Crispy Homemade Churros – Easy Cinnamon Sugar Treat

The kitchen light goes amber in the late afternoon, and that is when I reach for the flour. Crispy Homemade Churros begin with nothing more than water, butter, and a quiet patience.

The dough sighs when it hits the hot oil. It puffs, curls, and turns the color of old honey. Steam rises, and the whole room smells like a bakery that only exists for you.

A bowl of cinnamon sugar waits nearby. The churros roll through it while still warm, and the coating clings in soft, dusty drifts. Simple things, done slowly.

About the Ingredients

1 cup (240 ml) water

Water is the backbone of the dough, giving churros their airy interior. For a richer crumb, swap half the water for whole milk.

4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Butter adds tenderness and a faint richness. Salted butter works too; just reduce the added salt to a pinch.

1 tablespoon (13 g) granulated sugar

A touch of sugar in the dough encourages browning. If you only have brown sugar, use it; the crust will darken a shade faster.

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Salt sharpens the sweetness of the coating. Kosher salt is fine, but use a slightly heaped half teaspoon.

1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour

Spoon the flour into the cup and level it, or the dough turns stiff. Bread flour gives a chewier bite if you prefer it.

1 large egg, room temperature

The egg binds and lightens the dough. A flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax plus 3 tablespoons water) works for an egg-free version.

2 cups (480 ml) neutral oil, for frying

Canola, vegetable, or sunflower oil all fry cleanly. Avoid olive oil; its smoke point is too low for this heat.

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, for coating

Fine sugar clings best to hot churros. Turbinado adds crunch but rolls off more easily.

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, for coating

Fresh cinnamon smells sweeter and warmer. Buy a jar with a recent date, or grind a stick yourself.

Tips & Tricks

• Keep the oil steady at 375 F (190 C). If it drops below 350 F (175 C), the churros drink oil instead of crisping.
• Pipe the dough in 5 to 6 inch (13 to 15 cm) lengths and cut with scissors directly over the pot to avoid stretching.
• Fry in small batches of three or four so the temperature recovers between rounds.
• Coat the churros within 30 seconds of draining, while the surface is still tacky enough to hold the cinnamon sugar.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat the liquid base

Combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring until the butter melts completely, about 3 minutes.

2. Cook the flour

Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute until the dough pulls away from the sides and a thin film coats the pan bottom, about 190 F (88 C) on an instant-read thermometer.

3. Cool and add the egg

Scrape the dough into a bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes, until warm but not hot. Beat in the egg until the dough is smooth, glossy, and holds a soft peak.

4. Pipe the churros

Fit a piping bag with a large star tip (1/2 inch / 1.3 cm). Fill with dough and pipe 5 to 6 inch (13 to 15 cm) lengths onto parchment, then chill for 10 minutes.

5. Heat the oil

Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pot and heat to 375 F (190 C). Clip a thermometer to the side and adjust the flame to hold that temperature.

6. Fry until golden

Lower 3 or 4 churros into the oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once, until deep golden brown and the ridges look crisp. The internal temperature should read about 200 F (93 C).

7. Drain and coat

Lift the churros onto a wire rack for 30 seconds, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar while still warm. Repeat with the remaining dough.

8. Serve warm

Pile the churros on a plate and serve immediately, with chocolate sauce or dulce de leche for dipping if you like.

Delicious Variations

Chocolate Churros

Whisk 2 tablespoons cocoa powder into the flour before cooking for a deep, bittersweet crust.

Stuffed Churros

Pipe a hollow ring, then fill with dulce de leche or thick chocolate ganache using a small piping tip.

Baked Churros

Pipe onto a lined sheet, brush with melted butter, and bake at 425 F (220 C) for 15 minutes, turning once.

How to Store Crispy Homemade Churros | Easy Cinnamon Sugar Treat

Frequently Asked Questions

Make these churros on a slow afternoon, when the light is low and there is nowhere else to be. Roll them in cinnamon sugar, share them warm, and let the kitchen stay messy a little while longer.

Crispy Homemade Churros | Easy Cinnamon Sugar Treat

Crispy Homemade Churros deliver golden, crackly ridges rolled in warm cinnamon sugar, an easy treat that turns a quiet afternoon into a small celebration.

★★★★½ 4.8 (214 ratings)

15 minPrep time35 minCook time6Servings285 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon (13 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 cups (480 ml) neutral oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, for coating
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, for coating

📋 Instructions

1. 1Heat the liquid base — Combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring until the butter melts completely, about 3 minutes.
2. 2Cook the flour — Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute until the dough pulls away from the sides and a thin film coats the pan bottom, about 190 F (88 C) on an instant-read thermometer.
3. 3Cool and add the egg — Scrape the dough into a bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes, until warm but not hot. Beat in the egg until the dough is smooth, glossy, and holds a soft peak.
4. 4Pipe the churros — Fit a piping bag with a large star tip (1/2 inch / 1.3 cm). Fill with dough and pipe 5 to 6 inch (13 to 15 cm) lengths onto parchment, then chill for 10 minutes.
5. 5Heat the oil — Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pot and heat to 375 F (190 C). Clip a thermometer to the side and adjust the flame to hold that temperature.
6. 6Fry until golden — Lower 3 or 4 churros into the oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once, until deep golden brown and the ridges look crisp. The internal temperature should read about 200 F (93 C).
7. 7Drain and coat — Lift the churros onto a wire rack for 30 seconds, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar while still warm. Repeat with the remaining dough.
8. 8Serve warm — Pile the churros on a plate and serve immediately, with chocolate sauce or dulce de leche for dipping if you like.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: If the dough feels too stiff to pipe, beat in a teaspoon of water at a time until it relaxes. A soft dough fries into a lighter churro.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: Spanish

Course: Dessert

Nutrition (per serving): 285 kcal · 3g protein · 34g carbs · 15g fat

Written by Ingrid Sørensen

Ingrid explores Scandinavian minimalist design and slow living. She writes about creating calm, functional spaces with fewer, better things.