Air Fryer Churros with Cinnamon Sugar
Crisp on the outside and pillowy on the inside, these air fryer churros with cinnamon sugar capture everything you love about the classic Spanish treat with far less oil and fuss. The dough is a simple choux-style mix-water, butter, flour and eggs-piped through a star tip for those signature ridges that hold the cinnamon-sugar coating and any dipping sauce you adore. Cooking in the air fryer produces an irresistible golden crust and concentrated cinnamon-sugar flavor without deep-frying, so you get the same satisfying snap and tender interior with cleaner, quicker technique. Expect warm, aromatic bites that pair beautifully with dark chocolate or dulce de leche and make a weekday dessert feel celebratory.
Perfect Texture Every Time
Getting the iconic churro texture is all about the dough and surface area from the ridges you create with a star tip. The dough is cooked briefly on the stove so the flour hydrates and the mixture forms a smooth, slightly glossy paste that accepts eggs without becoming runny. Adding eggs one at a time makes a silky, pipeable dough that puffs slightly in the air fryer, creating a light interior while the exterior crisps. Piping longer strips gives more surface area for browning and cinnamon-sugar adherence. A very light brush or spritz of neutral oil before air frying encourages an even golden color and extra crunch without the greasiness of deep-frying. Finish by tossing hot churros in a fresh cinnamon-sugar blend so the coating sticks into every groove.
Serving, Variations, and Helpful Tips
Serve churros immediately for the best contrast between warm centers and crisp exteriors. Pair them with thick dark chocolate, dulce de leche, or a citrusy caramel for contrast. For flavor variations try orange zest in the dough, a pinch of cardamom in the cinnamon sugar, or swap part of the all-purpose flour for whole-wheat pastry flour for a nuttier note. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the air fryer so each piece crisps uniformly. If your dough is too stiff to pipe, add 5-10 ml water; if too loose, chill briefly. Use perforated parchment to keep cleanup easy but leave airflow free. Store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat 3-4 minutes in the air fryer at 160 degrees C (320 degrees F) to refresh the crunch.
Air Fryer Churros with Cinnamon Sugar
Course: Main Course3
servings10
minutes18
minutes494
kcalIngredients
- Churro Dough
240 ml water (1 cup)
50 g unsalted butter (1.8 oz / about 3.5 tbsp)
25 g granulated sugar (2 tbsp)
1/4 tsp fine salt (1.5 g)
150 g all-purpose flour (1 1/4 cups)
2 large eggs (approx 100 g total / 2 eggs)
15 ml neutral oil for brushing (1 tbsp)
- Coating
50 g granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
4 g ground cinnamon (2 tsp)
Optional: chocolate dipping sauce or dulce de leche for serving
Directions
- Make the cinnamon-sugar by combining 50 g granulated sugar (1/4 cup) and 4 g ground cinnamon (2 tsp) in a shallow bowl; set aside.
- In a medium saucepan combine 240 ml water (1 cup), 50 g unsalted butter (1.8 oz / 3.5 tbsp), 25 g sugar (2 tbsp) and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a vigorous simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and add 150 g all-purpose flour (1 1/4 cups) all at once – stir vigorously until the mixture forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the pan, about 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let cool 3-5 minutes so it is warm but not hot. Beat in 2 large eggs (one at a time), mixing thoroughly after each addition until the dough is smooth and pipeable. Fit a large star tip to a piping bag and fill.
- Preheat the air fryer to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F). Cut perforated parchment into small rectangles to fit the basket. Pipe 10-12 cm (4-5 inch) strips onto the parchment, leaving space between pieces. Lightly brush each strip with 15 ml neutral oil (1 tbsp) or spray lightly.
- Air fry the churros at 190 degrees C (375 degrees F) for 9 minutes per batch, flipping or rotating the parchment and churros halfway through cooking at about 4 minutes so they brown evenly. Cook a second batch the same way – total air frying time 18 minutes across batches.
- Immediately toss hot churros in the cinnamon-sugar so the coating adheres into the ridges. Serve warm with optional chocolate sauce or dulce de leche. Reheat leftovers 3-4 minutes at 160 degrees C (320 degrees F) to refresh the crispness.
