Over 4 years of Sunday morning experiments and 312 batches tested, I'm sharing this churros recipe that finally matched the ones I fell in love with during my month in Madrid. My culinary school friend Carlos, whose grandmother ran a churro cart in Barcelona for 40 years, taught me the real secret isn't in fancy equipment - it's in getting your oil temperature exactly right and understanding when your dough has the perfect consistency.
Why You'll Love This Easy Churros Recipe
From 4 years of making these every weekend with Emma, this churros recipe works because it's surprisingly forgiving once you get the hang of it. The dough comes together in under 10 minutes, and unlike bread or pastries, there's no rising time or complicated folding techniques. Made with ingredients you probably have right now, each batch costs about $1.50 to make.
The real payoff happens when you bite through that crispy, cinnamon-sugar crust and hit the soft, airy center. Emma calls them "crunchy clouds," which is pretty accurate. Whether you're dipping them in thick hot chocolate for breakfast or serving them warm after dinner, these homemade cinnamon-sugar churros never fail to make people smile. Plus, watching kids (and adults) try to eat them without getting sugar everywhere is half the fun.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Easy Churros Recipe
- Ingredients for Perfect Churros Recipe
- How To Make Churros Recipe Step By Step
- Churros Recipe Variations
- Substitutions For Churros Recipe
- Churros Recipe Equipment
- Storing Your Churros Recipe (Spoiler: Don't)
- The Recipe That My Friend and I Still Argue Over
- Top Tip
- What to Serve With Your Churros Recipe
- FAQ
- Time to Heat That Oil!
- Related
- Pairing
- Churros Recipe
Ingredients for Perfect Churros Recipe
The Dough:
- All-purpose flour
- Water
- Unsalted butter
- Large eggs
- Fine salt
- Sugar
For Frying:
- Vegetable oil
The Coating:
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Churros Recipe Step By Step
Make the Dough:
- Heat water, butter, salt, and sugar in saucepan
- Bring to rolling boil
- Remove from heat immediately
- Add flour all at once
- Stir hard until mixture pulls away from sides
- Let cool 5 minutes
- Beat in eggs one at a time
Prep for Frying:
- Heat oil to 375°F in heavy pot
- Mix cinnamon and sugar in shallow dish
- Fill piping bag with dough
- Cut tip or use star tip
The Frying:
- Pipe 4-6 inch lengths directly into oil
- Use scissors to cut dough
- Fry 2-3 minutes until golden
- Flip once halfway through
- Don't overcrowd the pot
Finish:
- Serve immediately
- Drain on paper towels 30 seconds
- Roll in cinnamon sugar while warm
Churros Recipe Variations
Sweet Coatings:
- Vanilla sugar (with vanilla bean)
- Chocolate cinnamon mix
- Orange zest sugar
- Maple cinnamon blend
Filled Churros:
- Nutella injection after frying
- Dulce de leche filling
- Vanilla pastry cream
- Chocolate ganache
Dipping Sauces:
- Thick hot chocolate (Spanish style)
- Caramel sauce
- Chocolate fudge
- Berry compote
Holiday Versions:
- Pumpkin spice coating for fall
- Peppermint sugar for winter
- Lemon sugar for spring
- Coconut roll for summer
Savory Twist:
- Skip the sugar coating
- Serve with cheese sauce
- Try with herb salt
- Dip in garlic aioli
Substitutions For Churros Recipe
Flour Options:
- All-purpose → Gluten-free flour blend
- Regular → Whole wheat pastry flour
- Standard → Almond flour (use less liquid)
Fat Choices:
- Butter → Coconut oil
- Unsalted → Vegan butter
- Regular → Margarine
Egg Alternatives:
- Regular eggs → Flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoon water per egg)
- Standard → Aquafaba (3 tablespoon per egg)
Oil Swaps:
- Vegetable oil → Canola oil
- Regular → Peanut oil
- Standard → Avocado oil
Sugar Coating:
- White sugar → Coconut sugar
- Regular → Brown sugar
- Plain → Add cardamom or nutmeg
Churros Recipe Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pot (at least 3 quarts)
- Candy thermometer
- Piping bag or large zip-top bag
- Star tip (or just cut corner)
- Kitchen scissors
- Paper towels for draining
Storing Your Churros Recipe (Spoiler: Don't)
Same Day Storage:
- Keep warm in 200°F oven up to 1 hour
- Place on wire rack (not paper towels)
- Don't cover or wrap
- Re-crisp in oven if needed
Leftover Reality:
- Refrigerate up to 2 days
- Reheat in 350°F oven for 5 minutes
- They'll be chewier but still taste good
- Kids don't seem to mind the texture change
Make-Ahead Tips:
- Heat oil fresh when ready to fry
- Prepare dough and refrigerate up to 1 day
- Bring to room temperature before piping
- Mix cinnamon sugar ahead
The Recipe That My Friend and I Still Argue Over
My culinary school friend and I have been having the same argument for three years now about this churros recipe. He insists his grandmother's version used a splash of vanilla in the dough, while I swear the traditional Spanish way is just the five basic ingredients. We've made batch after batch, side by side, trying to prove each other wrong. Last summer at Emma's birthday party, he brought his vanilla version and I made my traditional ones. The kids couldn't tell the difference, but the adults kept going back to his.
Turns out, that tiny bit of vanilla - maybe half a teaspoon - doesn't make the churros taste like vanilla at all. It just rounds out the flavor and makes them taste more... complete somehow. I hate admitting he was right, but now I add the vanilla too. He still gloats about it every time we make churros together. Emma thinks the whole argument is silly since "they both taste like cinnamon sugar anyway," which is probably the smartest thing anyone's said about this ongoing debate.
Top Tip
- From 4 years of weekend churros experiments and teaching this to Emma's friends' parents, these tips will save you time and trouble. Let your dough cool 5 minutes before adding eggs or they'll scramble, and beat eggs in one at a time for smooth texture. The dough should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped, and you can make it the night before and refrigerate if needed.
- When piping, cut dough with scissors right at the oil surface and start with shorter churros until you get the hang of it. Keep your piping bag twisted tight or dough will leak out, and wipe scissors between cuts to prevent sticking. My go-to moves include mixing cinnamon sugar ahead of time, having paper towels ready for draining, rolling in sugar while still warm for best coating, and always taste testing the first one for quality control.
What to Serve With Your Churros Recipe
From hosting countless weekend brunches and late-night dessert sessions, here's what goes well with churros. For the traditional Spanish experience, serve them with thick hot chocolate for dipping, strong coffee or espresso, fresh orange juice, or warm milk with honey. Sweet companions like vanilla ice cream, fresh berries and whipped cream, caramel sauce, or chocolate fondue work great too. For breakfast, try them alongside scrambled eggs and bacon, fresh fruit salad, Greek yogurt with honey, or café con leche.
The key is keeping everything simple since churros are already rich and sweet. Emma always wants them with vanilla ice cream, while I prefer the traditional hot chocolate. My neighbor swears by serving them with fresh strawberries, which actually cuts through the sweetness nicely. When hosting parties, I set up multiple dipping sauces, keep cinnamon sugar in small bowls, create a hot chocolate bar, and have a coffee and tea station ready.
FAQ
What are the ingredients of Churros Recipe?
Traditional churros recipe need just five basic ingredients: all-purpose flour, water, unsalted butter, eggs, and a pinch of salt and sugar. For frying, you'll need vegetable oil, and for coating, granulated sugar mixed with cinnamon. Some recipes add vanilla extract to the dough for extra flavor depth.
What is the difference between Mexican and Spanish Churros Recipe?
Spanish churros recipe are typically thinner, less sweet, and often served plain or with hot chocolate for dipping. Mexican churros are usually thicker, filled with dulce de leche or cajeta, and heavily coated in cinnamon sugar. Spanish versions focus on the dough's texture, while Mexican styles emphasize sweet fillings and toppings.
Are Churros Recipe hard to make?
Churros aren't difficult once you understand the technique. The dough comes together quickly, but getting the oil temperature right (375°F) is important. The trickiest part is piping the dough directly into hot oil, but after a few practice churros, you'll get the hang of it.
What kind of oil do you use to make Churros Recipe?
Use neutral oils with high smoke points like vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil. Avoid olive oil, which burns at high temperatures and gives churros a bitter taste. You need about 2-3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot for proper frying.
Time to Heat That Oil!
Now you have all the secrets to making great churros - from the right dough consistency to my friend's vanilla trick that I still pretend to hate admitting works. These golden, crispy treats show that some of the best desserts come from the simplest ingredients and a little bit of courage to drop dough into hot oil.
Craving more homemade pastries? Try our seasonal favorite The Best Pumpkin Roll Recipe that's great for fall gatherings and holiday tables. Need something for dinner? Our Easy Soft Bread Rolls Recipe makes any meal feel special. Or treat yourself to our The Best Cheese Danish Recipe that tastes just like the bakery version but costs a fraction of the price!
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Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Churros Recipe
Churros Recipe
Equipment
- 1 heavy‑bottomed pot (at least 3 qt for frying)
- 1 candy thermometer (to hold oil at 375 °F)
- 1 piping bag (or zip‑top bag) (with star tip or cut corner)
- 1 kitchen scissors (to cut churro lengths)
- — Paper towels (for draining)
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar - for dough
- 1 cup all‑purpose flour
- 4 large eggs - room temperature
- — — vegetable oil - for frying ~2 in. deep
- 1 cup granulated sugar - for coating
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon - mixed with coating sugar
Instructions
- Boil water, butter, salt, and sugar together before stirring in all-purpose flour until dough pulls away from pot sides.
- Allow dough to cool slightly, then beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Preheat vegetable oil to 375 °F in a heavy-bottomed pot for optimal frying temperature.
- Pipe dough directly into the hot oil in 4–6 inch lengths and fry, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp.
- Transfer churros to paper towels to drain briefly, then toss warm churros in a cinnamon‑sugar mixture until coated.
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