Learn how to make delicious churros in the air fryer! My easy air fryer churros are made from classic choux pastry that’s piped, frozen briefly, and then cooked in the air fryer before being coated in cinnamon sugar. No need to worry about hot oil or the homemade churros turning out soggy. When testing this recipe, I discovered the best tips for air frying perfectly crisp churros every time, like freezing the dough and adjusting the temperature during cooking.
Table of Contents
- Why Make Churros In The Air Fryer?
- Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- The Key To Air Frying Churros: Freezing The Dough
- Recipe Variations To Try
- Can I Make These Without An Air Fryer?
- Pro Tips For Making Churros In The Air Fryer
- How To Make Air Fryer Churros
- Dipping Sauces To Serve With Air-Fried Churros
- Make Ahead and Storage
- More Air Fryer Dessert Recipes To Try
Why Make Churros In The Air Fryer?
Air-frying churros is a game-changer! While they take a bit longer to cook than traditional churros, you don’t need to watch them while they cook or deal with hot oil. Just let the air fryer work its magic!
- No hot oil. No need to fuss with hot oil and worry about potential splatter. You also don’t have to worry about them potentially turning out soggy or greasy!
- Quick and crispy with authentic flavor. These air-fried churros are mouthwateringly crisp and flavorful. Who knew choux pastry and an air fryer would be the perfect match?
- Freeze the dough for easy prep. One of my favorite things about this recipe is how easy it is to make ahead of time. Instead of freezing the churro dough for just 30 minutes, you can keep it frozen for up to 2 weeks. When you’re ready, quickly air fry the dough and enjoy!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
These are the main ingredients you need to make air fryer churros. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Unsalted butter and salt — since the salt content in salted butter can vary quite a bit between brands, I prefer to use unsalted butter and add salt so I can control the amount.
Sugar — a small amount of granulated sugar adds a subtle kiss of sweetness to the air fryer churro dough. It also helps the dough turn golden and crispy on the outside. Don’t worry, the cinnamon sugar coating adds plenty to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Flour — regular all-purpose flour is great to make the choux dough, as it air fries to crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, perfection.
Cinnamon sugar — a simple mixture of ground cinnamon and white sugar makes the classic churro coating, adding sweetness and flavor to the air fryer churros.
The Key To Air Frying Churros: Freezing The Dough
Freezing the churro dough before cooking is the secret to making perfect air fryer churros every time! Freezing the piped dough for just 30 minutes makes it firm enough to help the churros keep their shape when the dough hits the hot air. Since they aren’t immediately hitting hot oil, it takes a little bit longer to set the outside of the churros. Starting with frozen dough lets the hot air in the air fryer set the outside before the inside thaws, preventing the churros from spreading too much. (They will puff, but more uniformly than spreading flat.)
Additionally, it makes the dough easier to handle when you place it in the air fryer. The choux dough is fairly sticky and difficult to pipe onto a metal grate. When frozen, you can easily pick each piece up and arrange them in your air fryer basket. That chill time is seriously vital—don’t skip it!
Recipe Variations To Try
If you’re keen to try a twist on these classic air fryer churros, here are some tasty ideas for you:
- Air fryer churro bites: Pipe smaller pieces (2 inches long) for little bite-sized churros! Reduce the cooking time by about half.
- Add other spices to the sugar coating: Cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, or a bit of cocoa powder would be delicious additions, or even substitutes for the cinnamon.
- Flavor the dough: Add citrus zest, a few sprinkles of your favorite baking spices, or swap the vanilla extract for almond or anise extract.
Can I Make These Without An Air Fryer?
Try my classic churros recipe! The dough is prepared in the same way as this recipe, but you can pipe longer churros, and you’ll pipe them directly into the hot oil (no need to freeze the dough first).
Pro Tips For Making Churros In The Air Fryer
Use a star piping tip for the classic churro texture. I use a Wilton 1M for the perfectly sized churro—it is an open star tip with wide teeth for more defined ridges. If you don’t have that specific tip, just be sure to use another larger star tip that isn’t too big. It’s important that the air fryer churros be slender (about ¾-inch) wide when piped, or the centers will not cook through properly.
Adjusting the temperature during cooking helps them cook more evenly. The churros start cooking at a high temperature to set their shape, but then the temperature is lowered to fully cook the batter on the inside without burning the outside. Set a separate timer to ensure you don’t forget to switch the temperature!
How To Make Air Fryer Churros
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making churros in the air fryer. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan, and heat the mixture over high heat. Once the butter melts and the mixture is boiling, remove from the heat, add all the flour, and stir quickly with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the flour.
2. Place the saucepan back on the heat (set to medium-low) and cook to let excess moisture evaporate. The flour mixture will look like thick mashed potatoes. Place the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Alternatively, you can just use an electric hand mixer and continue working on the dough right in the saucepan!
3. Set the mixer to medium speed for a few minutes to cool the mixture a bit. Then add the eggs one by one, letting each one incorporate with the rest of the thick dough before adding the next one. Then pour in the vanilla extract.
4. When it’s ready, the choux dough will be smooth and glossy. When swiped with a spatula, it will hold its shape for a few seconds before slowly falling back in with the rest of the dough.
5. Place the air fryer churro dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, pipe churros that are about 4 inches long and about ¾ of an inch wide.
6. For a clean edge, use a paring knife to slice through the dough at the end of the churro. Freeze the piped air fryer churros for 30 minutes.
7. Once chilled, place the piped dough into your air fryer basket in a single layer. (The size of your air fryer will determine how many batches you’ll have.) Leave about an inch of space between each one so they all have enough air circulating around them for even cooking. Air fry at 375°F for 8 minutes, then flip and reduce the temperature to 325°F before air frying for 8 minutes more. They should be a nice golden brown color.
8. While the churros are in the air fryer, make the simple cinnamon sugar coating by combining white sugar and cinnamon in a wide, shallow bowl. Toss the air fryer churros in the cinnamon sugar while they’re still hot. If it doesn’t stick, spray the churros lightly with vegetable cooking spray to give the cinnamon sugar mixture something to cling to, and try again.
Air Fryer Churros Recipe
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Piping bag
- Large, closed star tip (Wilton 1M)
Ingredients
Churros
- ⅔ cup water (160ml)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter diced (56g)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (90g)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt. Heat over medium-high heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is boiling. Immediately remove from the heat.
- Add all the flour at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until all the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 more minutes to cook off any excess moisture. (The mixture should look like very thick mashed potatoes and come away from the sides and bottom of the pot cleanly.) Transfer the mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or you can use a hand mixer right in the pot!).
- Mix on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture has cooled slightly. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until thoroughly combined before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed. The dough should be smooth, glossy, and thick, and should hold its shape for a few seconds when swiped with a spatula before very slowly falling back into the dough.
- Place the mixture in a piping bag fitted with a large, closed star tip (Wilton 1M.) Pipe churros that are about 4 inches long, and about ¾-inch wide onto a small, parchment-lined baking sheet. (Use a paring knife to cut through the dough at the tip when you are finished piping a churro, for a clean edge.) Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Place the chilled churros in an air fryer basket, leaving about 1 inch of space between each. Air fry at 375°F for 8 minutes. Flip once, then air fry at 325°F for another 8 minutes, until golden brown, and dry in the center.
- Meanwhile, stir to combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow, wide bowl. While the churros are still hot, toss them in the cinnamon sugar. If sugar isn’t sticking, spray them lightly with vegetable spray before dredging.
Notes
- For evenly sized churros, mark 4-inch-long lines on one side of the parchment paper, then flip it over. Use the lines as guides for piping the choux dough!
- The churros should be airy and dry on the inside when they are finished cooking. Test one in the first batch by cutting it in half. If it is still wet in the center, add 2 more minutes to the bake time (at 325°F).
- The churros will cook in batches based on the size of your air fryer. You may be able to fit more or less in your basket. Just make sure there is plenty of room between each one because the dough puffs quite a bit during cooking, and the hot air needs to circulate around them for a crispy exterior.
Nutrition
Dipping Sauces To Serve With Air-Fried Churros
Crunchy air fryer churros are wonderful for dipping into sweet hot fudge, chocolate sauce, dulce de leche, or caramel sauce. You can also dunk these into a cup of decadent Mexican hot chocolate!
Make Ahead and Storage
Make-ahead: You can pipe these air fryer churros and store them in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Once frozen, pop them off the sheets and into a freezer-safe container with sheets of parchment paper between layers of piped churro dough. Air fry them from frozen, adding 2 to 4 minutes to the bake time at 325°F after flipping them.
Storing: Air fryer cinnamon-sugar churros are best enjoyed hot and fresh from the air fryer. If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container for up to 2 days and reheat them in the air fryer at 325°F for 3 to 5 minutes.
More Air Fryer Dessert Recipes To Try
I hope this recipe inspires you to try making other sweet treats in your air fryer! Here are a few of my favorite air fryer dessert recipes:
No need to wait for summertime to enjoy s’mores. Just make a batch of indoor air fryer s’mores! You only need 3 ingredients and about 10 minutes to make these classic treats.
Air fryer apple fritters are loaded with flavor and are ready in a flash! Crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and topped with a vanilla-scented glaze.
Hand pies are ideal for any holiday table, and these air fryer hand pies always disappear quickly. Fill them with homemade or canned pie filling — both options taste fantastic!
Did you know you can make cheesecake in the air fryer? Yes, you read right: Cheesecake! My air fryer cheesecake is a simple, delicious treat that bakes up in just 20 minutes!
Pillowy air fryer beignets are powdered sugar-coated confections that will transport you to a café in New Orleans. They need just 20 minutes of hands-on prep time, and cook in about 6 minutes.
If you’ve tried this air fryer churro recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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