Churros Recipe (Ready in 130 Min)

This Spanish dessert builds bread, dark chocolate and double cream into a satisfying meal you can have ready in about 130 minutes. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 19 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.

You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and saucepan. At involved difficulty across 19 steps, it's worth setting aside proper time for. As written, it's meat-free.

How to make it

Boil the kettle, then measure 300ml boiling water into a jug and add the melted butter and vanilla extract.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a big mixing bowl with a big pinch of salt.
Make a well in the centre, then pour in the contents of the jug and very quickly beat into the flour with a wooden spoon until lump-free.
Rest for 10-15 mins while you make the sauce.
Put all the sauce ingredients into a pan and gently melt together, stirring occasionally until you have a smooth shiny sauce. Keep warm on a low heat.
Fill a large deep saucepan one-third full of oil.
Cooking with hot oil can be dangerous – before you start, read up on how to deep-fry safely to avoid accidents in the kitchen.
Heat until a cube of bread browns in 45 seconds to 1 min.
Cover a tray with kitchen paper and mix the caster sugar and cinnamon together.
Fit a star nozzle to a piping bag – 1.5-2cm wide is a good size.
Fill with the rested dough, then pipe 2-3 strips directly into the pan, snipping off each dough strip with a pair of kitchen scissors.
Fry until golden brown and crisp.
Be very careful here – if air bubbles form in the churros they can explode, especially if the oil overheats or you use old flour.
Cooking with hot oil can be dangerous – before you start, read up on how to deep-fry safely to avoid accidents in the kitchen.
Keep children out of the kitchen and protect yourself by wearing long sleeves and eye protection, and keeping your face away from the pan.
Once the churros are crisp and golden brown, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on the kitchen paper-lined tray.
Carry on cooking the rest of the dough in batches, sprinkling the cooked churros with some cinnamon sugar as you go.
When you’ve cooked all the churros, toss with any remaining cinnamon sugar and serve with the chocolate sauce, for dipping.
To see a video of how to prepare churros, take a look at our churros ice cream sandwich recipe.

You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Saucepan · Pan

Tips & common questions

How long does Churros take to make?

About 130 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 19 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.

What can I use instead of butter?

Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.

Can I scale this recipe up or down?

Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.

Is Churros vegetarian?

Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.