Cinnamon Churros
The secret to a proper churro is the steam trapped inside the dough. When the raw dough hits the hot oil, the moisture expands rapidly, leaving you with a hollow, airy center encased in a jagged, fried crust.
Watch your heat and your safety.
Keep the oil temperature steady; if it's too cold, the churros will be greasy, and if it's too hot, they will burn before cooking through. Use a heavy-duty piping bag with a large star tip to ensure they hold their shape.
- Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
- Thermometer for oil
- Piping bag with large star tip
- Slotted spoon
- Wire cooling rack
What goes in.
- 1 cupwater
- 2 tbspgranulated sugar
- 1/2 tspsalt
- 2 tbspunsalted butter
- 1 cupall-purpose flour
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 3 cupsneutral oil for frying
- 1/2 cupgranulated sugar for coating
- 2 tspground cinnamon
Cooking the flour
Stir the flour into the boiling liquid until a dough ball forms and a thin film develops on the bottom of the pot. This pre-cooks the starch and is the only way to get a dough stiff enough to hold ridges in the fryer.
The method.
Heat the base
Bring water, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt, and butter to a rolling boil in a saucepan.
Form the dough
Remove from heat, add flour all at once, and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides. Let it cool for 5 minutes before stirring in the vanilla.
Prepare the oil
Heat your oil in the pot to 360°F (180°C). Prepare your cinnamon-sugar mix in a shallow dish nearby.
Pipe and fry
Transfer dough to a piping bag. Pipe 6-inch lengths of dough directly into the oil, cutting the end with kitchen shears. Fry for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until they reach a deep golden brown.
Drain and coat
Remove with a slotted spoon to a wire rack for 30 seconds, then immediately toss in the cinnamon-sugar mix while the surface is still sticky.
Other turns to take.
Dark Chocolate Dip
Melt high-quality bittersweet chocolate with a splash of heavy cream for a thick, dipping consistency.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Test one piece of dough first to ensure the oil temperature is correct.
If the dough is too hot, it will melt the piping bag; let it sit until it's just warm to the touch.
Do not crowd the pot, as the oil temperature will drop and the churros will absorb fat instead of crisping.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my churros burst in the fryer?
Usually, this happens if too much air is trapped in the piping bag or the dough was piped into oil that was not hot enough. Always squeeze the air out of your bag before you start piping.
Can I store these for later?
Churros lose their crunch quickly. They are best eaten within an hour of frying.
How real cooks make it.
No one’s shared their version yet. Be the first to put your kitchen on the map.
Cook this your way?
Share your version — your steps, your story. We’ll feature it right here.
Add your recipe