Name: Churro
Yield: 25

This Churro Recipe is crispy outside, soft and fluffy inside, with a sweet cinnamon kick. Whole milk and butter make them rich, and I’m sharing two tasty dipping sauces too!

author’s note

How I Brought Disneyland’s Churros Home!

On our last trip to Disneyland, one of my kids could not stop talking about the churros. Every time we walked past a stand, he’d point them out and beg for another one. By the end of the day, it had become a running joke that they were the main attraction.

When we got home, I kept thinking about it. I wanted to bring that same excitement to our kitchen, so I set out to reliable a from-scratch churro recipe. After plenty of testing (and plenty of sugar-coated fingers), I landed on this version. They’re crispy outside, soft and fluffy inside, and rolled in just the right amount of cinnamon sugar.

Ingredients (milk, butter, water, and vanilla) being simmered together in a pot.

Churro Recipe Ingredients

Ingredient	Tips or Swaps
Whole milk	A low fat option won’t work.
Unsalted butter	I like using unsalted butter to control the saltiness.
All-purpose flour	Spoon and level the flour for accuracy. Too much flour makes the churros dense.
Eggs	Let the dough cool slightly before adding eggs so they don’t scramble.
Cinnamon & sugar	Roll churros while they’re still warm so the coating sticks well. Add more cinnamon if you like a stronger flavor.

Adding flour and eggs, and mixing in a saucepan for the churro dough.

How To Make This Churro Recipe

Make dough: Heat milk, water, butter, salt, cinnamon, and sugar until the butter melts. mix in the flour, then mix in the eggs and vanilla.
Heat oil: Bring oil to 350°F in a deep pot or fryer.
Prepare coating: Mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
Pipe and fry: Pipe strips of dough into the hot oil and fry until the edges turn golden.
Coat and serve: Roll the warm churros in cinnamon sugar and serve with the sauces.

Quick Tip

What piping tip is best? It is worth the Wilton 1M Open Star Tip. Smaller tips result in thinner churros that cook rapidly, becoming crispy without a soft inside. Using heavy-duty or cloth pastry bags is advised to prevent splitting due to the dough’s heat and pressure.

Churro dough inside a pastry piping bag.

the cook’s recipe tip

a reliable Ways To Serve This Churro Recipe:

Serve warm on a platter with chocolate or dulce de leche for dipping
Pair with vanilla ice cream for a simple churro sundae
Make churro ice cream sandwiches
Cut into bite-sized pieces for a party-style dessert board
Drizzle with extra chocolate or caramel for a bakery-style finish

Churro dough being piped through a pastry bag onto a parchment-lined tray, forming long, ridged cylinders characteristic of churros.

Tips For Success

Use a Candy Thermometer: Keep the oil at 350°F for reliable frying.
Don’t Crowd the Pot: Fry only 4-6 churros at a time to maintain temperature.
Safety First: Pipe dough gently to avoid oil splashes.
Immediate Sugar Coating: Coat this churro recipe in cinnamon sugar while warm.
Make Sauces Ahead: Prepare sauces before frying churros. If they thicken, microwave briefly.