If you have ever been to Disneyland and walked past a churro cart, you know exactly the feeling I am talking about. That smell hits you from across the park and suddenly nothing else matters until a warm cinnamon sugar churro is in your hand. It is one of my favorite parts of any Disney trip and I have been missing the parks lately in that specific way that only a homemade version of your favorite park snack can fix. So I made churros at home, piped them into hearts for Valentine’s Day, and honestly they might be even better than the real thing.
These heart churros are everything a churro should be. Crispy on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside, rolled immediately in cinnamon sugar while they are still hot so every inch is perfectly coated. The heart shape makes them the most adorable Valentine’s Day dessert but I will be making these in every season because a good churro does not need a holiday to justify it. They are beautiful on a dessert board, fun to make with kids, and the kind of recipe that makes your kitchen smell absolutely incredible while they are frying.
I know frying at home sounds intimidating and I want to encourage you the same way I encourage everyone who hesitates on this recipe. It is more approachable than it looks. The key is a food thermometer and patience with your oil temperature. You want it at 350 to 360 degrees and you want it to stay there the entire time. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks, too cool and they absorb too much oil. Check it constantly, fry in small batches of three, and you will have perfect churros every single time.
The chocolate dipping sauce is two ingredients and takes about ninety seconds in the microwave. Semi sweet chocolate chips and coconut oil melted together into the most velvety smooth dipping sauce that pairs with the cinnamon sugar churro in a way that is genuinely hard to put into words. Make these for Valentine’s Day, make them for a date night at home, make them because it is Tuesday and you deserve something special. Once you make homemade churros you will wonder why you ever waited for a trip to Disneyland.
Heart Churros
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup milk
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ Tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil for frying I use an entire large container – about 5 cups
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbs cinnamon
Chocolate Dipping Sauce
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 Tbs coconut oil
Instructions
- In a sauce pan over medium heat bring water, milk, butter, sugar and salt to a boil.
- Add the flour and using a wooden spoon, stir until a thick paste forms. Stir for about 60 – 90 seconds too cook the flour out.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth and glossy. You can use a hand or stand mixer.
- Transfer dough into a pastry bag with a large star tip.
- Pipe heart shapes on to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer while you heat your oil.
- In a shallow dish, mix 1 cup sugar with 2 Tbs cinnamon and set aside.
- In a dutch oven or pot, heat your oil to 350-360F. Use a food thermometer for this – it’s very important the oil STAY at this temperature during the whole process! It can get hot quickly and when you drop your churros it will cool down so you will need to be checking constantly.
- Fry your churros 3 at a time – cooking for 2-3 min on one side then flip and 2-3 min on the other side.
- Remove from the oil and rest on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Immediately drop in the dish of cinnamon sugar and toss the sugar around and over the dough to coat the churro completely.
- To make the chocolate dipping sauce, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a glass bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments until melted and smooth.
- Dip the churros in the chocolate and enjoy!!
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