Gingerbread

Gingerbread men are a classic holiday treat, try out these recipes for a gingerbread churro as a unique twist on the beloved dessert. We’ve included two different versions one gingerbread-inspired churro dough and the other for a gingerbread filing.

Ingredients:

• San Diablo dry mix churro dough
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (divided)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger (divided)
• 3/4 Tablespoon molasses 
• 1/2 cup of sugar

If you are not using the San Diablo dry dough packet, click here for our award-winning churro dough recipe. 

Instructions

1. To a bowl, add your churro mix, add 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger. If making your churro dough from scratch, follow this recipe and add your seasonings with the dry ingredients.
2. Pour 1 1/4 cups water and 3/4 tablespoon of molasses into a small pot and stir until combined. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the mixture to the churro mix in the bowl. 
3. Fully mix until the dough reaches a play-doh consistency. 
4. Prepare the sugar mixture by combining 1/2 cup sugar and the remaining cinnamon, cloves, and ginger in a large bowl.
5. Follow the instructions for frying or baking your churros.
6. Coat your finished churros into the sugar mixture and serve with dark chocolate dipping sauce or hot cocoa.

Recipe adapted from Angela Diaz.

For an even easier gingerbread churro, follow this recipe for a gingerbread man filling:

Instructions:

• 24 ounces of cream cheese
• ¾ cup (or so) of molasses
• 1 cup cream (approximate)
• 3 T. ground ginger
• 1 T. ground cinnamon
• 2 t. ground cloves
• 2 cups ground gingersnap cookies or gingerbread man cookies

For the coating:

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions:

1. Prepare to fill before making your churros. For the filling: grind up gingersnap cookies in a food processor or blender until smooth. 
2. In a mixing bowl, whip cream cheese until soft. Add molasses, and scrape the sides of the bowl to get cream cheese to combine. Add the cream and whip until smooth. Add ground gingersnaps, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. (You can always add more molasses and spices to find the right balance of flavors, and cream or cookie crumbs to find the balance of texture.)
3. Make your churros. After frying, allow the churros to drain on a paper towel-covered plate and coat in the sugar mixture while they are still warm. Fill your churros with the gingersnap mixture

Recipe from Cade and Carrain of OhSweetBasil.

 

 

 

Peppermint

Candy canes have been a Christmas staple for generations. Add some holiday cheer to your churros with these peppermint churro recipes. We’ve included two recipes for filled and non-filled churro varieties.

Ingredients:

• Churro dough
• Candy canes
• 1/2 bag white chocolate chips
• 1/2 bag milk chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Combine your churro dough, then bake or fry your churros. 
2. Prepare your peppermint topping. Unwrap 3 to 4 candy canes and place them in a Ziplock bag. Seal the bag. Use a rolling pin or something heavy to break the candy into small pieces. Just bang and pound until the candy shatters to your taste. It's quite fun! Pour the peppermint bits into a dish.
3. Place your white chocolate and milk chocolate into separate dishes and warm them in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each increment until the chocolate is smooth.
4. Decorate your churros. After they have finished frying, let the churros drain on a plate with a paper towel. You can dip your churros into the chocolate or drizzle the chocolates over the churros. Next, sprinkle the candy cane topping over the chocolate before it hardens. Work quickly to ensure everything sticks. 

Recipe adapted from the GetAwayToday peppermint churro Disneyland copycat recipe.

To make a peppermint-filled churro, follow this recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz. bottle of white chocolate sauce. (You can also make your own white chocolate sauce by following an easy recipe like this one.)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tbsp finely crushed candy cane dust 
• Optional: a few drops of peppermint extract
• 1/8 t. Salt

Instructions:

1. Whip heavy cream and salt in a stand mixer or with handheld beaters until it makes a soft whipped cream.
2. Add in white chocolate sauce and continue mixing until smooth.
3. Mix in crushed candy cane dust and optional peppermint extract. 
4. Drizzle with extra white chocolate sauce and top with crushed candy canes.

 

 

Cranberry

This recipe is perfect if you have leftover cranberries or cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving. The tart cranberry and citrus flavors make a delicious wintertime treat.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) 
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Lemon zest to top
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar to top

Instructions:

1. Stir together cranberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a small heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium. Boil, stirring constantly, until berries have popped and softened and the mixture has thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Pour cranberry mixture into a blender. Secure the lid on the blender; remove the center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over the opening to avoid making a mess. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. (Or process the mixture in the saucepan using an immersion blender.)
3. Return to saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until very thick and slightly reduced, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small heatproof bowl and let chill in the fridge.
4. After your churros have finished cooking, let them drain and coat them with white granulated sugar while they are still warm. Fill churros with cranberry sauce. Sprinkle with lemon zest.

If you want to use leftover premade cranberry sauce, simply warm it in a saucepan over the stove until the mixture comes back together. Feel free to use a blender for a smoother texture.

 

 

Eggnog

Spiced eggnog is the perfect drink to warm you up during a winter evening. Try this churro eggnog filling recipe out.

 Ingredients:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 stick butter, softened
• 1/4 cup eggnog
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For the sugar coating:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, whip the butter and smooth & creamy. 
2. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, egg nog, and half the powdered sugar. Whip with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar gradually while mixing. 
3. After your churros have finished frying, allow them to drain on a paper towel-covered plate. Prepare the sugar coating by mixing the sugar and pumpkin pie spice together. Coat your churros with the sugar mixture while still warm.
4. Fill your churros with the eggnog cream using a squeeze bottle, a piping bag, or a Ziploc bag with a small hole cut out in the corner.

Recipe adapted from Corey of FamilyFreshMeals. 

 

 

Hot Cocoa

Another treasured winter beverage, hot cocoa is a fan-favorite of kids and adults alike! This churro recipe helps celebrate hot cocoa in a unique twist.

Ingredients

For a hot cocoa churro:

• San Diablo dry dough mix packet 
• 1 packet of hot chocolate mix like Swiss Miss
• 1 1/4 plus 2 tablespoons water

(If you are not using the San Diablo dry dough mix packet, follow our recipe here to make your churro dough from scratch, add the hot chocolate mix with the flour and add 2 tablespoons of water to the dough recipe)

For the marshmallow filling:

• ½ cup butter softened 
• ½ cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 cup marshmallow creme
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the sugar coating:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon hot chocolate mix

For the toppings:

• 1 bag of milk chocolate chips
• Mini marshmallow bits (like these, from Target)

Instructions

1. To a bowl, add your churro mix and one packet of hot cocoa mix. Stir until fully incorporated. If making your churro dough from scratch, follow this recipe and add your hot cocoa mix in with the dry ingredients.
2. Pour 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of water into a small pot and stir until combined. Bring to a boil. If making your own dough from scratch, add 2 tablespoons of water to the recipe. Remove from heat and add the mixture to the churro mix in the bowl. 
3. Fully mix until the dough reaches a play-doh consistency. 
4. Prepare the sugar mixture by combining 1/4 cup white sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon hot cocoa mix.
5. Follow instructions for frying or baking your churros. After the churros have finished frying, let them drain on a paper towel-covered plate.
6. Coat your finished churros into the sugar mixture while still warm and drizzling or dipping milk chocolate. Top with mini marshmallow bits. Make sure to work quickly so everything sticks before the chocolate sets. Serve warm and enjoy.

Recipe from San Diablo Team.

 

 

White chocolate

This easy white chocolate filling recipe is the perfect base to add your favorite flavors or toppings. Create a winter wonderland-inspired churro to match the snowy weather.

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz. bottle of white chocolate sauce. (We prefer the Ghirardelli White Chocolate sauce but you can also make your own white chocolate sauce by following an easy recipe like this one.)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/8 t. Salt
• Optional: a few drops of your favorite flavor extract, sauce, candy, nuts, fruits, etc. 
• Optional: edible silver glitter 

Instructions:

1. Whip heavy cream and salt in a stand mixer or with handheld beaters until it makes a soft whipped cream.
2. Add in white chocolate sauce and continue mixing until smooth.
3. Mix in your preferred flavor pairings

Flavor ideas that pair well with white chocolate:

• Hazelnut praline. This recipe is for an easy praline paste that you can add to your white chocolate mixture for a simple white chocolate praline filling. 
• Peppermint
• Cardamom orange
• Cranberry
• Sea salt caramel
• Matcha
• Pistachio

Recipe adapted from Drew Bringhurst.

 

 

Cider/Wassail

Spiced cider warms us up on cold days and provides a delicious blend of winter flavors. This caramel apple cider filling recipe is a no-brainer for your next churro craving.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups apple cider
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/8 t. salt
• 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 t. ground nutmeg
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 T. unsalted butter
• Optional: zest of one orange

Instructions:

1. Pour apple cider into a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and let reduce to about 1/4 cup. 
2. Once apple cider is reduced: add 1 cup of heavy cream along with salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Keep warm. 
3. While apple cider is reducing: Pour 1 cup of water into a 2-quart heavy-bottomed pot. Pour the sugar into the center of the pot, taking care to keep the granules away from the sides of the saucepan. 
4. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Uncover and insert a candy thermometer and continue to boil until the mixture is light golden brown and registers 300° F. This will take about 10-15 minutes. 
5. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the sugar is deep amber in color and registers 350° F then remove from heat. 
6. Bring apple cider/cream mix to a simmer. Pour 1/4 of mix into sugar mixture. It will bubble and spit, so be careful! Once it has settled down, pour in the rest of the mix and add your orange zest.
7. When bubbling stops, add in butter and the other 1 cup of heavy cream. Stir gently until the mixture is smooth and completely combined. 
8. Coat your churros in cinnamon sugar. Fill your churros with the cooled apple cider mixture or drizzle it over your churros. Top with orange zest and decorate with a cinnamon stick.

Recipe from Drew Bringhurst.

 

 

Mocha

Rich espresso and sweet dark chocolate come together to create a match made in heaven: mocha. This malted mocha churro filling is the perfect, not-too-sweet churro combination. If you don’t prefer the taste of malted milk, feel free to leave it out.

Ingredients:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk 
• 1 double shot of espresso

For the coating:

• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 T. malted milk powder
• ½ t. espresso powder
• Chocolate sauce (for drizzle)

Instructions:

1. Mix ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until thickened and combined. Let cool.
2. Coating: Combine sugar, malted milk powder, and espresso powder in a bowl or on a plate using a fork until well-mixed. Coat churros with sugar mix will still warm and fill churros with mocha filling. Top with a chocolate-covered espresso bean.

Recipe from Amy Stellhorn

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky toffee pudding is a traditional English Christmas dessert but it can often be tricky and time-consuming to make. This sticky toffee pudding-inspired churro filling recipe brings all of your favorite caramel flavors into one easy churro bite!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup dark brown sugar (for a more authentic molasses flavor, swap out dark brown sugar for dark muscovado sugar)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• small pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the sugar coating:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

1. Make the toffee sauce before starting your churros to allow it time to cool in the fridge. For the sauce: place the heavy cream, brown sugar, salt, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and let the brown sugar dissolve completely, stirring as little as possible to avoid the sugar granules from splashing up the sides of the pan (this will result in a grainy toffee sauce).  Once it's dissolved increase the temperature to medium-high. 
2. Avoid stirring too much during the initial stages until the sauce begins to turn color.  Increase the frequency of stirring as the sauce gets browner to prevent burning.  Continue until the sauce is thickened and dark amber in color. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Prepare the sugar coating by mixing the pumpkin pie spice with the sugar. The spices help complement the rich toffee sauce.
4. After your churros are finished frying, let the drain on a paper towel-covered plate and coat them with the sugar mixture while still warm. Fill the churros with the cooled toffee sauce. 

Recipe adapted from Kimberly Killebrew.

 

 

Sugar cookie

Decorating sugar cookies is a popular holiday activity. This sugar cookie-inspired churro filling is perfect for kids but just as delicious for adults! Let your guests decorate their churros with their favorite sprinkles. 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 bag (12 oz) of white chocolate chips 
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups (estimate) broken sugar cookies
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions:

1. For this recipe, we are making a sugar cookie-infused cream. Add the heavy cream and broken sugar cookies to a pot on the stove. Bring the cream to a simmer then cover and turn off the heat. Allow the cookies to steep in the cream beforehand or while you make your churros (10-30 minutes or longer).
2. Microwave chocolate in microwave safe bowl for 1 minute to soften.
3. Strain the cookie solids out of the heavy cream and return to the pot. Bring the cream back to a simmer then pour over white chocolate chips. Make sure the chocolate is fully covered. Let sit for 5 minutes to let the chocolate melt.
4. Stir to combine cream and chocolate, add salt and almond extract. To thicken the ganache, whip to incorporate air. You can do this by hand or with an electric mixer but we prefer whipping by hand to avoid over-mixing.
5. Let the mixture sit and cool in the fridge while you make your churros. After the churros have finished frying, allow them to drain on a paper towel-covered plate. Optional: coat in white sugar. Fill, dip, or drizzle your churros with the sugar cookie ganache. Top with sprinkles.