Cinnamon Sugar Churros with Chocolate Sauce Recipe
This classic Spanish churros recipe features crispy, golden fried dough sticks coated in a fragrant cinnamon sugar mixture, served with a rich, smooth chocolate dipping sauce. Perfectly crispy on the outside and soft inside, these churros are made from a simple dough fried to perfection and rolled in cinnamon sugar, offering a delightful dessert or snack experience.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 churros (15 cm each)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup caster / superfine sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Churros Dough
- 1 cup plain / all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable, canola or olive oil (not extra virgin olive oil)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 cups+ vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Chocolate Sauce
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup thickened / heavy cream
Instructions
- Prepare Cinnamon Sugar Coating: In a shallow bowl, combine the caster sugar and ground cinnamon. Set this aside for later use in coating the churros immediately after frying.
- Make the Dough: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Add the vegetable oil and boiling water to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter should be thick and gummy, resembling a wet sticky dough, not thin or watery.
- Prepare Piping Bag: Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with an 8mm (about 1/3 inch) star tip nozzle. Set the piping bag aside while you heat the oil for frying.
- Heat Oil for Frying: In a small pot, wok, or a deep skillet, pour enough vegetable or canola oil to a depth of about 5 cm (2 inches). Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 170°C (340°F) or until a small cube of bread turns golden in about 20 seconds.
- Pipe and Fry Churros: Pipe 15 cm (6 inch) lengths of the dough directly into the hot oil. Use scissors to snip the dough close to the oil surface to avoid splashes. Fry 3 to 4 churros at a time, making a total of about 10 to 12 churros in batches.
- Cook Until Crisp and Golden: Fry the churros for 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are evenly golden brown and crisp.
- Drain and Coat: Remove churros from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Immediately roll the hot churros in the prepared cinnamon sugar mixture to coat well.
- Prepare Chocolate Sauce: Place the dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips and heavy cream in a heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until the mixture is smooth and fully melted. Let it cool for 5 minutes to thicken slightly before serving.
- Serve: Serve the freshly fried churros warm with the chocolate sauce for dipping.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 12 churros at 15 cm (6 inches) long or about 20 shorter pieces.
- Use plain/all-purpose flour, not self-raising flour, for best results.
- Choose cooking chocolate (found in the baking aisle) rather than table chocolate, as it melts more smoothly for the sauce.
- A wok is ideal for frying with minimal oil due to its shape, however a small deep skillet or pot also works well.
- You can make churros ahead by not coating them in sugar after frying; allow to cool fully then store in an airtight container at room temperature. Reheat in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 5 minutes until crisp before rolling in sugar.
- There is no sugar in the dough itself because the cinnamon sugar coating and chocolate sauce provide ample sweetness.
- For high altitude or very humid climates, adjust the flour quantity slightly if the dough is too wet or dry.
- This recipe is adapted from a Nigella Lawson version and has been refined for optimal texture and consistency.
