How to make homemade churros from scratch — Classic Churro Recipe

WATCH this episode of Churro University to see exactly how to make homemade churros from scratch with our classic, award-winning churro recipe.  

Part of what makes our churros so unique is the award-winning dough we have developed with the help of professional pastry chefs since the beginning of San Diablo. This churro recipe is adapted for our catering, food trucks, and our at-home kits because we believe in making amazing churro experiences accessible for absolutely everyone. Because we all have churro needs. No matter where you are, you deserve fresh filled churros! If you’ve ever wanted to make our dough from scratch in your own kitchen, here is everything you will need. 

There are some celebrations of food that are worth the effort and the calories — and these churros are the perfect cheat day treat! You can always try an air-fried or baked churro for a healthier option, but a deep-fried homemade churro is the real deal. Trust me, they’re worth it. This recipe is also super adaptable to be vegan, dairy-free, or gluten-free and you can add whatever toppings, fillings, and sugars that you want for your own, unique dessert.

Most people assume that churros are way too complicated to make at home but these churros are super easy with the help of our San Diablo Churro Maker. Save this recipe for your next dinner party, family gathering, or even start a new tradition because there’s always a reason to celebrate with churros!  Our dough is super easy to make and you probably have all of the ingredients sitting in your kitchen right now.

Replace your memories of mass-produced, re-heated food court churros with a more decadent handmade pastry.  Our churros are  melt-in-your-mouth delicious with a hollow middle (perfect for your favorite filling) and the perfect amount of crispiness on the outside. Dust them with San Diablo’s freshly-ground cinnamon sugar, and you’ll be transported to a delightful dessert paradise — reliving the nostalgia of your favorite churro memories. Add your own flair with some gourmet, non-traditional fillings like lemon curd, ube, or pumpkin cheesecake or go the traditional route with dulce de leche or Nutella. 

Servings: 18-20 mini churros

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup water
• 4 T. unsalted Butter (Almost any brand will work, but the higher quality, the better)
• 1 cup high-quality Baker’s flour — Bread Flour, 10-12% protein
• ¾  t. salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 t. Vanilla
• Oil, for frying

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To start your churro dough, combine the water and butter into a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. When the butter has completely melted, add the flour and salt. Stir until there are no clumps of flour left and it resembles a ball. Take off heat.
2. Transfer the warm dough to a stand mixer or large bowl. Mix the dough by hand or with a paddle attachment on low speed to allow dough to cool.
3. While dough is releasing steam, mix egg and vanilla together in a separate bowl. Slowly increase the speed of the mixer while adding in the egg and vanilla mixture. Mix together while stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula until the dough forms a ball with a smooth, playdough-like consistency. Let the dough chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes or keep it in the fridge for up to one week in a sealed container until you’re ready to fry your churros. 
4. TO DEEP FRY: Pre-heat oil in fryer or pan to 375°F/190°C with approximately 2” of oil. We recommend canola oil for its neutral taste. It makes the outside of the churros crispy and the inside melt in your mouth.  For Air Fry instructions, please click HERE.
5. Once your churro dough is ready, load it inside the churro maker. We recommend shaping the churro dough into a bullet or tube shape with your hands slightly smaller than the width of the barrel so it easily slides into the barrel when loading.
6. Re-secure the shaft and knob attachment and prepare to twist and press the dough into the hot oil or air fryer tray. Slowly twist the knob down to press out the churro dough through the nozzle. After pressing the desired amount of churro dough through the nozzle, cut it off with a butter knife or your finger.
7. Place each raw churro gently into the hot oil. Please be careful! To avoid any hot oil splashes, we definitely recommend angling the Churro Maker vertically over and close (but not too close) to the surface of the hot oil.
8. Watch the churros fry in the hot oil and rotate with metal tongs as needed to get the entire churro to your ideal golden brown crispiness (usually 3-4 minutes).
9. After your churros have cooled a bit but are still warm, dust them with your desired amount of San Diablo cinnamon sugar shakers. We freshly grind our cinnamon, mix it with sugar and create our classic style cinnamon sugar. You can also try our secret menu (shhh!) with spicy cinnamon sugars: Diablo style with cayenne pepper and Inferno style with habanero pepper.
10. Fill to your heart’s content using a squeeze bottle or one of San Diablo’s reusable filling bottles with Dulce de Leche, Nutella or Sweet Cream. Pro tip: Get creative with what you have around the kitchen like honeys, jams, nut butters and syrups. And for added flavor “pop,” we suggest sprinkling your churro with some pink Himalayan salt!

Eat and repeat. Often.

Congrats! You’re well on your way to becoming a churro master!