These Air Fryer Churros are light, crispy, and simple to make. Dip these cinnamon-sugar-coated dessert bites in a powdered sugar glaze for a decadent treat that will instill feelings of being at the county fair.
The word churro comes from Spanish, originally describing a ridged, fried dough pastry that resembled the horns of a type of Spanish sheep🐏
Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Churros Recipe
- Tastes just like deep-fried churros, but without the excess oil. It’s a much healthier option than the carnival staple.
- Before the air fryer, if you made these at home, you either had to bake them or deep-fry them. If you baked them, they didn’t crisp up enough. And if you fried them, you were adding a lot of extra oil to your diet. This is the perfect solution to both problems!
- Churros might not be on your list of go-to dessert ideas. But after you see how easy they are to make, you can add them to your baking arsenal. Invite your friends over and show off your new skills.
List of Ingredients 📃
- Water: Water is the base of our dough– it adds moisture and helps bring the dough together.
- Butter: Butter adds moisture and richness to the dough.
- Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar adds just a hint of sweetness to the dough.
- Salt: Salt helps balance out all of the sweetness in the churros.
- Flour: Flour adds structure to the dough.
- Egg: Egg adds moisture and helps bind the dough together.
- Vanilla: Vanilla adds a subtle sweetness and enhances the flavor of the churros.
- Cinnamon-Sugar Coating: Every good churro needs a cinnamon-sugar coating so that’s what we’re using to coat the churros. You could always switch it up by using pumpkin pie spice, adding a pinch of nutmeg, or even a bit of lemon zest.
How To Make Air Fryer Churros
- Gather your ingredients.
- Add the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a medium saucepan set over medium heat.
- When the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat to medium-low and add the flour. Stir until the dough comes together in a ball. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool.
- When the dough has cooled slightly, add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Use a wooden spoon (or sturdy rubber spatula) to incorporate the eggs into a smooth, thick batter. Transfer the churro dough to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe your desired length of churros onto a Silpat mat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the churros in the freezer to chill as directed or until they are stiff.
- When you’re ready to cook the churros, preheat your air fryer for 5 minutes. Spray your air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray and then add the first batch of churros to the air fryer– make sure not to overcrowd the basket.
- Cook the churros in the air fryer at 350ºF/180ºC for 5 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Remove the churros from the air fryer and immediately roll them in cinnamon sugar. Serve warm and enjoy.
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Churros 🪄
- To get the traditional churros shape, use a star tip with your piping bag.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, that’s okay. Just use a zip lock bag and snip off the corner with a pair of scissors.
- These churros are made into bite-sized pieces which makes them fun for dipping and fit into the air fryer more easily.
- Remember to freeze the dough until they are stiff so they maintain its shape in the air fryer.
- If you have leftover dough, feel free to store it in the refrigerator or freezer, wrapped in clear plastic wrap. Let the dough fully come to room temperature before piping.
- Toss the air-fried churros in the cinnamon-sugar coating while they are still warm as this will help the coating to stick to the churros.
how to serve these churros
This recipe includes a simple powdered sugar glaze for dipping these tasty bites. But you can dip them in whatever you like! A couple of great alternatives are;
- Hot Fudge
- Nutella
- Caramel
- Whipped Cream (or try pumpkin whipped cream!)
- Dulce De Leche
These would be the perfect addition to a Mexican-themed party too. Serve alongside Air Fryer Tacos or Air Fryer Chicken Chimichangas with a side of guacamole for a festive ambiance.
We also love the idea of dipping them in hot chocolate on a cozy winter day. Is there a better way to warm up than that?
These Air Fryer Churros are perfect along side a root beer float!
More Yummy Dessert Recipes
FAQs
A churro is a fried dough that’s popular in Spain and Mexico. It can be tossed in granulated sugar or a cinnamon-sugar mixture and dipped in different dipping sauces.
Spanish churros are made with flour, water, and salt. We are using a basic choux pastry made with flour, butter, sugar, water, salt, eggs, and vanilla, which is the same type of dough as eclairs.
We found this gave us the best results in the air fryer.
There are a couple of reasons your churros might not be crispy.
First, did you allow the piped churros to harden enough in the freezer? If not they may get soft and chewy in the air frying process.
Second, did you cook them long enough? It’s always a good idea to cook one test churro first to make sure it’s had enough time to crisp up.
They should look golden brown when finished.
We don’t recommend it, as they tend to lose their crispiness over time (though the flavor will still be great). But if you don’t mind that, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Reheat churros in the air fryer at 350°F/180°C for 3-5 minutes.
Air Fryer Churros
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp cinnamon, for rolling
- 1 cup all purpose flour
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients.
- Add the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a medium saucepan set over medium heat.
- When the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat to medium-low and add the flour. Stir until the dough comes together in a ball. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- When the dough has cooled slightly, add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Use a wooden spoon (or sturdy rubber spatula) to incorporate the eggs into a smooth, thick batter. Transfer the churro dough to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (I’m using a Wilton 1M). Pipe your desired length of churros onto a Silpat mat or parchment-lined baking sheet. I’m making 2.5” long churros but you can make them as big or as little as you like. Place the churros in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes, or until they are stiff.
- When you’re ready to cook the churros, preheat your air fryer (either using the preheat function or at 350ºF/180ºC for 5 minutes). Spray your air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray and then add the first batch of churros to the air fryer– make sure not to overcrowd the basket.
- Cook the churros at 350ºF/180ºC for 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Remove the churros from the air fryer and immediately roll them in cinnamon sugar. Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
- If you’re cooking the churros in batches, make sure to keep the uncooked churros in the freezer. If they become too warm, they will become soft and lose their shape.
- Churros can be enjoyed on their own or served with a dipping sauce– warm chocolate sauce, warm Nutella, strawberry sauce, or just a simple powdered sugar glaze.
- To make an easy vanilla glaze, whisk together 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of milk. Serve immediately.
- These churros are best enjoyed immediately after they are made but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. They will lose their crispness and become soft but the flavor will still be delicious.
Nutrition
