro, churros
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 25 churros
Calories 104kcal
Cost $3.52

Equipment

  • 1M Open Star Tip
  • Candy Thermometer
  • Pastry bag (preferably cloth/canvas)

Ingredients

Churros

  • 1/2 cup (130g) whole milk
  • 1/2 cup (110g) water
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons; 113g) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Mexican or plain vanilla extract)
  • 1 and 1/4 cup (160g) white all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • 3/4 cup (150g) white granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (46g) light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Chocolate Sauce

  • 4 ounces chopped dark chocolate (or semi-sweet)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Tiny pinch of fine sea salt

Dulce de Leche Sauce (Easy Version)

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup full-fat, regular sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

Dulce de Leche sauce (easy version)

  • In a medium-sized pot, heat 1 cup cream and 1 cup dark brown sugar. Stir while sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a slow boil. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces down to 1 cup (~10 minutes)
  • Once it has reduced, mix in 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk and stir until everything is well combined. Let stand at room temperature to thicken while making the Churros. Serve the sauce warm and re-warm it in the microwave if it starts to get too thick. 

Churros

  • In a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat, combine the 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon white sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 8 tablespoons butter. Stir until the butter is melted, and then bring the mixture to a rolling boil. As soon as the mixture boils, add the 1 and 1/4 cup flour. Reduce the heat to low and stir vigorously for 30 seconds to a minute and then remove from heat.
  • Using a silicone spatula, continue to mix, pressing out any lumps, until the dough is smooth, another 30 or so seconds (don't overmix dough). Let dough cool for 5 minutes and then add in the vanilla and one egg. Stir. It will seem hard to mix and gluey, but mix until it comes together. Add another egg and stir until incorporated. Add the final egg and again, stir until incorporated. Again, avoid overmixing the dough. As soon as it's cohesive, stop stirring.
  • Transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag fitted with an open star tip.
  • Preheat a deep fryer (or heavy-bottomed large pot over medium heat) to 350 degrees F. Fill with oil -- about 3 cups (you may need to add more as you fry). I highly recommend a candy thermometer to ensure the oil heat stays consistent; this is the best way to tell if Churros are frying evenly.
  • While oil is coming up to temperature, stir together the 3/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon in a small bowl, Set aside. Set out a large plate lined with a few paper towels.
  • Pipe 3 or 4 strips of dough (about 3 inches long) into the deep fryer or pot. Pipe the dough and then use kitchen scissors to cut the dough from the star tip into the oil -- do this carefully to avoid oil splattering and burning your arm.
  • Allow the Churros to fry until they are golden brown, flipping about halfway through the cooking time, for a total of about 2 minutes per side. I like to use a wire skimmer to remove the Churros. Transfer to paper towels to dry briefly (but don't wait long) and then transfer to prepared cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll to generously coat.
  • Repeat with remaining dough, being careful to not add more than 4 Churros to the pot at a time and watching the thermometer closely to ensure even/consistent 350 degree temperature.
  • Enjoy while hot with chocolate sauce and/or dulce de leche. Churros are best enjoyed immediately after being fried. 

Chocolate Sauce

  • Add all of the chocolate sauce ingredients to a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave in bursts of 15 seconds, stirring in between each burst, until melted and smooth. Stir until silky smooth. Serve the chocolate sauce warm and re-warm it in the microwave if it starts to get too thick.

Notes

Tips:
  • Number One tip: Use a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature of the oil; I've said this already, but I do think this is the most important key to success. Knowing the oil temperature is crucial for the perfect Churros.
  • Only fry 3-4 Churros at a time. If the oil is crowded with dough, it will lower the oil temperature.
  • Roll the fried Churros in the cinnamon-sugar mixture immediately after draining off excess oil; otherwise, the sugar won't stick.
  • Sauces: I recommend making the dulce de leche sauce before making the Churros and making the chocolate sauce during the last batch of frying. The chocolate sauce gets very thick as it cools. If it does thicken too much, place it back in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and/or thin with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
  • Don't overmix the Churro dough; this will cause tough Churros (instead of soft, light, and fluffy ones). 
Note 2: These calories are for the Churros and cinnamon sugar coating. Dipping sauces will vary in calories.

Nutrition

Serving: 25churros | Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.6g | Protein: 1.7g | Fat: 4.5g | Cholesterol: 32.6mg | Sodium: 12mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 8.9g