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Air Fryer Churro Bites

"Enjoy quick and easy Air Fryer Churro Bites—made with pantry staples and no oil. Crispy outside, tender inside, coated in delightful cinnamon-sugar!"
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Course: Appetizer, Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Air fryer, Churros
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 35

Equipment

Air Fryer
Bowl
Whisk
Saucepan
Piping Bag
Kitchen Scissors

Ingredients

  • 1 & 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour spooned and leveled
  • 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter melted
  • 8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar + 2 tablespoons divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon divided
  • 2 large Cold Eggs
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • Chocolate Sauce for serving, optional

Instructions

Prepare Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

  • In a medium shallow bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.

Prepare Dough:

  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine water, milk, vanilla, butter, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
  • Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring frequently.
  • Reduce heat to low.
  • Add flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a thick, smooth ball and appears to dry out (a thin film will form on the bottom of the pan), about 2-3 minutes.

Beat the Dough:

  • Immediately transfer the dough to a large bowl.
  • Beat on medium speed with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) for 2 minutes to cool the mixture slightly.

Add Eggs:

  • Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until fully combined. The mixture should appear smooth and creamy.

Chill Dough:

  • Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (e.g., Ateco 829).
  • Place in the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat Air Fryer:

  • Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. Spray the basket with nonstick spray.

Pipe Churro Bites:

  • Working in batches, hold the piping tip close to the basket and pipe strips of dough (2 & 1/2 inches long) in a single layer. Cut the end with kitchen scissors.
  • Repeat until the churro bites fill the basket without over-crowding.

Air Fry:

  • Air fry until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Coat with Cinnamon Sugar:
  • Immediately out of the air fryer, brush the churro bites with melted butter.
  • Roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Repeat:

  • Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Serve:

  • Enjoy the churro bites immediately as is or with some chocolate dipping sauce!

Notes

Don't brown the butter mixture: Bring the mixture to a boil but do not let it brown before you reduce the heat.
Cool the batter before adding eggs: Mix the batter to cool it down before adding the eggs. If you add the eggs immediately, they may scramble instead of incorporating into the dough.
Don't crowd the air fryer: Only add as many churro bites as will fit in the air fryer in a single layer. Overcrowding the basket can lead to uneven cooking and a lack of golden brown color.
Add sugar immediately: As soon as the churros come out of the air fryer, coat them with melted butter and toss in the cinnamon-sugar. If you wait until they cool, the sugar won't stick.