Easy Air Fryer Churros with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Crispy Cinnamon-Sugar Air Fryer Churros (Disney-Style at Home)

You don’t have to deep fry (or go to Disneyland) to enjoy warm, cinnamon-sugar churros at home. These air fryer churros are crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and made with simple pantry ingredients. They cook quickly, require minimal cleanup, and pair perfectly with a rich chocolate dipping sauce.

This recipe makes mini churros that are easy to eat and perfect for parties, Cinco de Mayo, dessert boards, or anytime you want a fun sweet treat without hot oil.

Air Fryer Churros Recipe Guide

Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Churros

• No deep frying: Skip the hot oil mess.
• Fast batches: Most batches cook in about 8 minutes.
• Great texture: Crisp ridges + soft center.
• Perfect for dipping: Chocolate sauce, caramel, dulce de leche, and more.

Ingredients & What Each One Does

This recipe uses classic churro dough ingredients. Here’s what they bring to the party:

• Water + butter: Creates the base and gives the dough richness.
• Sugar + salt: Balances flavor so churros aren’t bland.
• Flour: Builds structure so churros hold their shape.
• Eggs: Helps the dough puff slightly and sets the interior.
• Vanilla: Adds that bakery-style warmth (optional but delicious).

Tools You’ll Need (Piping Tips Included)

You can absolutely make churros without fancy tools, but a star tip makes a big difference for texture. The ridges create more surface area, which helps churros crisp up in the air fryer.

• Piping bag or zip-top bag (corner snipped)
• Star tip (for ridges)
• Air fryer basket or rack

If you want easy cleanup, I like using disposable piping bags.
The Wilton 1M tip works well for mini churros.

How to Make Air Fryer Churros

The dough comes together quickly using water, butter, sugar, salt, flour, eggs, and vanilla. It’s similar to classic churro dough and uses ingredients you likely already have.

Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. If needed, a zip-top bag with the corner cut off works too. Star-shaped ridges help churros crisp properly in the air fryer.

Tip: Chill the piped churros for 30–60 minutes before cooking. This helps them hold their shape, prevents spreading, and makes the dough easier to work with.

If you want a quick, trustworthy explainer on the dough method churros are based on (very similar to choux-style techniques), King Arthur Baking is a great resource:
King Arthur Baking.

Air Fryer vs Oven Churros

Both methods work, but the air fryer has a few clear advantages when it comes to texture and speed:

• Air Fryer: Faster cook time, crispier exterior, less moisture buildup, and no need to heat up the kitchen.
• Oven: Better for very large batches, but churros often bake more evenly than they crisp.

If you want churros that feel closest to fair-style or theme-park churros, the air fryer is usually the better choice.

How Long to Cook Churros in the Air Fryer

Depending on your air fryer, churros cook in about 8 minutes. Lightly spray the churros once they’re in the basket to help them brown evenly. (I use avocado oil spray.)

Cook in batches so churros don’t touch. If you have an air fryer rack, you can cook two layers—just keep airflow in mind and check doneness closely.

Watch the last 2 minutes: Churros can go from golden to too-dark quickly depending on model.

How to Get Cinnamon Sugar to Stick

Roll churros in cinnamon sugar immediately after cooking while they’re still warm. If you have trouble with the coating sticking, brush lightly with melted butter first, then roll in cinnamon sugar.

Shortcut Options (5-Ingredient + Frozen)

Easy 5-Ingredient Version

Short on time? You can simplify the dough and still get a tasty result. This shortcut version isn’t identical to traditional churros, but it’s fast and kid-friendly.

• Water
• Butter
• All-purpose flour
• Eggs
• Cinnamon sugar (for coating)

Skip vanilla and extra sugar in the dough, then coat generously after cooking.

Frozen Churros in the Air Fryer

Frozen or ready-made churros cook beautifully in the air fryer. Air fry at 375°F for 6–8 minutes, checking frequently near the end so they don’t over-brown.

How to Serve Air Fryer Churros

Serve churros warm for best results. To keep multiple batches warm, place finished churros on a wire rack in a 200°F oven until ready to serve (this helps them stay crisp instead of steaming on a plate).

Fun dipping ideas:

• Chocolate dipping sauce (below)
• Caramel sauce
• Nutella
• Cream cheese caramel apple dip
• Cream cheese fruit dip
• Dulce de leche fondue

Easy Chocolate Dipping Sauce

• 6 tablespoons chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Add chocolate chips and heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until smooth.

Storage & Reheating

• Best fresh: Churros are crispiest right after cooking.
• Store: Keep cooled churros in an airtight container up to 2 days.
• Reheat: Air fry at 350°F for 2–3 minutes to restore crispness. Avoid microwaving (it softens them).

Troubleshooting (Common Churro Problems)

• Churros spread/flatten: Dough was too warm. Chill piped churros 30–60 minutes before cooking.
• Not crispy: Add 1–2 minutes cook time and use a light oil spray for better browning.
• Too dark: Your air fryer runs hot. Reduce time slightly and check early.
• Cinnamon sugar won’t stick: Roll while hot, or brush lightly with melted butter first.

Air Fryer Churros FAQ

Do I need to spray the churros with oil?

A light spray helps browning and crisping. It’s still far less oil than deep frying.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes. Store it airtight in the refrigerator overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for a bit so it pipes smoothly.

Can I reheat churros in the air fryer?

Yes! Reheat at 350°F for 2–3 minutes to bring back the crisp exterior.

More Easy Recipes You’ll Love

• More Air Fryer Recipes
• Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls

Easy Air Fryer Churros with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

No need to deep fry churros if you have an air fryer and this air fryer churros recipe! So delicious and easy!

5 / 5 ( 2 Reviews )

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes minutes

Serves: 8

Adjust Servings: 8

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• Air Fryer
• Disposable piping bag

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• ⅓ cup unsalted butter cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• oil spray

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating

• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

• Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, spray with oil spray.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, add flour and stir constantly until the the dough comes together and is smooth. Transfer dough to a mixing bowl. Let cool for 4 minutes.
• Add eggs and vanilla and mix with an electric mixer until dough comes together. It will look kind of like thick, sticky mashed potatoes. Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (like Wilton 1M).
• Pipe dough onto the prepared baking sheet in 4-inch lengths, cutting the end with scissors. Then refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to an hour.
• Carefully transfer churros with a cookie spatula to the air fryer basket, leaving about 1/2 inch between churros. If you have a rack for your air fryer basket, you can cook two layers at the same time. Spray churros with oil spray.
• Air fry at 375˚F/191˚C for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. (Cooking time may vary depending on the air fryer.)
• In a shallow bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Immediately after air frying, dump the churros into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll or toss to coat. Serve fresh and warm.

Recipe Notes

Chocolate Dipping Sauce: Add 6 tablespoons chocolate chips and 1/4 cup heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until smooth.

Nutrition

Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Sodium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g