Churros with chocolate sauce
Crisp, ridged churros dusted in cinnamon sugar, served with a glossy dark chocolate dipping sauce — Mexican street-food that’s brilliant at home.
Crunchy, ridged churros dunked in a rich, glossy chocolate sauce — proper Mexican street-food indulgence you can make at home. They’re showy enough for guests but surprisingly straightforward once you’ve got the dough rhythm.
This recipe uses a simple choux-style paste (no proving) and a short rest to make piping easier. Fry to a crisp golden and toss in cinnamon sugar while hot — then disappear into chocolate.
Make the sauce while the churros cook for a quick, dramatic finish that’s worth the frying effort.
Ingredients
- 170 g plain flour
- 250 ml water
- 65 g unsalted butter — 50 g for the dough, 15 g for the chocolate sauce
- 125 g caster sugar — 25 g in the dough, 100 g for the coating
- 5 ml salt — use a pinch for the sauce as well
- 2 eggs — large
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 900 ml vegetable oil — for deep-frying; use a deep pan and fill to 4–5 cm depth (only a portion will be absorbed)
- 10 ml ground cinnamon
- 200 g dark chocolate — roughly 70% cocoa for best flavour
- 150 ml double cream
Equipment
- piping bag
- large open star nozzle
- digital thermometer
- deep heavy-based saucepan or deep-fat fryer
- slotted spoon
Instructions
Mix the coating: put 100 g caster sugar and the ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl and set aside.
Make the choux-style dough base: in a heavy-based saucepan combine the water, 50 g unsalted butter, 25 g caster sugar and the salt. Bring to a rolling boil over a medium heat.
Remove the pan from the heat and add all the plain flour in one go. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball of dough (about 1–2 minutes).
Allow the dough to cool for 2 minutes so it isn’t piping-hot before you add the eggs.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until the mixture is glossy and just pipeable. Stir in the vanilla extract at the end. The final dough should hold its shape but still be soft enough to pipe.
Cover the dough and rest at room temperature for 15 minutes to relax the gluten and make piping easier.
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep heavy-based saucepan to 180°C (use a digital thermometer) and line a tray with kitchen paper. Fit a piping bag with a large open star nozzle and fill with the dough.
Pipe 10–12 cm lengths directly into the hot oil (use scissors to cut the dough). Fry in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan, turning once, until deep golden and crisp — about 2–3 minutes per batch.
Use a slotted spoon to lift the churros onto the kitchen paper to drain for 30–60 seconds, then immediately toss in the cinnamon sugar to coat evenly.
Make the chocolate sauce: chop the dark chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl. Gently heat the double cream until just simmering, pour over the chocolate with the remaining 15 g unsalted butter and a pinch of the salt, leave 30 seconds then whisk to a smooth glossy sauce.
Serve the churros straight away, piping hot, with the warm chocolate sauce for dunking.
Tips
- Keep the oil at a steady 180°C — use a digital probe thermometer and adjust the heat between batches rather than letting the temperature fall.
- If the dough feels too loose to pipe, chill the bag in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm it up slightly; if too stiff add a teaspoon of warm water.
- Pipe directly into the oil rather than onto a tray first — piping on a tray risks sticking and losing the ridged shape.
- Make the chocolate sauce just before frying so it’s warm for dipping. Reheat gently over a bain-marie if it cools and thickens.
- Store leftover cooked churros in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours; refresh in a hot oven for 4–6 minutes to regain crispness.
Substitutions
dark chocolate → milk chocolate, same weight
Noticeably differentdouble cream → evaporated milk, same volume
Noticeably differentplain flour → 00 flour, same weight
Stays closevegetable oil → sunflower oil, same volume
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 660
- Calories
- 8 g
- Protein
- 56 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 28 g
- Sugar
- 400 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Why did my churros go soggy?
Most likely the oil was too cool or you overcrowded the pan. Keep the oil at 180°C and fry in small batches so the oil temperature doesn’t drop.
Can I bake them instead of frying?
You can bake churros for a lower-fat option but they won’t get the same deep crisp and golden exterior. Bake at 200°C fan/220°C conventional for 12–15 minutes and finish under the grill briefly if needed.
How do I reheat churros so they’re crisp again?
Refresh in a preheated oven at 190°C fan/210°C conventional for 4–6 minutes — avoid the microwave, which makes them soggy.
Can I make the dough ahead?
You can make the dough and refrigerate in a piping bag for up to 24 hours; bring it back to room temperature before frying and check the texture — you may need a little warm water to loosen it.
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