Description
This Baked Churros Recipe offers a lighter twist on the classic fried Spanish treat by baking the churros to golden perfection. Soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, these churros are coated in cinnamon sugar and served with melted white chocolate and desiccated coconut for a delicious dip. Perfect for a snack or dessert, this recipe yields a large batch suitable for sharing.
Ingredients
Churro Dough
- 230 ml (1 cup minus 2 tsp) cold water
- 120 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 160 g (1 1/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 3 medium eggs
For Baking
- 240 ml (1 cup) boiling water (for oven steam tray)
Topping and Serving
- 200 g (1 cup) white caster sugar (or superfine sugar)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 200 g (7 oz) white chocolate (broken into pieces)
- 5 heaped tbsp dessicated/shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Set the oven to 200°C (400°F) fan and line two baking sheets with silicon mats or baking parchment to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the dough base. In a saucepan, combine the cold water, unsalted butter, salt, vanilla bean paste, and soft brown sugar. Bring this mixture to a boil, then simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Add the flour. Lower the heat to low and stir in the all-purpose flour with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan, forming a dough. Turn off the heat.
- Incorporate the eggs. Using the wooden spoon, add the eggs one at a time into the dough, mixing until each is fully blended without over-stirring, to maintain the dough’s consistency.
- Pipe the churros. Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (such as Wilton #1M). Pipe rows about 8-10 cm long onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each churro 2-3 cm apart as they will expand slightly during baking.
- Prepare oven steam. Pour 1 cup of boiling water into a separate baking tray and place this at the bottom of the oven. This steam helps keep the churros soft inside while crisping the outside.
- Bake the churros. Place the churro trays in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the churros turn golden brown and cooked through.
- Melt the chocolate. While the churros bake, melt the white chocolate using a bain-marie or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each to avoid burning. Transfer to a serving bowl. Place the desiccated coconut in a separate bowl.
- Mix the cinnamon sugar. On a large plate, combine the white caster sugar with the ground cinnamon to create the classic churro coating.
- Coat the churros. Remove the baked churros from the oven. Brush them with the melted butter, then roll them evenly in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Serve. Arrange the churros on a serving platter alongside the melted white chocolate and desiccated coconut for dipping. Enjoy immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Using boiling water in the oven tray produces steam that keeps churros soft inside while crispy on the outside.
- Do not over-stir when adding eggs; this keeps the dough light and airy.
- Silicone mats can be reused and help prevent sticking better than parchment paper.
- If white chocolate is not preferred, dark or milk chocolate can be used as an alternative.
- The recipe yields approximately 30 churros, making it ideal for a large gathering or party.
