Churros
You Know What’s Better Than Store-Bought Churros? These.
So last year, my cousin dragged me (half asleep, honestly) to this pop-up fair, and we got these churros from a cheerful old guy selling them from his food truck. Hands down, tastiest churros ever—except we had to wait, like, 40 minutes. So you can probably see where this is going: I came home and decided, enough with lines, I’ll make my own! And I’ll admit it—first batch was more of a learning moment (call it doughy optimism), but now? Now I actually crave the homemade version, weirdly enough. Maybe it’s the smell. Or maybe because I get to sneak one while they’re still hot—chef’s privilege, right?
Why I Keep Making These (And You Might, Too!)
I make churros when the weather gets gloomy, or when my nephew comes over (he once accidentally coated his sock in cinnamon sugar instead of a churro—don’t even ask), or just when I need something that smells amazing. My family goes a bit bonkers for these. The best part? You don’t need anything fancy. I used to think homemade churros must be glutenous sorcery—turns out, nope, just elbow grease and hot oil. Sometimes I get frustrated wrestling the dough into the piping bag, but mostly—worth it. Every time!
Alright, Here’s What You’ll Need (Plus a Few Substitutes)
- 1 cup water (I’ve tried with half milk, half water—creamier, but not essential)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar (honestly, any sugar works, but my grandmother always used raw cane)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (margarine works in a pinch, but butter wins)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs (some recipes skip eggs, but I think they’re fluffier with—just my two cents)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, but I can’t skip it)
- Vegetable oil for frying (sunflower’s fine too, I’ve even used canola when that’s all I had—lived to tell the tale)
- Cinnamon sugar for tossing (I actually go a bit heavy on the cinnamon, no regrets)
Let’s Tackle the Churro-Making Process
- Grab a saucepan. Pour in the water, sugar, salt, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat. (
This is when I usually realize I forgot to set my oil out to warm) - Once boiling, dump in all the flour, stir like mad. The dough clumps up—don’t panic! It’ll look like a weird gooey lump. That’s good.
- Take off the heat and let it cool for a few min (if you’re impatient, like me, fan it with a pot lid. It helps. Sort of).
- Add eggs one by one, beating after each until smooth. It might look like you broke it—just keep stirring, it’s fine, I promise. (This is where I taste-test, though you really shouldn’t, raw eggs and all.)
- Mix in vanilla. The dough should be thick but pipeable. Or, in fancier words, gloopy but kinda firm.
- Heat oil in a deep pan—should be about 2 inches. (I use my old cast iron skillet, but any deep saucepan does the trick.) Aim for about 370°F… but okay, sometimes I just drop in a test churro—if bubbles go nuts, it’s ready.
- Spoon dough into a piping bag with a star tip. I have a reusable one with a star tip, but when I can’t find it (happens a lot, actually), I just use a ziplock bag with the end snipped off. Not as pretty, but tasty as ever.
- Pipe strips (3-4 inches is my usual, but shapes are negotiable—my niece once made a smiley face). Cut off with scissors or a butter knife.
- Fry a few at a time. Don’t crowd the pan—otherwise, they’ll get moody and go pale. Two to three mins each, flip if you remember, until golden brown.
- Lift out with tongs; I usually toss them right onto a paper towel-lined plate (sometimes they roll off, fair warning).
- While still warm, roll them in cinnamon sugar. (Don’t let them cool, it won’t stick. One time I forgot and, well, sad churros.)
Lesser-Known, Possibly-Useful Notes
- Don’t use too much egg or the dough gets runny. Made that mistake once—churros turned into something like pancake worms.
- If the dough gets stiff, a splash of water helps, or just muscle through. Your call.
- Any leftover sugar gets sprinkled on my oatmeal the next day (side perk).
- If you want to geek out on frying temps, Serious Eats has a deep dive here.
Some Experiments (Good and Less Good)
- Once I dipped churros in melted chocolate, then tried caramel. Both work, but caramel, I dunno, gets too sweet if you eat more than, say, two.
- Wanted to try stuffed churros (Nutella filling, ambitious right?)—mine exploded. Messy, tasty, but unsightly. Still, kinda recommend if you’re feeling brave.
- Swapping in whole wheat flour gave them a weird texture. Tasted healthy (not my fave). I mean, go for it, just be warned.
- If you love dipping: This site has a fab chocolate sauce recipe—see here.
So What If I Don’t Own a…?
- Piping bag/star tip: Like I said, ziplock bag works. Shapes get a bit funky, but flavor’s still there.
- Thermometer: Just toss in a bit of dough—if it fries and floats, you’re golden (literally and figuratively).
- Fancy frying pan: Any deep-ish pot, even a beat-up Dutch oven, will do the trick. (Just not a flat skillet—it gets spattery.)
Storage? Ha! (But Here’s What to Do Just in Case)
I’d say these can last for, like, two days in an airtight container, but honestly, in my house they never last more than a day. If you must store, let them cool fully, seal, and reheat in the oven to crisp up. Microwave makes ‘em a bit chewy, but edible. For the wild ones out there: freezing works, sort of, but they never taste quite right after. Your mileage may vary.
How We Eat ‘Em Around Here
I love them right out of the oil, rolled in way too much cinnamon sugar. My brother likes them with a drizzle of honey (he swears it’s authentic, but who knows). Sometimes we go full breakfast mode—dip them in coffee or hot chocolate. Sundays, they’re a celebratory snack after chores—bit of a household tradition now. On second thought, they’re kinda great with afternoon tea too.
Lessons I’ve (Sometimes Regrettably) Learned
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. I once tried to fry eight at once—turns into a soggy mess. Patience pays off.
- If you skip cooling the dough before adding eggs, you’ll get scrambled eggs. And not in a good way.
- Not all piping bags are created equal—I split a cheap one mid-pipe. Go slow, or use double bags if you’re worried.
- The finer the cinnamon sugar, the better. Coarse sugar kind of just… falls off. Lesson learned.
Actually-Asked Questions I’ve Gotten
- Can I bake these instead of frying?
- Well, you can, and they’ll puff up, but I think they taste a bit dry. Probably better than nothing though. Try 400°F for 18-20 mins.
- Help, my dough is super stiff, what did I do?
- Most likely just a tad too much flour. Add a drizzle of water or milk, beat the daylights out of it, and soldier on.
- Can I freeze churro dough?
- You can, yes, but (if I’m honest) the texture gets a little weird when fried later. Make fresh if you can.
- Is it possible to make these vegan?
- My vegan mate Angelina skips eggs and uses plant butter—works fine, maybe a bit crunchier. Go for it.
- What oil is best?
- Neutral oils like vegetable or sunflower, but if you wanna go wild, peanut oil gives a nice lift. Maybe avoid olive oil; it flavours the dough in odd ways.
- How do you get that perfect crisp-outside, soft-inside?
- Hot enough oil and don’t overcrowd—seriously, that’s half the battle. If in doubt, fry fewer at once.
Oh, unrelated but—if anyone has tips for getting cinnamon sugar out of the carpet, I’m all ears. Anyway, you’ll have fun with these, I promise. And if you mess up the first go, don’t sweat it—we all start somewhere (I even managed to get dough on the ceiling once). Share your best churro stories, would love to hear if you come up with a brilliant variation (bonus points for photos of pet reactions—happens more often than you’d think).
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, for coating
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
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1In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, salt, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
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2Reduce heat to low and add flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides.
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3Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in vanilla extract.
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4Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 350°F (175°C).
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5Pipe 4-6 inch strips of dough into the hot oil, cutting with kitchen scissors. Fry in batches until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.
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6Drain fried churros on a paper towel, then toss in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Serve warm.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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