Air Fryer Churros

These air fryer churros are a crunchy sweet treat made with puff pastries for a shortcut of the favorite cinnamon-sugar mexican churros. They are a healthier take on the classic deep-fried version and just as tasty.

Love easy dessert recipes? Be sure to try these no-bake banana pudding pie or this peanut butter bars too!

Easy Air Fryer Churros

Sometimes a fun recipe shortcut is a wonderful thing. This churro recipe is one of those!  Instead of making the dough for homemade churros, using puff pastry dough is a perfect hack to make this favorite Mexican treat in no time.

Air-fried churros definitely have that famous crispy exterior and fluffy inside that we love!   They are definitely going to be a new tradition for us on Cinco de Mayo from now on.

These delicious churros are absolutely perfect for dipping in your favorite chocolate sauce, caramel sauce or dulce de leche. I have even slathered them with my jams for a breakfast treat!

What are Churros?

Classic Churros are a popular, sweet dessert that originated in Spain and have gained popularity in many parts of the world. This popular dessert is traditionally made from a simple dough of flour, water, butter, and salt (and sometimes eggs) mixed and into star-shaped strips and then deep-fried. Kind of like a tube shaped doughnut.

They are served warm dipped in a cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Ingredient Needed for this Churro Recipe

Puff pastry dough – I used one thawed sheet of puff pastry dough. It is found in the freezer section of most grocery stores. You can also use crescent roll dough if you can’t find puff pastry dough.

Non-stick cooking spray or oil – I make the perfect crispiness on the outside.

Butter – use salted or unsalted

Sugar – use white sugar or brown sugar.

Cinnamon – to mix with the sugar for the classic flavor.

Variations

• Make Chocolate Churros: Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder cinnamon sugar mixture. 
• Sprinkle the Churros with powdered sugar instead of cinnamon sugar.
• Filled churros: Use a smaller piping tip to pipe the churro dough into the air fryer basket. After air frying, use a piping bag to fill the churros with your favorite filling, such as chocolate, caramel, or jam.
• Skip the cinnamon sugar and instead sprinkle the churros with grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and herbs like oregano or thyme. Then dip them in ranch dressing or marinara sauce.
• Mini churros: Cut them into smaller strips for bite-size churros. 

How to Make Churros in an Air Fryer

Step 1: Preheat the air fryer to 400° F and coat the bottom of the basket with oil or non-stick cooking spray.

Step 2: Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut the thawed puff pastry dough in half lengthwise. Then cut into one-inch strips.

Step 3: Spray both sides of the dough with cooking spray or brush with oil to make them crispiest. 

Step 4: Place the strips in the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until it is golden brown.  

Step 5: In a gallon size plastic bag, add the sugar and cinnamon and shake to blend. 

Step 6: After removing the cooked churro from the air fryer, immediately brush each one with melted butter.

Place in the butter coated churro in the bag and lightly shake the bag to coat the churro.

Tips

Don’t overfill the air fryer basket. Leave enough space between each churro to allow for even cooking.

For the best crispiness, avoid placing them in an airtight container that can trap moisture.

As you are cooking smaller batches of churros, keep them crispy by placing them in the oven at 200° F on a baking sheet with a wire rack on top.

How to Store Churros?

Store in a paper bag or a container that is not airtight at room temperature for 2-3 days.

 How to Reheat Churros?

Reheat churros in the air fryer at 275° F or in the oven at 300° F on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack until warmed through.