Bring the vibrant energy of a Spanish street market to your kitchen with these irresistible homemade churros. Made from a simple cooked dough (pâte à choux), they are piped and fried until gorgeously crisp and golden, then rolled in a warm cinnamon-sugar coating.
Served alongside a luxuriously thick and dark chocolate sauce, they are a fun, interactive, and downright delicious dessert perfect for sharing at any gathering.
The Science of a Crisp Exterior & A Tender Interior
The perfect churro has a crisp, lightly blistered shell that gives way to a soft, almost creamy interior. This texture is achieved by using a pâte à choux base—the same dough used for cream puffs and éclairs.
Cooking the flour with water and butter on the stove gelatinizes the starch, allowing the dough to absorb more eggs. When this dough hits the hot oil, the water inside turns to steam, puffing the churro and creating air pockets, while the exterior fries to a crisp.
The star-shaped piping tip is not just for looks; it creates ridges that increase the surface area, leading to more crispy, caramelized edges. The thick chocolate sauce, a Spanish-style chocolate a la taza, uses cornstarch as a thickener to achieve a velvety, clinging consistency perfect for dipping.
Ingredients
For the Churros:
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Chocolate Dipping Sauce:
- 4 oz (115g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
1. Make the Churro Dough (Pâte à Choux): In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and add the flour all at once.
Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 1 minute. Transfer dough to a mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. The dough should be smooth, glossy, and hold a peak. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip (like a 1M or 8B).
2. Prepare the Coating & Sauce: In a shallow dish or pie plate, mix the ½ cup sugar and cinnamon for the coating; set aside. For the sauce, place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
In a small saucepan, heat the cream and corn syrup until it just begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Keep warm.
3. Heat Oil & Pipe the Churros: In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 inches of oil to 375°F (190°C). While oil heats, pipe 4-6 inch strips of dough onto small squares of parchment paper. This makes them easy to transfer to the oil.
Once oil is ready, carefully slide a parchment square with dough into the hot oil (it will release). Fry 3-4 churros at a time, turning occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until deeply golden brown and crispy.
4. Drain & Coat: Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer fried churros to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain excess oil for 30 seconds. While still warm, roll each churro in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated. Transfer to a serving plate.
5. Serve Immediately: Serve the warm, sugar-coated churros immediately with the warm chocolate dipping sauce on the side.
6. Storage Note: Churros are best enjoyed fresh. Leftovers can be stored at room temperature and re-crisped in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5-7 minutes. The chocolate sauce can be refrigerated and reheated gently.
Pro-Tips for Perfect, Crispy Churros
- Oil Temperature is Key: Use a thermometer. Oil below 365°F will make greasy, soggy churros; above 385°F will brown them too quickly before the inside cooks.
- Piping onto Parchment: This trick allows you to pipe all your churros ahead of time and transfer them to the oil safely and easily.
- Don’t Crowd the Pot: Frying too many at once lowers the oil temperature dramatically.
- Coat While Warm: The cinnamon sugar adheres best to the churros when they are still hot from the fryer.
- Room Temperature Eggs: They incorporate into the warm dough much more smoothly than cold eggs.
- Star Tip is Essential: A star tip creates the classic ridged shape that gives churros their signature crispy texture. Round tips will not yield the same result.
These Classic Spanish Churros are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that’s as fun to make as they are to eat.
