Cinco de Mayo Churro Bites (Print version)

Golden, crispy churro bites tossed in cinnamon sugar with a rich chocolate dipping sauce.

# Required ingredients:

→ Churro Bites

01 - 1 cup water
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - Vegetable oil for frying

→ Cinnamon Sugar Coating

09 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

→ Chocolate Dipping Sauce

11 - 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
12 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
13 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
14 - 1 tablespoon light corn syrup

# How to make it:

01 - Combine granulated sugar and ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Set aside for coating the warm churro bites.
02 - In a medium saucepan, bring water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil over medium heat. Once butter melts completely, add flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough forms and pulls away from the pan sides, approximately 2 minutes.
03 - Remove pan from heat and allow dough to cool for 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract, mixing until the dough becomes smooth and glossy.
04 - Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip for proper churro shape formation.
05 - Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep pot to 350°F, maintaining consistent temperature for even cooking and optimal crispness.
06 - Pipe 1-inch pieces of dough directly into the hot oil, using scissors to cut. Fry in batches, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per batch.
07 - Remove churro bites with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels. While still warm, toss thoroughly in cinnamon sugar mixture until evenly coated.
08 - Heat cream in a small saucepan until just simmering. Pour over chopped chocolate, add butter and corn syrup, and let sit 1 minute. Stir until smooth and glossy.
09 - Arrange warm churro bites on a serving platter and present with chocolate dipping sauce on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • No fancy skills required: If you can pipe frosting onto a cupcake, you can make these without breaking a sweat.
  • They disappear in seconds: The bite-sized format means people eat them faster than you can make them, which is oddly satisfying.
  • Chocolate sauce is secretly foolproof: Even if you've had chocolate disasters before, this method works every single time.
02 -
  • Oil temperature is everything: Too cool and your churros absorb oil and taste greasy; too hot and they brown outside before cooking through—invest in a thermometer and trust it.
  • Don't double the recipe in one batch: I learned this the hard way when I tried to make churros for twenty people and ended up with a cooling-oil disaster; make multiple small batches instead.
03 -
  • Prep your mise en place obsessively: Chop chocolate, measure oil, set up your work station—when you're working with hot oil, you cannot afford to scramble for ingredients.
  • The piping bag moment requires confidence: Pipe decisively and cut with scissors in one smooth motion; hesitation creates weird shapes that somehow taste the same but feel less festive.
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