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These Small Batch Chocolate Stuffed Churro Donuts are every churro lover's dream and are surprisingly easy to make with a few pantry staples.
Table of contents
Small Batch Chocolate Stuffed Churro Donuts
One of my all-time favorite desserts is churros; I think my love affair with them began when I visited Disney World and got one of those foot-long magical wands of fried dough for the first time. Whether they’re served with a classic dusting of cinnamon sugar or dipped in chocolate sauce, very little compares to eating a good churro.
This small batch recipe takes your traditional churro to the next level by piping them in the shape of a donut and stuffing them with chocolate. Of course, these homemade chocolate stuffed churro donuts wouldn't be churros if they weren't covered in a boatload of cinnamon sugar. And I couldn’t just stop there... so I’ve included a quick-fix recipe for warm chocolate dipping sauce as well. You're welcome!
Ingredients for Small Batch Chocolate Stuffed Churro Donuts
One thing I love about this small batch chocolate stuffed churro donuts recipe is that there aren’t too many ingredients required; they're all pantry staples that you probably already have. Here's what you'll need:
- Milk: To help keep the dough moist.
- Water: Same as the milk; although you'll cook most of the water out.
- Butter: The one and only; butter makes everything taste better.
- Granulated sugar: Just a tablespoon for the choux pastry and then for the topping as well.
- Fine sea salt: Most desserts taste a lil plain without salt, so don't forget it!
- All-purpose flour: Just 1 cup (125 grams) of flour is needed!
- Eggs: You'll need at least 4 (maybe 5) large eggs; more on this below!
- Canola oil: For frying these tasty lil churro donuts.
- Cinnamon: For the cinnamon sugar topping, of course.
The warm chocolate dipping sauce is truly amazing too! Just cocoa powder, espresso powder, sugar, salt, water, and a splash of vanilla. UM, YES PLEASE!
How to Make Small Batch Chocolate Stuffed Churro Donuts
To help ensure your success in making these small batch chocolate stuffed churro donuts, we're going to walk through the significant steps in the process together, starting with making the choux pastry.
1. The Choux Pastry
Churros are made with pâte à choux (aka choux pastry), a very light, eggy pastry dough. Choux pastry is made on the stovetop by cooking flour, butter, and water (and sometimes milk) until a dough forms. The cooked dough is then cooled slightly before eggs are added. The more moisture you can cook/steam out of the dough, the more eggs you can add (which will make for a lighter pastry). I mix the eggs into the dough using a stand mixer in my recipe, but you can easily do it by hand using a wooden spoon, just be prepared for an arm workout! The eggs transform the dough into something truly magical, making it glossy and smooth.
In the case of these small batch chocolate stuffed churro donuts, the mixture is then transferred into a pastry bag with a large open star tip (I use an Ateco 867) and then piped into circles. You'll pipe a thin base layer of the batter, load it up with chocolate, pipe another layer on top, and then place them into the freezer. Once frozen solid, you're ready to start frying and rolling them in cinnamon sugar!
2. The Chocolate Dipping Sauce
The chocolate dipping sauce is insanely easy to make! Simply combine all of the ingredients except for the vanilla in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, you'll reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about 1 minute. Then you can remove the sauce from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and ta-da! Easy, chocolate dipping sauce that tastes infinitely better than the store-bought stuff.
Small Batch Chocolate Stuffed Churro Donuts Recipe Troubleshooting & FAQ
SMALL BATCH CHOCOLATE STUFFED CHURRO DONUTS: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do you have to use a pastry bag and tip to make churros?
Honestly, yes. I have tried making churros with just a gallon-sized ziplock bag and it started out fine but the bag eventually split with the heat and pressure which caused the batter to go everywhere. No bueno.
Will the churro donuts still be good tomorrow?
Unfortunately, much like fresh donuts, churros are best eaten on the day they're made. If you're anticipating not eating all 6 donuts in one day, I recommend following the recipe below through instruction #6. Once frozen solid, you can transfer the donuts to a freezer-safe ziplock bag and store them frozen for up to 3 months!
How long is the chocolate sauce good for and how should you store it?
The chocolate sauce can be stored in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks! Simply reheat before serving.
What's the best way to store churros?
The best way to store fried churros is in an airtight container lined with a paper towel (which will absorb any moisture and keep the churros crispy) at room temperature; refrigerating can turn them soggy. The churros will last up to 2 days at room temperature but aim to eat the churros within 24 hours for best-tasting results. Be sure to wait for the churros to cool before storing, or the condensation will ruin them.
Can you freeze uncooked churro batter?
Yes! Churro batter is perfectly safe to freeze, but you should pipe the batter before you freeze it. Defrosting can mess with the texture, so you want to avoid having to defrost the batter.
To freeze uncooked churros, place the piped churro batter on a baking tray lined with wax or parchment paper; make sure to leave at least 1cm of space between each churro (you don’t want them touching). Leave the churros to harden in the freezer for roughly one hour, or until they feel hard to the touch. Once they’ve hardened sufficiently, transfer them to an airtight container. Since they’re already frozen, they won’t stick together!
SMALL BATCH CHOCOLATE STUFFED CHURRO DONUTS: TROUBLESHOOTING
My churro donuts are really oily! What did I do wrong?
It sounds like your oil wasn't hot enough! Many fearful fryers set the oil temperature too low thinking that it will make frying more forgiving. Frying at too low a temperature, however, will result in greasy donuts. Next time, watch the oil’s temperature carefully as you fry and adjust the heat as needed to maintain a temperature between 350°F (175°C) and 360°F (180°C). It’s better to add doughnuts to slightly warmer-than-desired oil, as the frozen dough will bring the oil temperature down a few degrees, than to too-cool oil.
My churro donuts are raw in the middle! What did I do wrong?
Churros that are raw in the middle can be caused by two things. The most common reason is from frying them in oil that is too hot. When the oil is too hot, the outside cooks much quicker before the inside has a chance to catch up which leads to you pulling them too soon based on the color. I'd recommend using a thermometer to monitor your oil temperature to avoid this problem!
If you monitored your oil and kept it at the ideal frying temperature, then your churro donuts are raw in the middle simply because you made them too thick! You can try baking your underdone churro donuts in the oven (350°F/175°C) for a few minutes to help cook the inside, just keep an eye on them!
*Originally posted May 31, 2018*
*Post, photos, & recipe updated on August 9, 2021*
Chocolate-Stuffed Churro Donuts
Ingredients
For the Churro Donuts:
- 120 g milk
- 120 g water
- 90 g unsalted butter
- 15 g granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs (200g) plus one extra whisked egg, if needed (see below)
- chocolate chips for filling the donuts
- canola oil for frying
For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the Chocolate Dipping Sauce:
- 20 g unsweetened natural or Dutch process cocoa powder
- 100 g granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 60 g water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the churro donuts: Place the water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat and add the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated.120 g milk, 120 g water, 90 g unsalted butter, 15 g granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, 125 g all-purpose flour
- Place the pan back over medium heat and continue to cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes to steam away as much water as possible. (The more moisture you can remove, the more eggs you can add and the lighter your pastry will be.) The mixture is ready when a thin film coats the bottom of the pan.
- Move the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix for about 1 to 2 minutes to allow it to cool slightly. Add the first egg and mix on medium speed until completely combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.4 large eggs (200g)
- Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, and mix in completely until the batter becomes smooth and glossy. If the consistency is right, when you pull the paddle up the dough sticking to the paddle should hang down in a V shape ribbon that slowly breaks off. If your batter isn't the right consistency, add some of the additional whisked egg. Once you achieve the right consistency, transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.
- Using a cookie cutter or other circular tool, draw 6 circles 3-inches in diameter on a piece of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper upside down on a lined baking sheet and pipe out 6 circles. Top with the desired amount of chocolate chips and then pipe another circle of batter over the top of the chocolate. Keep in mind you need enough batter to cover all of the chocolate; make sure there are no gaps in between each layer otherwise, the melted chocolate will leak out & you’ll make a mess when frying.chocolate chips
- Immediately transfer the tray to the freezer and freeze until solid, about 2 hours or overnight.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.100 g granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Fry the churro donuts: Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until a thermometer registers 360-370°F (180-190°C). Working in batches, place two donuts at a time into the oil. Fry on each side until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove fried donuts with tongs and drain on a paper towel, then toss in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat with the rest of the piped churro donuts.canola oil
- Make the chocolate dipping sauce: In a small saucepan, whisk together the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, espresso powder, and salt until no lumps remain. Add the water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.20 g unsweetened natural or Dutch process cocoa powder, 100 g granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon espresso powder, ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt, 60 g water
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. The chocolate sauce will thicken as it cools.½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Notes
Nutrition
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