Deep-fried desserts are the best and this one is no exception. The batter for these churros is mixed with freshly chopped hazelnuts and after frying, the pastries are rolled in pumpkin spice sugar.
RECIPE NOTE: For detailed step-by-step photos of how to make the choux batter for these churros, check out these Coffee Liqueur Cream Puffs.
I love making choux pastry, it’s such a fun and unusual process. I usually bake the batter into cream puffs but another delicious thing to do with choux is making churros.
Churros are balls or strands of deep-fried choux pastry and they taste awesome. You can make either shape with this recipe, or you can divide the batter in half and make both.
To make balls, use a 2-teaspoon scoop and to make strands use a piping bag with a French tip. The strands are a bit of a trick to make, you have to pipe them into the hot oil, holding the piping bag with both hands, then quickly grab a small kitchen knife with one hand and cut the batter off at the tip. It sounds complicated but it’s one of those things that you get the hang of quickly after doing it once or twice.
I suggest you eat these guys as an afternoon snack with fresh coffee or a shot or two of espresso.
How to make hazelnut churros:
Heat up the oil:
Start this recipe by heating up the oil because that tends to take a while: add vegetable oil to your Dutch oven until it’s about 5 inches deep and turn on the heat.
Make the batter:
While the oil is heating, make the batter. In a saucepan, combine:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Bring the mix to a boil, then add 1 cup bread flour and stir with a wooden spoon. After a little while the batter will come together into a ball that will start to peel away from the sides of the saucepan. That’s your cue to transfer the batter to a mixing bowl and start whipping it with an electric mixer until it has cooled down to almost room temperature. Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, then 1 egg white and ¼ cup very finely chopped hazelnuts.
Deep-fry the churros:
If you want to make strands, fill the batter into a piping bag with a French tip and pipe the strands into the oil. For the balls, use a 2-teaspoon scoop and drop the batter into the oil.
Roll the churros in pumpkin spice sugar:
Once the churros are nicely browned, take them out, drop them on a paper towel and then roll them in a mix of ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice.
More delicious fall dessert recipes:
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Pumpkin Spice Hazelnut Churros
Ingredients
For the coating:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
For the batter:
- vegetable oil for deep-frying
- 1 cup whole milk
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup bread flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg white
- ¼ cup very finely chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
For the coating:
- Mix sugar and pumpkin spice together in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
For the batter:
- Fill oil into a Dutch oven until it’s about 5 inches deep. Start to heat it.
- While the oil is heating up, add milk, butter, sugar and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat down to medium, then add the sifted flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon.
- Cook, continuing to stir, until the batter starts to peel away from the sides of the saucepan.
- Transfer the batter to a bowl, then beat on medium speed until it's cooled down to lukewarm.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the egg white.
- Beat in the hazelnuts.
- Fill half of the batter into a piping bag with a French tip.
- Wait until the oil has reached 300 degrees F. on a candy thermometer.
- Working in batches, carefully pipe short strands of the batter into the oil. (Cut them off with a knife at the tip).
- Once they are browned take the churros out with a slotted spoon, briefly set them down on a plate lined with a paper towel, then roll them in or sprinkle them with the sugar/spice mix.
- Working in batches, use a 2-teaspoon scoop to drop the remaining batter into the oil in little balls and proceed in the same way as before.
Christy @ Feasting Not Fasting
My husband is obsessed with churros! I’m gonna have to surprise him with these tasty little numbers soon. :)
Nicole B.
That sounds like a fun surprise to receive! :)
Louise | Cygnet Kitchen
My husband adores churros and can eat a whole plateful without pausing for breath! Your pumpkin spiced churros sound and look heavenly. I think I could even bribe him to do some DIY with these! <3 x
Nicole B.
Thank you, Louise. Churros are really addictive, I can eat them non-stop too! :)
Angela - Patisserie Makes Perfect
I love churros, but then you raised it to another level by adding the pumpkin spice!
Such a beautiful shot Nicole!
Nicole B.
Thank you, Angela! :)
Pang
This is beautiful & so delicious-looking, Nicole. I would have loved to eat 10+ of these.
Your photo is BEAUTIFUL :)
Nicole B.
Thank you so much, Pang!! I did eat 10+++ of these…. :P
Stacey @ The Sugar Coated Cottage
These are delicious! I agree with the coffee or espresso as well :-) . Nice touch adding the hazelnuts and pumpkin spice! If I had these I don’t think I would share, lol. Take care.
Hannah Hossack-Lodge (Domestic Gothess)
Everything about this is fantastic! I love the addition of the hazelnuts to the churros and the photo and styling are gorgeous :)
Nicole B.
Thank you, Hannah! You put a big smile on my face. :)
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
Congratulations on mastering choux pastry. The last time I made it was when I was first married many years ago. You have inspired me!! I love how you put the shot together. Looks delicious.
Nicole B.
Thank you, Marisa! I’m so glad I started making choux pastry, it’s delicious and so fun to make, I love how it all comes out of the pot so clean in one big ball, it’s so satisfying somehow. :)