You know those treats that just light up your face from the very first bite? That’s what Easy Homemade Churros with Chocolate Sauce are for me – a golden, sugar-dusted ticket straight to dessert heaven. With crispy ridges, a tender center, and a velvety chocolate sauce for dunking, every bite is pure joy. The best part? This recipe brings those magic moments home, using everyday ingredients and transforming your kitchen into a street-corner churrerÃa – no passport required!
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll be amazed at how a short list of basic pantry staples creates churros that truly shine. Every ingredient here plays a role in creating the irresistible texture, flavor, and rich color of these Easy Homemade Churros with Chocolate Sauce – don’t skip a thing!
- Water: The foundation for your dough, helping bind everything together and steam for texture.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to both the dough and that classic cinnamon sugar coating.
- Salt: Just a pinch enhances every other flavor in the churro.
- Unsalted butter: Provides richness and that melt-in-your-mouth quality to the pastry.
- All-purpose flour: The main structure of the churro, giving it its chewy bite.
- Eggs: Essential for aeration and helping the finished churro puff and turn golden.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a dreamy aroma and deepens the flavor of your dough and chocolate sauce.
- Vegetable oil: For frying – choose a neutral oil for a delicate, golden crunch.
- Cinnamon and sugar: For the final roll; this classic combination gives churros their signature sparkle and warmth.
- Heavy cream: Gives the chocolate sauce its luscious, silky consistency.
- Semisweet chocolate: Rich and creamy, it melts perfectly for a truly decadent dip.
- Butter (for sauce): Adds gloss and richness, finishing your sauce with a satiny shine.
How to Make Easy Homemade Churros with Chocolate Sauce
Step 1: Make the Dough
Start by combining water, sugar, salt, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil so the butter melts and everything comes together. As soon as the mixture is bubbling, grab your flour and stir it all in at once – it’ll look thick, but don’t worry, that’s exactly what you want! Keep stirring until you have a smooth ball of dough already hinting at those delicious churros ahead.
Step 2: Cool and Add Eggs
Let your dough rest for a few minutes—you don’t want to scramble the eggs! Add them one at a time, along with the vanilla extract. At first, the dough will look clumpy and sticky, but keep going and it’ll turn glossy and pipeable, perfect for those plump churro shapes.
Step 3: Pipe the Churros
Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. This is the secret to those beautiful ridges that catch all the cinnamon sugar! Pipe 5–6 inch strips onto a parchment or gently right over your hot oil, snipping each one with scissors to keep things neat.
Step 4: Fry Until Golden
Preheat your oil to 375°F (190°C) – temperature matters for churros! Fry each batch without crowding the pot, turning for even color. In just a couple of minutes per side, they’ll become puffy and gorgeously golden brown. Drain them on paper towels to keep things crisp.
Step 5: Toss in Cinnamon Sugar
While the churros are still warm (but not too hot to handle), roll them in your cinnamon-sugar mixture. That classic sparkle and warmth is absolutely essential, coating every ridge with sweetness.
Step 6: Make the Chocolate Sauce
Heat your heavy cream until steaming, then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Stir in the butter and vanilla, and watch as everything melts to a glossy, dippable sauce that’s practically irresistible. This sauce takes the Easy Homemade Churros with Chocolate Sauce from tasty to legendary.
How to Serve Easy Homemade Churros with Chocolate Sauce
Garnishes
For a festive finishing touch, dust a little extra cinnamon sugar over the platter right before serving. A warm mug of that homemade chocolate sauce is absolutely essential—drizzle, dip, or dunk to your heart’s content. If you’re feeling fancy, a sprinkle of flaky salt over the chocolate sauce adds a surprising pop.
Side Dishes
If you want to round out your churro party, serve them alongside fresh fruit like strawberries or orange slices for a nice refreshing contrast. A steaming mug of café con leche or hot chocolate turns this snack into a true Spanish-inspired treat.
Creative Ways to Present
Serve your Easy Homemade Churros with Chocolate Sauce stacked in a tall glass for an eye-catching centerpiece, or arrange them on a platter with the chocolate sauce in little individual cups. For parties, skewer churros on sticks for easy sharing, or offer a trio of sauces—classic chocolate, caramel, and berry—to surprise your guests.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
If you have churros left (it rarely happens, but just in case!), let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day. The sugar coating might soften a bit, but they’ll still be absolutely delicious.
Freezing
You can freeze unfried, piped dough strips on a parchment-lined tray until firm, then transfer to a zip-top bag and freeze for up to a month. Fry them straight from the freezer—just add an extra minute or two to the cooking time. Fried churros can also be frozen and reheated when you need a quick sweet fix.
Reheating
To bring back that just-fried crispiness, reheat churros in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5–8 minutes. Skip the microwave, as it tends to make them soggy. If the sugar coating melts, simply roll them in fresh cinnamon sugar after warming!
FAQs
Can I make Easy Homemade Churros with Chocolate Sauce without a piping bag?
Absolutely! If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a sturdy zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. They won’t have the signature ridges, but they’ll still taste fantastic.
Why do my churros sometimes turn out greasy?
If the oil isn’t hot enough, churros absorb too much oil before crisping up. Use a thermometer and wait until your oil hits 375°F (190°C) for perfectly golden, non-greasy churros every time.
Can I bake churros instead of frying them?
Baked churros are doable, but you won’t get that iconic crispy shell. For best results, stick to frying, but you can bake piped churros at 425°F (220°C) for about 10–12 minutes, then broil until golden and roll in cinnamon sugar while warm.
What’s the best chocolate to use for the dipping sauce?
Semisweet chocolate is ideal because it’s rich but not too sweet, and it melts beautifully. You can use dark or milk chocolate depending on your preference, just adjust the sugar to taste.
How do I know when churros are cooked through?
Churros should be deeply golden brown on the outside and light, airy, and completely cooked in the center. If they seem doughy inside, fry them a bit longer or make your piped strips slightly thinner next time.
Final Thoughts
Nothing says celebration quite like a plate of Easy Homemade Churros with Chocolate Sauce. I hope this recipe brings the same giddy joy to your kitchen as it does to mine. Gather your loved ones, get that chocolate sauce steaming, and don’t wait another minute to make these churros—it’s a sweet adventure you’ll want to repeat again and again!
PrintEasy Homemade Churros with Chocolate Sauce Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 20 churros
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Spanish, Mexican-Inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Learn how to make these easy homemade churros with a rich chocolate sauce. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and perfect for dipping!
Ingredients
Churros:
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Chocolate Sauce:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Churro Dough: In a medium saucepan, bring water, sugar, salt, and butter to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in flour until a dough forms. Let cool slightly.
- Make the Churros: Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla, until smooth. Transfer dough to a piping bag and fry in hot oil until golden brown.
- Coat with Cinnamon Sugar: Roll warm churros in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Prepare the Chocolate Sauce: Heat cream, pour over chopped chocolate, stir in butter and vanilla until smooth.
- Serve: Enjoy warm churros with chocolate sauce for dipping.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, fry churros in small batches without overcrowding the pan.
- Churros are best served fresh but can be reheated in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for a few minutes.