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Bring your favorite theme park treat home with these homemade churros made into mini bites. This is the Disney churro recipe with step by step photos and tips to make them perfect every time.
If you’re missing your favorite Disney churros, I’ve got great news—these Homemade Mini Churros taste just like the ones from Walt Disney World and Disneyland! Crunchy little bites of fried dough coated in cinnamon sugar are too good to resist. Serve them warm with a side of chocolate dipping sauce for the best sweet treat.
This Disney churros recipe comes together with basic ingredients found in your pantry. The recipe requires frying the churro batter in oil, but it’s a relatively easy process. Just a pastry bag (or even a plastic bag in a pinch!) and you’re ready to recreate that Disney magic at home.
Why You’ll Love This Mini Churro Recipe
- Easy and Quick: Made in a medium saucepan using a wooden spoon, this churro dough comes together quickly with minimal fuss.
- Perfectly Crispy: Deep frying in hot oil at medium-high heat until golden brown guarantees crispy, delightful churro bites.
- Kid-Friendly: Small batches and bite-sized pieces are perfect for kids and adults alike, ideal for any occasion, from Cinco de Mayo to casual snack time.
- Customizable: Serve warm churros with homemade chocolate sauce, dulce de leche, ice cream, or other sweet dipping sauces, stored conveniently in an airtight container at room temperature.
What are Mini Churros?
Mini churros are bite-sized pieces of classic churro pastry made from a choux dough piped directly into hot oil and fried until golden and crispy. Each churro bite is coated generously in sweet cinnamon sugar, making them an addictive snack or dessert. Churros taste like a little fried dough ball coated in cinnamon sugar.
Churro Ingredients
Make homemade churros with a few basic ingredients. Gather the ingredients and prepare the dough.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works best for consistent churro dough.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for a rich, smooth dough.
- Eggs: Essential for binding and creating the fluffy interior.
- Salt: Enhances flavor and balances sweetness.
- Cinnamon: Adds warm, comforting flavor.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar for the classic cinnamon sugar coating.
- Canola or Vegetable Oil: Ideal for deep frying, providing the perfect crispness.
- Optional: You can add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to the dough for more sweet flavor, if desired.
A pastry bag with a large star tip gives the best texture—those crispy ridges and golden brown edges are worth it! It’s easier than it looks and worth having if you’ll make churros again. No pastry bag? A sturdy ziploc with a 1/2–3/4 inch cut in the corner works too. You can even pop a star tip into the bag for a quick DIY fix.
How to Make Mini Churros
- Make the Churro Dough: Combine water, butter, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until boiling, then remove from heat. Stir in flour vigorously with a wooden spoon until a dough ball forms. Set aside to rest for 7 minutes.
- Mix in Eggs: Add eggs one at a time, stirring until well combined.
- Heat the Oil: Pour 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil into a small saucepan. Heat oil to 350°F using a candy thermometer for accurate results. Be VERY CAREFUL as the oil temperature is very hot.
- Fry the Churros – Spoon dough into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2″ closed star tip. Pipe small 1–2 inch churro bites directly into the hot oil, cutting with a knife or kitchen shears as needed. Fry in small batches, about 8 churros at a time, until golden brown and crispy, stirring gently to prevent sticking.
- Coat with Cinnamon Sugar – Remove churros using a slotted spoon or wire skimmer, draining on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Toss warm churros in a mixture of sugar and remaining cinnamon until well-coated.
- Enjoy immediately with your favorite dipping sauces or ice cream!
Tips for Making Mini Churros
- Perfect Temperature: Keep a candy thermometer handy to ensure your oil stays at the ideal temperature for perfectly crisp churros.
- Right Dough Consistency: Your churro dough should be thick enough to easily pipe stable churro bites. Avoid thin, runny batter.
- Star Tip: Use a 1/2″ closed star tip (like Ateco 846, Ateco 845, or Wilton 1M) to get those beautifully crispy edges and authentic churro shape.
- Small Bites: Fry your churros in small, 1–2 inch pieces. These mini bites cook faster and more evenly, ensuring they’re golden and crispy all the way through.
- Golden & Crispy: Fry until your churros are fully golden brown to avoid any doughy centers. If you’re unsure, give them an extra minute for deliciously crispy results.
- Delicious Leftovers: Use any extra churros to make delightful Churro Cupcakes—a fun twist on the classic treat!
- Serving Suggestions: Enjoy warm mini churros with ice cream, homemade chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, or your favorite sweet dipping sauce for an irresistible treat.
Storing and Freezing:
Store mini churros in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For best results, reheat them briefly to bring back their golden brown crispiness.
To freeze, let churros cool completely and make sure they’re no longer sticky. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze in a single layer. Once frozen, move them to a freezer-safe airtight container or zip-top bag. You can keep frozen churros for up to 1 month. When ready to enjoy, reheat in a preheated oven until warmed through and crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I substitute the egg?
Eggs are essential for binding the dough and creating the light, fluffy interior of the churros. Unfortunately, there’s not a great substitute for this particular recipe—skipping the egg will change the texture and structure too much.
What if I don’t have a pipping back and tip?
It works, but it’s a little trickier to handle. The dough is thick, so piping without a tip can take more effort—but it’s totally doable and still delicious! Simply scoop your churro dough into a sturdy plastic ziploc bag and cut a small hole (1/2–3/4 inch) at the corner. You can still insert a star tip for crispier edges, but churro bites will taste delicious even without it. Pipe directly into hot oil and enjoy perfectly tasty homemade churros
Can I bake churros instead of frying?
You can! Just pop them in a preheated oven at 400°F for about 20–25 minutes. It’s a great option if you want to skip the deep frying—but keep in mind, baking won’t give you that same golden brown crispiness you get from hot oil. Still tasty, just a little different!
More Fun Disney Treats!
Can’t get enough Disney magic in the kitchen? Here are some other whimsical, park-inspired recipes you can make at home that are guaranteed to bring a smile:
- Jack Jack Num Num Cookies
- Princess and the Frog Beignets
- Mini Corn Dogs
- Cream Cheese Stuffed Pretzels
- Cheeseburger Egg Rolls
- Dole Whip
This recipe was originally inspired by the Disney Parks Blog‘s churro bites. After testing it several times at home, we made a few tweaks and added our own pro tips to help you get golden brown, crispy mini churros every single time—even without the theme park!
Did you try this Disney churro recipe? Leave a recipe rating and review below.
Homemade Churros (Disney Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Add water, butter, salt and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to a small or medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir and bring the mixture to a roiling boil.
- Turn off the heat, add flour and stir vigorously with a rubber spatula until mixture forms a ball. Set aside and let rest for 7 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and stir until combined. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a deep medium-sized skillet or 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat or until the temperature reaches 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
- Spoon the dough into pipping bag fitted with a large closed star tip. Carefully pipe 1 to 2 inch strips of dough over the saucepan, cut with a knife and drop into the hot oil. Repeat until churro bites fill saucepan with room to fry being careful not to overcrowd. I usually fit about 8 small churros in a small saucepan.
- Fry churros until golden brown, stirring occasionally at the beginning to prevent them from sticking to each other. Remove with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer and drain on a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Toss the churro bites until coated. Serve warm or with chocolate sauce, if desired.
Notes
- If you’re not using a piping bag with a star tip, a sturdy ziploc bag with a 1/2- to 3/4-inch opening works in a pinch. Just know the dough is thick and a star tip helps create those crispy edges and even cooking.
- Nutritional information will vary based on the size of the churros and how much oil is absorbed during frying. This recipe makes about 35–40 mini churros. Use an online calculator for the most accurate numbers.
- Store leftover churros in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven to restore that golden brown crispiness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Really easy steps and there so good ☺️
HEAVEN! That is the only way to describe these homemade churros. Pure joy when you can’t get to Disney.
It doesn’t get better than homemade churros! Since we won’t be going to Disney world any time soon, this recipe is a keeper!
You have turned my whole family into devotees of churros! So easy and delicious!
I’m obsessed with churros and these might possibly be one of the best churros I’ve ever had! And I can make them from home! I’m about to go make some more!
Oh, my gosh, I didn’t know churros were made with choux pastry until I tried your recipe!!! These were SO delicious—they disappeared in no time!!
I had no idea churros were this easy to make at home! Thanks for the tasty recipe!