Delicious Baked Churro Bites (Crowd-Pleasing Recipe)

Finding a simple dessert recipe that satisfies those sudden sweet cravings can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Between juggling work deadlines and family commitments, who has time to whip up an elaborate treat? And let’s be honest – sometimes you just need something better than those store-bought cookies hiding in your pantry.

That’s where these baked churro bites come to the rescue: they’re quick to make, require basic pantry ingredients, and bring that warm, cinnamon-sugar goodness we all love, without the hassle of deep frying or fancy equipment.

What Kind of Flour Should I Use?

For churros, plain all-purpose flour is your best friend – it’s what gives these treats their perfect texture. While you might be tempted to try cake flour or bread flour, stick with regular all-purpose flour since it has just the right protein content to create that classic churro structure. Make sure to measure your flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife, rather than scooping directly from the bag, which can pack too much flour into your cup. If you’re in the UK or Australia, look for “plain flour” – it’s the same thing as all-purpose flour in the US.

Options for Substitutions

While churros have some specific ingredients that make them special, there are still a few swaps you can try:

• Plain flour: This is pretty important for the right texture, but if you’re gluten-free, you can try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Just note that the texture might be slightly different.
• Brown sugar: Out of brown sugar? Regular white sugar plus 1/4 teaspoon of molasses works great. Or just use white sugar on its own – it’ll still taste good!
• Vanilla essence: Feel free to swap vanilla essence with vanilla extract, or try almond extract for a different flavor. You can even skip it if you don’t have any on hand.
• Butter: For dairy-free folks, you can use coconut oil or a plant-based butter substitute. Just make sure it’s unflavored so it doesn’t change the taste too much.
• Cinnamon: While cinnamon is classic for churros, you could try other spices like cardamom or nutmeg, or make a cocoa sugar coating instead with 2 tablespoons cocoa powder mixed into the sugar.
• Eggs: The eggs are crucial for this recipe and can’t really be substituted – they give the churros their characteristic texture and help them puff up properly.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The trickiest part of making churro bites is getting the choux pastry dough just right – adding the eggs too quickly or while the dough is too hot can result in a scrambled mess, so make sure to let the dough cool for about 5 minutes before incorporating the eggs one at a time.

Another common mistake is piping the dough too large or too close together – keep your churro bites about 1-inch long with enough space between them, as they’ll puff up significantly during baking.

Temperature control is crucial: if your oven isn’t hot enough (it should be at least 375°F), the churros won’t puff properly, and if you don’t let them cool for 3-5 minutes before coating, the cinnamon sugar won’t stick properly.

For extra-crispy churros, leave them in the turned-off oven with the door slightly open for 5 minutes after baking – this helps remove excess moisture and maintains their crunch.

What to Serve With Churro Bites?

These sweet little churro bites are perfect for dipping, so I always like to serve them with some tasty sauces on the side. A warm chocolate sauce is my go-to choice – just melt some good quality chocolate with a splash of heavy cream for the perfect dunking companion. If chocolate isn’t your thing, try serving them with dulce de leche, vanilla ice cream, or even a simple caramel sauce. These treats also pair really well with a hot cup of Mexican hot chocolate or coffee, especially when you’re serving them as an after-dinner dessert or afternoon snack.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These baked churro bites are best enjoyed fresh and warm, but if you have leftovers, place them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Just keep in mind that they might lose some of their crispiness over time, but they’ll still taste good!

Make Ahead: You can prepare the dough up to 24 hours in advance and keep it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to bake, let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before piping and baking. This is super handy when you’re planning to serve these for a party!

Refresh: To bring back some of that fresh-baked magic, pop them in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 3-5 minutes. They’ll warm up nicely and get a bit of their crispiness back. Just watch them closely to prevent over-browning!

 

Preparation Time	10-20 minutes
Cooking Time	30-40 minutes
Total Time	40-60 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium
Servings	30

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1500-1700
• Protein: 20-25 g
• Fat: 80-90 g
• Carbohydrates: 180-200 g

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
• 2 packed tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/4 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted (for brushing before adding sugar)

For the cinnamon sugar mixture:

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Step 1: Prepare the Dough

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine water, butter, brown sugar, and salt.

Allow the mixture to come to a simmer.

Once simmering, add the flour all at once.

Cook while stirring constantly until a soft, sticky dough ball forms, and a starchy film is visible on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes.

Continue cooking for an additional minute, scraping up the film with the spoon as you stir.

Although the pan bottom won’t come completely clean, the dough will absorb some of the film.

Step 2: Cool and Incorporate Eggs

Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Once slightly cooled, add in the vanilla extract.

Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly with a spatula after each addition.

Be patient; the mixture will initially look separated but will eventually come together, forming a smooth, sticky dough.

Step 3: Prepare for Piping and Baking

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper.

Transfer the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (ideally number 356 tip).

Pipe 3 to 4-inch ropes of dough onto the prepared sheets, leaving a few inches of space between each churro.

Use the back of a knife to neatly cut the dough at the end of each pipe.

Step 4: Bake the Churros

Lightly spray the tops of the piped churros with vegetable oil spray.

Generously mist the entire pan with water.

Bake in the preheated oven until the churros are puffed and the edges are golden brown, typically 20 to 25 minutes.

Turn off the oven, open the door briefly to release some heat, then close it, leaving it slightly ajar (8 to 12 inches).

Let the churros rest in the warm oven for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Finish with Cinnamon Sugar

Remove the churros from the oven.

Working with 6 churros at a time, brush each lightly with melted butter.

Place them into a bag filled with cinnamon sugar and gently toss to coat evenly.

Repeat this step until all churros are coated with the delightful cinnamon sugar mixture.

Serve immediately and enjoy your delicious homemade churros!