Easy Homemade Churros

Easy Homemade Churros are one of the world’s best desserts – when made fresh from scratch, of course. These are hands down the best churros I’ve ever had—even better than those I got in the Mexican market. They’re crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, and they have a flavor no one can resist!

The Perfect Homemade Churro Recipe

We’ve all had those stale fried churros at the carnivals and theme parks—the kind that come in a long uniform straight form, that were previously fried, frozen, then reheated, and they’re sitting there for hours next to the hot pretzels. Every now and then, you’ll come across one that’s okay, but most of the time, no thanks.

That’s because I’ve had real churros and nothing compares. Fresh homemade churros are the best out there!

Easy Homemade Churros – Perfect for Parties!

I’ve decided these need to be a new tradition for family parties. I made these easy homemade churros earlier this week for the blog, then a few days later made them again for a family party, and you would not believe how quickly they disappeared! Definitely faster than I could fry them.

And everyone was begging for me to make a second batch! That included my brother, who couldn’t care less about dessert, and lots of picky eating kids. Everyone wanted more.

They can seem a little intimidating if you’ve never made them before, but they really are a breeze to make. Simple ingredients, straightforward method, and I’ve shared the steps and tips below so you can make a perfect batch too!

(Note that pictured in the photo above is nearly two batches)

Watch the Churros Video!

 

 

How to Make Easy Homemade Churros

For the coating, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish, set aside.

Heat about 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot or deep saute pan over medium-high heat to 360 degrees. Prepare the dough while the oil is heating to a rolling boil.

Add water, butter, sugar, and salt to a large saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add flour, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook and stir constantly with a rubber spatula (a wooden spoon is too sticky) until mixture comes together and is smooth (a few lumps in it are fine).

Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, and let cool for 5 minutes.

Add vanilla and egg to the flour mixture, then blend immediately with an electric mixer (I like the paddle attachment).

Blend until the mixture at medium speed comes together and is smooth (it will separate at first, but keep mixing; it will come together).

Transfer to a 16-inch piping bag or pastry bag fitted with a rounded star tip (no bigger than 1/2-inch). I recommend using the Ateco 845 or Ateco 846 (in the kit).

Carefully pipe mixture into preheated oil, into about 6-inch lengths, and cut ends with clean scissors. Don’t like the stick format? Try making them in a doughnut shape!

Let fry in the hot oil about 2 minutes per side until golden brown.

Transfer to paper towels to dry briefly, about 15 seconds (don’t wait too long or they’ll be dry and the sugar won’t stick as well).

Then transfer your fried crispy dough to the cinnamon sugar mixture and roll to coat.

Repeat process with remaining dough (frying no more than 5 at once, separate with metal tongs if they stick a little).

Let cool for a few minutes, then serve warm.

Tips for Delicious Churros Every Time

• Use a candy thermometer for the oil (I own this one HERE). I think it’s a must so you can heat the oil to the proper temperature and monitor it as the churros fry. Preheat the oil while you make the batter because it will take time to come up to temperature.
• I like to stick with one egg in the batter. Some recipes use 3 large eggs, but I feel like they come out too eggy. Some omit the eggs, but the egg gives them some rise and a richer flavor, so I found just one egg was perfect.
• Use a closed star piping tip (one with rounded off edges, like THIS), it gives the churros more defined edges. Which means crispier exterior and classic churro appearance.
• Let the dough rest at room temperature before adding the egg, you don’t want to cook and scramble the egg into the batter. Keep in mind, though, the dough will still be really warm, so have the mixer ready to go right after you add the egg and mix away.
• Really pay attention to the color as they fry. They never seem to need an exact amount of time, their golden brown color will let you know when each side is done. If undercooked, they’ll seem raw in the center, so wait for that churro dough to turn that lovely golden brown shade.
• Let the churros drain on paper towels just briefly before you add them to the cinnamon sugar mixture. You don’t want them to be wet and oily and add straight to the sugar or they’ll just clump up the sugar and you’ll get too thick of a coating, but on the other hand you don’t want them to dry completely on the paper towels or the sugar won’t stick very well. Something like 15 seconds, then roll.
• Serve them warm. There’s nothing like a freshly made warm churro. This is how you make best friends, everyone who tries one will love you :).
• Try serving with a super easy chocolate sauce by melting chocolate chips with a dash of heavy cream.

More Churro-Inspired Recipes to Try

• Churro Waffles
• Churro Cream Puffs
• Baked Pumpkin Churros

This post contains affiliate links.