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Homemade Churros with Chocolate Ganache

Crunchy churros tossed in cinnamon sugar paired with a silky chocolate ganache—the perfect way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!
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Course: Desserts
Keyword: chocolate, churros, cinnamon
Prep Time: 2 hours
Servings: 0
Author: Mae Martin

Ingredients

For the churros

  • 1 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2-3 large eggs
  • Canola or vegetable oil (for frying)

For the cinnamon sugar

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the chocolate ganache

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate*
  • ½ teaspoon espresso powder optional
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon optional
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder optional, depending how much spice you like in your sauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Make the churro dough. Heat the water, butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a pot on medium-high heat until boiling. Reduce the heat and add all of the flour at once, stirring vigorously until a thick and smooth dough is created and forms a ball.
  • Transfer the dough to a separate bowl to cool for 5-10 minutes. In the meantime, heat around 1½ inches of oil in a large pot on the stove, until it reaches 350℉. Line a cooling rack with paper towels, then mix together ¾ cup of granulated sugar and 1½ teaspoons cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
  • Add one egg to the choux dough and mix until incorporated (alternatively, you can do this step in a food processor). Add the last egg and mix until well combined, then transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. If the dough is too stiff to pipe, add the other egg.
  • Once the oil is hot enough, pipe around 6 inches of dough into the oil, cutting it with a pair of kitchen scissors when it reaches the correct length. Fry for 3 minutes, turning halfway through, until the churros are medium-golden brown.
  • Transfer the cooked churros to the paper towels to drain, then toss them in the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with the remaining churro dough.
  • Make the chocolate ganache. Stir together the heavy cream, salt, vanilla, espresso powder, cinnamon, and chile powder (if using) in a medium saucepan. Heat the mixture on the stove on medium-high heat (do not burn).
  • In the meantime, chop the chocolate and place it into a separate bowl. Once the cream is gently simmering, pour it through a sieve over the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for at least one minute to let the chocolate melt, then stir until a smooth and glossy ganache is formed.
  • Serve the churros warm with the chocolate sauce and enjoy!

Notes

*If you'd rather use milk chocolate for a less bitter ganache, reduce the amount of cream to 1/2 cup and follow the recipe as stated.