Easy Churros Recipe
I don’t think anyone can resist homemade Churros. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside with a sweet cinnamon sugar coating. You can enjoy churros by themselves, with warm chocolate sauce and dulce de leche.
What are churros?
Churros trace back to Spain, Portugal and Latin America. Made with choux pastry dough that you would use to make eclairs or cream puffs, these donuts get fried into crispy pieces that make it irresistible to eat just one.
Why you'll love my homemade churros recipe
Costco copycat churros
These churros taste like the ones from Costco food court but bigger and better!
Simple ingredients
I bet you have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now!
Helpful kitchen tools
These kitchen tools/gadgets will make your churro experience easier and more enjoyable. See below for any substitutions.
A candy thermometer: It’s an essential tool to have in the kitchen to measure the exact temperature of the oil. Shop my exact kitchen thermometer here. (Affiliate link)
A kitchen scale: Flour is the most over measured ingredient in recipes. For best results, my number one tip is get a scale. Shop my exact kitchen scale for baking here. (Affiliate link)
Piping bag with a star tip: Amazon has an affordable bundle for pastry bags and piping tips. Shop my exact tip and bags here. (Affiliate link)
Heavy-bottomed pot: A cast iron or Dutch oven distributes the hot oil temperature more evenly than a typical stainless steel pot.
How to make choux pastry
Prep the dough
In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water, sugar and salt. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted and mixture starts to simmer.
Mix in flour
Add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the mixture forms into a smooth ball. Remove from the sauce pan into a bowl. Set aside to slightly cool for about 10 minutes until warm to the touch.
Beat one egg at a time
Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer to beat one egg at a time until fully combined. By the last egg, the dough will become smooth, shiny, sticky and thick.
The “V” shape test
When you lift beater out of the choux dough, it should form a “v” shape that slowly breaks off.
How to make homemade churros
Make the churro batter
See above for how to make choux pastry.
Shape the churros
Prepare a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Pipe churros in a straight THIN zig zag line, about 6 inches long. Refrigerate tray for at least 1 hour. Refrigerating helps control the shape, keeping them straight. If making classic churros, skip this step and pipe directly into the oil.
Refrigerate
Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Fry until crispy
Individually cut each churro piece with parchment paper. Gentle add to pot of oil, remove the parchment paper once added to the pot. Fry until golden brown. Set aside on paper towel to drain excess oil then toss with cinnamon sugar.
Expert tips from my test kitchen
I’ve made these classic churros time and time again; here are some of my expert tips for the best churro recipe.
Beat the eggs one at a time
Allow time for the eggs to fully incorporate before adding the next one.
Set an alarm when frying
Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Maintain a steady oil temperature between 360°F and 370°F, avoid overcrowding the pot—this helps each churros cook evenly and prevents the oil from cooling too quickly.
Accurately measure your ingredients
Flour is easily over-measured. Use a kitchen scale for best accuracy. Shop my exact scale here. (affiliate link)
Use a candy thermometer
If the oil is too high, the outside of the churros will burn and the center will be undercooked. If the oil is too low, the churros will absorb more oil, making them heavy and greasy. Shop my exact thermometer here. (Affiliate link)
Why do my churros absorb too much oil?
If the oil is too cold, churros take longer to cook and absorb more oil. Keep the temperature between 350°F to 360°F, avoid overcrowding the pot and pipe the churros into thin strips for best results.
Dipping sauce for churros
Churros are such a great treat on their own but if you’re craving a sauce to dip, try with warm chocolate sauce, caramel or dulce de leche.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
You can make the choux pastry dough ahead of time, up to one day. Cover tightly with cling wrap or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before placing the dough in the piping bag, shaping and frying. The dough will stiffen up when chilled and makes it hard to pipe.
Do I need a deep fryer to make homemade churros?
How to store leftover churros
Once the churros have cooled to room temperature, cover with paper towel and transfer to air tight container for 2-3 days. Churros lose their crisp when they retain moisture. Re-heat in the oven or air fryer at 325°F for 3-5 minutes until crispy.
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Easy Churros Recipe
Ingredients
For the churros:
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup water, may substitute for milk
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 large whole eggs
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Vegetable oil or canola oil for frying
For the cinnamon sugar:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
Prep the dough
- In a medium saucepan, combine butter, milk, sugar and salt. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted and mixture starts to simmer.1 cup water, may substitute for milk, 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- Add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the mixture forms into a smooth ball. Remove from the sauce pan into a bowl. Set aside to slightly cool for about 10 minutes until warm to the touch.1¼ cup all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer to beat one egg at a time until fully combined. By the last egg, the dough will become smooth, shiny, sticky and thick. When you lift the beater out of the choux dough, it should form a “v” shape that slowly breaks off. Transfer churro dough into pipping bag with 1M star tip.3 large whole eggs
Shape the churros
- Prepare a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Pipe churros in a straight THIN zig zag, about 6 inches long. Refrigerate tray for at least 1 hour. Refrigerating helps control the shape, keeping them straight. If making classic churros, skip this step and pipe directly into the oil.Note: If you don't have a piping bag or tip, you can use a ziploc bag and make a slit on the corner edge but you will not achieve the iconic ridges of the classic churro shape.
Heat the oil
- Heat oil in a large, heavy bottom Dutch oven or pot, ~3 inches deep. Use a thermometer to keep the temperature between 360°F to 370°F. Test out by dropping a piece of dough into the oil. If it doesn't bubble right away, it's not ready.Vegetable oil or canola oil
Fry until crispy
- Individually cut each churro piece with parchment paper. Gentle add to pot of oil, remove the parchment paper once added to the pot. If making classic straight shape, pipe directly into the oil and use scissors to cut the dough about 6 inches long.
- Fry 2-4 churros at a time for 2 minutes on each side. Set aside to drain excess oil on cooling wrack lined with a paper towel. Then, toss with cinnamon sugar.Note: If the oil is too cold, churros take longer to cook and absorb more oil. Keep the temperature between 360°F to 760°F, avoid overcrowding the pot and pipe the churros into thin strips for best results.1 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Notes
- If the oil is too cold, churros take longer to cook and absorb more oil. Keep the temperature between 350°F to 360°F, avoid overcrowding the pot and pipe the churros into thin strips for best results.
Nutrition
The provided nutritional value above is an estimate per serving. 100% accuracy is not guarenteed. Please see Nutrition Information Disclaimer in our Privacy Policy.
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
4 Responses
Never knew it was this easy to make Churros! They tasted amazing and will be having them again soon!
Thank you, Jane! So glad you enjoyed our recipe.
Never knew it could be this easy! Soo happy with this recipe!
Yay! Thank you for the lovely comment. 🙂