Ingredients

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt (I use Morton Fine Sea Salt)

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Dough

• Place water, butter, brown sugar, and salt into a saucepan set over medium heat.
• Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
• Once it begins to simmer, add all of the flour at once.
• Stir continuously as it cooks until a soft, sticky dough forms and a thin film develops on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes.
• Continue cooking for 1 more minute, scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir. The dough will absorb part of that film, even though the pan won’t look completely clean.

Step 2: Add Eggs and Flavoring

• Move the dough into a mixing bowl and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
• Once it’s slightly cooled, stir in the vanilla extract.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly with a spatula after each addition.
• At first, the dough may look like it’s separating, but keep mixing—it will come together into a smooth, sticky consistency.

Step 3: Pipe and Prepare for Baking

• Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
• Transfer the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (ideally a #356 tip).
• Pipe 3–4 inch strips onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving a few inches between each one.
• Use the back of a knife to cleanly cut the dough at the end of each strip.

Step 4: Bake

• Lightly coat the tops of the piped dough with vegetable oil spray.
• Mist the entire baking tray generously with water.
• Bake until the churros puff up and turn golden around the edges, about 20–25 minutes.
• Turn off the oven, briefly open the door to release heat, then close it again, leaving it slightly open (8–12 inches).
• Let the churros sit inside the warm oven for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Coat with Cinnamon Sugar

• Take the churros out of the oven.
• Working in batches of 6, lightly brush each one with melted butter.
• Place them into a bag filled with cinnamon sugar and gently shake to coat evenly.
• Repeat until all churros are covered in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
• Serve right away and enjoy.