Celebrate Cinco de Mayo or any day with homemade churros. This recipe guides you through making these crispy golden treats from scratch, including tips for storing and reheating. Dust churros with cinnamon sugar (or any topping of your choice) and enjoy the sweet, warm flavor of this classic Mexican dessert.
A Celebration of Culture
Cinco de Mayo, which translates to “Fifth of May” in Spanish, commemorates the Mexican victory over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. That long-ago victory is now a yearly celebration of Mexican culture. And what better way to celebrate than with delicious, homemade churros.
Ingredient Line-Up
Water – creates the base of the dough and helps it steam during cooking, creating a light and airy interior.
Butter – adds richness and flavor to the dough.
Salt – enhances the flavor of the dough.
All-Purpose Flour – provides the structure and foundation of the dough.
Eggs – helps bind the ingredients together.
Vegetable Oil – use vegetable or canola oil for frying, which helps to create the crispy churro exterior.
Sugar – adds sweetness to the coating.
Cinnamon – cinnamon mixed with sugar creates the classic coating on the churros.
Tools Needed
Cookie Sheet – use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats for easy cleanup.
Large Pot – you’ll use two large pots (or clean one in between steps); one is for the first step in the dough process, and one for frying the churros.
Measuring Cups and Spoons – you’ll need both for measuring cups and measuring spoons for measuring out ingredients.
Mixing Bowls – use both small and large mixing bowls for both wet and dry ingredients and to hold toppings like cinnamon sugar.
Paper Towels – use paper towels to soak up extra oil after frying.
Pastry Bag and Tip – use a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip to pipe out the churro shape. Or, a large ziplock bag can be used; just cut the corner out for piping.
Shallow Pan – use any pan large enough to coat the churros with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Spatula – use a silicone spatula for scraping down the sides of the bowl and ensuring all the dough is incorporated.
Stand Mixer – you’ll need a stand mixer with paddle attachment to finish off the recipe.
Thermometer – use a thermometer that clips to the pot to ensure your oil is at the right temperature for frying.
Tongs – use a set of tongs to transfer the churros to and from the hot oil.
Wooden Spoon – use a sturdy wooden spoon for mixing the dough, which can be thick.
Irresistible Golden Churros
Churros are a classic Mexican dessert made with a dough called pate a choux, or more commonly referred to as choux paste. This versatile dough is also used for other treats like éclairs and cream puffs, which are baked. But, for churros, the dough is deep-fried until golden brown and is irresistible.
Traditionally, these golden delights are dusted with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Churros are best enjoyed warm, however, you can dip them in a variety of different sauces. Rich chocolate sauce is a classic choice, but other delicious options include a warm caramel, a creamy dulce de leche, a tangy fruit coulis, or even a dollop of whipped cream for an even better dessert experience.
Churros
Equipment
- 1 large pot for frying
- 1 mixer with paddle attachment
- 1 pastry bag fitted with star tip for piping churros
Ingredients
- 6 cups oil, canola or vegetable for frying
- 1 cup water
- 1 stick butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sugar for coating
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon for coating
Instructions
- Using a large saucepan, bring the water, butter and salt to a boil.
- Lower the heat and add the flour all at once.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour vigorously until you can see a “skin” form on the bottom of the pan. This will happen quickly so keep an eye out for it.
- Remove from heat. Place the mixture into your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Mix the mixture on low speed for a few minutes so that the heat (the steam) can escape a little before adding eggs.
- Add eggs one at a time and mix until you have a smooth dough.
- Place mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
- On a cookie sheet lined with parchment, pipe out 4” strips. Freeze the strips while you heat your oil.
- Heat the oil in a deep pan. Using a thermometer, keep the temperature of the oil around 375℉.
- When the oil is hot, take about 3-4 strips and fry until golden brown, turning once. This should take about 2 minutes per side.
- Remove from pan and place onto a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- For the coating, mix the sugar and cinnamon together and place into a shallow pan. Place your fried churros into the pan and coat carefully with the mixture.
- Repeat the process until all churros are fried and coated.
How to Store Churros
Churros are best enjoyed fresh and warm, but leftovers can be stored for a short time. If you do have more churros than you can eat, here are three storage options:
- On the Counter – loosely cover churros at room temperature. However, don’t store them for more than a day since they’ll lose their crispness and become soft.
- In the Refrigerator – churros can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that refrigerating churros will make them soft versus crispy.
- In the Freezer – you can store churros in the freezer before or after frying them for up to two months.
Reheating Leftover Churros
Enjoying leftover churros (if you actually have some) is pretty simple, just reheat them in the oven to bring back some of that crispiness from when they were first fried:
- Preheat your oven – your oven should be preheated to about 350°F.
- Prepare a cookie sheet – line a cookie sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
- Arrange the churros – spread the churros out in a single layer on the prepared cookie sheet. Be sure not to overcrowd them, as this can prevent them from crisping evenly. For an extra touch of crispness, lightly spritz the churros with cooking spray before placing them in the oven.
- Baking time – bake the churros until they are warmed through and slightly crisp on the outside, about 3-5 minutes, depending on their thickness.
Serve your reheated churros immediately, while they’re warm and crispy. If your churros seem dry after reheating, you can dip them in a warm chocolate or caramel sauce for moisture and flavor.
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