Cinnamon Churros with Chili Chocolate Recipe
Spice up your tastebuds with our irresistible Cinnamon Churros dipped in a decadent tequila chili chocolate sauce!
One of my favorite things about any holiday (no matter how big or small) is that it almost always comes with the excuse to indulge in some sort of delicious treat.
Or is it just us that lives by that motto?! Take Cinco de Mayo, for example. Could there be a better reason to eat your body weight in queso and cinnamon churros with chili chocolate? AND wash it all down with margaritas? We think not.
I, Alyssa didn’t try churros until only a few years ago. And I instantly regretted waiting so long. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and all rolled up in cinnamon sugar. Yum!
Churros are just about as easy to inhale as air. Dip them in chocolate, and suddenly they become even easier to down. It’s a dangerous dessert to have around.
Luckily, this simple churro recipe doesn’t make all that many, somewhere between 30 and 40. Just enough for you and maybe one or two friends, depending on how generous you’re feeling.
In the same way, we added booze and a little kick to our Baileys Ice Cream with Whiskey Caramel Sauce, this churros sauce will add a little kick and a lot of booze.
After all, it wouldn’t be a proper Cinco de Mayo celebration treat without some chili and tequila mixed in there somewhere, right? And adding enjoyment to your party is as simple as choosing one of these favorite shot recipes.
What is a Churro?
A churro is a sweet treat from Spain and Portugal. It’s a fried dough pastry, shaped like a long, thin funnel. The outside is crispy and golden brown from being fried, and the inside is soft and fluffy. Churros are typically coated in cinnamon sugar for a delicious touch, and sometimes enjoyed with a dip like chocolate sauce.
Churros are not originally Mexican, but they are very popular there. Churros were brought to Mexico and other former Spanish colonies by Spanish settlers. The Mexican versions are usually cinnamon-sugar coated and dipped in chocolate, caramel, or whipped cream.
Ingredients Needed
For the churros:
- Milk
- Unsalted butter — Softened and cubed
- Granulated Sugar
- Salt
- Vanilla
- Baking powder — The key component to making these churros egg-free.
- All-purpose flour
- Cinnamon
- Vegetable oil — For frying
For the chocolate sauce
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Heavy cream
- Chili powder
- Tequila — Opt for a good quality tequila for the best flavor. If you prefer to avoid alcohol, you can leave it out altogether or substitute with a splash of orange liqueur.
How to Make Cinnamon Churros With Chili Chocolate
Make the churros:
1 — In a medium saucepan, combine milk, water, butter, and sugar, salt, and vanilla. Heat over medium heat until continue stirring until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil.
2 — Remove from heat and add the flour and baking powder all at once immediately. Stir vigorously with a spatula until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan. A ball should form.
3 — Transfer the dough to a pastry piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
Fry the churros
4 — Heat about 2-inches of vegetable oil over medium heat in a large pot or deep fryer to 375°F (190°C).
5 — Pipe 4-5 inch strips of dough directly into the hot oil using a sharp knife or scissors to cut the dough as it extrudes. Cook only 3-4 churros at a time.
6 — Fry the churros for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
7 — Remove the churros from the oil with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain on paper towels. Repeat until all batter has been used up.
8 — In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with the cinnamon, then toss the churros in this mixture while they’re still warm for maximum coating.
To make the chili chocolate sauce:
1 — Combine the chocolate, cream, tequila, and chili powder in a small saucepan set over low heat.
2 — Stir constantly until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Serve the sauce warm (it can be made ahead and easily reheated in the microwave).
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Oil temperature: Make sure your oil is between 350°F (175°C) and 375°F (190°C) for perfect frying. If the oil is too hot, the churros will burn on the outside before cooking through. If it’s too cool, they’ll be greasy.
- Don’t overcrowd: Fry the churros in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. This helps maintain oil temperature and ensures even cooking.
- Star tip: A star-shaped piping tip will create ridges in the churros, increasing surface area for that crispy goodness. If you don’t have a star tip, a plain round tip will work too.
- Fresh and fluffy: Let the fried churros drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Toss them in the cinnamon sugar mixture while they’re still warm for maximum coating.
- Spice it up: Adjust the amount of chili powder to your spice preference. Start with a little and add more for a stronger kick.
- Storage: Unfortunately, churros aren’t the best candidate for long-term storage because they lose their signature crispness. Store them for up to 1-2 days. Let the churros cool completely first. Then, store them in an airtight container lined with paper towels at room temperature. The paper towels will absorb any excess moisture that might lead to sogginess.
More Chocolate Dessert to Satisfy a Sweet Tooth
Chocolate, or even caramel, is the most common dipping sauce for churros. But do you have another way you like to enjoy them? We recently saw churros made into an ice cream sandwich. And we don’t know about you, but we sure wouldn’t mind eating them that way either.
For more chocolate recipes, check out a few of our favorites in the archives —
- Chocolate Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies
- Baked Cake Donuts with Chocolate Glaze
- Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Hot Chocolate Bread
Cinnamon Churros with Chili Chocolate Tequila-Infused Dipping Sauce
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Piping bag
- Large star tip
- Large pot or deep fryer
- Scissors
- Tongs
Ingredients
For the churros
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3/4 cup water
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter softened and cubed
- 3 tsp white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp vegetable oil for frying
For the sauce:
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp tequila
Nutrition
Instructions
To make the churros:
- In the saucepan, combine milk, water, butter, and sugar, salt, and vanilla. Heat over medium heat until continue stirring until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil.
- Remove from heat and add the flour and baking powder all at once immediately. Stir vigorously with a spatula until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan. A ball should form.
- Transfer the dough to a pastry piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- Heat about 2-inches of vegetable oil over medium heat in a large pot or deep fryer to 375°F (190°C).
- Pipe 4-5 inch strips of dough directly into the hot oil using a sharp knife or scissors to cut the dough as it extrudes. Cook only 3-4 churros at a time.
- Fry the churros for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
- Remove the churros from the oil with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain on paper towels. Repeat until all batter has been used up.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with the cinnamon, then toss the churros in this mixture while they’re still warm for maximum coating.
To make the sauce:
- Combine the chocolate, cream, tequila, and chili powder in a small saucepan set over low heat.
- Stir constantly until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Serve the sauce warm. (It can be made ahead and easily reheated in the microwave).
Don’t forget to share your Cinnamon Churros with us on Instagram using the hashtag #sugarandclothloves. We always love seeing all of your creations! Looking for more quick and delicious recipes? Find them all right here!
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