Classic Churros Recipe

Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and coated in sweet cinnamon sugar—these classic churros are the ultimate indulgence! Follow this easy recipe to make the perfect golden, crunchy churros at home.

What is a Churro? 

A churro is a delicate fried treat, a bit like a funnel cake, but in long strips that look like fingers. Well, extra-long fingers. The dough is cooked on the stove (but only for a couple minutes) then put into a piping bag, to form the long, narrow shape. They’re fried in a neutral oil, then covered in a cinnanon-sugar mixture. 

My Churro Story

Most of know know by now that I’m a write by trade. I write books for the Christian market. I was wrapping up a cozy mystery and needed a recipe for churros for the back of the book. (Long story, but one of my characters is a pro-churro maker.) 

I found a recipe online but had never tried it in person. I knew I must, before it could be included in the text of the book. (What if I had skipped this step and given everyone a lousy recipe?) 

I almost forgot about this until my editor reminded me. When I got that “Hey, have you made those churros yet?” Text, my heart skipped a beat. I had not, in fact, made those churros yet. 

But, I did. And I was amazed as how little time it took to make them. From start to finish, it was lesson that 20 minutes. No kidding! They literally came together in minutes. 

And talk about delicious! I can see now why people love these crisp, sweet treats so much. They’re over-the-top delicious! And now you can enjoy them, too! 

Classic Churros Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick look at what you’ll need. These are such simple ingredients! You probably already have them in your pantry or fridge. 

For the Dough:

• 1 cup water
• 2 ½ tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Frying:

• Neutral oil (like vegetable or canola), for frying

For Coating:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Optional Dipping Sauce:

• Melted chocolate, caramel, or dulce de leche

How to Make Classic Churros

Like I said, these come together in minutes! And they’re best served right away, so don’t make them until you’re ready to go! 

Combine water, butter, sugar, and salt in medium saucepan and bring to simmer.

Reduce heat and add flour, then stir vigorously until a smooth dough forms (about 1-2 minutes).

Remove from heat and let the dough cool for 5 minutes.

Place eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat until combined. Slowly work in dough, beating until it becomes smooth.

Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (Wilton 1M works great).

Heat the oil in a deep pot of fryer (about 2” of oil, heated to 350° Fahrenheit.

Pipe 6” strips of dough directly into the hot oil, cutting the dough with scissors as it drops in. Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding.

Fry for 2–3 minutes per side or until golden brown and crisp.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Serve and enjoy! You can serve with caramel or chocolate sauce.

Store leftovers at room temperature. They will get soft as they sit out, so crisp them up in the air fryer. 

What to Expect from these Churros

I have to confess, I wasn’t sure about the dough when I first saw it in the saucepan. It was really thick and dense. Even after the eggs went in, I still had my doubts. But, when I saw them start to bubble in the oil? Well, I knew they would be perfect. And they were! The flaky texture is divine. Truly. And that crispy exterior is perfection. Add the cinnamon-sugar coating, and. . .wow! You’ve got a dessert everyone will love! Best of all, they’re so simple to make. You can whip up a batch in a hurry! 

Variations to this Recipe

I can’t think of any way to change the base recipe (unless you choose gluten-free flour, which might be a possibility). But I do have some thoughts about how to serve them. 

Pumpkin pie spice: This might be fun along with the cinnamon and sugar. Serve them at Thanksgiving with pumpkin puree as a dip. 

Lemon: Skip the cinnamon and coat them in lemon zest and sugar, then dip in softened (well-stirred) lemon curd. (Yum!) 

Chocolate: Dip in hot fudge. I think they would be delicious this way! 

DIY Caramel: I make my own caramel from sweetened condensed milk. It’s delicious! 

Throwing a Fiesta?

I have all sorts of great recipes for your festive event. Here are a few favorites: 

Sopapillas: These are simple and delicious, perfect with your churros. 

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars: Y'all, you're going to flip over this easy recipe!

Cut-Out Fiesta cookies: You can use my cut-out sugar cookie recipe to make fiesta dresses, burros, and a variety of other festa-themed cookies. 

Fiesta cake: Use my Most Delicious White Cake Mix recipe as a base and then decorate the cake in fiesta style! I’ve got a post with a variety of styles and trends that are popular. 

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That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 170 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.