These cinnamon churros skip eggs entirely — the dough uses baking powder and a small amount of baking soda instead, which means you can make them from ingredients already in your pantry. They fry up crispy on the outside with a soft, slightly doughy centre, and the chocolate dipping sauce is a quick ganache that takes about five minutes on a double boiler. If you need a dessert that works for a crowd and holds up reasonably well after the first batch, this is a practical choice.
The technique that matters
Oil temperature is the one thing that will make or break these churros. Fry at 350–375°F (175–190°C) — use a thermometer if you have one. Too cool and the churros absorb oil and turn greasy before the outside sets; too hot and the outside browns before the centre cooks through. The second technique worth paying attention to is piping pressure. Keep it steady and consistent as you squeeze the dough into the oil, and cut each churro to roughly the same length with kitchen scissors so they cook evenly. Uneven thickness means some pieces finish before others, and you end up pulling half-raw churros to save the ones that are done.
Make-ahead notes
The uncooked dough can be piped onto a parchment-lined tray, frozen solid, then transferred to a zip-lock bag and kept frozen for up to one month — fry straight from frozen, adding about 90 seconds to the cook time. Already-fried churros keep at room temperature for up to four hours and stay reasonably crisp; after that the coating softens and they go a bit chewy. To revive a batch, spread them on a baking rack over a sheet pan and run them in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 6–8 minutes — skip the microwave, which just steams them limp. The ganache sauce keeps in the fridge for up to five days in a sealed jar; rewarm it gently in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.
What can go wrong
- Dough tears when piping: This usually means the dough is too stiff or the star tip is too small. Add warm water one teaspoon at a time until the dough pipes smoothly without cracking at the ridges. A 1M or 1E star tip gives the best result — a smaller tip forces you to over-squeeze, which tires your hand and produces uneven churros.
- Churros split open in the oil: The dough was either too wet or the oil temperature dropped sharply when you added too many at once. Fry in small batches — no more than four or five at a time — so the oil temperature stays stable.
- Cinnamon sugar won’t stick: Roll the churros immediately after they come out of the oil, while the surface is still hot and slightly tacky. If you wait even two minutes, the coating slides off. Skip the garnish of extra sugar dusted on the plate — not worth the extra dish.
- Ganache seizes or turns grainy: This happens when the cream is too hot or added too fast. Take the bowl off the double boiler before adding the cream, pour it in slowly, and stir from the centre outward. If it does seize, add a teaspoon of warm cream and stir gently — it usually comes back together.
- Churros are greasy inside: The oil was too cool when they went in. Let the oil come fully back up to temperature between batches, and blot finished churros briefly on a paper towel before rolling them in the cinnamon sugar.
Cinnamon Churros With Chocolate Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Churros Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup warm water
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 3 cups neutral oil for frying such as vegetable or canola, or enough for 2 inches depth
Dipping Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate finely chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream double cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Coating Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the finely chopped chocolate and heavy cream in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water). Stir slowly as the chocolate melts. When about three-quarters of the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat and continue stirring until completely smooth. Add the butter and stir until glossy and fully emulsified. Set the chocolate dipping sauce aside while you prepare the churros.
- Heat 2–3 inches of neutral oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or deep skillet to 350–375°F / 175–190°C. Use a kitchen thermometer to monitor the temperature — the oil should shimmer but not smoke.
- In another bowl, add all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir with a fork to aerate.
- Heat the warm water until steaming but not boiling. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the water in gradually, stirring with a fork after each addition, until you have a thick, very sticky dough. You may not need all the water — stop when the dough holds together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large open star nozzle. Alternatively, drop heaped tablespoonfuls of dough directly into the hot oil.
- If you go the piping bag route, hold the bag above oil and squeeze. When you are happy with the length of the churro (about 4–6 inches / 10–15 cm), slowly lower the bag so the tip of the churro touches the oil, lower until almost three-quarters of the churro is submerged, and snip the dough at the nozzle with kitchen scissors.
- Fry churros in batches of 4–5 for 2–3 minutes, turning once, until golden brown all over. Transfer to a wire rack or plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Do not overcrowd the pan — this drops the oil temperature and makes churros greasy. (The churros will continue to crisp as they cool, so pull them when they are still very slightly soft inside.)
- On a wide plate or shallow bowl, mix the granulated white sugar and ground cinnamon. While the churros are still warm, roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture until evenly coated.
- Serve warm with chocolate dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I bake these instead of frying them?
Baking works but the result is noticeably different — you get a drier, breadstick-like texture rather than a crispy shell with a soft centre. If you want to try it, pipe them onto a parchment-lined tray, brush generously with melted butter, and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 18–20 minutes, turning once halfway through.
What oil is best for frying churros?
Any neutral oil with a high smoke point works well — vegetable, canola, or sunflower are all good options. Avoid olive oil, which has a lower smoke point and a flavour that competes with the cinnamon sugar coating.
Why does my churro dough feel too thick to pipe?
Flour absorbs water differently depending on how it was measured and how humid your kitchen is, so the dough sometimes needs a small adjustment. Add warm water one teaspoon at a time, stirring after each addition, until the dough moves through a piping bag without you having to force it.
