Must-Try Homemade Churros – Crunchy Outside, Soft Inside!
on Feb 11, 2021
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These homemade churros are light and airy, crispy and chewy, and will become the new favourite addition to your party menu! Here’s the lowdown on how to make choux pastry, how to fry the churros perfectly, and a recipe for the chocolate dipping sauce!
I had tasted churros at a Sunday food festival with my girls. It was love at first bite. The guys at the churro stall kept frying fresh churros and we definitely made a dent 😂 I knew I had to try and recreate them at home. We did FIVE TRIALS for this recipe because nailing that perfect churro texture is so important. Finally, these homemade churros are nothing short of mind-blowing!
So, resist the urge to type “churros near me” on google and make these at home. This is a very specific recipe, so stick to the measurements. Follow the instructions EXACTLY as given and I promise you’ll be making a second batch on demand 🙂
Quick Walk Through: Homemade Churros
What Are Churros?
Churros are a sweet snack made with fried choux pastry dough. They are super popular world over, but basically come from Spain and Portugal. Yes, guys they are not from Mexico like everyone believes 😂 They are sweet but not mind-numbingly so. The outer shell of a churro is crisp, while the inside is tender and chewy. They are coated with cinnamon sugar dust and served with chocolate sauce.
Don’t get intimidated by the process, it’s fairly simple. I’ve included tips and tricks at every stage so you know the pressure points beforehand.
Making The Churro Batter Right
If you get the batter right, that’s half the job done. Churro batter is made with water, butter, sugar, salt, and eggs.The flour is added in batches and whisked to avoid any lumps, and to make sure the liquid and flour combines well. The batter needs to cook on a really low flame for 8-9 minutes to cook off some of the excess water – this will ensure your batter is just the right consistency. Work the choux pastry dough with the bottom of the spatula. It should be soft and pillowy. It’s important to add the eggs one at a time so that they get incorporated perfectly. The churro batter should be a bright sunshine yellow in colour. We added some vanilla for sweetness and flavour.
Note: It’s important to weigh your ingredients while making Churros, but if things go slightly awry, here’s how to fix them. If the batter is too runny, whisk in a spoon of flour. If it’s too stiff, add a teaspoon of water and whisk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Great news! You can make this churro batter ahead and store it in the refrigerator for a later day. Put it in an airtight container and it’ll last for up to five days. Before using it, make sure you bring it to room temp and whisk lightly, then follow instructions for frying as given.
Any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point can be used to fry these churros. Some good options include peanut, soyabean, ricebran, and sunflower oil.
How To Pipe Homemade Churros
The choux pastry has to be bagged and piped. We’ve tried this recipe with both the Wilton 1M nozzle and Ateco 132 nozzle in this homemade churros recipe. It’s best to pipe the churros directly into the frying pan, and for best results, double bag the piping bag – this simply means that you use two piping bags instead of one. As you pipe the batter into hot oil, snip off the batter with a pair of scissors once you’ve piped the desired length of the churros.
Oil Temperature For Churros
The oil temperature is absolutely critical to get the perfect churro. It should be around 125C/ 257F. A good churro should be light and pillowy inside and crunchy on the outside.
If the oil is too hot, the churros will immediately puff up too much, cook only on the outside, leaving the insides raw and doughy. If it’s not hot enough, they’ll take forever to cook and harden as they cool. So get the temperature right!
Top Tips To Fry Homemade Churros Perfectly
- The entire process is quick, so keep everything measured and ready before starting off
- Don’t fry more than 5-6 in a batch. The churros won’t have space to puff up properly and they’ll split, the oil will foam up and spill out. So cook in small batches.
- When frying, use tongs to turn the churros to ensure they cook evenly on all sides
- If the churros start curving/bending in the frying pan, you can use tongs to gently straighten them out.
Making Cinnamon Sugar Dust
This is a simple mixture of castor sugar and cinnamon powder. It’s important to roll the churros in this sugar dust while they are still hot. Or else the sugar won’t stick to them. But first, remember to remove any excess oil from the churros, or you will end up with drops of greasy oil in the sugar dust. Gently dust off the excess sugar before serving them up. The sugary dust melts in your mouth and the cinnamon adds another dimension of flavour.
Drool-Worthy Chocolate Dipping Sauce
I know eating plain churros is a thing, but I love dunking them into some gorgeous dark chocolate dipping sauce. You can easily use store bought chocolate sauce in a pinch, but homemade is best and it takes only minutes to make! Simply chop up some good quality dark chocolate and melt it in the microwave in 20 second intervals until completely melted through. Alternatively, you can even use the double boiler method to melt the chocolate on the stove top. If you’re a beginner to melting chocolate, this article might come in handy.
You can serve churros with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, whipped cream, or just eat them plain! Try these homemade churros and tell me how they turned out!
Perfect Homemade Churros
Ingredients
Churros
- 1 Cup Water
- 110 Grams Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- 250 Grams Flour
- 4 Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1.5 Cups Oil, for frying
Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ Cup Caster Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon powder
Chocolate Dipping Sauce
- 1 Cup Milk
- ½ Cup Fresh Cream
- 150 Grams Dark Chocolate
Instructions
Cinnamon Sugar
- Mix together caster sugar and cinnamon powder in a bowl. Set Aside
Churros
- In a heavy bottomed vessel bring water, butter, sugar and salt to a simmer on medium heat. Reduce heat to low and add the flour. Whisk continuously, do not allow the flour to burn from the bottom. Cook and stir as the mix begins to form a ball. Cook on low, whisking continuously for about 8 – 9 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and allow the mix to cool for 3-5 minutes.
- Add egg one by one and whisk until combined. Ensure to add the eggs while the dough is still slightly warm. Add vanilla extract and mix. The consistency should be thick but dropping. If it's dry and thick, add a teaspoon of water to adjust.
- Transfer to a double piping bag with a star nozzle (1M nozzle).
- In a heavy pot, heat about 2 – 2 ½ inches of oil to 125C/257F. Once hot, carefully pipe the churros into the pot, cutting the end off with a scissor (about 4 inches in length). Fry on medium heat till the exterior is golden brown, about 4-6 minutes on each side. Ensure the inside also get cooked while the outside gets a golden brown colour.
- Transfer to a paper towel to dry and immediately coat or toss with cinnamon sugar mix. Transfer it while they are still hot so the sugar coating sticks to the churros.
Chocolate Dipping Sauce
- Combine milk and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Heat the mix to a single boil, about 3-4 minutes. Turn off the flame as soon as it begins to boil.
- Pour the hot mix over the chocolate and allow it to sit for 30 seconds. Use a whisk or a spatula and mix to combine. Ensure all the chocolate has melted and there are no lumps. If there are still a few lumps of chocolate, transfer back to the saucepan and heat over low flame for 10-15 seconds. Remember to stir continuously to ensure the chocolate does not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Continue this until all the chocolate melts.
- Allow to cool and use as a dipping sauce for the churros!
Video
Notes
- This is a very specific recipe, so stick to the measurements. Follow the instructions exactly.
- It’s important to add the eggs one at a time so that they get incorporated perfectly. The churro batter should be a bright sunshine yellow in colour. We added some vanilla for sweetness and flavour.
- If the batter is too runny, whisk in a spoon of flour. If it’s too stiff, add a teaspoon of water and whisk.
- You can make this churro batter ahead and store it in the refrigerator for a later day. Put it in an airtight container and it’ll last for up to five days. Before using it, make sure you bring it to room temp and whisk lightly, then follow instructions for frying as given.
- It’s best to pipe the churros directly into the frying pan, and for best results, double bag the piping bag – this simply means that you use two piping bags instead of one.
- The oil temperature is absolutely critical to get the perfect churro. It should be around 125C/ 257F. A good churro should be light and pillowy inside and crunchy on the outside.
- The entire process is quick, so keep everything measured and ready before starting off
- Don’t fry more than 5-6 in a batch. The churros won’t have space to puff up properly and they’ll split, the oil will foam up and spill out. So cook in small batches.
- When frying, use tongs to turn the churros to ensure they cook evenly on all sides
- If the churros start curving/bending in the frying pan, you can use tongs to gently straighten them out.
How many churros does this recipe make? It says serving 7 but I’m thinking it makes more than 7?
Yea it makes between 15-20 depending on the size
In the ingredients you say 2 cups of of flour and in the video 1 cup. What is the right amount please?
Hey Abed, we have given the weight measurement in grams for the ingredients.
Can I freeze the dough?
Never tried it. But here’s what you can do. Pipe the dough and then freeze it. When you are ready to fry, you can fry it directly from frozen – no need to thaw it.
I just love the recipe!! Very simple yet delicious perfect amount of sweet I love it
My dear Richa! I appreciate your recipe, but I pass. When I want to eat churros, I go to the churrería and eat them, I don’t complicate my life ha ha ha. The best churros in Spain are in my city Guadalajara. Churros are an inheritance that the Arabs left us after being in Spain for 8 centuries. There are also the batons, which is the churro but fatter and the one I prefer. Take care of yourself precious
Can I make eggless churros
Sure but I don’t have a recipe for eggless churros yet
Awesome..explained everything in detail in both the video and the recipe
Thanks Antu!
The recipe is simply awesome!! Enjoyed eating it as much as making it. Would really recommend everybody to try it.
Thanks Reet!