Air Fryer Churro Bites Recipe
I never thought I’d make churros at home until my kids urged me to try when we went to the county fair last summer. I assumed deep-frying dough would be too hard because when I tried to deal with hot oil in the past, I generally made a mess and was burned a little.
That’s when I learned that you could use an air fryer to make these delectable delicacies with cinnamon and sugar on top. No more terrifying hot oil splashing about; just crispy, golden churro bits that taste just like the ones at the fair. This way of creating churros is almost impossible to goof up if you’ve been worried about it.
Why You’ll Love These Churro Bites
- Quick and quick dessert: You can make these churro bites in just 30 to 45 minutes, so they’re great for when you want something sweet but don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.
- Basic pantry items: You probably already have most of these in your kitchen, so you don’t need to make a special trip to the store.
- Healthier choice: An air fryer is a better option than deep frying because it uses less oil and makes less mess, but it still gives you that traditional crispy churro texture you love.
- Perfect portion control: The small pieces make it easy to regulate servings, and they’re great for sharing at parties or as a snack after school.
This recipe is great for family baking time because youngsters can help with rolling the bits in cinnamon sugar.
What Type of Flour Should I Use?
Regular all-purpose flour is the finest choice for churro bites since it will give you the classic churro texture you want.
You might want to try using bread flour or pastry flour instead, but all-purpose flour is the best choice because it has the right amount of protein to make the churro structure flawless.
To get the right amount of flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping it straight from the bag. This will keep you from using too much flour, which could make your churros thick and dense.
Let your flour come to room temperature before you use it in this recipe if you keep it in the fridge or freezer. Cold flour can change how the dough comes together.
Choices for Replacements
There are some main elements in churros that should not be changed, however here are some useful substitutes you can try:
- All-purpose flour is better for this, but bread flour will work in a pinch. Do not use whole wheat flour because it will make your churros excessively thick.
- If you only have salted butter, that’s great. Just cut back on the salt you add by 1/4 teaspoon. You can also use margarine, but butter tastes better.
- Vanilla essence: You can use vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or even almond extract instead of vanilla essence to change the flavor.
- Cinnamon sugar coating: The conventional mix of cinnamon and sugar is always a good choice, but you could also try mixing cocoa powder with sugar or pumpkin pie spice for a seasonal twist. You may also just use powdered sugar.
- Egg: The egg is very important for the structure, thus it’s better to use the actual thing for this recipe.
Time & Servings
- Time to Get Ready: 10–15 Minutes
- Time to Cook: 20 to 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 30 to 45 minutes
- How hard it is: Medium
- Servings: 4
Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information for the complete recipe (without any optional ingredients):
- Calories: 2000–2200
- 20 to 25 grams of protein
- Fat: 90 to 100 grams
- Carbs: 300–320 g
Things you need
For the dough:
- One cup of ordinary flour
- 1 cup of water
- 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon of butter without salt
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- One big egg
For the coating:
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
Step 1: Make the Dough Base
- 1 cup of water
- 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon of butter without salt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 1 cup of ordinary flour
Put water, butter, salt, and sugar in a pan.
Put the mixture on high heat and bring it to a boil.
When the water boils, turn down the heat and slowly add the flour while stirring constantly until the dough comes together smoothly.
Take the pan off the stove and turn off the heat.
Step 2: Let the dough cool and mix it.
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 big egg
Put the dough from the pan into a big mixing basin and let it cool for 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla essence once it has cooled a little.
Use an electric hand mixer to blend the ingredients together until they are all smooth.
Step 3: Pipe the churros
Put the churro dough in a piping bag.
Set your air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
Use a neutral nonstick cooking spray, such coconut oil spray, to coat the basket of the air fryer.
Carefully pipe churros into the basket in little pieces, making sure not to overcrowd them.
You can also drop the dough into the basket by the spoonful for a change.
Step 4: Make the Churros
Put a little butter on top of the churros and cook them in the air fryer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
You may need to cook the churros in more than one batch if your air fryer is small.
Step 5: Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder
Put sugar and cinnamon powder in a small basin and stir them together.
Put the churros right into the cinnamon sugar mixture after they are done cooking.
Gently toss them to make sure they are all covered.
If you need to, brush the churros with melted butter or spray them with water or nonstick cooking spray before rolling them in the cinnamon sugar. This will help the mixture stay better.
Step 6: Enjoy and serve
You can enjoy your churros warm with chocolate syrup, honey, or Nutella on the side.
These little churros are great for a sweet treat!
Be Careful Not to Make These Cooking Mistakes
Getting the dough consistency just right is the hardest part of manufacturing churro bites in an air fryer. If the dough is too moist, the churros will spread out and lose their shape. If the dough is too dry, the churros will be firm and hard to pipe.
The dough for churros should be smooth and easy to pipe, but it should also keep its shape as you squeeze it through the piping bag. Another typical mistake is putting too many things in the air fryer basket. These small treats require space to get crispy, so work in batches and leave adequate space between each piece.
To create that iconic churro crunch, lightly spritz or brush them with oil before frying. Don’t use too much oil, though, because that will make them greasy instead of crispy.
To get the greatest cinnamon-sugar coating, toss the churros while they are still warm but not too hot. The leftover heat helps the sugar mix attach better to the churros.
What should you serve with churro bites?
These churro nibbles are crunchy and sweet, and they want to be dipped in some delectable sauces!
The most popular choice is a warm chocolate sauce. To make it easy, just melt some chocolate chips with a little heavy cream.
If you want to be especially nice, you can also serve them with dulce de leche, vanilla ice cream, or even just a basic cream cheese frosting.
Serve these warm sweets with a cup of coffee or Mexican hot chocolate to cut through the sweetness and make them taste better.
How to Store
Keep Fresh: These churro bites made in an air fryer taste best when they are still warm and crispy shortly after they are cooked. Put any leftovers in a container that won’t let air in and store it at room temperature for up to two days. Just so you know, these might lose some of their crunch over time, but they’ll still taste wonderful!
You may make the churro dough up to 24 hours ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Let the dough sit out for about 30 minutes before you pipe and air fried it. This is quite useful if you want to serve these during a party!
To get leftover churro bites crispy again, put them in the air fryer for 1–2 minutes at 350°F. Then roll them around in the cinnamon-sugar mix to make them taste better. They’ll taste almost as wonderful as new ones!