This Vegan Churros Recipe comes together with 6 simple ingredients and can be made even by beginners! The churros are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and naturally egg-free and dairy-free.
One of my highlights in 2022 was going to Spain where I tried the most amazing authentic churros for less than $2.
Since then, my standards for churros have been raised high, and so I wanted this recipe to hit all of the spots. I wanted them to be crispy, chewy, tender on the inside, and most importantly, easy to make.
You'll love serving these vegan churros on Christmas day, with a glass of hot chocolate or homemade eggnog on the side. Or just as an everyday snack or dessert.
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What are Churros?
A churro is a fried pastry dough made from flour, water, and salt. It's usually coated in cinnamon sugar and served with chocolate dipping sauce.
Churros are similar to doughnuts, as they're both fried dough, but they're crispy on the outside, and not as doughy on the inside.
They originally come from Spanish and Mexican cuisine but are now popular around the world.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour because it yields soft, yet crispy vegan churros. I haven't tested this recipe with whole wheat flour so I can't guarantee results.
- Sugar: You'll need granulated sugar both for the churro dough and for the cinnamon sugar coating. You can also use brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Vegan butter: You can also use vegetable oil such as canola oil or sunflower oil, or refined coconut oil.
- Water: For binding the dough together.
- Flax egg: You'll need to mix 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 2 tablespoon of water and let it sit for 5 minutes. This will act as our egg replacer.
- Cinnamon: For making the cinnamon sugar coating.
- Salt: For enhancing the flavors of the dough.
- Vegetable oil: For deep frying the churros if you choose to do so.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
How to Make Vegan Churros
Step 1: Make the churro dough
To a plate or a shallow bowl, add cinnamon and granulated sugar and mix. Set aside for later.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, vegan butter, water, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat to low.
Add the flour and stir immediately using a rubber spatula.
Keep cooking the dough and stirring occasionally, until the dough forms into a ball. Remove from the heat and add to a bowl.
Add the flax egg and using an electric mixer, mix for 30 seconds. Then, transfer the dough into a piping bag with a large star-tip attachment (around ½ inch).
Step 2: Fry or Bake
Prepare 12 pieces of parchment paper where you'll be piping the churros. Pipe the dough into 5-6-inch long churros, cutting the end of the churros using a pair of scissors.
Frying: In a deep pot or a Dutch oven, add 3-4 inches of oil and let it heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 380ºF (190ºC).
When the oil is ready, drop the vegan churros into the pot, but hold on to the parchment paper (don't worry, it won't burn). Fry the churros for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
Hint! Don't fry more than 4-5 churros at a time, because the temperature of the oil will drop too much.
Baking: Add the churros to a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven to 400°F (200°C) for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown. Then, turn off the oven and let them sit for 10 minutes before taking them out.
Step 3: Coat with cinnamon sugar
Once ready, use kitchen tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the churros from the oil and place them on a plate layered with a few layers of paper towel.
Let the churros sit on the paper towel for 30 seconds, then coat them with cinnamon sugar.
Repeat until all of the vegan churros are done and serve while still warm!
Step 4: Make the chocolate sauce
To a small saucepan, add ½ cup coconut cream or plant-based milk and 3 ½ oz. dark chocolate. Heat on low heat until the chocolate is melted and you have a warm chocolate sauce.
Expert Tips
- Use a kitchen thermometer. This is essential to have on hand when making this vegan churros recipe. It will help you know when you've reached the right temperature for frying, and to monitor the temperature while cooking as well. However, if you don't have a kitchen thermometer on hand, you can use a wooden spoon or a chopstick. Dip it into the oil and if the edges sizzle right away, the oil is ready. Just keep in mind that this isn't as accurate as using a thermometer is.
- Pipe the churros onto parchment paper before frying. If this is your first time making churros, I highly recommend this! This way it's easier to make churros of equal sizes, and you're less likely to burn them or to burn yourself. And don't worry, the parchment paper won't burn!
- Don't overcrowd the pot. Frying too many churros at a time will make the temperature of the oil drop too much, and the churros may stick together. Depending on how big your pot is, you should fry a maximum of 4-6 churros at a time.
- Coat with the cinnamon sugar quickly. You want to coat the churros while they're still hot so that the sugar sticks.
- Let them rest on a paper towel to soak the excess oil. It's important to give the churros at least 30 seconds to rest on the paper towel so that they're not too oily and make the cinnamon sugar clumps.
- Be very careful when working with hot oil! Make sure to work very carefully to prevent burning. To be safe, I recommend wearing long sleeves, an apron, and even protective gloves if necessary. Use long kitchen tongs to take the churros out of the oil!
- Serve them warm. This vegan churros recipe is best enjoyed when fresh, while they're still warm and crispy.
FAQ
No. Traditional churros are not vegan, because they most often contain eggs, and sometimes cow's butter. Thankfully, in my recipe, I've had great success replacing the eggs with a flax egg and the butter with vegan butter.
Yes, you can make the dough 2 days ahead of time and store it in the fridge. I highly recommend adding the dough to a piping bag while it's still warm so you don't have to do it later.
Yes! You can freeze cooked churros for about 1 month, but they won't be as crispy after thawing. I highly recommend freezing the dough instead and frying them when you're ready. The dough can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The easiest way to do this is to scoop 2 tablespoon of the dough and form it into a thin log between your palms. Then, fry as per instructions.
To make gluten-free churros, you can try using gluten-free all-purpose flour to substitute the regular flour with a 1:1 ratio. However, I haven't tried the recipe with gluten-free flour, so I can't guarantee results.
Storage and Reheating
- Room temperature: Wrap leftover vegan churros in a paper towel and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.
- Reheating: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C)). Add your churros to a baking sheet, leaving enough space in between each one. Bake them for 8-10 minutes until fully warmed through.
More Vegan Desserts
📖 Recipe
Vegan Churros Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Churros
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup melted vegan butter (or vegetable oil like canola oil)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal mixed with 2 tablespoon water)
- Vegetable oil, for frying
For coating
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Chocolate sauce (optional)
- 3 ½ oz. dark chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk (or vegan cream of choice)
Instructions
Making the dough
- If you haven't already, prepare the flax egg by mixing the flaxseed meal with the water. Let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken. In the meantime, prepare a plate with a few paper towels on it, so you can place there the churros after frying them later.1 flax egg
- To a plate or a shallow bowl, add cinnamon and granulated sugar and mix. Set aside for later.2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, vegan butter, salt, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat to low. Add the flour and stir immediately using a rubber spatula.1 cup water, ¼ cup melted vegan butter, 1 cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, Pinch of salt
- Keep cooking the dough and stirring occasionally, until the dough forms into a ball. Remove from the heat and add to a bowl. Add the flax egg and using an electric mixer, mix for 30 seconds. Then, transfer the dough into a piping bag with a large star-tip attachment (around ½ inch).1 flax egg
Frying
- If this is your first time making churros, prepare 12 pieces of parchment paper where you'll be piping the churros. Pipe the dough into 5-6-inch long churros, cutting the end of the churros using a pair of scissors. If you've made churros before, you can pipe the dough into the hot oil as usual.Vegetable oil, for frying
- In a deep pot or a Dutch oven, add 3-4 inches of oil and let it heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 380ºF (190ºC). Using a kitchen thermometer in this case is very useful. However, if you don't have one on hand, you can use a wooden spoon or a chopstick. Dip it into the oil and if the edges sizzle right away, the oil is ready for frying. Just keep in mind that this isn't as accurate as using a thermometer is.
- When the oil is ready, drop the vegan churros into the pot, but hold on to the parchment paper (don't worry, it won't burn). Fry the churros for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown, stirring occasionally to make sure they don't stick to the bottom of the pot. Don't fry more than 4-5 churros at a time, because the temperature of the oil will drop too much.
- Once ready, use kitchen tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the churros from the oil and place them on the plate layered with paper towels. Let the churros sit on the paper towel for 30 seconds, then coat them with cinnamon sugar.
- Repeat frying and dipping the churros in the sugar until all are done!
Baking
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Layer a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Pipe the churros on the parchment paper, leaving enough space between each one.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown. Then, turn off the oven and let them sit for 10 minutes before taking them out.
- Finally, coat the churros in cinnamon sugar while they're still warm, and serve right away!
Chocolate sauce
- To a small saucepan, add coconut cream or plant-based milk and dark chocolate. Heat on low heat until the chocolate is melted and you have a warm chocolate sauce.3 ½ oz. dark chocolate, chopped, ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
Notes
- Use a kitchen thermometer. This is essential to have on hand when making this vegan churros recipe. It will help you know when you've reached the right temperature for frying, and to monitor the temperature while cooking as well. However, if you don't have a kitchen thermometer on hand, you can use a wooden spoon or a chopstick. Dip it into the oil and if the edges sizzle right away, the oil is ready. Just keep in mind that this isn't as accurate as using a thermometer is.
- Pipe the churros onto parchment paper before frying. If this is your first time making churros, I highly recommend this! This way it's easier to make churros of equal sizes, and you're less likely to burn them or to burn yourself. And don't worry, the parchment paper won't burn!
- Don't overcrowd the pot. Frying too many churros at a time will make the temperature of the oil drop too much, and the churros may stick together. Depending on how big your pot is, you should fry a maximum of 4-6 churros at a time.
- Coat with the cinnamon sugar quickly. You want to coat the churros while they're still hot so that the sugar sticks.
- Let them rest on a paper towel to soak the excess oil. It's important to give the churros at least 30 seconds to rest on the paper towel so that they're not too oily and make the cinnamon sugar clumps.
- Be very careful when working with hot oil! Make sure to work very carefully to prevent burning. To be safe, I recommend wearing long sleeves, an apron, and even protective gloves if necessary. Use long kitchen tongs to take the churros out of the oil!
- Serve them warm. This vegan churros recipe is best enjoyed when fresh, while they're still warm and crispy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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