Easy Baked Churro Donuts

Enjoy the cinnamon sugar flavor of churros in Churro Donuts! These easy, oven-baked doughnuts are served with a tasty chocolate dipping sauce. Perfect to enjoy with a fresh cup of hot coffee.

We all love Churros, right? I thought so. How about instead of fried churros, we get all that lovely flavor and make them into Churros Donuts!

Cinnamon-spiced baked donuts are quickly whipped up and cooked in the oven. Then they’re covered in a tasty cinnamon sugar. Perfect served alongside a chocolate dipping sauce.

Typically, donuts have always been a treat that you buy from the store or a restaurant but they don’t have to be!

You can make fresh donuts at home right in your oven by baking them in a donut pan.

This not only makes them healthier, but you won’t be dealing with the mess of oil and grease when frying. Still, there's always a place in my heart for fried churros!

Baking donuts makes it easy for the simple topping of cinnamon and sugar to stick making them taste just like a churro!

Pair it with a simple chocolate sauce for dipping and you’ve got a decadent breakfast, tasty snack or fun dessert that everyone will enjoy.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

The base donut recipe is super versatile and can be flavored and topped many different ways and dipped in many different sauces. This one is full of warming cinnamon.

Churro Donuts use simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand in your baking pantry.

Cinnamon and sugar is such a great flavorful topping because it combines sugar and spice and is even better when dipped in chocolate.

An American take on Spanish or Mexican churros by putting the flavors into round ring donuts.

They are a much healthier donut because they are baked in a donut pan and not fried in oil.

You can make these much faster than traditional donuts because the recipe doesn’t require many dishes.

They make a wonderful presentation to bring to a brunch or for breakfast on a slower morning.

Ingredients 

• All Purpose Flour - (aka plain flour) The dry ingredient base for the donut recipe.
• Granulated Sugar - Sweetens the donuts.
• Baking Powder - Helps the donuts rise and become fluffy.
• Ground Cinnamon - Gives a nice cinnamon flavor on the inside.
• Milk - Needed to thin out the batter so it bakes perfectly.
• Egg - Binds the donut batter together and helps it form a crust on the outside.
• Melted Butter - Gives the donuts a rich texture and buttery taste.
• Vanilla Extract - Adds a light vanilla flavor throughout.

For the churros topping:

• Sugar - Granulated sugar sweetens the topping and has a great crunchy texture.
• Ground Cinnamon - A classic flavor and spice in churros.
• Melted Butter - This is brushed on to the donuts to make the churro topping stick well. 

For the chocolate dipping sauce: 

• Chocolate Chips - The chocolate base of the sauce that gets melted.
• Heavy Cream - (aka double cream) Needed to thin out the chocolate and help it form into a sauce.

You’ll also need a donut pan.

Step By Step Tutorial

Wondering how to make this recipe? Follow this step by step photo tutorial, then scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and method.

For the donuts:

Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Spray or brush a donut pan with oil.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk the milk, melted butter, egg and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until combined, but don’t overbeat.

Spoon the mixture into the donut pan, then bake for 10 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Leave the donuts in the pan for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

1. Stir the sugar and cinnamon together and place into a shallow bowl.
2. Melt the butter for the topping.
3. When the donuts are cold, brush them with melted butter on one side, then dip in the cinnamon sugar.

Chocolate Dipping Sauce:

1. Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave until melted.
2. Whisk in the heavy cream until a smooth sauce is formed.
3. Add to a bowl for dipping your churro donuts into!

Tips 

• Let the donuts cool before removing them from the pan, this will help keep them from crumbling while they are still hot.
• If melting chocolate chips in the microwave, make sure you are melting in 30 second intervals to prevent the chocolate from burning.
• It’s important that the donut pan is greased fully to prevent the donuts from sticking.
• Doughnuts should be topped with churro topping AFTER they are baked and fully cooled or the sugar will melt into them.
• If you don’t have a doughnut pan, you can cook them in a muffin pan, just check and adjust the cooking time as needed.

Serving Suggestions

Bring to brunch along with these beautiful Cinnamon Scones.

Chop up any leftovers and use them in a yogurt parfait and top with Blackberry Compote.

Bake them up along with an easy one-bowl Banana Bread.

Serve them with a warm cup of Sweet Potato Latte.

Enjoy with a Cardamom Cold Brew Coffee.

Serve as a dessert to a Spanish meal of Spanish Beans and Spanish Omelet.

Enjoy with a Mexican meal of Air Fryer Vegetarian Tacos, Mexican Bean Soup and Mini Elote (mini Mexican street corn).

Variations

Instead of chocolate sauce, use ready made Nutella for a chocolatey hazelnut dip. Stir it well and warm it slightly. 

Dust the cooled and topped donuts with some powdered sugar for a beautiful presentation and sweetness.

Replace any cinnamon in the recipe with a Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend for a fall flavor. 

Use almond extract instead of vanilla for a unique almond flavored churro donut.

Make a rich Fruit Compote and blend until it’s a sauce consistency for dipping.

Special diets

To Make Gluten Free: To make this recipe gluten free, use a gluten free flour blend in place of the all purpose flour. The gluten free flour should already contain Xanthan gum or be a 1:1 gluten free baking swap. 

To Make It Vegan: To make this recipe vegan, you’ll need to use an egg replacer and replace the milk with a plant based milk. Also be sure to use vegan chocolate chips when making the chocolate sauce.

NOTE: I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. If you have a food allergy or intolerance you should determine whether the ingredients in each recipe are suitable for you.

Storage 

Storing: These churro donuts can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. If they start to become a bit dry as the days go on, warm them in the microwave for 15 second intervals.

Freezing: You can freeze cooked and cooled churros donuts in a sealed freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let them thaw on the countertop when they are ready to use.

FAQs 

Are churros and donuts the same? While they have similar ingredients, churros are more like donut sticks whereas these donuts are round in shape.

What are traditional churros? They are a fried stick of dough that is topped with some combination of cinnamon, sugar and/or powdered sugar and originated in Spain and Portugal and are also popular in Mexico - as well as festivals and food trucks around the western world.

Can I fry these donuts? You can! But I have not tested them out this way as they taste delicious baked in a simple donut pan.

More Baked Donut Recipes

Lemon Spinach Donuts
Irish Cream Baked Donuts
Earl Grey Chocolate Donuts
Pumpkin Donuts with Chocolate Glaze
Grapefruit Watercress Donuts

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Baked Churro Donuts

Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts

Enjoy the cinnamon sugar flavor of churros in Churro Donuts! Easy oven baked doughnuts served with a chocolate dipping sauce.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Mexican, Spanish

Servings 6

Calories 206 kcal

Equipment

• Donut pan

Ingredients

 

• 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour / plain flour
• ⅓ cup (70 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅓ cup (80ml) milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter melted and cooled slightly
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the churros coating

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter melted

For the chocolate dipping sauce

• ½ cup (80g) chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoons heavy cream double cream

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Spray or brush a donut pan with oil.
• Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl.
• In a small bow, whisk the milk, melted butter, egg and vanilla, then pour into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until combined, but don’t overbeat.
• Spoon the mixture into the donut pan, then bake for 10 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
• Leave the donuts in the pan for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the churro coating

• Meanwhile, stir the sugar and cinnamon together and place into a shallow bowl.
• Melt the butter for the topping.
• When the donuts are cold, brush them with melted butter on one side, then dip in the cinnamon sugar.

For the chocolate dipping sauce

• Melt the chocolate chips, then beat into the cream. Or serve with Nutella.

Notes

**You will need a donut pan

• Let the donuts cool before removing them from the pan, this will help keep them from crumbling while they are still hot.
• If melting chocolate chips in the microwave, make sure you are melting in 30 second intervals to prevent the chocolate from burning.
• It’s important that the donut pan is greased fully to prevent the donuts from sticking.
• Donuts should be topped with churro topping AFTER they are baked and fully cooled or the sugar will melt into them.
• If you don’t have a donut pan, you can cook them in a muffin pan, just check and adjust the cooking time as needed.

Storing: These churro donuts can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. If they start to become a bit dry as the days go on, warm them in the microwave for 15 second intervals.

Freezing: You can freeze cooked and cooled churros donuts in a sealed freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let them thaw on the countertop when they are ready to use.

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 4gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 68mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 279IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 1mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.