Churros with Chocolate Sauce
Fluted piped pastries made from choux pastry, rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with thick chocolate sauce.
- Preparation
- 25 min
- Cook/bake time
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 686 kcal
- Servings
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cooking & baking
- 20 min
Fluted piped pastries made from choux pastry, rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with thick chocolate sauce. The fluting is not just for looks. It increases the surface area and ensures that the churros cook evenly instead of burning on the outside. In Spain, this is the classic breakfast after a long night out.
Why this works
Choux pastry contains a lot of water, which suddenly turns to steam in the hot fat. In a smooth strand, this steam has no way out and forces its own path, which causes the notoriously bursting churros. The fluting of the star nozzle increases the surface area many times over, the steam escapes in a controlled manner via the grooves, and at the same time the thinner cross section cooks through evenly before the outside gets too dark.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Cook the choux pastry
Bring water, butter, sugar and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Remove it from the heat, pour in the flour all at once and stir vigorously until a smooth lump forms. Put the saucepan back on the heat and continue stirring for one minute until a white film forms on the bottom, which is the sign of sufficiently cooked pastry.
- 2
Incorporate the eggs
Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool for five minutes, otherwise the eggs will curdle. Then stir them in vigorously one by one until the dough is shiny and tears heavily but is still pipeable from the spoon. It should be significantly firmer than choux pastry for cream puffs.
- 3
Cook the chocolate sauce
Stir the cornstarch smooth with a little cold milk. Heat the remaining milk with the sugar, add the chopped chocolate and stir until it has melted. Stir in the mixed starch and let the sauce simmer for one minute until it is thick enough for dipping.
- 4
Pipe and fry
Fill the dough into a piping bag with a large star nozzle. Heat the oil to 180 °C and pipe strands about 12 cm long directly into it, cutting the dough with scissors. Fry them for three to four minutes until golden brown, turning them once.
- 5
Roll and serve
Let the churros drain briefly on a wire rack and roll them while still hot in the mixture of sugar and cinnamon, because only then will it stick. Serve them immediately with the warm chocolate sauce for dipping. Churros get softer by the minute, so work in batches.
Our best tips
- A large star nozzle is mandatory. Without fluting, the churros cook unevenly on the inside and can burst open.
- Keep the oil temperature at 180 °C. Too hot browns the outside while the dough remains raw on the inside.
- Roll immediately after frying. The cinnamon sugar will no longer stick to cooled churros.
Tasty variations
Stuffed churros
After frying, inject Dulce de Leche or chocolate cream with a long nozzle.
From the air fryer
Cook at 200 °C for 12 minutes, spraying with oil beforehand. Less crispy, but significantly lighter.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 686 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 78 g |
| – of which sugar | 48 g |
| Fat | 38 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
Estimated, not calculated – why
Here some of the ingredients never reach the plate: most frying oil stays in the pan, and in a stock the solids are strained off. How much of it ends up in the food cannot be calculated – counting a litre of oil would quintuple the figure, leaving it out would describe a dish baked without fat. So this is an editorial estimate rather than a total that would look dependable without being so.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my churros burst open in the oil?
Usually the oil was too hot or a smooth nozzle was used instead of a star nozzle. The fluting allows steam to escape in a controlled manner.
Can I prepare the dough in advance?
To a limited extent. It can be chilled in the piping bag for two hours, but it will become firmer. Freshly processed is significantly better.
What is the difference to porras?
Porras are thicker, contain baking powder and are airier on the inside. Churros are thinner and crispier, both are common in Spain.
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