The majority of homemade churros are unfortunately unworthy of their looks. Dense. Greasy. Cold and hard before you can eat the plate.
The secret to getting them right is choux pastry dough, the same method as French eclairs. And that is what makes them have that hollow, chewy inside that you search for when you order churros somewhere.
It is a fancy-sounding yet fully attainable dish, and once you make it, you will realize just why these churros are different from all the other versions you have ever tried.
This is your Homemade Churro recipe for life!
Because when churros are made this way, everything changes. The outside is crispy but never tough. There is room in it, not emptiness, but a fine structure which is not hard, but a bit chewy, and not doughy.
This is not the reinvention of churros. It’s about fixing the one thing most recipes quietly get wrong: the dough. Skip the shortcuts, and you get the version that feels like it should have been standard all along, the kind you remember from the best street stalls, the ones where you watch them pipe the dough fresh and fry it to order.
And when you find how easy the method is, in fact, you will never go back.
Why this works — the technique behind it
Homemade churros are prepared using choux pastry dough, the same foundation as French eclairs and cream puffs. When the water in the dough meets the hot oil, it evaporates to steam, forming the same light, airy interior and crisping up the exterior. It is a little food school wizardry with a street food staple.
A note from Brooklynn
“If this is your first time making choux dough, don’t be intimidated when it looks like it’s falling apart after you add the eggs. Keep mixing. It comes together, and when it does, you’ll know. That’s the moment everything clicks.”
— Brooklynn
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Homemade Churros with Cinnamon Sugar
Watch the How-To Reel
Equipment
- Dutch oven or deep pot Retains heat evenly — essential for consistent frying
- Oil thermometer Keeps oil at 350°F — the difference between golden and greasy
- Piping bag + large star tip Gives the ridges that make churros, churros. A zip-lock bag works too.
- Kitchen shears For cutting the dough cleanly as you pipe into hot oil
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs room temperature
CINNAMON SUGAR COATING
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
FOR FRYING
- As needed to submerge high heat neutral oil vegetable, canola, sunflower, avocado
Instructions
MAKE THE DOUGH
- In a medium saucepan, add butter, water, salt, and sugar. Heat until the butter melts and the mixture starts simmering. Immediately add the flour and stir until the dough becomes a ball and comes off the sides. Then a thin layer will be formed on the bottom, which is exactly right. Remove from the heat, and stir for 12 minutes to cool a little.
- The film at the bottom of the pan is an indication that you have cooked the excess water away. Don’t omit this; it’s what makes the dough hold up in hot oil.
ADD THE EGGS
- Add the dough to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Allow it to cool until the bowl feels warm to the touch, not hot. Add eggs one by one, mixing completely between. The dough will initially break. Keep going. It will form together into a smooth and glossy texture that carries soft peaks.
- Eggs at room temperature mix better. The dough may seize up as a result of cold eggs.
HEAT THE OIL
- Heat the oil in your Dutch oven to 350°F. As it heats up, combine cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl and reserve. Prepare a plate with paper towels to drain.
- Do not rush the oil temperature. Too cool, and the churros take up grease. Too hot and the exterior burns before the interior sets.
PIPE AND FRY
- Pipe dough into a large star-shaped tip piping bag. Tube strips directly into the hot oil, cutting with kitchen shears. Bake in batches, turning now and then, till very golden brown. They will swell out a good deal; that is the steam at work. Blot on a paper towel plate to dry.
COAT AND SERVE IMMEDIATELY
- Roll each churro in the cinnamon sugar while still hot so that it sticks. Serve right away; churros are at their best in the first 10 minutes.
The Homemade Churro Recipe You Were Actually Looking For!
No special equipment, complex ingredients, or years of pastry training are needed to get there, just the appropriate technique and a little detail. When you get it dialed in, you can do it in your sleep: the dough is fast to make, the piping is not difficult, and the frying is almost rhythmic.
From there, it’s just a matter of finishing them how you like: rolled in cinnamon sugar, dipped in chocolate, or eaten straight off the plate while they’re still warm. But whatever you do with them, here are the homemade churros that will live up to what you crave: crisp outside, light and tender inside, and impossible to stop at just one.
Delicious this recipe
nice