Simple Churros Air Fryer Recipe

Spanish recipes are famous for their simplicity and wonderful blend of flavors, and the churros are no exception.

If you want to try this delightful pastry but don’t like fried food, the churros air fryer recipe is the perfect solution: It offers a healthier take on the beloved classic while preserving the original flavor and texture that we all know and love. 

To learn how to make Spanish churros from scratch with the best tips for storing, serving, and customizing the ingredients you just have to keep reading this article.

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

• Churros with caramel sauce

• Spanish cheesecake

• Spanish milk cake

Background of the Dish

The churros air fryer recipe is a modern take on the classic churros, as all of the ingredients are the same but the cooking method changes.

It was created to be a healthier version of the traditional recipe, as you eliminate the oil and reduce the overall fat content, all while maintaining the delicious, crispy texture and soft interior that make churros so irresistible. 

Today, the air fryer churros became popular enough to share the spotlight with other famous regional sweet treats, such as the torrijas, the Spanish Hot Chocolate Recipe, and the churros cheesecake.

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Things You’ll Need for Churros Air Fryer Recipe

To prepare this delicious churros air fryer recipe you will need flour, egg, water, vanilla extract, sugar, and a pinch of salt as the main ingredients.

For this recipe, you need an air fryer, so if you don’t have one we encourage you to check other of our recipes such as the Spanish chocolate churros and the traditional churros recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240ml) water
• 1 cup (240gr) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar (for the dough)
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (100gr) sugar (for coating)
• A pinch of salt

How to Make Churros Air Fryer Recipe – Step by Step Guide

1. For the first step in this authentic Spanish churros recipe, you have to grab a large pan and add the water, butter, one tablespoon of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.

2. Now, remove from the heat and add the flour. Mix it with a wooden spoon until you get a soft and smooth dough ball. Be sure to tear apart all of the flour lumps. Let the dough cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Then, add the egg and vanilla extract to the dough. Mix until everything gets fully incorporated. At this point in the recipe for churros in an air fryer, the dough may be sticky but it has to hold its shape.

4. For the next step in this churros air fryer recipe, preheat the air fryer to 190C (or 375F).

5. After that, place the dough in a piping bag (or a churrera if you have one). If possible, we recommend that you use a star-shaped tip, as you will get the traditional churro shape.

6. Now, spray the air fryer baking tray with cooking spray (or lightly coat it with vegetable oil). Pipe the dough into churro shapes (about 4-5 inches long).

7. For an extra crispy exterior, you can lightly spray the churros with the same cooking spray. Cook the traditional Spanish churros for 10 minutes (flipping halfway through) or until golden and fully cooked.

8. After that, coat the warm churros in white sugar (or cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar, it is completely up to you).

9. For the final step in one of the best air fryer churros recipes, serve the churros warm and enjoy by themselves or with a Spanish hot chocolate.

Substitution of Ingredients

When we created this churros recipe in an air fryer we wanted it to be as simple as possible, and for that reason, we will share with you some ingredient substitutions that you could follow if necessary.

First, you can prepare the healthy churros in an air fryer with gluten-free flour, and replace the egg with a flaxseed egg.

Our gluten-free churros are perfect if you’re gluten-intolerant and are just as delicious as the classic ones.

Besides that, you can incorporate more flavor to the dough of this churros air fryer recipe by adding a pinch of nutmeg, a teaspoon of cinnamon, or your favorite seasonal spice.

This recipe for Spanish churros also works for a different cooking method, such as baked churros, but if you want to fry them we recommend that you store them in the fridge or freezer before so that they hold their shape.

If you want to delve into the world of Spanish churros recipes we have more options for you, like the breakfast churros, the homemade churros, and the Spanish dessert churros.

Tips on Serving Churros Air Fryer Recipe

Similar to most churros recipes, once you finish preparing this churros air fryer recipe you will have a delicious dish ready to be served for breakfast, dessert, or as a sweet snack at any time of the day.

To take this air fryer churros recipe to the next level, you can serve them with sweet dipping sauces, like salted caramel, dulce de leche, chocolate,  or honey.

For a healthier alternative, you can chop the churros into bite-sized pieces and use them as the topping for a breakfast yogurt, with other ingredients like fresh fruit and granola mix.

If you are hosting a party, then you can prepare a table filled with sweet Andalusian treats for dessert, including other classics such as Spanish turron, Mantecados, and alfajores.

How to Store Churros Air Fryer Recipe

Something that we love about this churros air fryer recipe is that if you want to store them for later, you can easily freeze the uncooked churros.

For that, pipe the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, freeze them until solid, and then transfer the frozen churros to a freezer-safe bag, where you can store them for up to 2 weeks. 

When you’re ready to enjoy them, just pop the frozen churros into the air fryer without thawing, and cook them until golden and crispy. 

To store them for a shorter period of time, you just have to place the Spanish churros in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature for up to 3 days (reheat them in the oven or air fryer before serving).

Apart from churro desserts, there are more Andalusian recipes that you can make and store for later, such as the Spanish sponge cake, the apple empanada, and the Pestinos.

Recipe Card: Churros Air Fryer Recipe

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