Desserts

November 14, 2022

Homemade Churros

Homemade Churros

These homemade churros are delicately flavored with vanilla and tossed in a mixture of cinnamon sugar while being crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. While you can make them and have them ready to be served in less than an hour from start to finish, you can also make the batter days in advance and simply fry them up whenever you want to enjoy them. They are perfect for any occasion!

What are Churros?

Churros, which are a Spanish fried dough that is typically tossed in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and commonly served with warmed chocolate or caramel, was said to have originated in the Castile and Leon region of Spain. Shepards from that region were credited with first making the dessert and named it after the Churra Sheep, a sheep native to that region, which had horns that resembled what churros look like after being fried. Churros were introduced to the Americas during the Age of Exploration, and that is where they began being paired with chocolate, which was brought back to Spain from Central and South America.

Churros differ from other popular fried doughs such as the beignet, doughnut, or fritter, in that they are long and lean and have a crisp exterior with a velvety-soft center. The churro is also great for eating on-the-go with its elongated shape and can be eaten rather easily with one hand.

Ingredients for the Best Homemade Churros

  • Water: The water helps to lighten the batter and brings everything together which keeps the batter free flowing and allows for proper shaping/piping while frying.
  • Eggs: The eggs help to give the batter a nice body and also help to give the cooked churro a creamy texture.
  • All Purpose Flour: I like to use AP flour here because it has just enough gluten content to give the churro the correct structure without making them too dense.
  • Butter: The butter lightens the batter and gives it a nice richness.
  • Vanilla Extract: The vanilla is used to add an additional sweet flavor. If you want to use a fresh vanilla bean instead, that is awesome. You could also use a half teaspoon of vanilla bean paste if you would prefer.
  • Coating: I like to stick to the classic cinnamon-sugar mixture here but you can certainly go without a coating or use whatever sweetener/spice combo you like.

Tips for Making Churros

  1. For piping the batter: When piping the batter into the fryer, try to use a star tip with deep grooves. The deep grooves ensure that the churros cook all the way through in about the same amount of time it takes for them to get golden-brown and crispy on the outside.
  2. Refrigerating the batter: If you refrigerate the batter at any time before frying, make sure you allow the batter to warm slightly before piping to make for a more free-flowing batter that is easier to pipe.
  3. Frying the churros: When removing the churros from the fryer, try to shake off as much oil as possible before adding them into the cinnamon-sugar mixture to prevent the cinnamon-sugar from clumping.

Pair these with some caramel or chocolate sauce and you've got yourself the best dessert ever! Cheers and eat well.

Homemade Churros

This traditional churro recipe is delicately flavored with vanilla and tossed in a mixture of cinnamon sugar that sticks to the deep ridges formed while being piped. They're crispy on the outside and so soft on the inside.

Author:

Alejandra

Prep:

5

min

cook:

15

min

total:

50

min

serves:

4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of water
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 ⅓ cups of all purpose flour
  • 5 ½ tablespoons of butter
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar

For the coating

  • 1 T of ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 C of granulated sugar

For frying

  • About 1-1 ½ quarts of neutral-flavored oil for frying

Instructions

Making the Batter:

  1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepot, add the water, the butter, the vanilla, and the sugar and turn the heat on to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer.
  2. In the meantime, sift the flour and salt together and set aside.
  3. Crack the eggs into a bowl and then separate the one yolk and add the yolk to the other 3 eggs. Set aside.
  4. When the water mixture comes to a simmer, turn the heat down to low and add the flour mixture and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Continue to cook the dough on a low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until all the bits of flour pull away from the bottoms and sides of the pot.
  5. Once the mixture forms a complete dough, set up your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and transfer the dough into the bowl of the mixer.
  6. Turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and add the eggs (including the yolk), one-by-one, being sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding another one.
  7. Once all the eggs are fully incorporated, continue mixing on the lowest speed for about 4 minutes, or until the mixing bowl is no longer warm from the temperature of the batter in the bowl.
  8. Once the batter is no longer warm, transfer the batter to a piping bag, fitted with a star tip.
  9. Allow the batter to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes while you prepare for frying.

Making the Coating:

  1. Add the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon into a medium-sized bowl and mix with a fork until the mixture is evenly combined. Set aside.

Frying the Churros:

  1. Fill a pot with a neutral-flavored oil (such as vegetable or canola oil) so that it is at least three inches deep and heat the oil to 350 F.
  2. Once the oil is hot, carefully pipe a strand that is between 4 and 6 inches long and snip the end closest to the tip, so that the churro gently falls into the oil.
  3. Allow the churro to cook in the oil for about 1 minute and then gently flip the churro so that the opposite side is now submerged in the oil. Continue to cook for another 1 minute and 30 seconds or until the entire churro is a nice golden-brown.
  4. Once the entire churro is golden-brown, gently remove it from the oil, shaking off the excess oil, and immediately place it into the cinnamon-sugar and toss to coat the entire churro.
  5. Repeat the previous steps, frying 2-3 churros at a time (depending on the size of pot you are using), until all the batter has been used. Enjoy warm!

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