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.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- These taste like Disneyland churros made at home and might actually be better than the real thing which is a bold claim that everyone who makes them agrees with completely
- The heart shape makes these the most adorable and impressive Valentine’s Day dessert on any table and the piping technique is genuinely more approachable than it looks once you have done it once
- Freezing the piped hearts before frying is the technique that keeps them holding their shape in the hot oil rather than puffing out into unrecognizable blobs before they set
- The two ingredient chocolate dipping sauce takes ninety seconds in the microwave and pairs with the cinnamon sugar churro in a way that makes these taste like a complete and extraordinary dessert experience
Key Ingredients:
- Milk and water combination:ย Equal parts of both create a choux-style dough base that is richer than water alone and lighter than all milk which gives you that perfect crispy exterior and soft pillowy interior that makes a really good churro so completely satisfying to bite through
- Unsalted butter:ย Five tablespoons cooked with the liquid until melted before the flour goes in creates the fat-enriched base that gives churros their distinctive richness and that slightly glossy interior crumb
- All-purpose flour:ย One cup stirred into the hot liquid mixture over the heat for sixty to ninety seconds until a thick paste forms. That cooking time is what cooks the raw flour out of the dough and gives you a churro that tastes smooth and rich rather than starchy
- Two large eggs:ย Added after the dough has cooled for five to ten minutes so they do not scramble when they hit the hot mixture. The eggs are what transform the thick paste into a glossy, pipeable dough and give the churros their lift and chew after frying
- A food thermometer:ย The most important tool in this recipe and the one that makes the difference between a perfect churro and a greasy burnt one. The oil needs to stay at 350 to 360 degrees the entire time and checking constantly is what makes that happen
- Semi sweet chocolate chips and coconut oil:ย Two ingredients melted together in ninety seconds into the most velvety smooth chocolate dipping sauce. The coconut oil keeps it thin enough to dip cleanly and helps it set slightly on the warm churro for that perfect chocolate coating
Tips for Success:
- Freeze the piped hearts for at least ten minutes before frying so they firm up enough to hold their shape when they hit the hot oil. Room temperature piped dough will spread and puff out immediately and you will lose the heart shape entirely
- Check the oil temperature constantly throughout frying. It drops every time churros go in and rises when they come out so active monitoring rather than setting it and walking away is what keeps every batch consistent
- Fry only three at a time regardless of how many will fit in the pot. Overcrowding drops the oil temperature significantly and you end up with churros that absorb too much oil rather than getting that crispy golden exterior
- Roll in the cinnamon sugar immediately the second they come out of the oil while they are still hot and slightly sticky. Even thirty seconds of cooling reduces how well the coating adheres and you lose that perfectly even cinnamon sugar crust
Storage:
Heart churros are genuinely best enjoyed immediately after frying while the exterior is at peak crispiness and the interior is still warm and pillowy. They soften significantly within a few hours as the fried exterior absorbs moisture from the air. If you have leftovers store uncovered at room temperature for up to one day and reheat in an air fryer at 375 degrees for two to three minutes to bring some crispiness back. The chocolate dipping sauce keeps in a sealed container at room temperature for up to two weeks and can be remelted in thirty second microwave increments.
FAQ:
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. Pipe the hearts onto the parchment lined baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and freeze for up to three days before frying. Fry directly from frozen without thawing first. The frozen dough may need an extra thirty to sixty seconds per side depending on how solid they are. This is actually a really practical option for making these ahead for a Valentine’s Day party without any day-of stress.
What if I do not have a star tip for the piping bag?
A star tip is what gives churros their characteristic ridged exterior that holds the cinnamon sugar so beautifully and creates that satisfying crunch when you bite in. Without a star tip a plain round tip will work and give you smooth churros that taste identical but have a slightly less textured exterior. The heart shape is equally achievable with either tip.
What oil works best for frying churros?
Vegetable oil is the recommended choice because it has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor that does not compete with the cinnamon sugar coating. Canola oil works identically. Avoid olive oil which has too low a smoke point for the 350 to 360 degree temperature needed here and adds a flavor that does not pair well with sweet churros.
Heart Churros
Ingredients
- ยฝ cup water
- ยฝ cup milk
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- ยฝ Tbsp granulated sugar
- ยฝ 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
- ยฝ 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 โ 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 โ itโs 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 โ 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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