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Homemade Churros (Air Fryer or Stovetop)

Make a batch of Homemade Churros quickly and easily either in the air fryer or on the stovetop. This wonderfully fluffy Spanish dessert is a real treat! Topped with cinnamon sugar and served with a silky chocolate sauce.

Churros in a white bowl next to chocolate dipping sauce


 

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Churros are one of my favorite treats and my homemade version did not disappoint! When cooked in the air fryer, they are wonderfully fluffy and pillow-like, but they can also be cooked in the more traditional way on the stovetop.

Air frying is one of my favorite ways of cooking and these churros come out perfectly everytime! My chocolate molten lava cakes are another favorite air fryer dessert, and be sure to check out all of my other air fryer recipes.

How To Make Homemade Churros

Gather your ingredients to make the churros:

  • Butter
  • Milk
  • Water
  • White sugar
  • Salt
  • All-purpose flour
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
Ingredients to make the churros and a saucepan and wooden spoon
  • Add 6 Tbsp butter, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/4 tsp salt to a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the mixture starts to boil and the butter has melted, remove from heat and add all of the all-purpose flour at once.
  • Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes a thick paste. Remove from heat and set aside for 5-7 minutes. The temperature of the dough should cool down to 145 – 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • In a separate bowl, add one egg and lightly whisk. Add egg to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until it’s incorporated. Do that with the remaining 2 eggs, making sure to whisk each one first and stir it in one at a time.
  • Let the dough rest 10 minutes. The dough will look shiny and glossy.
Four process shots to show how to make the dough
  • While the dough is resting, preheat air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Add dough to a piping bag with a large star tip.
The dough in a piping bag
  • Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil or place a parchment liner in the basket.
  • Pipe the dough into the air fryer basket, making sure they’re not touching.
The piped churro dough in the air fryer basket
  • Close air fryer and cook dough on 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 7-8 minutes or until golden.
cooked churros in air fryer basket
  • While the dough is cooking, make cinnamon sugar by combining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a bowl.
  • Make chocolate sauce by combining 1/4 cup heavy cream and 6 Tbsp chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in a microwave in 30 seconds increments, stirring each time. The chocolate sauce is done when smooth.
  • Once the churro dough is done, toss in the cinnamon-sugar mix. Serve with chocolate dipping sauce or whichever sauce you prefer.
Homemade churros rolled in sugar

Can you make these churros on the stovetop?

If you don’t have an air fryer, don’t fret! You can still make these on the stovetop. Fry the dough in a heavy bottomed pan with oil until they are golden brown. Be sure to scroll down to get the full stovetop instructions.

Here’s an image of air fried churro dough (top) and deep fried churro dough (bottom) for comparison. The air fryer churro dough is puffier and a little less crispy than the stovetop version. You can always make both and do a comparison for yourself. My taste testers preferred the air fried version.

photo of air fried churros on plate on top and deep fried churros on bottom

What are churros?

Churros are a fried dough like pastry, they originated in Spain, but they are also popular in the Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries in South America. It is somewhere between an eclair and a doughnut in taste and texture.

The dough is created by making a choux dough, a cooked dough and then fried.

Can you make them ahead of time?

Churros, hands down are at their best when they are served warm out of the fryer. However, you can make the dough can be made the day before and stored in an airtight container in the fridge – just allow it to come up to room temperature before piping.

If you do have any leftover, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.

Homemade churros in a red cup

Recipe Notes and Tips

  • There is no additional oil needed if air frying churros. They will get brown on their own in the air fryer.
  • If frying the churros in oil on the stovetop, make sure the temperature of the oil stays near 360 degrees. Too hot will burn your churros and too cold will make them soggy and greasy.
  • Toss the churros in the cinnamon sugar while they are still hot so that the sugar sticks to them.

More Easy Dessert Recipes

churro image on plate
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2 from 1 vote

Homemade Churros

Make a batch of homemade churros quickly and easily either in the air fryer or on the stovetop. Made with a few simple ingredients, this wonderfully fluffy Spanish dessert is a real treat!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Spain
Keyword air fryer churros, easy churro recipe, homemade churros
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes
Servings 12 people
Calories 186kcal
Author Tanya

Ingredients

  • 6 Tablespoon butter cut into ½ inch pieces
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon white sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar

  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Chocolate sauce

  • 6 Tablespoon chocolate chips milk chocolate
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Instructions

Air Fryer Instructions:

  • Add butter, milk, water, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the mixture starts to boil and the butter has melted, remove from heat and stir in all add all-purpose flour at once. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes a thick paste. Remove from heat and set aside for 5-7 minutes. The temperature of the dough should cool down to 145 – 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • In a separate bowl, add one egg and lightly whisk. Add egg to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until it’s incorporated. Do that with the remaining eggs, making sure to whisk each one first and stir it in one at a time. Let the dough rest 10 minutes. The dough will look shiny and glossy.
  • While the dough is resting, preheat air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Add dough to a piping bag with a large star tip.
  • Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil or place a parchment liner in the basket. Pipe the dough into the air fryer basket, making sure they’re not touching. Close air fryer and cook dough for 7-8 minutes or until golden.
  • While the dough is cooking, make cinnamon sugar by combining sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
  • Make chocolate sauce by combining heavy cream and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in a microwave in 30 seconds increments, stirring each time. The chocolate sauce is done when smooth.
  • Once the churro dough is done, toss in the cinnamon-sugar mix. Serve with chocolate dipping sauce or whichever sauce you prefer.

Stovetop Instructions:

  • Form the dough as instructed. When it’s time to fry, heat 2 inches of frying oil (canola, peanut, or vegetable work great) a 10-inch deep skillet or heavy bottom large pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Pipe the dough into the oil and cook churros until nice and golden, about 2 minutes per side.
  • Drain on paper towels and then toss in cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Video

Notes

  • There is no additional oil needed if air frying churros. They will get brown on their own in the air fryer.
  • If frying the churros in oil on the stovetop, make sure the temperature stays near 360 degrees. Too hot will burn your churros and too cold will make them soggy and greasy.
  • Toss the churros in the cinnamon sugar while they are still hot so that the sugar sticks to them.

Nutrition

Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 343IU | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
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2 from 1 vote
Recipe Rating




Kim

Friday 1st of January 2021

When do you add the vanilla. I read over the recipe numerous times but never found where the vanilla is added.

Tanya

Friday 1st of January 2021

Hi Kim, my apologies...you add the vanilla extract to the saucepan in the beginning, along with other ingredients. I've added it to the post and recipe card.

Jocelyn Kim

Monday 22nd of June 2020

Hi Tanya I made the churros using the air fryer tonight and followed your recipe exactly. But it didn't come out like your photos.. the churros didn't taste right. It was quite eggy and doughy inside and the outside was like a biscuit. And when put the churros in the cinnamon sugar, the sugar didn't stick to the churros. I'm not sure where I went wrong.

Tanya

Monday 22nd of June 2020

Hi Jocelyn, sorry to hear that. My only guess is that the dough wasn't cool enough before the eggs were stirred in and they didn't get incorporated into the batter enough. I have to stir a good bit to make sure each egg is fully incorporated. It shouldn't be like a biscuit but they will be puffier in the air fryer rather than traditional frying. As far as the cinnamon sugar sticking, the churros have to be added as soon as removed from the air fryer. You could add some oil while hot and then toss in the cinnamon sugar for it to stick better.

Susie

Thursday 30th of April 2020

WOW!! THAT was my first successful use of my air fryer!!! THANKS!! btw, my daughter and I were just talking about churo's and I looked at my e-mail and THERE was YOUR post.!! All of the pic.s were VERY helpful. Where do you use your air fryer? I melted the front window of my microwave the 2nd time I used it--also my LAST time.

Tanya

Thursday 30th of April 2020

Thank you Susie :) I keep mine on the counter, but not near any other appliances. Haven't had any issues at all.