Breads & Doughs

Air Fryer Churros Filled With Dulce de Leche

4.84 from 6 votes
Dusted with cinnamon sugar and filled with delicious Dulce de Leche, my Air Fryer Churros recipe is fast and perfect.
Dulce De Leche dripping out of air fried churros.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

Everyone loves a churro, and for good reason — my homemade baked churros recipe proved years ago that a baked churro can stand up to a classic fried churro any day. Now, there’s a new way to make this classic cinnamon sugar-dusted dessert. Say hello to my Air Fryer Churros with Dulce de Leche.

Using an air fryer, you can expect your churros to bake really well. While you’ll have to do them in smaller batches, the air fryer makes is much faster than a large conventional oven. A faster way to get churros into my mouth? Sign me up.

Air fryer churros stacked, filled with dulce de leche, in front of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Churros

A churro made in an air fryer is essentially the exact same churro you know and love, just baked in a different device. A faster device that doesn’t need the hot oil of a conventional fryer, or the massive footprint of a conventional oven.

What You Need To Make Air Fryer Churros

Well, first of all, you need an air fryer.

Other than that, you’ll need:

  • Measuring Cups & Spoons
  • Saucepan
  • Jug for mixing
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Parchment Paper

How to Make Air Fryer Churros with Dulce de Leche

Using an air fryer, this recipe is simpler than ever. Here’s how you make it (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):

To Make the Churro Dough:

  1. In a medium saucepan, add water, butter, brown sugar, and salt. Place over medium-high heat. Heat until butter is melted and the mixture starts to simmer. As soon as it is simmering, whisk in the flour. Whisk until there are no flour lumps and a dough ball has formed.
  2. Now, using a wooden spoon you want to stir the dough around your pot and cook it for about a minute over LOW heat. The mixture will clump and pull away from the sides of the pan. Just do it for a minute, then take it off the heat and set it aside.
  3. In a separate jug, combine eggs and vanilla and whisk together.
  4. Using your wooden spoon incorporate a little of your egg mixture into your dough. Stir, breaking up the dough until loosened. Stir well until eggs are incorporated and the mixture has the appearance of mashed potatoes.
  5. Transfer your dough to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Use straight away for refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Baking the Churros in an Airfryer:

  1. Pipe dough into 4 inch long churros onto a small square of parchment the size of the basket in your air fryer. Make sure to pipe them nice and thick. Do this by putting pressure on the bag and piping slowly. Leave about 2 inches of space between the churros.
  2. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for roughly 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Once baked, remove and continue baking off the rest of your churros. Note, it is normal for churros to collapse a bit once they come out of the fryer. Just plump them back up again with the filling!

Filling the Churros:

  1. Fit a piping bag with a small round nozzle. Fill the piping bag with my Dulce de Leche recipe!
  2. Insert the piping nozzle into each end of the churro and fill it with the caramel — don’t overfill, unless you’re into that sort of thing and want as much dulce de leche as possible and don’t mind eating these with a fork or spoon!

To Make the Cinnamon Sugar:

  1. Combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a ziplock baggie.
  2. Take the filled churros and toss them in the sugar until well covered. It is best to do this when the churros are warm and fresh from the oven — it helps the dusting stick.
  3. Enjoy the churros the same day they are baked!!

 

A close up of dulce de leche filled churros, baked in an air fryer.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Churros In An Airfryer

  • You can make the dough up to 2 days in advance and store it covered in the fridge until needed
  • Churros are best when they are baked and eaten the same day
  • If you don’t have brown sugar for the dough you can use regular white sugar
  • Add that little pinch of salt into your cinnamon sugar for more flavor in your churros
  • You can use homemade Dulce de Leche or you can use store-bought

Get More Baked, Not Fried, Recipes!

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Watch The Recipe Video!

Air Fryer Churros with Dulce de Leche Recipe

4.84 from 6 votes
Dusted with cinnamon sugar and FILLED with Dulce de Leche, my Air Fryer Churros recipe is fast and perfect.
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 4 people
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Dusted with cinnamon sugar and FILLED with Dulce de Leche, my Air Fryer Churros recipe is fast and perfect.
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

Churro Dough

  • 1 cup (8floz/240ml) water
  • ½ cup (4oz/115g) butter
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (5oz/142g) all purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • ½ cups (4oz/113g) granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

To Make the Churro Dough:

  • In a medium saucepan, add water, butter, brown sugar, and salt. Place over medium-high heat. Heat until butter is melted and the mixture starts to simmer. As soon as it is simmering, whisk in the flour. Whisk until there are no flour lumps and a dough ball has formed.
  • Now, using a wooden spoon you want to stir the dough around your pot and cook it for about a minute over LOW heat. The mixture will clump and pull away from the sides of the pan. Just do it for a minute, then take it off the heat and set it aside.
  • In a separate jug, combine eggs and vanilla and whisk together.
  • Using your wooden spoon incorporate a little of your egg mixture into your dough. Stir, breaking up the dough until loosened. Stir well until eggs are incorporated and the mixture has the appearance of mashed potatoes.
  • Transfer your dough to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Use straight away for refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Baking the Churros in an Airfryer:

  • Pipe dough into 4 inch long churros onto a small square of parchment the size of the basket in your air fryer. Make sure to pipe them nice and thick. Do this by putting pressure on the bag and piping slowly. Leave about 2 inches of space between the churros.
  • Bake at 325°F (160°C) for roughly 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Once baked, remove and continue baking off the rest of your churros. Note, it is normal for churros to collapse once they come out of the fryer. We can plump them back up again with the filling.

Filling the Churros:

  • Fit a piping bag with a small round nozzle. Fill the piping bag with Dulce de Leche 
  • Insert the piping nozzle into each end of the churro and fill it with the caramel.

To Make the Cinnamon Sugar:

  • Combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a ziplock baggie.
  • Take the filled churros and toss them in the sugar until well covered. It is best to do this when the churros are warm and fresh from the oven.
  • Enjoy the churros the same day they are baked!!
4.84 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)
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Pappitha
Pappitha
7 months ago

Can we make this without egg.

Diane Shelton
Diane Shelton
1 year ago

My air fryer is different it bakes and air fryer it doesn’t have a basket and there is no way to set a temperature how would I be able to air fry the churos

Vikram
Vikram
2 years ago

Hi Gemma, I wanted to know if we can sub eggs in this recipe

Gabrielle
Gabrielle
3 years ago

This looks so yum Gemma! I’d love to try it soon once I get an air fryer. But one thing, can we make these egless? Thanks Gabrielle.

Lillian Lee
Lillian Lee
3 years ago

Hi Gemma, I realise the air fryer churros is more deflated than your oven baked version. Does leaving the churros in the air fryer for additional 10 minutes help to reduce it from deflating? And do I need to sprinkle the churros with some water before air frying it like the one you did using an oven? Thank you

Kirsten Ball
3 years ago

Hi Gemma I don’t have a air fryer can bake them in the oven or the stovetop Thank you Gemma

Charmaine Shangase
Charmaine Shangase
3 years ago

Hi Gemma

Love your recipes always refer friends and your website is my go to website for baked goods. Can I pipe the baked Churros as I don’t have an air fryer and I saw your baked recipe?

Kirsten Ball
Kirsten Ball
3 years ago

Hi Gemma I don’t have a air fryer could I bake these in the oven or on the stove if so what temperature and time do I bake these for Thanks Kirsten

Last edited 3 years ago by Kirsten Ball
Marianne
Marianne
3 years ago

I don’t have an air fryer (I’d need to put an addition on my kitchen if I purchase anymore gadgets!) Could I bake these in my oven?

Mehar Saxena
Mehar Saxena
3 years ago

Hi Gemma!
Can these be made using any egg substitute? Like Greek Yoghurt or Flax egg?

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About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

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