Description
These Homemade Mexican Churros are crispy, sweet, and bursting with cinnamon flavor. Made from a smooth buttery dough, fried to golden perfection, and rolled in a cinnamon-sugar coating, they offer the authentic taste of a classic Mexican treat that’s perfect for sharing or indulging any time of day.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 stick cinnamon stick
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
Coating and Frying
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 quart canola oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Prepare the flavored liquid: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the unsalted butter. Once melted, add water, kosher salt, vanilla extract, and the cinnamon stick. Bring this mixture to a boil. Then remove the cinnamon stick and take the pan off the heat.
- Make the dough: While the mixture is still warm, add the all-purpose flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
- Cool and incorporate egg: Let the dough cool for 10 to 15 minutes so it’s safe to handle. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and stir in the large egg thoroughly until fully incorporated and the dough is smooth again.
- Prepare for frying: Place the dough into a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip. This will help create the classic ridged texture of churros.
- Mix the coating: Combine sugar and ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl to create the sweet cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Heat the oil: In a Dutch oven, heat the canola oil to 400°F (204°C) for frying. Use a thermometer to ensure accurate temperature.
- Fry the churros: Hold the piping bag above the hot oil, carefully piping out four 6-inch lengths of dough into the oil at a time. Fry the churros until they turn golden brown, about 2 minutes, flipping occasionally for even cooking.
- Drain and coat: Remove the churros with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil. While still warm, roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until evenly coated.
Notes
- Make sure the oil temperature stays consistent for crispy churros—too low and they absorb oil, too high and they burn quickly.
- Use a closed star tip for piping to get the traditional churro ridges and texture.
- Cool the dough slightly before adding the egg to avoid scrambling it.
- Serve churros immediately fresh and warm for the best texture and flavor.
- Leftover churros can be stored in an airtight container and reheated briefly in an oven to regain their crispiness.
