Churros with Cinnamon Sugar

Crisp, golden, and irresistibly warm, these churros have a delicate crunch outside and a soft, tender center. Rolled in cinnamon sugar and served straight from the pot, they’re a dinner-party showstopper or a cozy weekend treat—surprisingly simple, endlessly snackable.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Makes: about 18 churros

Ingredients (makes about 18 churros)

• 1 cup (250 ml) water

• ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

• 1 tbsp (13 g) granulated sugar

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 cup (141 g) all-purpose flour

• 1 large egg

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• Vegetable oil, for frying

For coating

• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon

Method

• Prep coating & oil: In a shallow dish, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Heat 1½ inches of oil in a wide pot or deep skillet to 180 °C (360 °F).

• Make the dough: In a saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add flour all at once, reduce heat to medium-low, and stir vigorously until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides.

• Cool & mix: Scrape the dough into a mixing bowl and cool 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and cohesive (it may look split at first—keep mixing and it will come together).

• Pipe: Spoon dough into a large piping bag fitted with a star tip (about ½ inch/12 mm).

• Fry: Pipe ~6-inch (15 cm) lengths directly into the hot oil, snipping with scissors to release. Fry in batches about 2 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp.

• Drain & coat: Lift onto paper towels briefly to blot, then roll while still warm in the cinnamon sugar until well coated.

• Serve: Repeat with remaining dough. Serve warm, optionally with chocolate or caramel sauce for dipping.

Tip
Keep the oil close to 180 °C (360 °F). Too hot and the churros brown before the centers cook; too cool and they absorb oil and lose their crunch.

Variations

• Mexican Hot Chocolate – Whisk 2 tbsp cocoa into the dough and add a pinch of cayenne. Toss in a cocoa–cinnamon sugar (½ cup sugar + 1 tbsp cocoa + ½ tsp cinnamon). Serve with thick hot chocolate for dipping.

• Dulce de Leche–Filled – Let fried churros cool 2–3 minutes, then use a Bismarck/long filling tip to pipe in warm dulce de leche (or thick caramel). Dust lightly with cinnamon sugar to finish.

• Maple Sugar & Sea Salt – Swap the coating for ½ cup maple sugar mixed with ½ tsp cinnamon. Finish with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve with warm maple butter for dipping.

• Orange–Cardamom – Add ¼–½ tsp ground cardamom to the coating and zest 1 orange directly into the sugar, rubbing it in with your fingers. Great with a simple vanilla glaze for dipping.

• Churro Bites with Apple Compote – Pipe 2–3 cm nuggets and fry. Serve with a quick compote: sauté 2 diced apples in 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon; finish with a squeeze of lemon.

• Air-Fryer (Lighter) – Pipe onto parchment strips lightly brushed with oil. Air-fry at 200°C/390°F for 10–12 minutes, flipping once. Toss immediately in cinnamon sugar. (Texture is drier than fried but still crisp.)