Pumpkin Churros
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Oct. 14, 2024
This Pumpkin Churros recipe is inspired by an interview I had with Bobby Flay. Just in time for fall, these mini churros pack a punch of fresh pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice the entire family will devour.
In This Article
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
After a phone conference with a small circle of food bloggers and Bobby Flay years ago, I instantly ran off to make his recipe for Pumpkin Churros. Needless to say, these pumpkin churros were an instant hit:
- Perfect Autumn Treat: This is so delicious, this recipe made it into favorite Fall Pumpkin Recipes.
- Great for Parties: This recipe makes 32 mini churros – perfect for any fall party or Halloween party!
- Crispy and Tender: Pumpkin Churros are crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. The cinnamon/sugar coating makes this the dessert-version of a hot bowl of soup on crisp fall days.
- Fun to Make and Serve: Just like these Pumpkin Pasties, Pumpkin Churros are super fun to make. They’re great for getting the kids in the kitchen!
What Are Churros?
Churros are doughnut sticks piped from a bag with a star-shaped tip and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Yum! These festive treats were adopted from Central and South American countries, most likely originating in Spain.
Traditional churros are usually made with an ooey-gooey chocolate or Dulce de Leche filling, but we like to simplify things by keeping the churros filling-free and using a variety of dips instead.
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Churro Coating – The tried-and-true mixture of cinnamon and sugar is all it takes.
- Pumpkin Spice – Ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg are mixed together and added to the churro batter.
- Pumpkin Puree – Make sure to grab 100% pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, as the pie filling has extra sugar and spices added that we don’t need.
- Butter – Unsalted butter plays a huge role in making pumpkin churros melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
- Frying Oil – Reach for a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point like canola or vegetable oil to fry these mini churros.
Substitutions And Variations
Our favorite way to tweak the flavors of Pumpkin Churros is whipping up tons of dipping sauces:
- Coffee Dipping Sauce: Here’s an indulgent Chocolate-Coffee Dipping Sauce recipe that elevates these Pumpkin Churros to the next level.
- Salted Caramel Sauce: Try serving this 4-Ingredient Salted Caramel Sauce with Pumpkin Churros. It’s the perfect texture for dipping!
- Hot Fudge Sauce: Another rich, chocolatey sauce we love dipping these goodies in, is this Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce.
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip: Want even more pumpkin? Try whipping together this sweet and tangy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip.
- Churro Shapes: This one’s for the experienced churro makers out there. Try piping churros into fun shapes like ghosts, pumpkins, or bats.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Mix cinnamon and sugar together for the churro coating; sprinkle onto a large baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients for the churros.
- Bring 1 1/2 cups water, pumpkin puree, butter and vanilla to a boil in a saucepan. Whisk continuously.
- Pour pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Add in eggs – one at a time – and continue mixing until well-combined.
- Place dough into pastry bag with a large star tip.
- Pipe dough in 3-inch sections into a high-sided pan with 2 inches of oil at 350F.
- Cook churros for 3-4 minutes, and transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet before rolling warm churros in coating. Serve warm and enjoy!
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
While Pumpkin Churros are best enjoyed warm, there are a few key tips for preparing ingredients ahead of time:
- Combine Coating Ingredients: The cinnamon-sugar coating can be mixed several days in advance and stored in an airtight container. You can even make extra to sprinkle on anything!
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Feel free to measure and mix all dry ingredients ahead of time.
- Pipe Ahead of Time: If you’re piping shapes, we recommend piping each batch ahead of time onto a little square of wax paper, so you can plop them all in at once.
Commonly Asked Questions
We generally recommend enjoying churros fresh, as they can get soft the longer they sit. But you can chill churros in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months. One trick to get the crisp back when reheating churros is to use an air fryer or a toaster oven. Just set the toaster oven to 350F and heat churros for 5+ minutes until heated through, or set the air fryer to 350F and heat churros for up to 5 minutes.
The secret to perfectly cooked churros lies in the temperature of your frying oil. It’s always a good idea to use a food thermometer with the oil. You’ll want it to stay right around 350F. Too cold, and your churros will end up soggy and oily. Too hot, and they’ll end up crisp on the outside, but raw on the inside.
With the right oil temperature, you’ll know your churros are done when they turn completely golden and crisp on the outside. This usually takes 3-4 minutes.
If your oil’s the right temp and your churros are still not turning out crispy, it may be caused by overcrowding. You want to make sure that the churros have enough space to really crisp up. Try making smaller batches, and see if this helps!
We’ve learned that coating won’t stick to churros (or any doughnut) unless you roll them when they’re still warm. Try rolling them as soon as possible after letting them drain in paper towels. A nice set of tongs helps with this.
Did you make this?
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Pumpkin Churros
Ingredients
For the Churros:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
- ¾ cup pure pumpkin puree
- 10 tblsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- Special equipment: Pastry bag with large star tip
Instructions
Make the Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- In a bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon until well combined.
- Transfer mixture to a large baking sheet. Set aside.
Make the Churros
- Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Bring 1 1/2 cups water, the pumpkin puree, butter and vanilla to a boil in a medium saucepan, whisking constantly.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined; it will be thick.
- Continue mixing and add in your eggs, one at a time, until well combined. The dough should be thick and smooth, able to cling to spoon. If your dough is too runny, add more flour until it reaches a thick pudding consistency. Place the dough into a pastry bag with a large star tip.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a high-sided large pan until it reaches 350F on a thermometer.
- Pipe the dough directly into the pan in 3-inch pieces, cutting off the pieces with a scissor. Fry until golden and crispy, turning as needed, about 3-4 min. (This part takes a bit of practice, but if you don’t mind a few curvy-looking churros, you’re all set!)
- Transfer the churros to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain the oil. Transfer drained churros to baking sheet with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, tossing to coat well.
- Serve immediately, while still crispy and warm.
Notes
- Pro Tip: The oil will cool slightly after every batch of churros. After removing all the churros, give the oil a minute to heat back up to temp before piping in your next batch.
- Make sure to have a food thermometer handy for the oil. It’s crucial that it stays close to 350F for the churros to cook right.
- Serve Mini Pumpkin Churros with 4-Ingredient Salted Caramel Sauce or Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip.
- Have fun with it! It took us a little time and a few wonky churros to get the hang of it, but we just roll with it and enjoy the process.
Nutrition (per serving)
More To Bake And Eat
- Pumpkin Spice Cookies – Around here, we don’t save cookies for just Christmas time. These chewy pumpkin cookies with white chocolate and cinnamon chips are one of our go-to fall cookies.
- Pumpkin Cupcakes – Your family will come running for these tender, spiced pumpkin cupcakes with whipped cream frosting.
- Pumpkin Pie Bars – These pumpkin bars are easier than a pumpkin pie, but no less delicious. We can’t believe how good the crumble topping is!
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread – Finally, a pumpkin recipe that uses up the whole can of pumpkin! We love this pumpkin bread for breakfast, dessert, or snack.