Yes, you can cook churros in an air fryer; they crisp up well if you use a light oil mist and avoid crowding the basket.
If you love churros but dread deep-frying, an air fryer offers a cleaner, lower-mess way to get cinnamon-sugar sticks on the table. Many home cooks wonder whether churros work in an air fryer because they want bakery-style crunch without a pot of bubbling oil, and the answer here is yes when you handle dough, oil, spacing, and time with care.
Can I Cook Churros In An Air Fryer? Basics And Benefits
The short answer is yes, you can cook churros in an air fryer using either frozen churros or homemade dough. Instead of submerging the sticks in oil, you pipe or place them in a single layer in the basket, spray them with a fine coat of oil, then let the hot air create that crisp shell. You still roll the churros in cinnamon sugar at the end, so the flavor stays familiar.
Air Fryer Churros Vs Deep-Fried Churros At A Glance
| Aspect | Air Fryer Churros | Deep-Fried Churros |
|---|---|---|
| Texture | Crisp outside, slightly lighter inside | Crisp outside with richer, slightly denser crumb |
| Oil Use | Light spray on dough and basket | Full pot of oil for frying |
| Flavor | Clean wheat and cinnamon flavor, mild fried taste | More pronounced fried flavor from oil |
| Mess | Minimal splatter, basket and tray cleanup only | Oil splatter, pot cleaning, and disposal |
| Batch Size | Smaller batches, depends on basket size | Larger batches possible in wide pot or fryer |
| Timing | 8–12 minutes per batch on average | 2–4 minutes per batch on average |
| Learning Curve | Dialing in time, spacing, and oil spray | Managing oil temperature and safety |
When you cook churros in an air fryer, the main goal is to mimic the contrast between crisp edges and a soft, tender center. Hot air needs room to circulate around each stick, so you cannot pile churros on top of each other. If the basket is crowded, steam gets trapped, and the surface stays pale and soft.
Classic churros use a choux-style dough cooked on the stove, then piped through a star tip. That same dough works well in an air fryer because it has enough moisture to puff and set without drying out too quickly. If you start with frozen churros, most brands already account for oven or air fryer cooking in their instructions, so you only need to watch the color and adjust time slightly for your model.
Heat level shapes the final bite. Too low and the churros dry out before they brown; too high and the ridges turn dark while the center stays underdone. Many home cooks aim for the 350–375°F range, which matches general air fryer guidance in manuals from brands such as Philips and similar makers of countertop fryers.[1]
Types Of Churros You Can Cook In An Air Fryer
Almost any churro style that fits in the basket can work in an air fryer. Long carnival-style sticks, shorter snack sticks, filled churros, and mini bite-size pieces all adapt with only small changes in time and spacing. Treat thickness as the main variable because thicker pieces need more time to cook through.
Frozen Ready-Made Churros
Frozen churros are the easiest place to start. Many grocery brands sell par-baked or pre-fried churros that finish in an oven, toaster oven, or air fryer. In that case, the dough is already set; you are reheating and crisping instead of cooking from raw batter. Follow the package instructions as a baseline, then shorten or extend the suggested time by a minute or two based on the first batch.
Lay frozen churros in a single layer in the basket, leaving at least a finger-width of space between pieces. A quick mist of neutral oil helps them color and keeps the exterior from drying out. Shake the basket halfway through if the pieces are short, or turn them with tongs for longer sticks so the air hits every side.
Homemade Piped Churro Dough
If you enjoy cooking from scratch, homemade churro dough lets you control sweetness, salt, and flavorings like vanilla or citrus zest. You cook water, butter, and flour together, beat in eggs, then pipe the thick dough through a star tip onto a parchment-lined tray. From there, you can pipe straight into the air fryer basket or chill the piped strips so they hold shape.
Homemade churros respond well to a brief blast of higher heat, then a slightly cooler finish. Some cooks use a two-stage air fry: start at 380°F for a few minutes, then drop to 350°F so the inside cooks through without letting the ridges turn too dark. Aim for a golden color instead of deep brown, which lines up with FDA guidance on browning starchy foods.[2]
Step-By-Step Method For Air Fryer Churros
Once you know that the answer to can i cook churros in an air fryer? is yes, the next task is getting consistent results. The outline below assumes you are starting with homemade dough, but you can adapt the timing for frozen churros or pre-cooked sticks from a bakery.
Basic Air Fryer Churro Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 2 tablespoons butter or neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Neutral spray oil for the basket and churros
- 1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1–2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Stovetop Dough Steps
- Bring water, butter, sugar, and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan.
- Stir in the flour all at once and cook the paste over low heat for one to two minutes, stirring until it forms a smooth ball that pulls from the sides.
- Transfer the warm dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool for a few minutes so the eggs do not scramble.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla, until the dough becomes glossy and thick. It should be soft enough to pipe, but still hold ridges.
- Scoop the dough into a sturdy piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
Air Fryer Cooking Steps
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F so the basket is hot.
- Lightly spray the basket with oil. If your manual warns against aerosol sprays, use a refillable mister or brush a thin coat of oil instead.[3]
- Pipe 4–6 inch strips of dough directly into the basket, cutting the dough with scissors. Leave space between each churro for air to flow.
- Spray the tops of the churros with a light, even coat of oil. You want a thin sheen, not visible puddles.
- Air fry for 8–10 minutes, turning once, until the churros feel firm when tapped and look golden along the ridges.
- Transfer hot churros to a shallow dish and roll them in cinnamon sugar while they are still warm so the coating sticks.
If the first batch looks pale or tastes doughy inside, extend the time by one or two minutes and make a note for your next round. Every appliance runs a little differently, so once you find the sweet spot for your air fryer, later batches become much easier.
Timing And Temperature Cheatsheet For Churros
Exact time varies with thickness, basket style, and how many churros you cook at once. The table below gives starting points that you can adjust after a trial batch. Always watch color in the last minutes; churros should look golden, not dark brown.
| Churro Type | Temperature | Estimated Time |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen mini churros | 360–375°F | 6–8 minutes, shake once |
| Frozen full-size churros | 360–375°F | 8–10 minutes, turn once |
| Homemade thin churros (1/2 inch) | 370–380°F | 8–10 minutes |
| Homemade thick churros (3/4 inch) | 360–370°F | 10–12 minutes |
| Filled churros | 350–360°F | 10–12 minutes, check filling |
| Leftover churros, reheating | 320–330°F | 3–5 minutes |
| Churro bites or nuggets | 360–375°F | 5–7 minutes, shake once |
Food Safety, Doneness, And Oil Tips
Even if churros do not contain raw meat, you still just want them cooked through so the center is not pasty. The dough should feel set and tender, not gummy. If you cut a churro open and see a wet streak in the center, place it back in the basket for another minute or two.
Grease management changes with an air fryer. Traditional deep-frying calls for large amounts of oil, careful temperature control, and safe disposal, as outlined by the USDA deep-fat frying guidance.[4] With air frying, you mainly choose a neutral, high-smoke-point oil for spraying and keep crumbs from burning on the basket or tray. That small habit keeps flavors bright between batches.
Common Mistakes When Cooking Churros In An Air Fryer
Overcrowding The Basket
Packing the basket too full keeps hot air from reaching every surface. The churros steam instead of crisp, which leads to pale sides, soggy ridges, and uneven browning. Always leave visible gaps between pieces. If you need a big batch, cook in several rounds and hold finished churros on a rack while you finish the rest.
Skipping The Oil Spray
Oil spray might feel optional in an appliance that advertises low-fat cooking, but churros need a thin layer of fat on the surface to brown and taste right. Dry dough struggles to color and can come out tough. Use a mister with a neutral oil such as canola or sunflower and aim for a light, even coat instead of heavy droplets.
Letting Sugar Burn
If sugar spills onto hot metal, it can smoke and leave bitter spots where it sticks. Roll churros in cinnamon sugar on a plate away from the basket, tap off loose sugar, and clean the tray once it cools if you ever notice scorched sugar or dark crumbs.
Not Adjusting For Your Air Fryer Model
Air fryers vary in wattage, basket shape, and how close food sits to the heating element. Treat any recipe time as a starting point and let color guide you. After a few sessions with churros, you will know whether your appliance runs hot or mild and can trim or add a minute as needed.
By now, the question can i cook churros in an air fryer? should feel settled. You can, and the method opens up quick dessert options on weeknights without hauling out a deep fryer. Once you have a reliable base routine, you can switch up coatings, add chocolate or dulce de leche dipping sauces, or play with shapes and sizes for parties and family nights.