Homemade Fried Churros with Spiced Chocolate Sauce

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Fried churros with spiced chocolate sauce come together in about 45 minutes from a dough of water, oil, flour, sugar and salt. There are no eggs and no yeast. You pipe ridged 12 cm / 5-inch lengths into hot oil, then roll them in cinnamon sugar.

The sauce is 70% dark chocolate melted into warm milk and cream, with cinnamon, cayenne and a pinch of salt. The cayenne gives a slow warmth, not a burn.

Oil temperature is where this goes wrong. At 175 C / 350 F the outside turns deep golden while the center sets. Colder oil gives pale, greasy churros, and hotter oil leaves raw centers, so use a thermometer and fry in three batches of four.

I make the sauce while the dough cools, so both are ready together. Serve within 20 minutes of frying.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Eggless dough from pantry staples, mixed in one saucepan
• Spiced chocolate sauce takes 5 minutes and holds warm
• Star-tip ridges give crisp edges and a soft center
• Piped dough freezes raw, so churros are ready on demand

Ingredient Notes

• all-purpose flour: Weigh it at 150 g, since a scooped cup can run 20 g heavy and make a stiff dough that’s hard to pipe. Bread flour works but gives chewier churros.
• dark chocolate: Use a 70% bar, chopped, not chips, which contain stabilizers and melt less smoothly. For a sweeter sauce, swap in 55% chocolate and cut the cayenne to a pinch.
• cayenne: Swap in 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder for a smoky, milder heat, or leave it out for a sauce kids will eat.
• frying oil: Use sunflower or canola oil, which taste neutral and handle 175 C / 350 F without smoking. Skip olive oil here, since its flavor comes through.
• milk and cream: Oat milk can replace the whole milk, though the sauce will be thinner. For a fully dairy-free sauce, use canned full-fat coconut milk and milk-free dark chocolate.

Homemade Fried Churros with Spiced Chocolate Sauce

Key takeaways: the dough is eggless, the oil stays at 175 C / 350 F, you fry three batches of four, and the sauce keeps warm while you work.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Mexican

Calories: 496

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Churros

• 240 ml water
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (30 ml); sunflower or canola
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar (12 g)
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 150 g all-purpose flour weighed

Cinnamon sugar

• 50 g granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Spiced chocolate sauce

• 150 g 70% dark chocolate finely chopped
• 180 ml whole milk
• 60 ml heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For frying

• 1 l neutral oil sunflower or canola, enough for 5 cm / 2 inches depth

Method

 

Make the dough

1. Mix 50 g sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon on a shallow plate, line a sheet pan with paper towels, and fit a piping bag with a 1 cm / 1/2-inch star tip. Chop the chocolate finely and put it in a heatproof bowl.
2. Bring 240 ml water, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt to a rolling boil in a 2-quart / 1.9 L saucepan. Take it off the heat, add all 150 g flour at once, and stir hard with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute, until the dough forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides.
3. Scrape the dough into a bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes, until you can touch it comfortably. Hot dough is too soft to hold its ridges.

Make the sauce

1. While the dough cools, warm 180 ml milk and 60 ml cream in a 1.5-quart / 1.4 L saucepan over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until steaming with small bubbles at the edge. Pour it over the chopped chocolate and wait 1 minute. Whisk in 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cayenne, a pinch of salt and 1 tsp vanilla until glossy, then cover to keep warm.

Fry and coat

1. Pour 1 L oil into a 26 cm / 10-inch Dutch oven so it's about 5 cm / 2 inches deep. Heat over medium for about 8 minutes, until a thermometer reads 175 C / 350 F. Spoon the cooled dough into the piping bag.
2. Pipe 4 lengths of dough into the oil, cutting each at 12 cm / 5 inches with kitchen scissors held close to the surface. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once or twice, until deep golden brown with crisp ridges. Cut the first churro open to check that the center is set and fluffy.
3. Lift the churros out with a spider skimmer, drain on the towel-lined pan for 10 seconds, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar while still hot. Wait 1 to 2 minutes for the oil to return to 175 C / 350 F, then fry the remaining dough in two more batches of 4, for 12 churros total.
4. Whisk the sauce, pour it into a small bowl, and serve the churros within 20 minutes of frying.

Notes

• Weigh the flour for a dough that pipes smoothly.
• Cool the dough for 5 minutes before piping so the ridges hold their shape.
• Fry in three batches of four and let the oil recover between them.
• Cut the first churro open to check that the center is set and fluffy.
• Keep the sauce covered on the stove and whisk it just before serving.

Tips for Success

• Clip a frying thermometer to the Dutch oven and hold the oil at 175 C / 350 F, adjusting the burner between batches.
• Use a star tip with a 1 cm / 1/2-inch opening, since the ridges let steam escape and keep the churros from bursting.
• Pipe with the tip close to the oil surface and cut each length with kitchen scissors, which avoids splashes from hot oil.
• Fry in three batches of four and wait 1 to 2 minutes between batches so the oil climbs back to temperature.
• Roll the churros in cinnamon sugar within 30 seconds of draining, while the surface is hot enough for the sugar to stick.

Variations

• Stir 1 tsp finely grated orange zest into the chocolate sauce for a bitter citrus edge that suits the cayenne.
• Whisk 1 tsp instant espresso powder into the warm milk before pouring it over the chocolate for a mocha-style dip.
• Replace the cayenne with 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder and add a pinch of smoked paprika for a milder, smokier sauce.

Storage and Reheating

Fried churros are best eaten within 20 minutes of leaving the oil, because the crisp ridges soften as steam moves out from the center. Leftovers turn chewy and don’t recover, so I fry only what will be eaten and keep the rest of the dough raw.

For make-ahead churros, pipe the dough in 12 cm / 5-inch lengths onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, freeze for 1 hour, then bag them for up to 1 month. Fry straight from frozen at 175 C / 350 F for 5 to 6 minutes, shaking off any ice first.

The chocolate sauce keeps in a covered jar in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Rewarm it in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of milk, whisking until smooth.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the churros on a warm plate, three per person, with a small bowl of sauce (about 90 ml) for dunking. The sauce thickens as it cools, so keep it covered on the stove and whisk before pouring.

A café cortado or black coffee balances the sugar. For something cold, a glass of whole milk works, and sliced strawberries or orange segments cut through the chocolate.

Any leftover sauce is good over vanilla ice cream or stirred into hot milk. The whole spread keeps it vegetarian and eats like a full dessert course.

FAQ

Why are my churros raw in the middle?

Raw centers mean the oil was too hot, so the outside browned before the dough set. Hold the oil at 175 C / 350 F with a thermometer and wait 1 to 2 minutes between batches for it to recover. Cut one churro open after 3 to 4 minutes: the center should be set and fluffy.

Can I use gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose for churros?

A cup-for-cup gluten-free blend that contains xanthan gum works, but the churros come out more fragile. The dough may need an extra tablespoon of water, and you should lift them gently with a spider skimmer. All-purpose flour gives the crispest ridges, and its gluten helps the dough hold its shape.

Can I freeze churro dough and fry it later?

Yes. Pipe the dough into 12 cm / 5-inch lengths on parchment, freeze for 1 hour, then bag them for up to 1 month. Fry straight from frozen at 175 C / 350 F for 5 to 6 minutes, and roll them in cinnamon sugar right after draining. Don’t thaw them first, or they turn soft.

What goes with churros and spiced chocolate sauce?

Strong black coffee or a café cortado balances the sugar best. A cold glass of whole milk works for kids, and sliced strawberries or orange segments cut through the chocolate. Serve three churros per person with about 90 ml of sauce so nobody runs out of dip.

How do I make the spiced chocolate sauce dairy free?

Replace the milk and cream with 240 ml of full-fat canned coconut milk, and use dark chocolate with no milk solids, which the label will confirm. Warm the coconut milk until steaming, then whisk it into the chocolate as written. The churro dough already uses oil instead of butter, so the sauce is the only change.

What is the difference between Spanish and Mexican churros?

Spanish churros are usually plain or lightly sugared and dunked in thick hot chocolate. Mexican churros are typically rolled in cinnamon sugar and sometimes filled with cajeta or chocolate. This recipe borrows from both: a cinnamon-sugar coat on the outside and a spiced chocolate sauce for dunking.

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