Homemade Churros with Cinnamon Sugar
You’re about to make the homemade churros everyone asks you to bring to every party forever. These are not the hard, dense churros of the food court at the mall. They are golden, crispy on the outside, cloud-light on the inside, the type in which the guests request the recipe before the first one is done. The secret here is the dough of choux pastry, the same as the French eclairs. It sounds fancy, but it is very manageable.
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.