These baked churro donuts are just as light and crispy as their fried equivalents, served with a silky dark chocolate ganache to dip them in. After a good bake and broil, these “donuts” are dipped in melted butter and then that classic cinnamon sugar coating.
Honestly, hello indulgence! I’ve never been a huge fan of frying things at home (that mess, that smell, the disposal—need I say more?), so these baked churro donuts are a welcome alternative when I’m looking for the next best thing.
This recipe is sponsored by Endangered Species Chocolate.
Some Materials You May Need:
- Whisk/Spatula
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Large baking sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Piping bag with star piping tip
- Bowls for melted butter/cinnamon sugar coating
- Broil setting on oven (while not technically optional, these will still be tasty if your oven doesn’t have a broil setting—they may just be a little less crispy)
Be sure to tag me over on Instagram if you make these crispy, cinnamon sugar baked churro donuts! Nothing makes me happier than when you tag me in your bakes. Be sure to give my buddies over at Endangered Species Chocolate a follow over on Instagram too.
Lots of tips in the blog below the recipe as well—so head there if you get stuck!
Happy Baking!
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Baked Churro Donuts with Dark Chocolate Ganache
- Prep Time: 30-40 Min.
- Cook Time: 20 Min.
- Total Time: ~1 Hour
- Yield: 6 Donuts 1x
Description
These baked churro donuts are just as light and crispy as their fried equivalents. Dipped in melted butter after the bake, coated in cinnamon sugar, and served with a silky dark chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- 6oz (170g), dark chocolate (72% cocoa) from a bar (I used Endangered Species Chocolate)
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Baked Churro Donuts
- 1/3 cup water (75g)
- 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar (12g)
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt (2g)
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (45g)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (50g), spooned/leveled—not scooped
- 1 large egg (50g), room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 5 Tablespoons melted butter (75g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (6g)
Instructions
(You can make the ganache before the donuts, while they bake, or right after you coat them in the cinnamon sugar. If making during or before, just let sit at room temperature until ready to use).
Baked Churro Donuts
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and prep a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan: add your water, salt, brown sugar, and butter. Heat over medium heat, occasionally stirring with a spatula, until the butter has completely melted (about a minute or two).
- Turn the heat to low, add in your flour, and mix it in with your spatula until smooth/no clumps remain. Continue heating the mixture over low heat and occasionally stirring/scraping with your spatula until it thickens and a slight film appears at the bottom of the pan (about 5-7 minutes).
- Take off the heat, let cool for 5 minutes, then add in your egg and vanilla extract, mixing in until fully combined and smooth (I start with a whisk and then switch to a spatula). Add to a piping bag fitted with a wider star piping tip and pipe 6 donuts (4 inches in diameter each) evenly spaced onto your baking sheet lined with parchment.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15-17 minutes (until tops have evenly browned, they feel set when poked) rotating the tray halfway through. Then, keep in the oven and broil on high for 2-3 minutes until darker/crispy on the outside.
- While they bake, prep the cinnamon sugar coating: gently melt your butter in a small bowl and in a separate bowl, whisk together your granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.
- Pull your baked churros out of the oven, carefully dip each in melted butter and then coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve the Dark Chocolate Ganache (recipe below).
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- Coarsely chop your dark chocolate into pieces and place into a heat safe bowl. In a small saucepan, heat your heavy whipping cream over medium heat until just boiling (careful not to overheat).
- Gently pour the warm cream overtop of your chopped chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Start by gradually/slowly whisking the two together in small circular motions. As they become more combined, you can work up to a more regular whisk speed until completely smooth.
- Let rest in the bowl (or in a separate serving bowl) at room temperature. It will thicken as it cools (avoid cooling in the fridge as it will be less smooth/shiny). If it gets too thick before you’re ready to serve—see notes below for how to fix.
Notes
- Storing: The donuts are best enjoyed same-day, but will keep for up to 3 days stored at room temperature in an airtight container. If not enjoying these the same day, wait to make your ganache until the day you plan to enjoy these.
- Ganache Too Thick? This ganache is definitely on the thicker side, but shouldn’t be a fudge or truffle-like consistency. If that happens, it’s possible your measurements might have been a little off (accuracy is really important with ganache). If it gets too thick as it cools down before you have the chance to dip and enjoy, gently reheat (using a double boiler or 5-second increments in the microwave) and whisk until smooth again.
- Do I Have to Pipe Into Donuts? Certainly not! You can pipe these into that classic churro shape and enjoy just the same. Just keep an eye on them as they bake and look for the same visual indicators as listed in the recipe.
Baked Churros vs. Fried Churros
The dough for these baked churros is very similar to that of the classic fried churro. It honestly resembles a choux pastry, which are also baked. My motivation behind making these baked vs. friend was to make them both easier and more accessible.
Baking does away with having to mess with any oil (and disposal of said oil—bless). While yes, the classic churro is fried and truly far superior, these baked ones still hit the spot and are a welcome alternative. Especially when you’re someone that truly ruins every fried thing they go to bake (tell me I’m not alone). Hi hello, that’s me!
That generous cinnamon sugar coating, light and airy insides, crispy crunchy outsides—the gang’s all here really.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache (& Which Ratios Do What)
Making the dark chocolate ganache to dip these baked churros in couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is heat your heavy whipping cream until just boiling, pour over your chopped chocolate, let it rest a bit, and then whisk until smooth. That’s it!
There are certain consistency parameters you can follow when making chocolate ganache, depending on what you’re looking to do. For a ganache that’s best for glazes, dripping down cakes, or as a layer filler–use a 1:1 ratio (equal parts chocolate to cream). If looking for that thicker fudge-like consistency, go 2:1 (chocolate to cream). This becomes very solid as it cools, making it perfect for making truffles. Lastly, for something thinner like a sauce or dipping, the best ratio is 1:2 (again, chocolate to cream).
For these baked Churro Donuts, the dark chocolate ganache is a mix between 1:1 and 1:2. It will definitely get thicker the longer you let it rest, but is perfect about 15-30 minutes after making to dip these babies in. If it gets too thick, you can always gently reheat and whisk until smooth again.
Why The Chocolate Matters When Making Ganache
With something like chocolate ganache, you want to makes sure you’re using high quality chocolate and always from a bar. Why? When you only have 2 ingredients in a recipe, there’s not much room to hide. The quality and taste of your chocolate will really come through here—so go fancy, go quality.
That’s why I went with Endangered Species Chocolate (aka ESC) and their “smooth” 72% cocoa dark chocolate bar. It’s truly SO smooth for a dark chocolate. Even better? It’s gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, AND fairtrade!
ESC is made with real, simple ingredients and they give forward 10% of their profits to organizations that make a positive impact in the world. Good stuff paired with a good cause, what’s not to love? Check them out here friends!
The reason you want to always use a bar is because chips or morsels contain stabilizers, which are meant to prevent melting or spreading. Check out the “Chunks vs. Chips” section from my Big Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe here for more of a breakdown on this.
Do I Have To Pipe These Like Donuts?
You do you! I was whipping up this recipe for “National Donut Day” so I piped them as such to fit the theme. Feel free to pipe into the classic churro shape if you’d like! If piping as donuts, however, make sure to not make them bigger than 4 inches in diameter. This recipe is very exact, so if you go too big you may end up with less donuts.
Also, if you bake these as sticks instead of donuts—pay attention to them when they bake. I’ve only tested these as donuts, so sticks may cook a bit faster. Just keep an eye on things as you near that 15-minute baking mark!
How to Know When Your Baked Churros Are Done Baking
You’ll know these baked churros are getting close to being done when the tops start to brown. You’ll see thin lines of browning along the rides made from the star piping tip. They should feel pretty set if you poke them too. Be sure to rotate your tray halfway through so they all bake evenly. Everything likes to burn at the back of my oven—anyone else?
Then, when you go to broil them—really just watch for burning. 2-3 minutes is good and you could always broil on low instead if you’re nervous. To be honest, this batch burnt a little, but was extra crispy and I wasn’t mad about it!
Check out my most recent recipes:
- Hot Cocoa Cream Pies
- Roasted Crispy Rice Treats Dipped in Chocolate Frosting
- Giant Chocolate Blueberry Pop Tart
Looking for something else to bake?
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