12 Fun Ways to Enjoy Churros
As soon as you mention the word churro, it brings to mind the crispy, Spanish and Portuguese fried dough snack and dessert, which is typically sweetened with a sugar or cinnamon dusting. In Spain, however, they are normally eaten at breakfast.
A Brief History of Churros
If you’ve never had a churro before, think of it as similar in taste to a cinnamon sugared donut, and in the middle it has a soft, donut-like consistency, but with crispy ridges on the outside. Oftentimes, you’ll find them served with a creamy dipping sauce that can range in flavors from cream cheese to chocolate and beyond.
The origin of churros is Spain, where they have been pairing them with liquid chocolate for hundreds of years, also known as churros con chocolate. According to some, the churro was inspired by youtiao, a Chinese pastry, because of its similarity to the churro; they were long pastries that favored breadsticks, which were fried in oil. It’s said that the Portuguese brought the recipe back from China to Iberia, and that it evolved from then into the churros that became so popular in Spain.
However, according to other accounts, it was Spanish shepherds that were responsible for the invention of the churro, when they made a fried dough of salt, flour, and water that was meant to be a temporary replacement for traditional fresh baked bread. In that same vein, the name of the churro comes from its similarity to the horns of the Churra sheep, which are native to Spain.
Either of these stories could be true, or there could be a story that we haven’t heard yet. Regardless, one thing is for sure, churros and chocolate have gone together since the 1500s during the Spanish Inquisition, when churros were introduced to South America. It was also around this time that the Spanish were bringing cacao back to Europe and started making a thick, hot beverage with it and sugar cane, and once the Spaniards discovered this delectable duo, the rest was history, and it’s a custom that continues to live on.
Different Ways to Enjoy Churros
Churros have come a long way since their inception, with more varieties of dipping sauces and other fun and tasty possibilities that only serve to enhance how wonderful churros are. So, come along with us as we check out some of our favorite ways to enjoy churros.
The Classic
Cinnamon and sugar is the classic as well as the most popular way to enjoy churros, and we just can’t get enough!
Nutella Stuffed
If you’re a Nutella and churro lover, then this is for you! Imagine a crispy, yet pillowy churro that’s bursting with creamy, sweet Nutella, and try to tell us that isn’t a winning combination.
Cream Cheese Stuffed
If Nutella stuffed churros weren’t enough to get you, check these out! A decant, creamy cream cheese filling flows all the way through a cinnamon sugared churro, with that wonderful crunch that you get when you bite into the churro. We call it a match made in taste bud heaven!
Funfetti Churros
Want to add a little extra oomph to your churros? Add in some sprinkles to either the churro batter, the dipping sauce, or both! We promise we won’t tell!
Churro Bites
Next time you’re making churros, cut the dough into bite-sized pieces and change the game when you put some into a small bowl, dust with cinnamon sugar or just sugar, and then drizzle with your favorite dip.
Churro and Ice Cream Sandwich
Take your favorite churros and sandwich some chocolate, vanilla, caramel swirl, or just about any other kind of ice cream you like in the middle, and you’ve got a fantastic treat! Between the cool creaminess of the ice cream and the consistency of the churro, you’re sure to have your mouth and taste buds singing!
Churro Milkshake with Dulce de Leche
For churro and milkshake lovers, this is the ultimate dessert combination! Another cool way to enjoy churros, all you have to do is mix some churros in a blender with vanilla bean ice cream, milk, vanilla extract, and some warm dulce de leche. Be sure to have some extra churros on hand because you’re going to want to dip them in this rich, decadent milkshake.
Apple Cider Churros
This is a snack and dessert that we can see being a total hit during the Fall season. They’re made with, you guessed it, apple cider, and they are wonderful dipped in a salted caramel dipping sauce!
Loaded with Toppings
You dress up donuts, right? Well, why not give churros the same treatment? Top them with icing, glaze, or whatever other kind of frosting that you want to give them, then load them down with sprinkles, cookie pieces, small candies, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, or whatever else may come to mind!
Raspberry Mini Churros with White Chocolate Dipping Sauce
Expand on the traditional churro recipe with this mini raspberry version. Make these fruit-infused delights with pureed raspberries and then make the delicious white chocolate dipping sauce that pairs with it so well.
Oreo Churros
Oh yeah, we went there! Milk’s favorite cookie and churros come together for an amazingly sweet and crispy combination that you can dip in a creamy, decadent, Oreo cream filling and whipped cream combination dip. So, if you love Oreos and churros, give this one a try!
Churro Fried Ice Cream
Try this new, fun way to enjoy the taste of churros and ice cream! To do this, you make a coating of Snickerdoodle cookie crumbs, cornflake crumbs, eggs, sugar, and cinnamon to fry the ice cream in, which replicates that deliciously crispy flavor we love about churros, but with a ball of cool, melty ice cream inside once you break the shell!
Try These Fun Ways of Eating Churros for Yourself
If you’ve never tried churros before, we highly recommend trying the tried-and-true classic favorite, dusted with cinnamon and sugar. However, even if you haven’t tried a traditional churro, we hope that you’ll enjoy one, or many, of these fun ways to eat churros!