Best Spanish Dessert Churros Recipe

For most people, the phrase “Spanish desserts” instantly evokes the image of warm, crispy churros dipped in a rich, velvety chocolate sauce.

The Spanish dessert churros are a beloved treat that stands out for its simplicity, requiring only a few basic ingredients and minimal effort to make. 

Are you ready to learn more about this Andalusian gem? Then keep scrolling and we will show you how to make Spanish churros from scratch, with some helpful tips for storing, serving, and adapting the ingredients.

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Pssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of Spanish dessert recipes? Have a look at my other posts: 

• Apple empanada

• Spanish sponge cake

• Roscón de reyes

Background of the Dish

The original homemade churros recipe was created as a budget-friendly alternative to the same old stale bread that people were eating daily centuries ago in Southern Spain.

The Spanish dessert churros add an amazing melted chocolate dip to the mix, that is smooth, thick, and the perfect pairing for the crispy, golden churros.

Today, you can find more innovative churro-inspired desserts, like the breakfast churros, the churros cheesecake, and the churros balls recipe, but the simple one will always remain a timeless favorite.

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Things You’ll Need for Spanish Dessert Churros

To prepare this Spanish recipe for churros you will need flour, water, vegetable oil, sugar, chocolate, heavy cream, and a pinch of salt as the main ingredients.

Besides that, for the Spanish dessert churros, you will need a piping bag, which you can replace with a clean ziploc bag or a churrera.

Ingredients

For the churros

• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30gr) melted butter
• Vegetable oil (for frying)
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar (for coating)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

For the chocolate dip

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
• 100 gr dark or milk chocolate
• 1 tsp (5 g) sugar (optional)
• A pinch of salt

How to Make Spanish Dessert Churros – Step by Step Guide

1. To start making the best churros recipe ever, grab a pot and melt two tablespoons of butter. Then, add the water, sugar, and salt and bring it to a boil. 

2. Now, when the mixture boils, add the cup of flour. Mix continuously with a wooden spoon to dissolve all of the flour lumps, until you get a sticky yet homogenous dough that pulls away from the sides. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

3. After that, grab a frying pan and add enough oil to submerge the churros (around 3 inches or 7 cm). Heat it over medium heat, and if you have a thermometer check that it reaches 190°C or 375°F.

4. In the meantime, put the Spanish dessert churros dough in a piping bag fitted with the star tip. You could also use a Ziploc bag if you cut the corner, or a classic churrera if you have one.

5. To continue with the authentic Spanish churros recipe, pipe the dough directly into the hot oil, cutting off 10 cm (around 4 inches) strips with scissors or a knife. Feel free to play with the sizes and shapes, but adjust the cooking time if needed.

6. Now, fry the churros in batches -so as not to overcrowd the pan- for 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Once they are cooked, remove them from the oil and place them on a plate with paper towels to drain the excess oil.

7. After that, coat the warm churros with the granulated sugar. In this case, the cinnamon is optional as you will make a chocolate dip, but it does add a nice layer of aromatic flavor.

8. Then, grab a saucepan and heat the heavy cream until it begins to simmer. Chop the chocolate bar and add it to the pot. Remove from the heat and mix until you get a thick and smooth chocolate sauce. You can add a pinch of salt and sugar (if using dark chocolate) for a contrast of flavor.

9. To finish making this traditional Spanish churros recipe you just have to serve them warm with the chocolate dipping sauce in a small bowl and enjoy.

Substitution of Ingredients

We truly believe that this is the best Spanish churros recipe because it only calls for a few basic ingredients, and you can make some changes to them if needed.

First, you can prepare the Spanish dessert churros with any kind of gluten-free flour, but you should also add a teaspoon of GF baking powder to reach the perfect soft exterior and crispy exterior.

This recipe doesn’t call for eggs and you can make it vegetarian by using vegetable oil instead of melted butter, and make the chocolate dip with vegan chocolate and plant-based heavy cream.

Just like the torrijas, you could also prepare a honey glaze with a dash of cinnamon instead of the chocolate dip, or go for a citrusy syrup made with orange or lemon zest.

For a healthier approach, you can draw inspiration from different Spanish churros recipes, like the churros air fryer recipe or the baked churros, and switch the cooking method to avoid using oil.

Tips on Serving Spanish Dessert Churros

As you can guess by their name, Spanish dessert churros are commonly served as a sweet treat after a light lunch or dinner.

Still, you can enjoy the best churros as an afternoon snack or for breakfast, with a warm drink like coffee and milk, tea, or coffee.

The authentic churros recipe is usually served with Spanish hot chocolate, but for this one, we recommend sticking to the thick melted chocolate dip.

If you don’t like dark or milk chocolate then you can prepare a white chocolate dip, or go for a completely different route with a salted caramel sauce or dulce de leche.

Apart from that, you can copy other Andalusian sweets, such as the pestinos, the Christmas pastries, or the Spanish cream puffs, and coat the churros with powdered sugar or a honey glaze instead.

How to Store Spanish Dessert Churros

This Spanish dessert churros recipe is super quick and simple, but the best part is that if you have leftovers you can store them for later (or prepare the dough ahead).

For that, you can either complete the recipe and store the cooked churros in an airtight container at room temperature (for 2 days) or in the fridge (for 7 days).

Another option is to freeze the raw dough but shape the churros before as that will make the process easier, and then you can store them for up to 45 days.

When ready to enjoy the Spanish hot chocolate and churros, you just have to prepare the melted chocolate dip and reheat the churros in the oven over medium heat.

Other Andalusian desserts that you can make and store for later in different ways include the traditional churros recipe, the popular mantecados, and the beloved alfajores.

Recipe Card: Spanish Dessert Churros

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