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May Bake-Along: Churros!
If you’ve never had the pleasure of sinking your teeth into freshly fried and cinnamon-sugar coated churros, please do yourself a favor and make these immediately! A popular Mexican, Spanish and Portugese pastry, they are richer than a traditional doughnut and can be eaten plain or dipped in melted chocolate, dulce de leche or hot chocolate.
Welcome to the May edition of the BEB Bake-Along! Since yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, I wanted to do a popular Mexican-inspired sweet for our bake-along this month.
Churros are made from a choux-based dough (remember the gougeres from January?!) that’s a little less enriched (not as many eggs) and a little sweeter (thanks to vanilla!) that is piped into hot oil and fried like doughnuts. They can be straight, curved, or any shape you’d like. THEN (and this is where the churros shine!) they are tossed in a cinnamon-sugar coating that is just to die for.
Making these beauties is relatively quick and easy, and everyone you serve them to will be begging for more. Let’s get to it!
Ingredients in Churros
The ingredient list for churros is a relatively short one, and you probably already have everything you need in your kitchen and pantry!
- Butter for fat and flavor.
- Milk + Water to keep the dough moist.
- Salt + Vanilla for flavor.
- Flour to give the dough structure.
- Egg for richness.
- Vegetable Oil for frying.
- Cinnamon-Sugar for that amazingly delicious coating!
Gather everything up and get started!
How To Make Churros
Churros are made using a pate a choux dough, just like our January bake-along, gougeres! Once the dough is made, it is piped into hot oil to be fried, then tossed in a cinnamon-sugar coating. This is how it’s done…
- Make the Pate a Choux Dough – Melt butter along with water, milk and salt, then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until the dough and sides of the pan appear dry. Transfer to a mixing bowl and beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a jumbo-size open-star decorating tip (I recommend the Ateco #829).
- Heat the oil until it reaches 360 degrees F.
- Pipe the dough into the oil (carefully!) and fry until golden brown on all sides.
- Drain on paper towels for about 10 seconds, then toss in the cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Eat immediately! :)
Join the BEB Bake-Along!
To tackle churros and bake along with me this month, simply do the following:
- Make the churros!
- Snap a picture and either share it on social media (#BEBbakealong on Instagram or Twitter), upload it to the BEB Facebook group, or email it to me.
- Check in on Instagram and Facebook throughout the month to see everyone’s churros!
- And a quick reminder that you can sign up for special Bake-Along emails – be alerted to new recipes, receive troubleshooting tips, and end-of-month recaps (you’ll receive a few emails per month) >> CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!
If You Like Churros, You’ll Love These Other Mexican Desserts:
More Mexican-inspired desserts for you!
Four years ago: No Bake Peanut Butter Lover’s Icebox Cake
Five years ago: Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Six years ago: Chocolate Pavlova with Mascarpone and Raspberries
Eight years ago: Kentucky Derby Chocolate Bourbon Walnut Pie
Nine years ago: Snickery Squares
Watch How to Make Churros:
Did you make this recipe?
If you've never had the pleasure of sinking your teeth into a freshly fried and cinnamon-sugar coated churro, please do yourself a favor and make these immediately! A popular Mexican, Spanish and Portugese pastry, they are richer than a traditional doughnut and can be eaten plain or dipped in melted chocolate, dulce de leche or hot chocolate.
For the Dough
- 6
tablespoons
unsalted butter
- ½
cup
milk
- ½
cup
water
- ½
teaspoon
salt
- 1
cup
all-purpose flour
- 1
egg
(at room temperature)
- 1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
For Frying
Vegetable oil
(for frying)
For the Cinnamon-Sugar
- 1
cup
granulated sugar
- 1
tablespoon
ground cinnamon
Add at least 1 inch of vegetable oil to a large heavy skillet (I recommend a 12-inch cast iron skillet). Bring the oil to 360 degrees F over medium heat.
While the oil is heating, make the dough. Place the butter, milk, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add all of the flour at once, reduce heat to medium-low and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball and appears to dry out (a film or “crust” will develop on the sides and bottom of the pan), another 2 to 3 minutes.
Immediately place the dough into a mixing bowl and beat on low until it stops steaming and is just warm to the touch, approximately 1 minute.
Increase mixer speed to medium and add the egg, beating until fully incorporated and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. The final dough will appear smooth, creamy, and shiny.
Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with an extra large open star piping tip (I recommend Ateco #829). Line a rimmed baking sheet with two layers of paper towels.
Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl and set aside.
Once the oil comes to temperature, pipe the churros directly into the oil, about 6 inches in length. Use a pair of kitchen shears to snip off the dough at the end of the piping tip. Repeat with additional churros in the oil (don’t overcrowd the pan - you should fit about 4 or 5 per batch). Turn the churros in the oil and cook until golden brown all over, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to the paper towel-lined pan to drain for about 15 seconds, or until able to be handled, then toss in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and transfer to a serving dish.
Allow the oil to back up to temperature and repeat step #7 with the remaining dough, approximately three more batches. Serve immediately!
Calories: 133kcal
Fat: 5g
Saturated fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 23mg
Sodium: 86mg
Potassium: 23mg
Carbohydrates: 20g
Sugar: 13g
Protein: 1g
Vitamin A: 3.4%
Calcium: 1.9%
Iron: 2.7%
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
[photos by Ari of Well Seasoned]
Are these possible in an air fryer?
I don’t deep fry anything… mainly because i don’t know what to do with the oil after frying. What do you all do to get rid of the oil once you’re done???
Saving I have been wanting to try these!
It’s like you read my mind! I spent an hour this weekend looking up churro recipes! Can’t wait to try this out!!
I was just thinking the last few days about searching for a recipe for churros. No more searching; you’ve handed it right to me! Thank you!!
I have never used a pastry bag before. Do you have recommendations for bags? Is a coupler needed? (I was Googling LOL) I’m looking forward to another “new-to-me” recipe. Thank you!
I never realized how simple it would be to make churros! I will definitely be participating in this month’s bake-along! Thank you so much for the ideas!