Air Fryer Churro Bites

I never believed I’d be able to make churros at home until my kids urged me to try when we went to the county fair last summer. It seemed way too hard to deep-fry dough. In the past, when I tried to deal with hot oil, I generally ended up with a mess and a few little burns.

That’s when I learned that you could cook these sweet delicacies with cinnamon and sugar in an air fryer. No more terrifying hot oil splashing all over the place. exactly crispy, golden churro bits that taste exactly as amazing as the ones you get at the fair. This method is almost impossible to goof up if you’ve been worried about preparing churros.

Photographer Molly from mollyshomeguide.com took this picture.

Why You Will Love These Churro Bites

• These churro bites are quick and easy to make. They only take 30 to 45 minutes to make, so they’re great for when you want something sweet but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen.
• You probably already have most of these essential pantry items in your home, so you won’t need to go out and buy anything new.
• Using an air fryer instead of deep frying is a healthier choice because it uses less oil and makes less of a mess, but it still gives you that traditional crispy churro texture you love.
• Perfect portion control: The small pieces make it easy to regulate how much you eat, and they are great for sharing at parties or as an after-school snack.
• This recipe is great for family baking time since kids can assist roll the bits in cinnamon sugar, which is a fun pastime.

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 could want to try using different flours like bread flour or pastry flour, but all-purpose flour is the best choice because it has the right amount of protein to make churros that are just right.

To make sure you don’t use too much flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping it straight from the bag. Too much flour might make your churros heavy and dense. I

If you’re keeping your flour in the fridge or freezer, let it warm up to room temperature before using it in this recipe. Cold flour can change how the dough comes together.

Image: mollyshomeguide.com / Molly the Photographer

Choices for Replacements

Churros contain some important ingredients that shouldn’t be changed, but here are some substitutes you can try:

• All-purpose flour is better for this, but if you don’t have any, bread flour will work in a pinch. Don’t use whole wheat flour because it will make your churros excessively heavy.
• If you only have salted butter, that’s alright. Just cut the amount of salt you add by ¼ 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 this for a distinct flavor.
• Cinnamon sugar coating: The conventional mix of cinnamon and sugar is great, but you could also try mixing cocoa powder with sugar or pumpkin pie spice for a seasonal twist. You can also use only powdered sugar.
• Egg: The egg is very important for the structure, so you can’t easily replace it. For this recipe, it’s better to use the actual thing.

Be Careful Not to Make These Cooking Mistakes

The hardest part about preparing churro bites in an air fryer is getting the dough to the appropriate consistency. If the dough is too moist, the churros will spread and lose their shape. If the dough is too dry, they will be tough 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 room to get crispy, so work in batches and make sure there is adequate space between each piece.

If you want the typical churro crunch, lightly spritz or brush them with oil before cooking. 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 heat left behind from the churros helps the sugar mixture attach better to the surface.

Photographer Molly took this picture for mollyshomeguide.com.

What Goes Well With Churro Bites?

These sweet, crunchy churro nibbles are asking to be dipped in some delectable sauces!

• The most popular choice is warm chocolate sauce. To make it easy, just melt some chocolate chips with a little heavy cream.
• If you’re feeling especially indulgent, you could also serve them with dulce de leche, vanilla ice cream, or even a simple cream cheese icing.
• To balance off the sweetness, serve these warm snacks with a cup of coffee or Mexican hot chocolate.

How to Store

Keep Fresh: These churro bites from the air fryer taste best when they are still warm and crispy shortly after they are made. Put any leftovers in a container that won’t let air in and leave them at room temperature for up to two days. Just so you know, they might lose some of their crunchiness over time, but they will 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 at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you pipe it 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 to 2 minutes at 350°F. Then roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mix to make them taste better. They will taste almost as wonderful as fresh ones!

Time and Difficulty

• Time to get ready: 10–15 minutes
• Time to Cook: 20–30 Minutes
• Total Time: 30 to 45 minutes
• How hard it is: Medium

Nutrition Estimate

Nutrition estimates for the complete recipe (not including optional ingredients):

• 2000–2200 calories
• Protein: 20 to 25 grams
• Fat: 90 to 100 grams
• Carbs: 300–320 g

Things you need

Dough Ingredients

• 1 cup of ordinary flour
• 1 cup of water
• 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon of butter without salt
• 1 tsp. of salt
• Two tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 big egg

Outer Layer Ingredients

• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder

Steps to Make the Dough and Churros

1. Make the Dough Base

Ingredients for this step:

• 1 cup of water
• 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon of butter without salt
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 cup of ordinary flour

Put the water, butter, salt, and sugar in a pan.

Put the mixture on high heat and bring it to a boil.

Once the water is boiling, turn down the heat and slowly add the flour while stirring constantly until the dough comes together easily.

Take the pan off the stove and turn off the heat.

2. Let the dough cool and mix it.

Ingredients for this step:

• 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 after it has cooled down a little.

Use an electric hand mixer to blend the ingredients together until they are completely smooth.

3. Put the churros in a piping bag

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 spray the basket of the air fryer.

Carefully pipe churros that are small enough to fit in your mouth into the basket, making sure not to put too many in at once.

You can also drop the dough by the spoonful into the basket for a change.

4. Make the churros

Put some 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 numerous batches if your air fryer is small.

5. Cover with sugar and cinnamon

Ingredients for this step:

• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder

Mix the sugar and cinnamon powder together in a small basin.

Put the churros right into the cinnamon sugar mixture after they are done cooking.

Gently toss them to make sure they are all covered.

To make the cinnamon sugar stick better, brush the churros with melted butter or spray them with water or nonstick cooking spray before rolling them in the sugar.

6. Enjoy and Serve

Serve your churros warm with your choice of dips, including chocolate syrup, honey, or Nutella.